[tomsawyer]

New style alert: the Double ESB (DESB or EESB).  Imperial is so overused, although they do have a queen...

[Jimmy K]

New style alert: the Double ESB (DESB or EESB).  Imperial is so overused, although they do have a queen...

I nominate RFSB - Really F#$%ing Special Bitter

[The Professor]

New style alert: the Double ESB (DESB or EESB).  Imperial is so overused, although they do have a queen...

I have a great name for it:  Barleywine.
yeah, that's the ticket...

[tygo]

New style alert: the Double ESB (DESB or EESB).  Imperial is so overused, although they do have a queen...

I have a great name for it:  Barleywine.
yeah, that's the ticket...

I prefer Her Majesty's Royal ESB.  Category 14D.   

Seriously though, this thread encouraged me to sketch out a recipe for double IPA, english style.  Sort of a bolstering up of my ESB recipe.  Some sugar to keep the body at a quaffable level and lots of English hops.  I still don't have my ESB dialed into exactly where I want it so I'll still be brewing that up first in the priority list.  But I see myself doing something along those lines in the near future.

[The Professor]

I prefer Her Majesty's Royal ESB.  Category 14D.   

Seriously though, this thread encouraged me to sketch out a recipe for double IPA, english style.  Sort of a bolstering up of my ESB recipe.  Some sugar to keep the body at a quaffable level and lots of English hops.  I still don't have my ESB dialed into exactly where I want it so I'll still be brewing that up first in the priority list.  But I see myself doing something along those lines in the near future.

Sounds good. 
I did a brew today...a  kind of a "clear the cupboard" brew, but  I think that  in the end it could very well wind up being essentially what you've described.  I guess I was a bit inspired by this thread.

11 lbs of base malts (Canadian Pale Ale and German Dark Munich) and an assortment of small quantities of assorted caramel malts I decided to use up.  Also, along the British lines of thinking, I used some adjunct sugars...some plain corn syrup purchased in the ginormous Korean supermarket nearby,  along with a bit of granulated sugar.  My usual Cluster and Bullion hops along with some Willamette, all totalling around 60IBU, kind of mid-range for a brew that will wind up being fairly strong.
The yeasties will have a field day with this one.

[DaveR]

Just an update on the ESB. Yesterday outward signs of fermentation were disappearing. The krausen was gone. By evening it looked like it was already clearing. WLP002 seems to act differently from WLP001, at least in terms of flocculation. It's super clumpy even when roused.

No sign of airlock activity whatsoever. The gravity was 1.022. The OG was 1.068. I think that's around 68% attenuation if I'm not mistaken.  In the ballpark, but I was hoping it would finish a few points lower. Could still happen I suppose. I roused the yeast and increased the temp to the low 70's. It had been at 64 F since pitching. At the very least a temp increase should help the yeast clean things up. I'll check the gravity again tomorrow. Today is day 5. Fermentation started 8 hours after pitching.

This is the first time I've used WLP002. I've mainly feremented in buckets in the past. I've been using glass for my last half dozen batches. It sure is nice to actually see the beer change through the fermentation process.

[richardt]

It has only been 5 days--I think it needs more time. 
Although you mashed at 154F, I would still expect the FG to be lower (say around 1.016).

[DaveR]

It has only been 5 days--I think it needs more time. 
Although you mashed at 154F, I would still expect the FG to be lower (say around 1.016).

I was hoping for around 1.016. It settled on 1.020 -- or just under -- and hasn't changed for 10 days. Based on the taste of the gravity sample it's going to be a really nice beer. I normally like to wait at least 8 weeks. It seem like this may be ready now, at 4 weeks. I racked it to a corny.

Should an ESB have less carbonation than an APA or IPA? I carbonate those by setting them at 13 psi and 36 degrees F for  several days.   

Thanks.

[DaveR]

I carbonated the ESB last week and wanted to follow up again. I sampled it yesterday. It turned well. Not much in the way of hops, but a lot of malt aroma.

It has way more body and malt flavor than the beers I've been drinking. I just finished off several kegs of pale ale that I made in September (which made room in the keezer for the ESB).  This beer is really different from those PAs, which were thin and quite hoppy.

I've never been a fan of really malty beers. Still, this ESB is quite drinkable. It has a nice deep copper color. I think I'll  make this again, but cut the Crystal 60 and Carapils in half, and add slightly more bittering hops. Something more along the lines of the recipe below. Perhaps as a cask ale for a Super Bowl Party!


Batch size: 5.25
70 min boil
Grain:
Maris Otter  8.5   lbs
Amber         1.0   lbs
Crystal 60    0.50 lbs
Carapils       0.25 lbs

Hops
Sonnet Golding 1.5 oz 4.1% 60 min
Tettnanger         1 oz 5.3% 20 min
Sonnet Golding 1 oz 4.1% 5 min

60 min mash at 154 F

WLP002 1.2 Liter starter

[davidgzach]

That is very close to my ESB recipe which I really like this time of year.  I use 9# MO, 1#Crystal 60, .5# carapils.  No Amber Malt.  I also use Wyest 1968 which rounds it out very nicely....

[DaveR]

That is very close to my ESB recipe which I really like this time of year.  I use 9# MO, 1#Crystal 60, .5# carapils.  No Amber Malt.  I also use Wyest 1968 which rounds it out very nicely....

I know what you mean about this time of year. Beers for seasons. 

The Amber malt probably doesn't add much and can easily be left out. Another taste tonight makes me think the original recipe may be OK.

The more I try and evaluate my own beer the more I appreciate trained beer judges. The same beer can taste different to me from day to day. I thought this bordered on cloying  the other day. Not today. I don't know if the beer changed or my taste buds changed.

I'm going to pick up a Fullers ESB to see what an ESB is supposed to taste like.

Here's what mine looked like. The glass is a little frosty. I probably should drink this beer warmer.

[morticaixavier]

That is very close to my ESB recipe which I really like this time of year.  I use 9# MO, 1#Crystal 60, .5# carapils.  No Amber Malt.  I also use Wyest 1968 which rounds it out very nicely....

I know what you mean about this time of year. Beers for seasons. 

The Amber malt probably doesn't add much and can easily be left out. Another taste tonight makes me think the original recipe may be OK.

The more I try and evaluate my own beer the more I appreciate trained beer judges. The same beer can taste different to me from day to day. I thought this bordered on cloying  the other day. Not today. I don't know if the beer changed or my taste buds changed.

I'm going to pick up a Fullers ESB to see what an ESB is supposed to taste like.

Here's what mine looked like. The glass is a little frosty. I probably should drink this beer warmer.

looks good! great color and good photo!

[DaveR]

looks good! great color and good photo!

Thanks!