Five Minute ESB

I wrote this beer recipe in about five minutes before running off to the homebrew store before they closed, and without doing any calculations. I intended this to be a very easy to brew session beer. This beer benefits from more aging than the Five Minute Mild due to more hops and more alcohol. The first time I brewed it, I was too impatient and the first couple bottles were fairly astringent. Give it some time.

Extract recipe

Ingredients

• 5 lb. light malt extract syrup
• 12 oz. 40 L crystal malt
• 6 oz. Biscuit malt
• 4 oz. Flaked barley malt
• 1 oz. Goldings, 1 oz. Fuggle (60 minutes)
• 1 oz. Fuggle (30 minutes)
• 1 oz. Fuggle (5 minutes)
• Wyeast #1318 (London Ale III)

Procedure

• Place crushed grains in two muslin bags and add to 1.5 gallons of water.
• Heat water to 150-170° F and hold for 30 minutes.
• Remove grains, sparge with hot water, and discard.
• Add 1 oz. Fuggle hops and 1 oz. Kent Goldings hops. Boil 60 minutes.
• With 30 minutes remaining, add 1 oz. Fuggle hops.
• With 5 minutes remaining, add 1 oz. Fuggle hops.
• Cool with wort chiller to ~ 75° F and add to water in carboy. Top up to 5 gallons.
• Pitch yeast.
• Bottle or keg when fermentation is complete.
• Age approximately three weeks.