Get Real ESB community brew #1 question

[Red T]

Hey all,
I was wondering if any of you could give me a few numbers:
I was looking for the OG and FG of your brews.
I ended up having to dump four cases because of exploding bottles!! That's why I couldn't participate in the first exchange. :mad: I was too embarressed to mention at the time. Sorry I couldn't exchange at the time. I really did try. I was just going through the brew log and came accross the recipe and wondered what went wrong. I think that I just bottled it too soon. I could have put the secondary in too cold of setting and then bottled with out an incomplete fermentation. At least that is my theory. If anyone could give me some numbers I would sure appriciate it. I'll try this recipe again. Thanks for your time.

[BrewDog]

I really don't remember my exact numbers. That was quite a while ago. I remember I screwed up my evap rate so I ended up making it into a British IPA instead of an ESB (kept boiling to raise the gravity and drop the volume). Turned out to be a darn tasty beer, though, as I remember it.

I suggest a 2 or 3 week primary, with no secondary. Bottle with a 5/8 cup of corn sugar instead of 3/4, since these beers need to be carbonated less.

Just be patient, let the yeast do their job, and that beer will turn out nicely. It really was a good recipe.

HTH-

[Red T]

It's weird: first batch brewed on 4-25, racked 4-29, bottled 5-28. But the OG 1.053, FG 1.018. Second batch brewed 4-29, racked 5-6, bottled 5-28. The OG 1.050, FG 1.020. I wonder if the FG was too high on both batches? I would have thought that the yeast had enough time to complete fermentation. But I cannot say for sure what the temp was, I would like to say that it was around the mid to high 60's. I think that I will try it again. It was the first time that I used that yeast too.
(those were dates above, if anyone was confused)
Comments are appreciated.

[Mikegobrew]

It's weird: first batch brewed on 4-25, racked 4-29, bottled 5-28. But the OG 1.053, FG 1.018. Second batch brewed 4-29, racked 5-6, bottled 5-28. The OG 1.050, FG 1.020. I wonder if the FG was too high on both batches? I would have thought that the yeast had enough time to complete fermentation. But I cannot say for sure what the temp was, I would like to say that it was around the mid to high 60's. I think that I will try it again. It was the first time that I used that yeast too.
(those were dates above, if anyone was confused)
Comments are appreciated.

Wow, that's quick in primary and then long in secondary. I think if you extend the primary you will like the results better. Or just cut out the secondary all together.

[Mikegobrew]

BTW, I didn't actually participate in the community brew so forgive my input. But another one sounds great.

[HogieWan]

IIRC, I came up with the hop schedule for that brew - and I still never brewed it. That's going to be my next batch

[corkybstewart]

I enjoyed that beer too, even though I generally hate and avoid that particular yeast. I'll have to see if I took notes or just used the instructions from the kit.
I had a bunch of inlaws from France here that summer and we drank that beer all over the state of NM.

[Red T]

Hogie I can't believe you! That's crazy that you had that much input and never made any.
Corky I would be interested if you did take notes. Does that yeast cause problems? That was the first and only time that I used it. I brewed the two ESB batches and followed with a London Porter clone. Used the same yeast cake on all the batches. When the bottles of the ESB's started going, I left the London Porter in secondary. According to my notes I racked that beer (LP) into secondary on 5-28-07. After the granades I just let it go. I was wondering if I had an infection too, the smell when I racked and used the yeast cake was strong like it took your breath away! Wierd, never had that happen before or since. Now fast forward to 2-23-09, I put that LP into a keg and force carbonated it! I did give it a taste before I used up the CO2. Actually it was good. Couldn't believe it. I am still drinking it, no ill effects. So I wonder if, and probably pretty sure, that that yeast takes a while longer to eat up all that sugar and I just didn't give it enough time like someone posted. I am going to try that one again, I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

Maybe I should call that London Porter Lager!

[corkybstewart]

I've used it a couple of times in British style pale ales and it just gives a flavor I don't like. The ESB was the first time I brewed a beer I enjoyed drinking that was fermented with the yeast.
Once years ago I turned a keg of nasty undrinkable WLP005 beer into very good malt vinegar, but I forgot about the second keg until I found it in my beer fridge a year later. It was actually excellent after lagering a year, but generally speaking I don't want to wait a year for a mid gravity pale ale to be drinkable.
I'll look when I get home to see if I took any notes or not.

[Mad Scientist]

I was 1.054/1.010....I did not end up using the yeast, as I was re-pitching for something else, but I do remember the beer being pretty tasty.

[Red T]

Thanks for the responses, I will try this brew again. Especially with this new knowledge. I hope that mine turns out like yours. I hope to participate in another community brew if there is another one.