[Kevin]

I'd actually say the brown sugar is an interesting idea. I've got a British homebrewing book that suggests simply using table sugar if invert is unavailable. Since invert is blended with molasses to approximate the darker invert versions, <snip>

There is a quick and easy recipe for invert sugar that uses molasses but true invert sugar got its color from how long it is heated. Also, table sugar is no substitute for invert. If you want to substitute use the product most often used to make invert and that is "sugar in the raw". Yes, I have seen Ron Pattinson suggest using table sugar to recreate historic recipes... as recently as this past Wednesday as a matter of fact. But he is not suggesting that using table sugar is akin to invert, just that you could use it in a pinch. Would I? No. Invert is not that hard to make. Just time consuming when shooting for the darker colors.

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/search?q=oat+harvest

[dmtaylor]

I never understood the fascination with invert sugar.  Yeast sees sugar, and eats it.  Yeast doesn't care if you've twisted the sugar molecule around -- it eats it anyway, and poops out the same by-products either way.

[jeremy0209]

Not quite ESB grade, here's my recipe for an Ordinary Bitter. It recently scored a 37.3 (first in its flight) in a comp in Philly. I suppose you could scale it up to make it an ESB.

OG: 1.037
FG: 1.009
SRM: 10
ABV: 3.7%
IBU: 33

92.3% Maris Otter
7.7% Crystal 120

15.1 IBU East Kent Goldings 60 min
11.5 IBU East Kent Goldings 30 min
6.0 IBU East Kent Goldings 15 min

1 pkg Safale S-04 (rehydrated and oxygenated, of course)

Water Profile:
Ca: 55
Mg: 14
Sodium: 3
SO4: 111
Cl: 51
Mash pH: 5.26

Using gelatin to clarify, this beer went grain to glass in less than two weeks and it was crystal clear.

[Phil_M]

There is a quick and easy recipe for invert sugar that uses molasses but true invert sugar got its color from how long it is heated. Also, table sugar is no substitute for invert. If you want to substitute use the product most often used to make invert and that is "sugar in the raw". Yes, I have seen Ron Pattinson suggest using table sugar to recreate historic recipes... as recently as this past Wednesday as a matter of fact. But he is not suggesting that using table sugar is akin to invert, just that you could use it in a pinch. Would I? No. Invert is not that hard to make. Just time consuming when shooting for the darker colors.

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/search?q=oat+harvest

I agree with everything you said. Table sugar is no real substitute, but you can make do with it if you have to. That's why I found the brown sugar idea so interesting, it's certainly a more creative substitute. I haven't brewed in a while, but when I resume I intend to start making my own invert.

I never understood the fascination with invert sugar.  Yeast sees sugar, and eats it.  Yeast doesn't care if you've twisted the sugar molecule around -- it eats it anyway, and poops out the same by-products either way.

Because it does have an impact on the final flavor of the beer. I've achieved a nice light caramel flavor in a bitter without the use of crystal malt. Here's brewinhard's review of that beer, from the 2016 spring swap, the recipe is a few posts later.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=26129.msg345548#msg345548

It's also needed to dry the beer out. I know it seems counterintuitive to drive a low ABV British bitter to Belgian Saison levels of attentuation, but serve it at 55^o on 0.8-1 vols of CO₂ and it works incredibly well

[chumley]

Another vote for sugar in bitters.  As I am usually too lazy to make my own invert sugar, I usually just add D45 or Lyle's golden syrup.  In particular, D45 adds an excellent caramelly flavor to a bitter.

[Kutaka]

The OP's recipe has enough caramel malt to give an adult hippo diabeetus.  ESB's need some caramel malt, but certainly not 2#.  Shoot for less than 1# using British caramel or crystal malt.  5oz of Fawcett c50 and 3oz of Fawcett c150 makes a good ESB.  Better than Fullers!  (not that hard to do)

[Kutaka]

And using sugar in an ESB is certainly not unheard of.  Contrary to previous posts, sugar isn't automatically contraindicated when using a lot of caramel.  Using a lot of caramel produces two things.  Extra sweetness and extra caramel/toffee flavor. 

Using sugar can reduce perceived sweetness and increase booze while preserving caramel flavor that wouldn't have happened without the caramel malt.  Think of sugar as something that gets completely fermented to booze that isn't sweet.  It cuts the sweetness.  Turbinado (raw) sugar is more common than brown sugar for this type of beer.  Sugar in the Raw from Costco for $1.28 a pound, FTW!

[JohnstonGold75]

Not quite ESB grade, here's my recipe for an Ordinary Bitter. It recently scored a 37.3 (first in its flight) in a comp in Philly. I suppose you could scale it up to make it an ESB.

OG: 1.037
FG: 1.009
SRM: 10
ABV: 3.7%
IBU: 33

92.3% Maris Otter
7.7% Crystal 120

15.1 IBU East Kent Goldings 60 min
11.5 IBU East Kent Goldings 30 min
6.0 IBU East Kent Goldings 15 min

1 pkg Safale S-04 (rehydrated and oxygenated, of course)

Water Profile:
Ca: 55
Mg: 14
Sodium: 3
SO4: 111
Cl: 51
Mash pH: 5.26

Using gelatin to clarify, this beer went grain to glass in less than two weeks and it was crystal clear.

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