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Simple Extra Special Bitter recipe that turned out extra special!

Scott Ickes

Grandmaster Brewer
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Aug 3, 2013
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Vancouver, WA
I was the demonstration brewer at the Vancouver Brewfest in Vancouver, WA on August 10, 2013.  I brewed this outside, under a quick up type of awning in front of about 50 people, as they walked among the different micro-brewery tents.  Our homebrew club (Cascadia Brewers Alliance) was invited by the organizers to brew at our own tent and gave us space.

I used a very simple recipe since I was brewing in front of many people.  The grain bill was very simple.  The hops were only a 60 minute addition and a 5 minute addition to leave plenty of time to talk to people.  We picked up about 20 new members because of this event. 

We also brewed on the other two days of the festival also.  Those two days were extract recipes with grain steeping.  Mine was an all grain recipe.

I opened the first bottle this past weekend and was surprised at how good this beer is turning out to be!  The bitterness is 40.3, so it's right in the middle of the range of 40-60 IBU's for an English ESB.  The original gravity was 1.056, which is a little more towards the higher side for the style (1.048-1.060).  I like my English bitters, pale ales and India Pale Ales to the malty side, thus the higher starting gravity. 

It's hoppier than I expected, but with a very good maltiness to it.  Even though it's hoppier than I expected, it is not overly hoppy in any way.  It's definitely not an American Hoppy Ale! 

If you try this recipe, you won't be disappointed.
 

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Nice simple looking recipe. 
Simple enough that it's mostly things that I keep around.
I don't have victory malt, not sure about the right hops, and even though I've got the yeast around, it's slated for another beer!

Glad to hear that a beer made to be a simple one for demonstration purposes turned out to be a nice beer.
 
You'll get to taste in on November 9th (probably).  That is when our barrell brew day is scheduled.  I moved it to that day, so that you could attend in person.

It should be at it's peak by then!
 
Cool!  I will be able to make the brew day!
I should also be able to try out the beer gun and bring a few bottles of some of my beer by then.

Unfortunately ( maybe), It will be the choice of 4 experimental beers.  Normally I don't have more than one experiment on tap, but I've been inspired by several different ideas recently, and I've served up a LOT of regular beers to happy recipients this summer!
In one weekend in June alone, I went through 15 gallons at a 30 year class reunion.  I had a graduating class of just over 40, so the beer was well received.

 
Your experimental brews will go over fantastically here!  We have one guy who loves soured beers, but makes just about anything.  Two others (brothers actually) brew together and they specialize in Saisons of all types. 

We have a guy that will be here that we lovingly call the Mad Chemist.  He's constantly experimenting with wild yeasts and bacteria.  He sometimes makes beers with no hops and uses herbs for bittering.  He even made this concoction that tasted just like lemon juice and it had no lemons in it at all.  Actually, it was quite awful, but it was quite an accomplishment none the less.

I'll have 5 or 6 different kinds of beer for sampling also.  We'll have 10 brewers brewing 9 batches of beer.  Between us, we'll brew 60 gallons of beer (some of us are brewing 10 gallon batches).  It should be quite a spectacle having 9 brewing set ups in my driveway!  Everyone will be bringing samples of their efforts to share.

Plus, we'll probably have some others from the club stopping in also.  With other friends and neighbors, it will be a lot of fun.

Bring yourself a chair of some kind.  I'll have at least 6 chairs and 2 stools, but we'll need more.  I do have a tall cafe style table in my brewery that we can sit around when we're not too busy at our MLT's and brew pots.
 
Maybe instead of bottles I'll bring my little friend.
A bag or two of ice and you've got cold draft beer for days!

I do like draft.


 
I'll tell you it was a HUGE hit at my 30 year class reunion and it's been the life of the party at a buddies many times when he has his big BBQ's.

It's going to get a third tap as soon as I have an aluminum tub welded up to replace the cooler in the bottom.
I'm going to have to take the old truck anyway to carry all my brew gear so what the heck. 
Draft it will be!
All I have to do is devise something that keeps the kegs from becoming well shook up cans of beer during a 2 1/2 hour plus drive in the back of a 30 year old 3/4 ton truck.  I know from experience that it takes a very long time for the kegs to settle after a bad transport.
I've got an idea for that also.

This brew day meeting lots of new brewers is sounding more fun all the time.
 
I brewed this a couple of months ago, in fact it was my first 5 gallon batch, and it was awesome.  Full tasting, great balance of malt and bitterness. And it gets better as it ages.

Thanks for the post.
 
I'm so glad it turned out so well for. I think I'll brew up another batch of it before the year ends.
 
Im gonna brew something similar with pointers from your recipe scott.
 
We talked about your ESB brew project at the meeting tonight.  I probably won't be in on the project, as I'm quite busy with work and won't be brewing as often as I'd like.  I look forward to tasting some of them when they are ready though.  ESB is one of my favorite beer styles.
 
It would be nice to see you again sometime soon Scott.
 
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