CS4 - ESB

[Dale]

My first try at a bitter

4.00 kg Maris Otter Grain 83.33 %
0.50 kg .Crystal, Pale Grain 10.42 %
0.30 kg .Amber Malt Grain 6.25 %

25.00 gm .Styrian Goldings, NZ [6.40 %] (60 min) Hops 18.8 IBU
25.00 gm .Golding, NZ [5.30 %] (60 min) Hops 15.6 IBU
15.00 gm .East Kent Goldings [4.80 %] (15 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
15.00 gm .Fuggles [4.20 %] (15 min) Hops 3.7 IBU
15.00 gm .East Kent Goldings [4.80 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops
15.00 gm .Fuggles [4.20 %] (Dry Hop 10 days) Hops

1084 Irish Yeast

OG 1.052
FG 1.008

Please be honest guys, had my first try of this beer this week and have a couple things I think I need to change for next time.

[Barry]

1.008! Damn!

[Dale]

Tell me about it, I mashed higher to stop it as well. Have just bought a good old mercury thermometer to make sure the one's i've been using aren't out.

[James P]

First case swap beer for me.... I have neither brewed or drink a lot of ESBs

Bottle cracks and passes a subtle nose of cloves, little bit of juicy fruit too. Pours with a red hue, a decent head and laces the glass. It comes across as a light / medium body. Bitterness similar to a Fullers ESB, but there is a bit of a bite, residual alcohol maybe? After taste of mandarins, spices and a little bready.

A nice bitter beer and whilst I'm not convinced of the bit is out of style, it was a wake up call for my taste buds!

Thanks for sharing Dale!

[Barry]

This is a lovely ESB. Bready malt and toffee/caramel notes offset but a fantastic bitter balance. Lovely yeast profile too. I coulcn't fault the beer other than to say it lacked a bit of body - which the dry finish would account for - and maybe a bit of a lack of hop flavour.

[Ally Mcg]

Had this one the afternoon.
Juicy fruit on the nose, maybe some spice in there as well - classic ESB nose for my money
Good malty body, nice bitterness to cleanse the palette, finishes a little thin, but I guess thats the finishing gravity. Well brewed and cheers

[Matthew]

Drinking this now after spending 4 hours water blasting the deck in typical Wellington holiday conditions...

First off I'm really enjoying this! Poured a great creamy head that's lasting the entire glass. The warmth of the alcohol is perfect at the moment as i'm cold to the bones. Probably not something you wanted but right now very appreciated. Love the spicey fruitiness. I like a good bitterness in a beer so I probably want just a little bit more, That's being a bit picky though... The bitters I've had from this swap so far have got me wanting to try more in this style. I rarely touch them. Job well done. Cheers :-)

[Toot]

Raisins and toffee on the nose, nice light frothy head.

More toffee at first with rounded bitterness coming in and a bit of alcohol heat to finish.

Well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable beer. Like it more and more as I drink it.

Good work!

[Mike Neilson]

Having this beer now.

I have never comented on beer like this before, my normal analysis is Good/Bad, as im rubbish at putting my tastes onto paper or so to speak.

Pours a clear copper red, fluffy head and forms a lose collar, moderatly carbonated maybe little to much for style, nose is of raisins and banana (iso-amyl acetate). lite in body with bread and dark toffee which is over come by alc/bitterness, they seem to be fighting all the way down the palatte not sure if its alc but im also getting a ashrid burnt type flavour at the end of the pallete which contributes to the allready dryness of the beer. The alc is good alc but the dryness of the beer I think makes the beer feel out of balance.

All in all its a pretty good beer that could of done with a touch less Crystal as this is what im getting, might just be my sensitivty to crystal type flavours in my beers. Also body, The beer should be Malty with a balanced residule bitterness but dude its dry, I wouldnt call it thin but dry!!! Carbonation probably dosnt help also.

Less Crystal Mash higher I reacon and Nurse the yeast and fermentation (maybe its a charachter of the yeast not sure never tried it) and bang you have yourself an awsome ESB, 3 Tweaks? Awsome!!

[Reviled]

Pours with brilliant clarity and a nice head, slightly too much carb for style and for me being a carbonation nazi lol, beautifully presented tho! Toffee and raisins on the nose with hints of other fruits, very caramel and toffee like malt flavours which finishes with a strong firm bitterness and really dry leaving me wanting more! I quite liked the dry malt character and there was a sort of spicy/earthy hop bitterness in there as well which I really enjoyed! I love fuggle and EKG together!!

If I was going to change anything, maybe a different yeast? It seems ok, but has dried the beer out a bit more than what I would have liked, and less carbonation for my tastes, but other than that a really good quaffable beer :o) Thanks!!

[Soren]

pretty decent ESB although maybe a bit light for the style but thats perfect for this kinda weather! Drinks very well and very refreshing. Can taste the graininess of that amber malt for sure, which is not a bad thing. Nice fruity esters. Alcohol maybe slightly hot, maybe tune down the fermentation temp a notch and up the body a bit.. Well made for sure and just what I felt like!

Cheers!