Fan of FULLER´S ESB

[Josh Hughes]

I suspect S04 will not deliver (or even hint at) that unique Fullers taste. It’ll make beer, but won’t add ‘character’

That’s why I never use it

 

[JVi]

Color wise result is almost good

 

[JVi]

 

[Craigerrr]

I think the color is bang on, but we don't necessarily brew for color. Of course we do, but it is more a function of the various malts bringing the flavors. The color is more the result of getting there.

How is the side by side taste?
Not necessarily which one is better, but more, what are the differences?

How long has it been since you bottled it?

 

[JVi]

Similarities between Fuller´s ESB and my clone started with color and ended to color .
End product is decent beer, nowhere near ESB. Too dry and too bitter.
Original ESB has nice little sweetness from malts and hint of bitterness from hops.
Mine has absolutely zero sweetness and lots of bitterness

Little over 2 weeks from bottling.

 

[Craigerrr]

That’s why I never use it

I used S-04 when I brewed an ESB.
There was no way to get my hands on a bottle Fullers to compare. I can tell you though that it was an amazing beer. I used a pound of Lyles Syrup in it.
This was my recipe, it has been 6 years since I brewed it

https://share.brewfather.app/sOt7YBO8NdQ7bA

 

[Craigerrr]

Similarities between Fuller´s ESB and my clone started with color and ended to color .
End product is decent beer, nowhere near ESB. Too dry and too bitter.
Original ESB has nice little sweetness from malts and hint of bitterness from hops.
Mine has absolutely zero sweetness and lots of bitterness

Little over 2 weeks from bottling.

Give it some time, say another couple of weeks in the fridge, then do another comparison.
It is a good baseline for you though. This version seems to be an ESEB! Extra Special Extra Bitter.

 

[JVi]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1624101/fullers-esb-clone

OG was 1.059 and FG 1.010
For next batch i will change yeast.
If that doesn´t help i will add chocolate malt.
If that doesn´t help i will adjust water little bit, sulfate to chloride ratio...

 

[JVi]

Give it some time, say another couple of weeks in the fridge, then do another comparison.
It is a good baseline for you though. This version seems to be an ESEB! Extra Special Extra Bitter.

I will try to give it some more time. but sadly i am not that good at waiting

 

[Craigerrr]

I leave water chemistry for now, i use my tap water.

I created this
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1624101/fullers-esb-clone

Syrup is just for reminder for me, going to use dark bread syrup but didn´t have that on the list
Bread syrup

Is the link in this post the how you brewed this?
If so, ABV seems way to high, should be mid to low 5's, also, 44 IBU's also seems on the high high side shoud be low to mid 30's. (In my opinion)

 

[Craigerrr]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1624101/fullers-esb-clone

OG was 1.059 and FG 1.010
For next batch i will change yeast.
If that doesn´t help i will add chocolate malt.
If that doesn´t help i will adjust water little bit, sulfate to chloride ratio...

1059 to 1010 works out to 6.4% ABV, I would scale that back. What is the ABV on that bottle of Fullers you have there. The Googs tells me that Fullers ESB is 35 IBU's, makes sense that yours is more bitter. Personally, I would leave the grain bill percentages as they are, and scale it back to between 5.5% and 5.9%, and leave the hops as they are but scale back the bitterness.

 

[JVi]

1059 to 1010 works out to 6.4% ABV, I would scale that back. What is the ABV on that bottle of Fullers you have there. The Googs tells me that Fullers ESB is 35 IBU's, makes sense that yours is more bitter. Personally, I would leave the grain bill percentages as they are, and scale it back to between 5.5% and 5.9%, and leave the hops as they are but scale back the bitterness.

Fuller´s ESB in the bottle is 5.9% and IBUs are said to be 35
Before i started playing with waters my hops didn´t work at all like they were in the recipe, thats why i went over with numbers. I have given previously samples out for tasting and result was pretty much like my own. Samples go out from this batches also.
Well it seems that now hops worked differently, so i will down scale hops to match that 35 and make little bit bigger batch with same grain bill, that should take ABV little down.
Also will change yeast to LalBrew Nottingham

 

[Sandy Feet]

Similarities between Fuller´s ESB and my clone started with color and ended to color .
End product is decent beer, nowhere near ESB. Too dry and too bitter.
Original ESB has nice little sweetness from malts and hint of bitterness from hops.
Mine has absolutely zero sweetness and lots of bitterness

Little over 2 weeks from bottling.

You need to use something like WLP002 to get the sweetness.

 

[Sandy Feet]

1059 to 1010 works out to 6.4% ABV, I would scale that back. What is the ABV on that bottle of Fullers you have there. The Googs tells me that Fullers ESB is 35 IBU's, makes sense that yours is more bitter. Personally, I would leave the grain bill percentages as they are, and scale it back to between 5.5% and 5.9%, and leave the hops as they are but scale back the bitterness.

You definitely should not have a Fullers finishing at 1.010. Mid 5's is about right. 44 IBUs work with the right sweetness.

 

[JVi]

You need to use something like WLP002 to get the sweetness.

WLP002 is not possible for me, at least right now.
Not a single store here has that yeast on stock, or have had like past year or so.

 

[Craigerrr]

For scaling the recipe you can use the goal function, select ABV, and enter 5.9, it will scale your grain bill.
Looks like you will need to adjust the hops manually (I don't use the software here.). I would use this approach as just changing the amount of water you are using won't track anything for you.

 

[Sandy Feet]

WLP002 is not possible for me, at least right now.
Not a single store here has that yeast on stock, or have had like past year or so.

If you were able to get your hands on an English yeast that didn't attenuate quite as much and maybe mashed a little higher, I wonder how that would work? Just thinking out loud.

 

[JVi]

If you were able to get your hands on an English yeast that didn't attenuate quite as much and maybe mashed a little higher, I wonder how that would work? Just thinking out loud.

Think away my friend think away. Watching closely how your thoughts go.
I think LalBrew Windsor is closest what you are talking about. What you mean mashing higher, now 65C would 67C be that little higher?

 

[Sandy Feet]

154F is 67.78C, so yes, try mashing around 154F. It shouldn't attenuate as much. I mash porters in that range too.
It should be a malt/hop balance. 40 or 45 IBUs would be fine if it had the sweetness to offset the hops. The WLP002 doesn't attenuate worth a shit. That is one reason why it works. I actually used a little sugar when I used that yeast.

 

[Brew Cat]

154 will give you a low FG
I've done Notty at 160 for a higher FG