Possible ESB Grain Bill For Review

[Gold_Robber]

Hi guys and gals. I'm a relatively new brewer and I'd like to brew an ESB with the following ingredients. I am wondering if you think the percentage of each ingredient would give me a balanced beer - I think I have the hop schedule covered. TIA

 

[badlee]

I would down the crystal to 10% and make up the balance with either more base malt or some soft bron sugar, if it were my brew.

 

[jbsg02]

I agree, that's a lot of crystal, if you are trying to get color, use a darker crystal. I believe Fuller's ESB is 95% Marris Otter and 5% English Dark Crystal, with is like 70-80L

 

[Gold_Robber]

So the chocolate malt is a bad idea I guess?

 

[badlee]

nah, you can still go with that. It will give some complexity

 

[BigEd]

Hi guys and gals. I'm a relatively new brewer and I'd like to brew an ESB with the following ingredients. I am wondering if you think the percentage of each ingredient would give me a balanced beer - I think I have the hop schedule covered. TIA


View attachment 105708

Too much crystal and way too much chocolate. Cut the crystal back to about 10% tops and the chocolate to 1/2 - 1 oz per five gallon batch.

 

[DonRikkles]

The chocolate isn't bad, it will add color and complexity. You may want to sub the crystal for some Victory. It'll add a little nuttiness and will complement the MO to provide a good malt backbone.

 

[Gold_Robber]

The chocolate isn't bad, it will add color and complexity. You may want to sub the crystal for some munich. It'll add a little nuttiness and will complement the MO to provide a good malt backbone.

Don, Thanks for your advice. In your opinion should the Munich be around 15%-18%? Also, I will probably reduce the chocolate, as per Big Ed's advice.
The nuttiness flavour would be delicious in this ESB.
How does this seems:

 

[DonRikkles]

I edited my post to say victory, my apologies. I'd keep the victory to less than 5%. Munich would be good too, maybe less then 10%. Let the MO shine through along with some good english hops, EKG or fuggles.

 

[crusader1612]

I like the idea of the chocolate malt in there. 2% is nothing really. Too much crystal though.

 

[mpcondo]

In agreement with everyone else, that's a bit too much crystal. Also, my personal preference I dont really like chocolate malt in an ESB, but that's my personal taste.

 

[Gold_Robber]

What about crystal 30 AND Victory, equal amounts? Or should the victory be double of the crystal? TIA

 

[mcavers]

That last version you posted looks pretty good to me. My go-to ESB usually has about 6-8% caramel malt (usually crystal 60), 3-4% toasted malt (Baird's brown/amber or Gambrinus honey), and somewhere around 1-2% roasted barley. That template gives you a drinkable but complex malt flavour.

 

[Gold_Robber]

That last version you posted looks pretty good to me. My go-to ESB usually has about 6-8% caramel malt (usually crystal 60), 3-4% toasted malt (Baird's brown/amber or Gambrinus honey), and somewhere around 1-2% roasted barley. That template gives you a drinkable but complex malt flavour.

Thanks for your input. I'm not a huge fan of roasted barley, is the 1-2% in your esb for color or does it give the brew some flavor?? Granted, it's not a lot of barley at all.

 

[mcavers]

I include the roast almost entirely for colour. I think it probably does add just a touch of complexity, but it's the toasted malt - amber, biscuit, or honey - that does the heavy lifting in that area. And even that shouldn't be too much.

 

[Gold_Robber]

I include the roast almost entirely for colour. I think it probably does add just a touch of complexity, but it's the toasted malt - amber, biscuit, or honey - that does the heavy lifting in that area. And even that shouldn't be too much.

I have read that adding roasted barley, and even black barley, at the sparging stage, and not in the mash, will add color but no flavor. Have you heard of this, Mcavers? TIA

Did I just hijack my own thread?

 

[mcavers]

Did I just hijack my own thread?

Looks like it! Good question, though. I wish I knew more about that. I've also heard that cold-steeping dark grains will extract colour and a much mellower flavour than straight-up mashing. But I've never tried either, alas...

All the same, the tiny amount of roast I use in a bitter barely adds more than a touch of flavour.

 

[cluckk]

Mine has 10% Crystal 40 and a small bit of Victory malt instead of the chocolate.

 

[Gold_Robber]

Mine has 10% Crystal 40 and a small bit of Victory malt instead of the chocolate.

Around 2% of Victory malt?

 

[brewguyver]

The Fullers recipe from CYBI uses Simpsons crystal (somewhere between a c60 and a c85) and 1/4 oz of black patent. You can also use 4z of black patent, but it'll take 12 months to mellow out .

 

[Gold_Robber]

The Fullers recipe from CYBI uses Simpsons crystal (somewhere between a c60 and a c85) and 1/4 oz of black patent. You can also use 4z of black patent, but it'll take 12 months to mellow out .

Thanks for the tip about the CYBI database - I had no idea. I'm still a noob.

I'm not waiting one calendar year for my beer to be ready to drink. Thanks, Bro! :fro:

 

[buzzerj]

Ok so you got me to go back to my last best bitter I made which came out great for the style and I had 7% British Crystal. Rather than having any chocolate malt, I had Belgian Special B Malt 3% and Belgian Biscuit Malt 11% in addition to the British Crystal.

 

[Gold_Robber]

Ok so you got me to go back to my last best bitter I made which came out great for the style and I had 7% British Crystal. Rather than having any chocolate malt, I had Belgian Special B Malt 3% and Belgian Biscuit Malt 11% in addition to the British Crystal.

Haha. Thanks for your post. Is British crystal just crystal-60 or something close to it? My LHBS does not carry British crystal.

Was your base Maris Otter? And would it even make a difference in your recipe? Do you remember the hops that you used and the schedule? TIA

 

[Gold_Robber]

I wanted to thank all of the posters to this thread. You have given me a lot of good advice for my ESB. I am going to sit down and make a recipe based on all of the info in this thread and then I'll buy the grains this week!

 

[buzzerj]

Yes the British Crystal is also known as English Medium Crystal and its 50/60L. The English Dark Crystal is 70/80L. My base was a Warminster Floor-Malted Maris Otter. It's my go to base malt for any British ale. The difference it makes over a typical production Maris Otter malt is noticeable let alone from a two row malt. My hops were:

1 oz. Willamette Hops (leaves, 5.7% AA, 2.4% BA) boiled 60 mins.
1 oz. UK Kent Goldings Hops (pellets, 5.8% AA), boiled 15 mins.
1 oz. UK Kent Goldings Hops (pellets, 5.8% AA) boiled 1 mins.