How does this look for a ESB?

[sause]

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 13.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 51.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 82.4 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.2 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.2 %
0.13 lb Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 1.1 %

2.00 oz Cluster [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 46.4 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.20%] (10 min) Hops 5.0 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.20%] (10 min) (AroHops -
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (Dry Hop 7 daHops -

1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
5.00 gal Milwaukee, WI Water
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale

Doing a single Infusion mash and batch spraging. Looking for about 6 gallons pre boil. And probably doing a 1-3-keg for fermenting.
Looking for a beer that you can hop the hops from across the room but a full bodied beer also.

 

[cweston]

Sounds great. If it were mine, I'd probably reduce the IBUs a bit and use a maltier yeast strain--one of the English ale strains. I love the generous EKG schedule, but I think the more balanced flavor from the English yeast would harmonize it with the crystal, etc, better.

 

[sause]

I've done one with the Wyeast's London ESB Ale 1968 once and it was good a bit too malty actually had to use a hop tea twice on it. I was planning on dumping this on to a pale ale yeast cake.

 

[cweston]

In that case, the recipe as you planned it should be more to your liking, then. I say go for it.

 

[RichBrewer]

I used 1056 on my last ESB attempt and I think it reduced the malt profile quite a bit. This time I used WLP002 but it was just racked to secondary so I'm mot sure yet what difference it made.
Your recipe looks good to me.
I was going to say that the hop schedule was a bit high but I've looked at the style guidlines for an ESB and they are quite broad. Not only that, if your tastes are more toward hoppy beers, that is all that matters.

 

[sause]

Revised the hop schedule, the total IBU is now 40.5 that should be nice and balenced.

1.00 oz Cluster [7.00%] (60 min) Hops 22.5 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.10%] (60 min) Hops 13.2 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.10%] (10 min) Hops 5.0 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.10%] (10 min) (AroHops -
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (Dry Hop 7 daHops -

 

[Biermann]

I'm getting ready to brew an ESB--"Strong Arm Bitter" So far I've got:

12 lbs 2-row Pale
1 lb 60 L Crystal
1/2 lb 20 L Crystal

Hops:
1.5 oz EKG 6.6 AA for 60 min
1/2 oz EKG 6.6 AA for 15
1 oz Fuggles 5.9 AA for 15
1 oz Fuggles 5.9 AA for 5 min
1 oz EKG 4.1 AA Dry Hops

Burton Water Salts

Yeast: White Labs WLP005 British Ale yeast (have never used this yeast before--anyone have any thoughts??)
A
nticipated OG 1.070 at 70% efficiency

2 step infusion mash, fly sparging (I like the slow process--allows me to drink more homebrew

I'm looking for a strong malt flavor, strong hop aroma and moderate bitterness, and a decent alcohol kick. I think this would be a better winter brew, but whatever. .

I like the idea of your recipe using cara-pils/dextrine and possibly some roasted. . . I've also seen flaked maize, torrified wheat, etc being used for bitters (?to add mouthfeel and head retention?). I have some torrified wheat on hand, and thought about adding it to this, but have never used in in this style of an ale.

Any suggestions on hops, malt, etc. would be welcome. My malt bill is too simple. . . it goes against my type a personality

 

[sause]

I like the idea of your recipe using cara-pils/dextrine and possibly some roasted. . . I've also seen flaked maize, torrified wheat, etc being used for bitters (?to add mouthfeel and head retention?). I have some torrified wheat on hand, and thought about adding it to this, but have never used in in this style of an ale.

Body is the whole reason behind me adding the carapils. I wish I could get that high of alpha % on my EKG. Your a little high for the style on your OG but hey you have to drink less and then it lasts longer. A little wheat sounds like a good idea.

 

[drengel]

an esb doesn't need to be a complex recipe, just well thought outy and balanced, as all these recipes show. pale, crystal, cara-pils, maybe melanoidin malts are all that is needed, just make sure to get a good dose of sweetness from the caramel/crstal malts, and don't overwhelm it with a hop schedule that takes the 'bitter' part of esb too liberally. remember balance. definitely with english hops and english yeast, you want that yeast to give off nice subtly fruity esters (pear, apricot, etc.) and will also highlight the maltiness and give nice bready/biscuity flavors. overall , an esb should be strong but still a session beer. I'm actually drinking a esb from a can right now that is really a good example of what a classic esb should be.

 

[RichBrewer]

Here is the one I brewed that is in the secondary right now.

04-10-2006 ESB V2

A ProMash Brewing Session Report
--------------------------------

Brewing Date: Monday April 10, 2006
Recipe: ESB V2

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 6.20 Wort Size (Gal): 6.20
Total Grain (Lbs): 13.75
Anticipated OG: 1.061 Plato: 14.91
Anticipated SRM: 11.5
Anticipated IBU: 39.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.062 Plato: 15.21


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
54.5 7.50 lbs. American 2-row America 1.038 2
32.7 4.50 lbs. Munich Malt(2-row) America 1.035 6
7.3 1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60
5.5 0.75 lbs. Victory Malt America 1.034 25

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Whole 7.00 24.0 60 min.
1.25 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 5.00 10.9 30 min.
1.25 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 5.00 4.3 10 min.

Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.25 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)

Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP002 English Ale

 

[Biermann]

I brewed my "Strong Arm Bitter" yesterday. The OG ended up at 1.069, which put my efficiency at about 70%--not bad for the crappy equipment I'm using. I ended up using one extra ounce of pellet hops in the middle (the whole leaf hops I had on hand ended up smelling really weak, and most of them were yellow/orange in color--probably too old and oxidized). Otherwise I stuck to my recipe as above. The WL British Ale yeast seems to be starting pretty slow (I didn't use a starter, so I guess that's ok). Now, the question is to dry hop or not to dry hop. . .

 

[drengel]

i wouldn't dry hop it unless you feel the beer is out of balance. as i said you want perfect balance in an esb, it's not a hop monster like a lot of people seem to think in america that haven't had one or are not too familiar with them. i'd taste and decide. i've definitely tryed new recipes before and found them lacking and made dry additions.

 

[Biermann]

Thanks. . .I don't want it to be a hop monster, but I am looking to give it a floral note to the aroma. The last ESB I did I dry hopped with EKG pellets, and it gave a wonderful floral aroma. You're right. . .I'll just wait and taste.