Looking For Advice On My Esb Recipe

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Edak

BrauShnizzleMyNizzle
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This is my first ESB, I have some some premium bitters (special) but want to go the extra step ahead. I like a few styles of ESB, but of course I love Holgate especially when on tap.

Can you please have a look and share any comments that you might have.

Code:
Cobbers Best

Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

Type: All Grain

Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 l

Boil Size: 27.58 l

Boil Time: 80 min

Equipment: Braumiser 20L

End of Boil Volume 23.71 l

Brewhouse Efficiency: 71.60 %

Est Mash Efficiency 81.6 %



Ingredients

4.30 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC)

0.40 kg Caramalt (Simpsons) (69.0 EBC)

0.25 kg Crystal, Dark (Simpsons) (157.6 EBC)

15.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min

15.00 g Target [10.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min

25.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.40 %] - Boil 20.0 min

0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)

20.00 g Fuggles [5.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min

10.00 g Fuggles [5.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min

1.0 pkg British Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1098) [124.21 ml]



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.055 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.5 %

Bitterness: 42.9 IBUs

Calories: 477.8 kcal/l

Est Color: 20.7 EBC



Mash Profile

Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Medium Body

Total Grain Weight: 4.95 kg



Mash Steps



Protein Rest -> Add 24.91 l of water at 52.1 C,50.0 C 10 min 

Saccharification -> Heat to 67.0 C over 18 min,67.0 C 60 min 

Mash Out ->Heat to 78.0 C over 12 min,78.0 C 10 min



Immersion Chill over 10 mins to 23 deg
 
I'd reduce the crystal/caramalt.

I've used up to 500g in an esb with around 5-6 kg of maris with good results but I prefer about 5 kg MO to 250g of good quality UK crystal and some victory or biscuit. IBU level looks good. Some late hopping with ekg or styrians goes well in a UK bitter, especially a more gutsy one like esb.
 
Swap the caramalt for more base, sub the 2 fuggles for 30 of styrians at 0min.

Cheers
 
Cheers guys, will make a couple of changes. Styrian look the goods even if not British.

The crystal was for colour, i want to keep the colour, any suggestions?
 
Not Brit but related to brit and used in brit (one of the main hops in landlord for example).

Lovely mandarin character to my palate.

For colour, either use a darker crystal or boil longer or both. 90 -120 min boil will develop a lot of the colour and flavour often associated with crystal (more 120 + but you're not making a wee heavy or barleywine).

Alternativley or in conjunction with - caramelise some of the wort - reduce 4 L down to 500mL and add back in but note the following:

Experiential only but when I have reduced too far, I have had a lovely flavour contribution but found head retention to be compromised. I'm talking thick syrup, just shy of being burnt. Reduction, not a noticeabe difference. Other brewers have suggested similar and I have have heard some theoretical stuff about trapped lipids or somesuch being the culprit.

Vague info only, sorry.
 

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