Opinions on my ESB recipe? (extract and steep)

[mrfocus]

I just finalized this recipe for an ESB I am planning on brewing the 2nd of February, using "Designing Great Beers" as a reference, and as such I added Gypsum since my water is pretty regular hardness.

Here it is:

ESB
Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)


Type: Extract
Date: 2008-02-02
Batch Size: 6,00 gal
Brewer: Ross Wallbridge
Boil Size: 3,57 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (3 Gallon)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35,0 Brewhouse Efficiency: -
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9,92 lb Pale Liquid Extract [Boil for 15 min] Extract 85,93 %
1,00 lb Biscuit Malt (23,0 SRM) Grain 8,66 %
0,50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80,0 SRM) Grain 4,33 %
0,13 lb Chocolate Malt (450,0 SRM) Grain 1,08 %
1,76 oz Goldings, East Kent [6,00 %] (60 min) Hops 31,3 IBU
0,88 oz Goldings, East Kent [6,00 %] (35 min) Hops 9,8 IBU
0,88 oz Goldings, East Kent [6,00 %] (10 min) Hops 3,1 IBU
1,00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10,0 min) Misc
20,00 gm Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60,0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) Yeast-Ale
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1,061 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1,018 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5,57 %
Bitterness: 52,9 IBU
Est Color: 16,5 SRM

So, what think you of my recipe? What will the specialty grains add as flavors, if any?

I tasted Fuller's ESB less than a week ago and may, that's some taste-y ale.

Thanks,

mrfocus

Edit: Specifically, I'm wondering if using EKG as bittering hops will be ok (there's a discount if you buy 100g or 3.5ounces). I would really like some input from orfy (the bitter specialist after seeing his clone's of old speckled hen and boddington's pub ale) and of course anyone else.

 

[FlyingHorse]

EKG will be fine for bittering, as long as it's really 6% AA. I've had some as low as 3.5-4.0%, and at that level (and today's hop prices) you might look at a different bittering hop just to save $$. I like Target and Challenger.

2# of crystal/carastan is a lot for a bitter, I think. From BYO:

Although brewers may be used to chucking high fractions of caramel or dextrine malts into their ale grists, it's neither necessary nor desirable for Bitter.

And why two kinds of yeast?

 

[TheJadedDog]

Way too much Crystal in there, I'd dial it down to 1/2 pound at most. The gravity is also a little high for an ESB (they max out at 1.048) so you might want to use a bit less extract. Finally, I don't know that I'd use both yeasts. Either one will do fine, but there is no reason to use both. The EKG will be fine.

I don't mean to be an EAC, but bitters is one of my things and the recipe you have there isn't really a bitter.

 

[mrfocus]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I will only use the Wyeast if they have it in stock (I'm going to buy this stuff today). If not, I will just use the Safale which I'm sure I can get a hold of.

I have edited the recipe in the original post, have a look.

 

[Danek]

The gravity is also a little high for an ESB (they max out at 1.048) so you might want to use a bit less extract.

Interesting. I'm a little surprised by that (though I know very little about these things, so I probably shouldn't be). IIRC, the English ESBs I've had have all been a little stronger than that. For example, Fullers ESB is 5.9% ABV. Is it just that the US and UK ESB styles have diverged?

 

[TheJadedDog]

Interesting. I'm a little surprised by that (though I know very little about these things, so I probably shouldn't be). IIRC, the English ESBs I've had have all been a little stronger than that. For example, Fullers ESB is 5.9% ABV. Is it just that the US and UK ESB styles have diverged?

Fuller's should come in around 5.5%, but it is one of the strongest ESBs available in the market. An OG of aound 1.053 should get you there. Personally I like my ESBs with a little less alcohol, but that's just a personal preference.

 

[Danek]

I've just double-checked and you're right, Fullers is usually 5.5% in cask. Their bottled version (in the UK at least) is upped to 5.9%, but that's apparently a recent thing. Either way, damn nice beer!

 

[Bobby_M]

According to BJCP, ESB's can go all the way to 1.060.

 

[Soulive]

Fuller's is 5.9% and damn good...

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/66

 

[Bob]

I'm wondering for why the chocolate. Presumably it's there for color, as it's only a couple of ounces in six gallons, but...

As far as I'm concerned, ESB is pale malt and crystal malt. The simpler the better. The biscuit will give it a nice touch, perhaps. If you used the John Bull Maris Otter extract, it won't be necessary, because the JB extract is full-bodied and malty.

Goldings are, IMO, required for ESB. Perhaps not for bittering, but you can do what you like!

Cheers,

Bob

 

[Soulive]

I'm wondering for why the chocolate. Presumably it's there for color, as it's only a couple of ounces in six gallons, but...

As far as I'm concerned, ESB is pale malt and crystal malt. The simpler the better. The biscuit will give it a nice touch, perhaps. If you used the John Bull Maris Otter extract, it won't be necessary, because the JB extract is full-bodied and malty.

Goldings are, IMO, required for ESB. Perhaps not for bittering, but you can do what you like!

Cheers,

Bob

I agree the Chocolate isn't traditional, not that they care. The other traditional ingredient, for higher OG versions, is sugar. My local brewpub uses 5lbs of table sugar in theirs...

 

[jdoiv]

According to BJCP, ESB's can go all the way to 1.060.

ProMash says the style guideline goes all the way up to 1.072. I wonder is my style db in promash is out of date. I'm brewing one tonight and the recipe I came up with is 1.060.

 

[Soulive]

ProMash says the style guideline goes all the way up to 1.072. I wonder is my style db in promash is out of date. I'm brewing one tonight and the recipe I came up with is 1.060.

The BJCP notes for ESB (Style 8C) say the FG goes up to "1.060+" so its kind of vague...

 

[jdoiv]

The BJCP notes for ESB (Style 8C) say the FG goes up to "1.060+" so its kind of vague...

Yeah, I just went and looked it up too. I thought 1.072 sounded sorta high. Surprised at first really. I picked 1.060 to try and be in the middle or the range. Going to try my second batch sparge and wanted to give myself some leeway since I'm not sure what it'll do to my efficiency. Fly I get upper 80's and low 90's.

OP, your recipe looks good to me. Let us know how it turns out.