ESB Help

[johnpreuss]

This is version2.0 of my ESB. I really liked the grain bill but the original was underhopped so I came up with this:

7 Gallons boiled
5.5 gallon batch
80% eff.

10 lb Canadian Pale Ale Malt
.75 lb Victory
.5 Crystal 60L
.5 Crystal 80L

I have a nice 1968 cake from a english PA I'm going to rake it on top of.

HOPS... well here's the plan right now:

1 oz Target 8.6%AA 60min
1 oz Williamette 5.5% AA 15 min
1 oz Goldings 4.5% AA Flameout

Puts me around 1.060 and 41 IBU.

What do you guys think about the hop schedule? I just made a EPA with Targets and goldings. Thought I'd change it up a bit by throwing in the willies

 

[Gremlyn]

Looks good to me. I did a similar hop schedule on an English IPA and it really came out more like an ESB.

 

[JVD]

Its still not going to fall into the guidelines for an ESB.You will want to add more hops or it wont be bitter enough with a 1.060 og. I would add .50-.75oz of willamette at 30 min....According to Beersmith that will get your IBU/SG ratio into the lower 700's and thats what you want.

 

[Gremlyn]

Its still not going to fall into the guidelines for an ESB.You will want to add more hops or it wont be bitter enough with a 1.060 og. I would add .50-.75oz of willamette at 30 min....According to Beersmith that will get your IBU/SG ratio into the lower 700's and thats what you want.

To be in style he can't go over 50 IBU. I think 41 will work just fine, he'd be in style according to the BJCP.

 

[johnpreuss]

Its still not going to fall into the guidelines for an ESB.You will want to add more hops or it wont be bitter enough with a 1.060 og. I would add .50-.75oz of willamette at 30 min....According to Beersmith that will get your IBU/SG ratio into the lower 700's and thats what you want.

Hmm.. style guidelines say 30-50 IBU's for an ESB, are you are talking the proper amount of IBU's to balance out the malt?

I could go with:
1 oz Target 8.6%AA 60min
.5 oz Williamette 5.5%AA 30min
1 oz Williamette 5.5%AA 10min
1 oz Golding 4.5%AA Flameout

That would get me to 46IBU but that is still on the upper end of the guidelines - hmm.....

 

[Gremlyn]

Going for the top end of the gravity range doesn't require going for the top end of the IBU's. It's up to the brewer to balance it out to their liking. I say go with what you had originally, and if you think it needs to be more bitter, bump it up next time.

 

[johnpreuss]

I think you are right. I'm going to stick to the original.

Gotta get up early to build my new immersion chiller (my original was too small - took way too long to bring the temp down. Going w/50foot of 3/8 copper this time:rockin then I think it's go time for brewing this recipe.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

+1 on sticking with 41 IBUs. You should have some nice balance with that, IMHO.

 

[JVD]

Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
English Pale Ale


Type: Ale
Category Number: 8C
Original Gravity: 1.048-1.060 SG
Color: 6.0-18.0 SRM
Final Gravity: 1.010-1.016 SG Bitterness: 30.0-50.0 IBU
Carbonation: 1.5-2.4 vols Alcohol by Volume: 4.60-6.20 %
Description: http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style08.html#1c
An average-strength to moderately-strong English ale.The balance may be fairly even between malt &hops to somewhat bitter.Drinkability is a critical component of the style; emphasis is still on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.

For my liking,I like bitters to be in the .700 IBU/SG range!With a 1.060 SG that would be to MALTY for me.Just my opinion!​

 

[JVD]

Hmm.. style guidelines say 30-50 IBU's for an ESB, are you are talking the proper amount of IBU's to balance out the malt?

I could go with:
1 oz Target 8.6%AA 60min
.5 oz Williamette 5.5%AA 30min
1 oz Williamette 5.5%AA 10min
1 oz Golding 4.5%AA Flameout

That would get me to 46IBU but that is still on the upper end of the guidelines - hmm.....

In DESIGNING GREAT BEERS Ray Daniels says"Add bittering hops to achieve a BU:GU ratio of .700 to .900"...And the average ratio in second round competitions for an ESB where .860!

 

[johnpreuss]

In DESIGNING GREAT BEERS Ray Daniels says"Add bittering hops to achieve a BU:GU ratio of .700 to .900"...And the average ratio in second round competitions for an ESB where .860!

Gotcha. The first time I made this beer I missed the bitterness completely, it was around 32 IBU which was too style but not balanced so this time I'm going to up it to my recipe with your suggestion if I think it needs more bitter to balance the malt.

I really like ESBs and would like this to be my house bitter so there will be more tweeking in the future. So I definately appreciate your opinion JVD.

 

[mithion]

I would also make sure to mash low. Wyeast 1968 is a low attenuator and with a pound of crystal in there, you'll end up with a sweet beer. I'd go 151 to 152F.

 

[Gremlyn]

Going with 41 IBU gives a bitterness ratio of 0.68, which is slightly malt forward, but close the usually recommended 0.73. I'd like to see info on an English competition and what the avg bitterness ratio in that would be. I expect it'd be a good deal lower.

 

[midfielder5]

Those Target hops seem a bit low on aa's. I think they normally are 9.5 to 12% aa.

Personally, I'd do 1.25 oz at 60 min.

Good luck with whatever u do!

 

[ajf]

I like your hop schedule. It is almost identical to mine, except I don't have any Willamette, and my Target is a bit higher in AAs. If I did have Willamette, I would use them just like you which I did last year when I had some.

-a.

 

[johnpreuss]

aaacckkk! I was wrong... I go down to the freezer and the williamettes are only 4.8AA. So I'm going to go with the extra half ounce at 30 min. That will get me to 43IBU.

Anyways hit my mash temp dead on 151dF and the new chiller is all ready to go. Too bad this brew day started so late, it'll be 10pm by the time I'm done.

 

[johnpreuss]

Well brew day went off pretty much without a hitch. OG came in at 1.060 so I hit just under 80% eff. :rockin: