Views on this ESB

[Neil]

G'day all

Just wanted some feedback on this ESB that I am planning. It's based loosely on Fullers' ESB:
3.5kg Maris Otter
.45 kg crystal 80L
.20kg wheat malt
35g Target @ 9% AAU 60 mins.
25g Challenger @ 7.9% AAU 15 mins.
20g Northdown 6.9% AAU 5 mins.
.20 kg molasses (not sure whether this will make it too 'Old Peculier' like but I think I need some base sugar in here)
London Ale III yeast (Wyeast 1318).

37.6 IBUs 26.7 EBC

The yeast is probably not ideal but I picked this one up half price earlier this year at a HBS clear-out sale and want to try it out. I'm not sure whether the molasses is right here, either, but I think I need some invert or similar sugar. Also, is the hopping schedule about right?
I'd be interested in your views....

Cheers

Neil

[StuTee]

was hanging out for some thoughts on this too, i love fullers esb
Let us know how it goes, I do want to make one eventually

[warra48]

Sorry guys, not much of a response so far, so here goes as best I can.

This is what BeerSmith gives me:

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Boil Size: 30.54 L
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated Color: 25.2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 49.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3500.00 gm Maris Otter (6.0 EBC) Grain 80.46 %
450.00 gm Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC) Grain 10.34 %
200.00 gm Wheat Malt, Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 4.60 %
35.00 gm Target [9.00 %] (60 min) Hops 36.3 IBU
25.00 gm Challenger '06 [7.90 %] (15 min) Hops 11.3 IBU
20.00 gm Northdown [5.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
200.00 gm Molasses (157.6 EBC) Sugar 4.60 %
1 Pkgs London Ale III (Wyeast Labs #1318) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 4150.00 gm

I think you will make a nice beer with this recipe, somewhere around 4.7%ABV, depending on your efficiency. I love the colour at around 25 EBC, a lovely deep brown/red, but not dark enough yet to get into Brown territory.
Where my calculations, and yours, diverge is on the projected IBUs. My projected IBU/SG ratio is about 1.2, and an IBU of 49.9. You'd better like mouthpuckering hoppy bitterness to enjoy that beer. I'd work at cutting back on the 60 minute addition of 35 gr of Target (that's a lot of 9% hops) to get it back to somewhere around 35 IBU. 20 grams will give you around 34 to 35 IBU. The later additions look OK. Nothing wrong with the yeast you plan to use, it will suit the style. It gives you "Light, fruity flavor. Balanced flavor with hint of sweetness."

OK, give it a thought, and get mashing, there's beer to make and drink.

[Neil]

Sorry guys, not much of a response so far, so here goes as best I can.

This is what BeerSmith gives me:

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Boil Size: 30.54 L
Estimated OG: 1.042 SG
Estimated Color: 25.2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 49.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3500.00 gm Maris Otter (6.0 EBC) Grain 80.46 %
450.00 gm Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC) Grain 10.34 %
200.00 gm Wheat Malt, Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 4.60 %
35.00 gm Target [9.00 %] (60 min) Hops 36.3 IBU
25.00 gm Challenger '06 [7.90 %] (15 min) Hops 11.3 IBU
20.00 gm Northdown [5.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
200.00 gm Molasses (157.6 EBC) Sugar 4.60 %
1 Pkgs London Ale III (Wyeast Labs #1318) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 4150.00 gm

I think you will make a nice beer with this recipe, somewhere around 4.7%ABV, depending on your efficiency. I love the colour at around 25 EBC, a lovely deep brown/red, but not dark enough yet to get into Brown territory.
Where my calculations, and yours, diverge is on the projected IBUs. My projected IBU/SG ratio is about 1.2, and an IBU of 49.9. You'd better like mouthpuckering hoppy bitterness to enjoy that beer. I'd work at cutting back on the 60 minute addition of 35 gr of Target (that's a lot of 9% hops) to get it back to somewhere around 35 IBU. 20 grams will give you around 34 to 35 IBU. The later additions look OK. Nothing wrong with the yeast you plan to use, it will suit the style. It gives you "Light, fruity flavor. Balanced flavor with hint of sweetness."

OK, give it a thought, and get mashing, there's beer to make and drink.

Ooops. Many thanks for the feedback Warra - greatly appreciated. While I was waiting to see if anyone on this forum had any views on this I tried it on the 'other' forum and got some good feedback. Some said lose the molasses and add some flaked maize (even at the expense of some of the MO), others go the molasses but maybe pull it back a bit. So, for this one I've decided to try the latter path (100g molasses) and try it with the maize/no molasses next time. But thanks for checking my hop additions. I had another look at mine in BeerSmith and realised that I put the last two additions down as 'aroma' additions, which BeerSmith calculates out as 0 AAUs! So, I've corrected that and decided, yes, less target for the 60 min. addition and I've pulled the other two additions back to give a total est. IBU of 35.7. I can't make this for a little while as both fermenters are both busy - 1 with a steam beer and the other with a SNPA clone. Oh, be still my quaking heart.....

Neil