My second batch...an ESB

[Thirdeye]

My second batch is an ESB. Been in primary for 5 days now.

Malt: 7lbs Light malt extract syrup

Specialty Grains: 3/4 lbs British light crystal malt
1/4 lbs Special B Malt

Hops: 1 oz Northdown @ boil
1/2 oz Fuggle @ 30 min into boil
1/2 oz Fuggle @ 50 min into boil

Yeast: White labs British Ale yeast

Any words of wisdom with this recipe? I was gonna follow the same protocol I did with my first batch...2 weeks in primary, bottle, 2 weeks conditioning, begin consumption.

Been contemplating getting a carboy for secondary, mainly just because I would like to see the product. Primary is an opaque bucket.

Man this is fun. What should I brew next? My first batch was kinda my own creation..and weird. Its a dark amber ale, with a bunch of hops. Really sweet beginning with a dry, bitter finish. I dunno, I love it...probably because I made it. My buddy tried it and loved it. Dont think the wife likes it too much but shes not much of a hop head like her worst half.

 

[BruDaddy]

I would definitely get the 2nd carboy. Letting it condition in secondary for 2-3 weeks really improves everything. Plus if your a hop head, you can play around with dry hopping

 

[Yooper]

I like to mix things up- so I usually go with totally different styles from one batch to the next. That way, I can walk over to the fridge and say, "Hmmmm, what kind of beer do I want tonight?". So, my last few batches went something like this: brown ale, Arrogant Bastard clone, Anchor Steam clone, ESB, IPA, lager. Next I'm doing an APA and then an alt, followed by another lager.

It works best if you brew kind of often for the first few weeks, so you can stockpile some! Then you have a better selection than most bars.

Oh, and I agree with the carboy. I use a clearing tank for almost everything- and I love to dry hop!

 

[Beerthoven]

That looks like a nice recipe.

Words of wisdom? Hmmm, let's see...do you have a hydrometer? If not I recommend you get one and start using it to measure your original and final gravities. Then you'll have more information on how well the fermentation went and be able to calculate alcohol content.

2 weeks before bottling seems a little short to me, but that's just my personal preference. I usually don't bottle until 3 or 4 weeks.