Day 11: Pallet Cleansing ESB by Eric Mine

[Scott H]

Day 11: Pallet Cleansing ESB by Eric Mine

Ingredients
12 lbs British Pale Malt
0.5 lbs Crystal 20
0.25 lbs Crystal 120
Mased for 60 minutes @ 154f

2 oz Kent Goldings @ 60 mins
1 oz Kent Goldings @ flameout

1 package Wyeast London ESB (1968)

Notes from the brewer:
A straight forward, no-nonsense ESB

[spidermonk]

I like bitters (there's one in my carboy now waiting to be bottled ), especially nice clean and crisp ones like this. Really nice aroma  and just a good drinking beer. Thanks!

[brackelby]

Thanks! I was a little worried about this one. I haven't bottled in quite some time, had to borrow all the equipment, and almost forgot to add priming sugar. This is one of my go to recipes. I'd be interested in what folks think about the aroma hop additions. I've had other ESBs I liked that had a bit more forward hop aroma. Anyone think this brew would benefit from another addition at 10 mins or more at flame out?

[Chris Creech]

I thought the hop aroma/flavor was just fine. I would, however, increase the bittering hops a touch to balance out the bit of sweetness. This was a delicious beer that I quite enjoyed. I would maybe suggest reducing the caramel malt a touch and replacing it with a little Victory/Biscuit/Caraamber to add a touch more toasted flavor and a little less sweetness. But that's just a minor thing based on my palate. Overall the beer was delicious. Good work!

[Scott H]

I really liked this one a lot too. The finish on it was unique and very tasty. I'm not even sure if I've had an ESB before, so I'm not a great person to comment on the style, but this was a great new flavor experience for me. I'm going to have to try brewing this one sometime. Great carbonation and color too!

[spidermonk]

To share and compare my go to bitter, is 8 lbs marris otter, 1/2 lbs caramel 40L, then 1/2 oz of challenger at first wort, 60 min, 15 min, and 2 min, then 1 oz dry hop and I use wyeast #1275 thames valley ale. I think the dry hop really adds a strong hop forward aroma. My normal approach is around a week in the primary, then transfer to secondary where I dry hop for another week then to the bottling bucket and bottle.

All I do is bottle and I always almost forget the priming sugar

[Allen H]

Dude. I think this is the best beer so far. I really love the style. There is something in the nose I can't figure out but the aroma is good. I'd personally give it more on my beer but it was a great level already. I just love smelling my beer as I open the bottle haha flavors are good, nice malt backbone. Cheers!

[bryan]

I second Allen on this one. I have never gone for ESBs, but this is just a wonderful brew. It is a little tilted toward malty sweetness, but it's a taste that lingers and is pleasant until the next taste.

Really well done and I'm glad I got to try it!

[carboywonder]

Eric,

This is a solid beer. I'd maybe second what Chris said about upping the bittering addition some, but just a tad. Immensely enjoyed this one.

Brian

[klinger]

I enjoyed this beer a lot. My wife poured it & forgot to leave the yeast behind, so mine was pretty cloudy, but very tasty. To me, maybe a bit sweet, but looking at the recipe, I suspect this may be due to being a bit low on bitterness, making the malt sweetness come a bit more forward. But this was really a minor issue & a small amount. Highly drinkable.

[brackelby]

Thanks for all the feedback! I think I'll bump up the bittering hops and add a little biscuit malt for the next go round.

[mavus]

I echo what has been stated, a bit more bitterness would balance this a bit but that is a minor issue. I really enjoyed this beer, I may borrow the recipe.
--Jesse

[antonia]

Really enjoyed this as-is. Nice job!