Fuller's ESB Taste

[Exextractor]

Drank a bottle of Fuller's ESB last night and was inspired. What a beer! Nothing I've brewed so far has come close to having this balanced complexity of flavour.

It says on the bottle they use 4 different hops, and trawling the many posts here it seems agreed there is pale, crystal and flaked maize in there, but one thing I noticed was a certain sour element in the flavour which I can only describe as being similar to american whiskies like Wild Turkey. They mention 'marmalade' in the tasting notes which might have been what I was picking out. It didn't seem to me it was a hop flavour. Does anyone know what contributes this? Would it be the yeast? I don't know what kind of flavour maize gives but it didn't taste of cornflakes or corn on the cob!

I also drank a bottle of their 1845 (quite a session at ~6% alcohol each) and that was also excellent but didn't have that same flavour. The label on that mentions amber malt and goldings hops.

[mysterio]

It's the yeast IMO, the Fullers yeast is incredibly distinctive. You can use it in just about any ale and it will have that Fullers-ish taste.

The yeast is WLP002 (English Ale yeast) which you can get from Hop & Grape or Wyeast 1968 (Special London).

There are plenty of recipes knocking about for Fullers ESB. I've tried one and it seemed like a very close approximation.

[Exextractor]

Thanks Mysterio. Must try the Fuller's yeast soon, but first I want to step up to 25litres, and learn how to re-pitch yeast, to make it worthwhile. Might try an ESB with my usual yeast, Gervin, to see how far off it is.

Was talking to a homebrewer turned microbrewer recently; he said main taste difference to him was use of wet yeast. Do these liquid yeasts, Wyeast etc, equate to the 'wet' yeast commercial brewers use, or are they different again? I've heard brewery yeasts can ferment differently, need rousing etc. Do the liquid yeasts available to us homebrewers behave same way as dried? Basically, do you have to modify how you ferment and bottle to use the liquid yeasts?

[DRB]

As for is liquid yeast being better tasting than dried, with my limited experience I would say yes,but saying that my local brewery uses dried and they have won a few best beer awards using nottingham.

[steve_flack]

Basically, do you have to modify how you ferment and bottle to use the liquid yeasts?

No but they are more involved to use as you need to prepare a starter so that you can pitch enough yeast. There isn't really enough yeast in the packets to pitch directly (except extremely fresh WhiteLabs vials perhaps - but we rarely get them that fresh here).

Once they're in the wort and you've pitched enough then they're much the same as any other yeast. If you're used to Safale and Nottingham you may find some of them slow to settle. The Fullers yeast isn't one of those and is a really good settling yeast.

[Wilbur]

I've used both liquid and dry, liquid yeast produces a better beer but the dry yeast does a good job.

I am on a quest as well, Fuller's ESB is one of my favorite beers and I've been trying to copy it since I had my first bottle. Here's my observations thus far.

The unusual flavor, I describe it as kind of tabaco/raisiny/caramel, the hops are a bit citrusy and spicy. I brewed a beer a while back using 240 EBC crystal and TF Pale Chocoloate, it has that same tabaco/raisiny/caramel flavor, So I added 85g of Pale Chocolate to my latest batch of Fuller's.

Fuller's says they use Target, Northdown, Challenger and Golding hops. I used EKG's in my first batch and it tasted nothing like Fuller's, the next batch I used Styrian Goldings and the flavor is much closer.

I don't know if you guys can get the 240 EBC crystal, it's called 120 L crystal here in the States (120 L is equal to 240 EBC). If you try the chocolate just make sure you use Pale Chocolate its around 400 EBC I use Thomas Fawcett Pale Chocolate.

Like I said these are just my observations I could be way off base.

[steve_flack]

FWIW I know the Hop Shop has pale chocolate - because I asked them to get it for me . They also do a dark crystal of 200-400EBC.

[oblivious]

They also do a dark crystal of 200-400EBC.

They never seem to have it when i order

[mysterio]

Hop & Grape's standard chocolate malt is the paler variety, works very well.

Also what you were saying about liquid yeasts needing more attention - this is purely anecdotal but I have definately found this to be the case. Asides from the starter and a good pitching rate being vital, i've found the strains I've tried dont work well without very good aeration - often stopping short and requiring rousing. I suspect on of the reasons the dried strains are selected is because they behave well. Safale SO4 for example is a bottom working yeast that gets the job done in a couple of days and settles out.

[bloodoaf]

I took the family for a day out at Chatham Historic Dockyard a couple of weeks ago, and wilst walking round the exhibits I detected the unmistakable aroma of boiling hops! I followed my nose across the old parade ground and found Nelson's Brewery. [url]http://www.nelsonbrewingcompany.co.uk/n ... te_002.htm
I asked if I could have a looka round and they were only too helpful. Peers- the owner- gave us a tour and I piled in the technical questions -much to his amazement! To my delight his procedure was similar to my own- only on a different scale- including the fact that they use dried yeast!
If you visit the dockyard brewery look for the finger marks on the doorframe. Those are mine from when my family dragged me away when it got dark.

[bloodoaf]

I have used Safale s4 for most beers and have used recovered yeast from Summer Lightning (I think). I have done 13 ag mashes now and have just bought my first liquid yeast that is waiting in the fridge for another London Pride brew. The 5 gallons made with the safale s4 was great, but from what I have read the wlp 002 is the one to use.
I am looking forward to it already.

[ColinKeb]

gervins the one for me ! ive tried a few liquid ones and still prefer the dried gervin ale to be honest. (isnt gervin nottigham?)

[ColinKeb]

gervins the one for me ! ive tried a few liquid ones and still prefer the dried gervin ale to be honest. (isnt gervin nottigham?)