Thoughts on a Rye ESB

[Murphys_Law]

Not sure this is exactly "to style" but it's a recipe I've done a few time with some success and wanted to get some thoughts from HBT. It's more of a strong bitter due to higher ABV. I've toyed around with adding sugar but decided against it (for now).

I like the addition of rye in this beer and am always looking for suggestions on improvements.

Mash @ 152*
5.5G in fermenter
Ferment @ 64* and let rise to 68* after 3 or 4 days

Est Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.4 %
Bitterness: 40.4 IBUs
Est Color: 11.6 SRM

Type: BIAB
Eff set to 72%


8 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 65.3 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 2 10.2 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Rye, Flaked (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 10.2 %
12.0 oz Amber Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.1 %
10.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.1 %
6.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.1 %
1.00 oz Target [11.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 35.8 IBUs
0.50 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 3.0 IBUs
0.50 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 1.6 IBUs
1.0 pkg London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [124.21 ml] Yeast 10 -
2.00 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Looks like a solid recipe, but (having not tried it) I don't think a rye ESB is really a great destination. Rye lends itself best to drier beers, like APA rather than sweeter, maltier beers, like an ESB.

That said, it might taste great, and maybe I'm being stupid.

Never tried toffee malt. Sounds interesting, and especially well suited for an ESB.

Have you brewed this yet or are you asking for pre-brew input?
If you haven't brewed it yet, I'd brew it first without the rye (sub back in MO in its place), then brew it again with the rye to see the difference and isolate the contribution of the rye.

Caveat: My two cents may be worth significantly less than face value on the open market.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Yeah, brewed it a few times. Just looking for some comments, improvements, etc. And to see if I'm one of the few wackos who add rye to this style.

The amount of rye dries this beer out a bit but it's still pretty balanced (IMO).

I'm going to brew up a batch w/o rye to compare.

 

[thehaze]

20% Rye seems like a lot. You could try to go lower and see if it still lends the same dryness. Maybe 10-15 %.

 

[badlee]

I use 28% malted rye in a 1.040 bitter and it is awsome.
I would add some table sugar to stop the body being too much.
I would also double up on your 10 minute hop addition or add the same amount at 20.

 

[Schemy]

Looks like a solid recipe, but (having not tried it) I don't think a rye ESB is really a great destination. Rye lends itself best to drier beers, like APA rather than sweeter, maltier beers, like an ESB.

That said, it might taste great, and maybe I'm being stupid.

Never tried toffee malt. Sounds interesting, and especially well suited for an ESB.

Have you brewed this yet or are you asking for pre-brew input?
If you haven't brewed it yet, I'd brew it first without the rye (sub back in MO in its place), then brew it again with the rye to see the difference and isolate the contribution of the rye.

Caveat: My two cents may be worth significantly less than face value on the open market.

I agree with this. I've done a couple version of a Rye ESB, and found that when I used it at around 5%, it gave the beer complexity but didn't seem out of place. When I used in heavier amounts, the Rye didn't blend well with the crystals used in the ESB recipe.