ESB hops

[Scout001]

I'm currently working out of recipe book published in the UK and, so far, I haven't been disappointed with the beers. Their recipes for both a common bitter and an ESB call for single hop with EKG. Just made another batch of common yesterday. Can't seem to keep a keg of the stuff on hand!

Interesting comment about dry-hopping the cask. I think I may try that with this batch. What do you think? An ounce in 5 gal. 3 days before kegging?

Cheers!

What's the name of that recipe book? Interested to see if I can find it. I dryhop a very small quantity 3-4 days before bottling; I usually throw them a day before I move the fermenter to my garage (bout 36-42 degrees). I fin with gelatin also the last couple days...just enough to set off some hop oils. Alaskan has a seasonal ESB that has won numerous awards, including in the UK. That ESB has a detectable hoppy bite, so Im sure you can make something within style. Ill be placing mine in a club ESB brew-off this May, so Ill get some feedback from a couple of BJ judges.

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

I believe Fuller's ESB uses Target for bittering and Goldings for flavor and aroma.

Using 100% Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett is awesome! Crisp is also very nice) is the way to go, with a 14 Plato (1.056) target gravity.

I have read that the Brits don't use crystal malt in most instances, and the beers that I have made with 100% Maris Otter have not required any enhancement.

 

[Scout001]

I believe Fuller's ESB uses Target for bittering and Goldings for flavor and aroma.

Using 100% Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett is awesome! Crisp is also very nice) is the way to go, with a 14 Plato (1.056) target gravity.

I have read that the Brits don't use crystal malt in most instances, and the beers that I have made with 100% Maris Otter have not required any enhancement.

100% MaRis, hmm I use about 2% Crystal 120 for color...Id like try to smash it with mo and kg...putting that in my todo list

 

[MindenMan]

The last ESB I made used Fuggles @60, and U.S.Golding @20, and I really enjoyed it. I do not like EK Goldings. To me, all I taste is metallic after a month or so.
I used Two-row, Special Roast, and Crystal 140. The Special Roast added the bready, toasty, flavor that would have been in Marris Otter.

 

[johnsnownw]

My preferred malt bill is:

Golden Promise 50%
Marris Otter 40%
Munich 10%

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

My preferred malt bill is:

Golden Promise 50%
Marris Otter 40%
Munich 10%

I need to get some Golden Promise once Ale season begins....

It seems like many of you guys are concerned about color. I will post this pic as an example of what 100% thomas fawcett looks like....

 

[Puddlethumper]

What's the name of that recipe book? Interested to see if I can find it. I dryhop a very small quantity 3-4 days before bottling; I usually throw them a day before I move the fermenter to my garage (bout 36-42 degrees). I fin with gelatin also the last couple days...just enough to set off some hop oils. .

The book I have is called "The Complete Homebrew Handbook", Future Publishing Ltd., Bath, UK.

I use gelatin for fining also, and I've been given to understand that it can strip a little of the hop aroma. Your suggestion to dry-hop might be just the ticket to offset the loss.

 

[aryoung1980]

Damn. I had a great brew day. Everything went smooth and I hit all of my numbers. But I just f'ed myself with the initial fermentation. The WLP028 took off like a rocket and spent the first 24 hours around 76F. Trying to cool it down now. Hopefully I don't get too many esters. This yeast is a beast.


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[Puddlethumper]

100% MaRis, hmm I use about 2% Crystal 120 for color...Id like try to smash it with mo and kg...putting that in my todo list

The ESB recipe I have calls for mostly Maris Otter (8.8#) but also wants 5 oz. of British Crystal (I use the medium crystal at 70/80), 1/2 oz. black patent and 2 oz. of torrified wheat. You end up with a little more color in your ESB than a straight MO recipe would yield and an ABV at about 4.4% Nottingham or S-04 yeast.

 

[USAFSooner]

If you want a clone of Fullers ESB PM me. I did one up and couldn't tell the difference between mine and the real other than a very slight color difference.


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[gbx]

Dry hopping an ESB is fine if you use restraint - .5oz to 1oz (absolute max) for a 5gal batch. ...and a little cascade really punches up a late goldings addition. Don't use too much that it tastes american, just enough to enhance the fruitiness. eg. if your late addition is 1oz of goldings try 0.8oz goldings + 0.2oz cascade.

 

[aryoung1980]

Interesting comment about dry-hopping the cask. I think I may try that with this batch. What do you think? An ounce in 5 gal. 3 days before kegging?

Cheers!

Did you try it yet?

I just pulled a hydrometer sample and it came out clean. I'm going to try an ounce of EKG as a dry hop and then keg it after 5 days. I'll let you know what I think.


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[Puddlethumper]

Did you try it yet?

I just pulled a hydrometer sample and it came out clean. I'm going to try an ounce of EKG as a dry hop and then keg it after 5 days. I'll let you know what I think.

Not yet, at least not with the ECB I mentioned. That one will go into the keg in another day or two.

However, I did try it on a Cream Ale that I felt lost a little aroma due to using gelatin for finings. 1/2 oz. of Mt Hood and a marble hanging in a hops bag from the keg lid. It took a few days but I do think it helped give back some of the aroma that had been missing.

I'd like to know how it turned out for you.

 

[aryoung1980]

Just tapped my keg today. The beer came out delicious. I didn't get as much aroma as I anticipated from the dry hop but I highly recommend doing it. This may need to be brewed a few more times for summer.


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[Puddlethumper]

I didn't do a dry hop of this batch of ECB but will probably try it on the next batch. I don't mind making changes that improve a regular "house beer" if they add something and I'm thinking dry hopping may do that. But this one came out exactly as the last ones and I'm very pleased. A very drinkable beer that one can just enjoy and not spend a lot of time discussing or fussing over.