So this recipe is done and bottled. It is conditioning for a few more days, though I did place a few in the fridge to carbonate a bit early as I'm anxious.
I don't try to replicate commercial beers (or anyone else's), but am looking for a nice similarity. My warm young sample at bottling didn't seem much like Old Speckled Hen, but maybe time will work it's magic.
I've converted the measurements to a rough idea. I'm looking for any critique, especially as I feel it will need to be revised as it didn't seem close enough to me.
I have a bit of a wonky brewing regimen that differs from most as I've seen a chart (I tried to find it and post it here but cannot seem to create a link) on hop utilization that showed (average as hops all vary maybe?) that the optimal aroma time peaks at 7 mins, the peak for flavor is at about 21 mins, and though 60-some odd minutes is where the bittering turns from a sharp rise to a more stroll up towards 90 mins where it's about maxed out (nearly so). Because I am a numbers guy I have noted the reoccurring 7's and ran with it. My boil time is 70 mins, flavoring 21, and aroma is 7 unless I only use one late addition, all depending, I may go with a 14 min addition. My mash time is 70 mins as well.
And over here the general thought is that 3 weeks is about ideal for most beers for both fermentation and conditioning. And though 3 days is considered the minimum time for fridge time to properly carbonate I prefer to go for 7 days, and if there is space they can sit longer.
I typically brew 5.5 gal (20.8 L) batches. Here is my ESB attempt:
4 lbs Crisp Marris Otter (1.8 kg)
3 lbs Crisp Marris Otter LME @ FO (1.4 kg)
1 lb Lyle's Golden Syrup @ FO (45 g)
1 lb Baird's (?) crystal 70/80 (45 g)
1/2 lb carafoam (23 g)
1.5 oz EKG (4.5%) @ 70 mins (43 g)
1 oz EKG @ 21 mins (28 g)
1/2 oz EKG @ 7 mins (14 g) + Whirlfloc
S-04 yeast rehydrated
1.055/1.014
5.4% ABV
34 IBUs
10 SRM
I upped the carbonation slightly to 1.9 vols as my carbonation always seems lower than it ought to be. I'm guessing something is off in my calculations.
I fermented at 64* F (17.8* C) for 7 days and pulled it from my fermentation chamber to sit at about 75* F (23.9* C).
By efficiency is often above the typical 75% average, and for this I had an OG of 1.060! My FG was slightly higher too at 1.016 giving me an ABV of 5.76 + the corn sugar for carbonation likely giving it about 5.9% or so. Higher than I wanted. No big deal.
I use a mixed matched mash system where I use my BIAB grain bag as a filter inside of my water cooler. It made it much cheaper to do! I took out the original spigot and had to increase the diameter slightly to fit a bottling bucket spigot. Works great and is easy!
Oh, I mashed the grains at 154*F (67.8* C).
I diluted my filtered tap water with RO water and adjusted it to get this:
Ca 83, Mg 19, Na 40, Cl 79, SO 143, pH of 5.32.
Any input?