Fan of FULLER´S ESB

[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

Just make sure you deal with the chloine/chloromine in your water if it is "city" water. Campden tablet takes care of that

 

[Sandy Feet]

What is the SRM on your Crystal?
If you are using 70 SRM at that quantity, you don't need the Chocolate. Chocolate 350 will make that dark, dark with a higher SRM Crystal. It is your beer, but you don't need late hop additions in that style. If you want to, put them in. It is your beer.
I think I did a 60 and a 30 just to get the IBUs where I wanted them.

 

[JVi]

Just make sure you deal with the chloine/chloromine in your water if it is "city" water. Campden tablet takes care of that

Roger that, i ll put those on shopping list

 

[JVi]

What is the SRM on your Crystal?
If you are using 70 SRM at that quantity, you don't need the Chocolate. Chocolate 350 will make that dark, dark with a higher SRM Crystal. It is your beer, but you don't need late hop additions in that style. If you want to, put them in. It is your beer.
I think I did a 60 and a 30 just to get the IBUs where I wanted them.

EBC 167-190, so let say 90 SRM

 

[Dave Y]

Late addition on the chocolate malt - say, last 20m of the mash or during mash out? That should keep the color from going into the Porter/stout territory while still imparting some flavor (& color).

 

[Brew Cat]

I think .5lb is to much chocolate for color
I wouldn't even bother if it was my beer
personally I would get rid of the sugar
if you want it dryer maybe some flaked grain
also I would add a touch of victory malt
but it's not my beer so brew it brother

 

[Sandy Feet]

If using a Fuller's yeast, you might want the sugar. It only attenuates in the high 60s. 90SRM Crystal? I would not use the Chocolate then.

 

[Josh Hughes]

90/10 Mari’s otter to an80L crystal will hit that color. No chocolate malt. Challenger, north down and target in boil. Dry hop or whirlpool holdings.

No sugar that yeast isn’t supposed to attenuate lower than it does. You want the body in that beer.

Now make what you want. But that pretty close to Fullers ESB based on John Keeling their ex brewer and various recipes, some coming from fullers.

 

[richbon]

I went down this rabbit hole two years ago and dug through what the internet has available. The best info I found were multiple podcasts about ESB and interviews (with John Keeling ex of Fuller's) over at the old thebrewingnetwork.com. They go over the recipe and process in detail in those podcasts, including a crazy fermentation schedule that calls for some big temperature changes throughout fermentation - including I think a 10 degree (F) drop during fermentation. Word of warning: I discovered exactly what diacetyl tastes like from trying to follow this plan, so be prepared to lose a batch if you go this direction. I eventually made some decent bitter, but I'm not sure in my 3-4 attempts that I really ever got very close to Fuller's, but maybe you'll have better luck.

I just got back yesterday from London and had some Fuller's ESB on cask while I was there last week. After this trip, I think I'm more likely to try my hand at an "ordinary" bitter like Landlord (Timothy Taylor) or Harvey's Sussex ale. Really good stuff.

 

[Brew Cat]

dont you need a copper kettle?

 

[JVi]

Thank you all for ya input, i took off that choco from my recipe and tweaked proportions for rest of the malts.

 

[Sandy Feet]

Do your thing. As you can see above, everyone has their own way of doing things with their set-up. Getting rid of the chocolate with the high SRM Crystal in that quantity is the right thing to do or that bitch will be dark as night.

 

[Megary]

I agree that everyone has their own way of doing things. But to brew the clone, you need to open a Fuller's, pour it in a glass, smell it, taste it, feel it, look at it, write down what you think...are you getting toffee, caramel, nuts, roast, toast, dark fruit...is it crystal clear with hints of ruby red or more biscuit brown, are the hops forward or non-existent, how does the bitterness balance the grain bill...etc. etc.

Then figure out how YOU need to get there. Recipes are a fine starting place, but whoever wrote them never brewed with your equipment, or grains or fermentation practices...and they don't have your palate. Your perception of the beer may not be the same as the author's.

Regarding the chocolate malt that Fuller's lists on their website as one of their ingredients: Every ounce of chocolate malt that gets used is a lot more ounces of crystal malt that doesn't need to be there. The chocolate obviously pushes the color, but it can also help keep the perceived sweetness down and add a bit of drinkability. My .02

Good luck!

 

[Josh Hughes]

Oh yeah no one can be exact on YOUR system. Thats the fun of this.

Here is the recipe from Fullers though. Have at it! There is some chocolate so I was misremembering there but I don’t remember Keeling mentioning it on podcasts.i believe the HOPS and yeast play the biggest role in Fullers London pride and ESB.

 

[JVi]

Oh yeah no one can be exact on YOUR system. Thats the fun of this.

Here is the recipe from Fullers though. Have at it! There is some chocolate so I was misremembering there but I don’t remember Keeling mentioning it on podcasts.i believe the HOPS and yeast play the biggest role in Fullers London pride and ESB. View attachment 34320

Thanks for this

 

[Craigerrr]

Thanks Josh!
I saved this so I can compare it with the recipe I used. Mine was darker than the Fullers version, but within style.

 

[Kealoha]

Fuller's brewery and Fuller's beers are close to my heart, having visited the brewery several times over the years, met with John Keeling, head brewer for many years and drunk copious amounts of their beer.

1st Question is that first recipe says to use flaked maize and second doesn´t, which one is better or who cares?
~ Fuller's used flaked maize/corn until John Keeling changed the beer recipes to all malt in the mid 1980's. (They use invert sugar in some high alcohol ales.) I would avoid maize.

2nd I can´t find Northdown hops here. Possible replacements have been mentioned Target or Challenger, but is it straight change or need to change quantities and which one would be better?
~ Northern Brewer at best being a parent of Northdown but Challenger would work also.

3rd Both yeasts(wyeast 1968 and WLP002) that are mentioned in recipe are almost impossible to find here for some reason, so now i´m trying to find replacement yeast. Have seen mentioned S-33 and S-04 from Fermentis and Windsor from Lallemand. Heritage English ale yeast from Pinnacle could also be one possibility.
~ WLP002/Wyeast1968 are clones of Fuller's yeast and have the marmalade flavour which defines Fullers's beers. They are, however, not good attenuators (63% - 70%) so you use more malt than other more efficient yeasts. S-04 is more efficient (74-82%) but may not have the marmalade trademark flavour.

If it helps, Wild About Hops in New Zealand sell a PDF book on British Ales with over 100 recipes, 4 of which are recipes for Fuller's ESB (cask, bottle, 1981 John Keeling tribute version with flaked maize and 2005 Anniversary version)

 

[Bigbre04]

Oh yeah no one can be exact on YOUR system. Thats the fun of this.

Here is the recipe from Fullers though. Have at it! There is some chocolate so I was misremembering there but I don’t remember Keeling mentioning it on podcasts.i believe the HOPS and yeast play the biggest role in Fullers London pride and ESB. View attachment 34320

what is that notebook? its very cool! i made my own sheets that are sort of similar. I assume that is of English manufacture due to all of the english brewing words?

Fuller's brewery and Fuller's beers are close to my heart, having visited the brewery several times over the years, met with John Keeling, head brewer for many years and drunk copious amounts of their beer.

1st Question is that first recipe says to use flaked maize and second doesn´t, which one is better or who cares?
~ Fuller's used flaked maize/corn until John Keeling changed the beer recipes to all malt in the mid 1980's. (They use invert sugar in some high alcohol ales.) I would avoid maize.

2nd I can´t find Northdown hops here. Possible replacements have been mentioned Target or Challenger, but is it straight change or need to change quantities and which one would be better?
~ Northern Brewer at best being a parent of Northdown but Challenger would work also.

3rd Both yeasts(wyeast 1968 and WLP002) that are mentioned in recipe are almost impossible to find here for some reason, so now i´m trying to find replacement yeast. Have seen mentioned S-33 and S-04 from Fermentis and Windsor from Lallemand. Heritage English ale yeast from Pinnacle could also be one possibility.
~ WLP002/Wyeast1968 are clones of Fuller's yeast and have the marmalade flavour which defines Fullers's beers. They are, however, not good attenuators (63% - 70%) so you use more malt than other more efficient yeasts. S-04 is more efficient (74-82%) but may not have the marmalade trademark flavour.

If it helps, Wild About Hops in New Zealand sell a PDF book on British Ales with over 100 recipes, 4 of which are recipes for Fuller's ESB (cask, bottle, 1981 John Keeling tribute version with flaked maize and 2005 Anniversary version)

i would roll with the most recent recipe as there is a high likelyhood that that is what you have been drinking and know.

dont use corn.

yeast wise i dont know, english ale yeast is likely the best option.

i would shoot to match the IBUs present at each step with whatever hop you can get your paws on. Nobles or fuggle would also work.

you wont ever perfectly match their beer, make something that makes you happy in the same style!

 

[Donoroto]

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

 

[Sandy Feet]

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

Wlp 002