Extra Special Bitter (ESB)

Name: Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 5 gal
Ingredients: 9 lb Maris Otter; 0.75 lb Crystal 60L; 0.5 lb Biscuit Malt; 0.75 oz Challenger (boil, 60 min); 0.5 oz East Kent Goldings (boil, 15 min); 0.75 oz East Kent Goldings (boil, 5 min); English Ale (WLP002) yeast

American Pale Ale · all grain

Fuller's-style ESB — biscuit, marmalade, soft fruit.

OG: 1.054
FG: 1.014
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 38
SRM: 12
Batch: 5 gal

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Grain bill

10.25 lb total

Malt	Weight	%
Maris Otter	9.00 lb	88%
Crystal 60L	0.75 lb	7%
Biscuit Malt	0.50 lb	5%

Hop schedule

Hop	Weight	Time	Type
Challenger	0.75 oz	60 min	boil
East Kent Goldings	0.5 oz	15 min	boil
East Kent Goldings	0.75 oz	5 min	boil

Yeast

English Ale (WLP002) · 63–70% atten · 65–68°F

Process

Mash at 153°F for 60 min
Boil 60 min
primary: 12 days @ 66°F

Notes

Bigger and fuller than an ordinary bitter. Maris Otter does the heavy lifting; Crystal 60 and biscuit malt add raisin and toast; Challenger and Goldings supply marmalade and floral honey. WLP002 drops bright fast and leaves a soft fruit ester behind.

Brewer: Don't fear the FG — ESB should finish around 1.014–1.016 with body to match the malt.

Packaging: Carbonate to 2.0 vols. Cask-conditioning is the gold standard.