Unexpected Fuller's ESB

[monk]

I love Fuller's ESB and have tried to clone it more times than anything else, but honestly I've never had much luck. It's never come out much like the real thing, despite using the appropriate yeast, %s and ingredients out of the Almanac, etc.

So color me shocked when I started sipping the first bottle of my new bitter...it's the closest clone I've ever tasted, but has a very different recipe and was never intended to be like ESB.

Here's the recipe I used (for 4.57 UK gallons):

454g Simpson’s Crystal 55L
226g Crystal 40L
57g Chocolate malt
3.6 kg Optic Pale malt

28g Challenger (6.3%) for 60 min
14g EKG (4.5%) 30 min
14g EKG (4.5%) 2 min

1.046-1.010
31.6 IBU
15.7 SRM
4.7% abv

Mashed 60 minutes at 68c.

I guess I just wanted to post because this trips me out so much! I've used optic before in clones, but no chocolate and certainly more hops. I think the bottled version I can get is much more malt oriented and less fruity than the real deal cask version. But this is a pretty good version of the bottled variety.

Anyone else try something like this? Since this is a little homebrewing victory for me, I have to say thanks to all of you on the forum, too. Many have helped me hash out bitter recipes over and over, not to mention guided me into all-grain. Anybody want a pint, cruise by!

[Parva]

Sounds good, nice work.

[DJP]

If I may ask, what yeast did you use?

[monk]

Oddly, I used Nottingham. Usually it's very attenuative, and pretty neutral, so I wouldn't think it to be a substitute for the Fuller's yeast.

My only explanation is that I did ferment fairly cool, so maybe that inhibited the attenuation. Or maybe it's that I put a grip of crystal in it.

[Stonechat]

Well done Monk! A jammy result or not, it must be good to get you enthusing like that.

Also, another well done for writing up your post in grams and kilos!
Would have got the Colonial of the Year Award if you had used litres as well

Only joshing, a great result and the bottles that Fullers come are excellent for putting AG brews in.

[monk]

Would have got the Colonial of the Year Award if you had used litres as well

Darn it! I was so shooting for that honor this year! 21 litres! 21!!!

[Andy]

Nice one Monk and good work on the gallons and grams thing! You did spell colour incorrectly however

[DJP]

Well done Monk - a top result, although I can't say that I'm entirely surprised.

A well known (and multiple prize winning) craft brewer once told me that he didn't believe any of the info that big breweries put out re their recipes, so it wouldn't surprise me if the real ESB recipe was nothing like most of the published ones.