Help with ESB

[DPveritasGold]

Hello all,

My brother is coming in town this weekend and wanted me to brew an ESB. I have very little knowledge of this style, so I'd like some help with the recipe I've come up with. Here it is.

batch size: 5.5 gal

9.5 lb Maris Otter
.75 lb Crystal 40L
.375 lb Crystal 120L
.5 lb Victory Malt
.5 lb Carapils

1.5 oz East Kent Goldings, 60 min
.5 oz Fuggle, 30 min
.5 oz Fuggle, 10 min

Yeast: English Ale WLP002

FYI I'm wanting this to be on the sweeter side and not very hoppy.

Let me know what you guys think and if you have suggestions!

Thanks

 

[Gameface]

I'd probably drop the carapils. You've got plenty with the other crystal malts.

I make a lot of ESB and I don't really care for Fuggle, even though it is commonly used in the style. I often use a high AA hop for bittering and EKG for late additions, or just all EKG.

Other than that it looks pretty good to me.

 

[balrog]

Take a quick glance at this thread for examples others have done for English ales, mostly ESB.

I plugged in your recipe, used 72% efficiency, got OG of 1.059 with 29 IBU (EKG 5%, Fuggles 4.75% alpha). So it seems within style for ESB, but I've only ever done simpler grists with MO, crystal and maybe carapils.

But take a quick look through that other thread and a quick gander at the ESB recipes in the forum's database, for other recipes with feedback. And good luck!

 

[jwalker1140]

I'm sure your recipe would be very good. At the same time, it's so close to Common Room ESB by KingBrianI that I would suggest making some slight changes to bring your recipe more in line with a proven winner like this one, especially since you mention you're not too familiar with the style.

If it were my beer, I would drop the 120L to .25 lb and eliminate the victory and carapils, then adjust the maris otter to hit your target og. Move your fuggle additions to 20 min and 0 min. And bam, excellent beer!

Common Room ESB isn't sweet but it is malty (which maybe some people perceive as sweet) and it's not overly hoppy. It's all things just right. Here's a link to the recipe, if you're not already familiar with it: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=83878

 

[DPveritasGold]

Thanks for the info, this is really good stuff.

Two posts now have recommended to drop the carapils. Could you give an explanation for this? Thanks

 

[m00ps]

I think its just a traditional ESB would certainly not have carapils. Plus, you have it in there for head retention, right? They are saying the large amount of crystal malts in there will already take care of that

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

i am making an ESB this weekend, and my basic recipe is 11 lbs MO (in the latest case, gleneagle. No crystal at all. i believe this is the way Brits do it. Now this weekend, i may add 3 or 4 oz of crystal 40, but no more than that, more for a tad bit of color than anything.

Good maris otter provides such a great flavor, to me it is a sin to mask this malt with crystal malts.

The hops are whatever you want that is British. I believe Target is used for bittering in Fullers.

 

[jwalker1140]

Two posts now have recommended to drop the carapils. Could you give an explanation for this? Thanks

My reason for recommending that you drop it is because I can't think of a good reason for including it.

Head retention should be fine without it and you can adjust body with your mash temp. Eliminate it and replace any lost gravity points by adding more of something that actually tastes good, like MO.

 

[BarkingSpider]

Maybe consider mashing at a slightly higher temp (154-156?) The crystal 40 should effectively eliminate the need for carapils as already has been stated (adds body on its own). I think the WLP002 will also lend more body to a beer due to less attenuation as well.

I would also try to source British crystal malt if you can.

I've used Challenger as a bittering hop in the past and finished with EKG, and have been pretty happy. I think I'd bitter with Fuggles and finish with EKG if I already had those two hops though.

 

[mrdail87]

I think it looks like a fine recipe. But I'd agree with the rest of the group and say drop the carapils, you won't need it.