Fullers ESB

[sgreene820]

After an attempt at a Best Bitter, I tried Fuller's ESB. The plum/currant notes were really noticeable (and pleasant). My 6 gallon recipe called for 8lbs of Maris Otter, 12 oz of Crystal 80, 8 oz of Biscuit Malt. I used Wyeast 1968. I got none of that complex flavor, but my recipe was only 4.5% ABV.

Where is that plum-currant flavor coming from in the Fuller's?

 

[raymarkson]

I'm subscribing to this thread because I also would like to know how this is done. I hope that someone will come along and can give good suggestions for this!

 

[brewing_clown]

Dark sugar would be my guess.

 

[sgreene820]

I'm on the verge of trying 2 oz of Special B malt.

Yes, I know it's not traditional.

 

[brewing_clown]

It may just be an age issue. I have to age my trappist ales for at least a couple of months before the dark fruits begin to shine.

 

[gbx]

apparently Fuller's bitter, london pride, esb, golden pride, vintage ale are all 95% uk pale, 5% Simpson's dark crystal and then a touch of chocolate malt to keep the colour consistent between batches. Simpson's crystal is where that flavour is coming from. Look up the Brewing Network's Jamil Show episodes on it - a great interview with the brewer and homebrew recipe discussion.

 

[McKnuckle]

^^I was just about the post the same thing. It's British crystal malts, particularly the 150L product. Also, you can experiment with 40L Carastan from Baird's.

 

[gbx]

^^I was just about the post the same thing. It's British crystal malts, particularly the 150L product. Also, you can experiment with 40L Carastan from Baird's.

The baird's is good stuff but simpson's is the fuller's flavour (very prominant in London Porter)

Here are some threads to read if you are into this beer

recipe discussion:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=178991

fermentation discussion
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=221817

 

[sgreene820]

The baird's is good stuff but simpson's is the fuller's flavour (very prominant in London Porter

My LHBS carries Briess Crystal. I take it standard 80L isn't going to get me that dark-fruit flavor?

 

[sgreene820]

Sorry to resurrect a zombie thread, but I just tapped a keg of the recipe that came from this thread:

Short Bus ESB (It's Special!)

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
9.00 gal Brew day ale Water 1 -
10 lbs Optic (2.5 SRM) Grain 2 83.4 %
1 lbs Dark Crystal (135.0 SRM) Grain 3 8.3 %
1 lbs Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 4 8.2 %
2.00 oz First Gold [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 41.1 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 6 -
0.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) Other 7 -
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 5.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [124.21 ml] Yeast 9 -
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] - Dry Hop 10.0 Days​

Malt at 152F (I hit it around 150-151, in practice)
Ferment at 66F (I now think 69F might be better).

 

[grrickar]

Sorry to resurrect a zombie thread, but I just tapped a keg of the recipe that came from this thread:

How did it turn out? From my studies, the malt bill is a bit simpler than yours: Pretty much Optic and Crystal with possibly some chocolate thrown in for color only. Is the wheat for head retention?

For hops the website calls that they use Challenger, Goldings, Northdown, Target.

I truly love this beer, and it is extremely hard to find in my area of the country. I'd love to be able to enjoy it, as I find that no how many beers I try, I keep coming back to this. I wouldn't go as far to say it is my favorite, but it is in my top 5...

 

[RustyHorn]

How did it turn out? From my studies, the malt bill is a bit simpler than yours: Pretty much Optic and Crystal with possibly some chocolate thrown in for color only. Is the wheat for head retention?

For hops the website calls that they use Challenger, Goldings, Northdown, Target.

I truly love this beer, and it is extremely hard to find in my area of the country. I'd love to be able to enjoy it, as I find that no how many beers I try, I keep coming back to this. I wouldn't go as far to say it is my favorite, but it is in my top 5...

Have you had it on draught (cask)? It's a whole new level of amazing! Bottled, it lacks some flavour and is too clean tasting.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Have you had it on draught (cask)? It's a whole new level of amazing! Bottled, it lacks some flavour and is too clean tasting.

That's likely due to the bottled product aimed at the States being Pasteurized.

 

[RustyHorn]

That's likely due to the bottled product aimed at the States being Pasteurized.

I live near the Griffin Brewery (Fullers brewery). It's the bottled product in general. The cans used to be ok. I haven't seen it canned for a while though.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I live near the Griffin Brewery (Fullers brewery). It's the bottled product in general. The cans used to be ok. I haven't seen it canned for a while though.

So you can't even get the bottled product unpasteurized locally?

 

[sgreene820]

Yep, the torrified wheat is mostly for head retention. Dark Crystal is possibly too dark, maybe half Dark/half medium. Tried chocolate malt before, didn't given the dark fruit flavors I crave.

Since the Fullers recipe is a partigyle, I'm thinking a thicker mash and slightly higher mash temps may be called for to achieve the flavor I crave.

 

[RustyHorn]

So you can't even get the bottled product unpasteurized locally?

It's just they way huge breweries like Fullers bottle it, I suppose. Fullers did recently do a collaboration with Moor which is the Fullers ESB recipe slightly modified for the 'craft' market. It's called Relentless Optimism - I've not been able to get my hands on one, but it will be unpasteurised and unfiltered because that's what Moor do (or don't do).

 

[StewMakesBrew]

I've been making a Fuller's ESB-like clone for multiple batches now - it is a very close match to it. Here's mine:

11 lbs Maris Otter
1.5 lbs. 60L Crystal Malt
1 oz East Kent Goldings - 55 min
1 oz EKG - 35 min
1 oz Fuggle 15 min
1 oz Fuggle 5 min
Whirfloc and Yeast Nutrient additions
Wyeast 1028 London Ale yeast

Single Infusion Mash, full body, no mash out. Mash at 154, fly sparged at 168. Boiled for 60 minutes.

Ferment at 68 for 3 weeks. Kegged carbed to 2.0 vols.

Awesome beer!

 

[sgreene820]

Would be 'cloners', give it time. My recipe is coming into its own after about a month of aging in the keg. I think it takes time for the flavors to blend.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

try this
http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25410

 

[bajaedition]

I have to put in my vote for the London Ale Yeast, it is what I use in my Fullers ESP clone.
I really like the beer and have spent years working on it. It is such a refreshing ale.

 

[sgreene820]

Wyeast 1968 is the Fullers strain. It ferments actively then drops out quick. Easy to work with and low attenuation. That would be my pick.

 

[bajaedition]

well, guess I will put up my fullers recipe
been messing with this for 20 years and this is my clone
5 gallon batch
9 pounds of maris otter 2 row
14 oz 55l crystal
2 oz aromatic malt
1 1/2 oz amber malt
3/4 pound flaked maize

90 minute mash 151 F If you want it really clear do 30 minutes at 126 then 60 at 150

boil is for 90 minutes

1 oz of target for 90 minutes. I want about 8.4 AAU or balance to that
when 15 minutes are left, drop in the wort chiller and get back to boil
when the boil hits again, drop in 16 grams of northdown 10 minute boil
At 2 minute hit with oz of kent goldings
wen the boil stops hit another 1/2 oz of kent goldings
at 180 degrees hit with 1/2 oz of fuggles

filter aggressively going into the fermenter

have a normal starter of nottingham yeast made up, remember this yeast is very aggressive so you need to watch your gravity and be ready to drop it out with insaglass. kill it at 1.012 to 1.014
I repeat, kill it now, it is very important to keep the malt profile

rack it off the lees and dry hop it with either goldings or fuggles

after 2 weeks pull off the hops and filter if you have a bed of lees, otherwise put in a lagering closet for 2 more weeks, then put in a keg or because you killed off the yeast, make a weak yeast sugar mixture to naturally carbonate in bottles

it will have aroma
it will have a malt front end
the hops profile will be complicated but balanced

 

[sgreene820]

I love this approach. What does Nottingham, with the fermentation cut short provide that a lower attenuating yeast doesn't?

 

[bajaedition]

Fast fermentation and cut when I want so not to dry the beer out or lose maltiness

Not as much fruit overtones


Besides that. Nothing. Just something I tried and liked

What can I say, I have control issues hehehehehahahahahahehehaha

 

[gbx]

Do you actually like Nottingham compared to any of the liquid british yeasts or even s04? Or is it the only option you have available? I've really tried to find a dry yeast I like in uk styles but I've never liked anything with Nottingham. (S04 is decent if kept cool, repeatedly roused and a fermentable wort with lots of simple sugars). What is the secret to Nottingham?

 

[Morrey]

Wyeast 1968 is the Fullers strain. It ferments actively then drops out quick. Easy to work with and low attenuation. That would be my pick.

This is the yeast I used in my last ESB and was very pleased. I was a bit suspect when the yeast was in the flask on stir plate as it looked like egg drop soup. But it was fine and did a splendid job.

I used a large proportion of Bullion hops and got a very nice almost black currant type of background note. I will make this one again for sure.

 

[sgreene820]

Apologies for resurrecting a zombie thread.

I've been wondering about using a decoction mash to bring up the malt notes in my recipe. (roughly 9lbs Maris, 1lb Dark Crystal, 1lb Dark Wheat, traditional hops). I know its not "traditional", but I don't see running a partigyle mash for a 5 gallon recipe (which is "the" tradition, AFA Fullers is considered) in my future.

Thoughts?

 

[gbx]

Apologies for resurrecting a zombie thread.

I've been wondering about using a decoction mash to bring up the malt notes in my recipe. (roughly 9lbs Maris, 1lb Dark Crystal, 1lb Dark Wheat, traditional hops). I know its not "traditional", but I don't see running a partigyle mash for a 5 gallon recipe (which is "the" tradition, AFA Fullers is considered) in my future.

Thoughts?

Don't do a decoction mash, don't even do what homebrewers call a "partigyle mash". If you want to come close to fuller's esb, start with the fullers recipe: use the simpson's C75 and london esb yeast for the malt notes, use target and northdown hops, forget this thread and resurrect any one of the dozen far better fuller's esb discussions.

 

[MSK_Chess]

Interesting discussion. I have a Fullers ESB recipe and it only uses pale malt and UK crystal malt. Target, Challenger, Northdown and Golding hops. OG is 1054, ABV 5.4 and IBU's 35. The Fullers London Porter on the other hand uses brown malt and UK chocolate, as well as pale and crystal malt. It uses fuggle hops exclusively.