Extra Special Bitter (ESB) Recipe

[nosoup4me]

Trying to do a ESB and they seem fairly simple. So I was wondering how this looks to yall.

Thanks.

Batch Size (fermenter): 11.00 gal

91% Maris Otter
4% Crystal 20
2.5% Crystal 120
2.5% Victory

Mash @ 152° for 60

38 IBU of Challenger @ 60 Min
1 oz EKG @ Flameout
1 oz Fuggles @ Flameout

Est. OG 1.056
Est. FG 1.015

Wyeast 1968 London ESB @ 65° raising to 68° after 4 days then sitting for 2.5 weeks

Water Profile: 66 Calcium, 8 Magnesium, 40 Sodium, 107 Sulfate, 56 Chloride

Carb to 2.0 vols

 

[STMF]

Seems fine.

The only thing I see is that with a decent starter I never had a normal ESB take three weeks to finish.

 

[kristiismean]

but with an ESB, letting sit 3 weeks will not hurt it at all.

 

[nosoup4me]

Seems fine.

The only thing I see is that with a decent starter I never had a normal ESB take three weeks to finish.

I always make a starter but I almost always let my beers sit in primary for 3 weeks. Probably not needed it's just now part of my routine.

Unless it's a cream ale or something then it's usually just two.

 

[STMF]

but with an ESB, letting sit 3 weeks will not hurt it at all.

I always make a starter but I almost always let my beers sit in primary for 3 weeks. Probably not needed it's just now part of my routine.

Sure, you can let it sit for 4 weeks also in the FV, it wont hurt the beer either.

 

[Huds]

Letting it ferment a bit higher could provide some nice easters. Otherwise what's the point of using a nice English yeast without some eastery goodness.

 

[FlyDoctor]

My advice would be to use British crystals instead of US - they taste more "English" I also agree with temp - start at 68' increase to 70-72 after 3-4 days.

 

[nosoup4me]

Letting it ferment a bit higher could provide some nice easters. Otherwise what's the point of using a nice English yeast without some eastery goodness.

My advice would be to use British crystals instead of US - they taste more "English" I also agree with temp - start at 68' increase to 70-72 after 3-4 days.

ok, I'm going to go from 68->70 after 4 days. You're right, why lose the esters.

The only other thing I'm curious about is that it's coming in around 9 SRM. which seems to be on the lighter side for an ESB. Most ESB's I have seen (mainly from googling) are around 12 and have a reddish hue. Is that in the style? Does it really even matter?

 

[JKaranka]

ok, I'm going to go from 68->70 after 4 days. You're right, why lose the esters.

The only other thing I'm curious about is that it's coming in around 9 SRM. which seems to be on the lighter side for an ESB. Most ESB's I have seen (mainly from googling) are around 12 and have a reddish hue. Is that in the style? Does it really even matter?

Some strong bitters are fairly pale. I'd say, in Britain itself, a strong bitter of around 8-9SRM is fairly normal. I think in the USA (I've never had an American take on a British beer) strong bitters tend to be darker. I usually think of pretty much all bitters in my region being the colour of SNPA or lighter.

On the recipe itself: I'd ditch the C20. You don't need it and you are better off with less crystal malts. I'd up the sulphate to 150 or higher, and up the IBUs to at least 45. You want the OG and IBUs to be relatively proportional to each other (so if an ordinary bitter of 1.038 might have 30-35IBU down the pub, you definitively want at least 45 for a bitter of 1.055 or more). You can also increase the dry finish of the beer by adding a small amount of light invert sugar syrup, flaked maize or flaked rice such as 5% (sugar and maize are traditional, but rice is pretty much the same thing). That helps also to nail the mouthfeel and gentle alcoholic note of a typical British strong bitter.

 

[kristiismean]

It does not matter at all.

with 91% Maris Otter you are going to get all that biscuity bready tones coming through nicely.

agree to use english crystal malt, if it's readily available. I probably could not tell the difference, but it's possible someone could, and why not use english grain in an english beer.

 

[JKaranka]

Btw, the 2015 BJCP guidelines are pretty good on the bitter category and worth a read (a great improvement from the 2008 guidelines).

Includes this comment:

"Comments: In England today, “ESB” is a Fullers trademark, and no one thinks of it as a generic class of beer. It is a unique (but very well-known) beer that has a very strong, complex malt profile not found in other examples, often leading judges to overly penalize traditional English strong bitters. In America, ESB has been co-opted to describe a malty, bitter, reddish, standard-strength (for the US) British-type ale, and is a popular craft beer style. This may cause some judges to think of US brewpub ESBs as representative of this style."

Fuller's ESB and Shepherd Neame's Bishops Finger are probably the two commercially most popular strong bitters but they are also somewhat outliers: they are very malty and dark in balance. SN doesn't even call Bishops Finger a strong bitter but a strong ale (which is more accurate, to be fair). Examples from other breweries, like regionals, etc., will often be more balanced in character, with more bitterness and less malts.