Down At The Delta ESB

This ESB won a 3rd place medal at 6th annual Ohio Beer Week.

Down at the Delta ESB

Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

Type: All Grain	Date: 7/9/2011
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal	Brewer: Lemy
Boil Size: 5.98 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: Lemy's equipment
End of Boil Volume 5.46 gal	Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.75 gal	Est Mash Efficiency 89.2 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage	Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 5 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 61.1 % 1 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 3 11.1 % 12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4 8.3 % 4.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.8 % 0.50 oz Delta [6.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 10.8 IBUs 1.50 oz Delta [6.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 11.7 IBUs 1.00 tsp Gelatin (Secondary 1.0 days) Fining 14 - 1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 - 1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 1.0 weeks) Other 12 - 1 lbs Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.1 % 8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.6 % 1.0 pkg Burton Ale (White Labs #WLP023) [35.49 ml] Yeast 11 - 0.50 oz Delta [6.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 8.3 IBUs 0.50 oz Delta [6.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.055 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.055 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.009 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.3 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.0 %
Bitterness: 30.8 IBUs	Calories: 181.9 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 10.6 SRM
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs
Sparge Water: 5.69 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 6.49 qt of water at 174.7 F 154.0 F 60 min
Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 2 steps (2.57gal, 3.12gal) of 168.0 F water
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Keg	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 13.72 PSI	Carbonation Used: Keg with 13.72 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F	Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage	Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

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The name "Down at the Delta" has two meanings; I exclusively use Delta hops for this beer,  and, as a teenager (the 80's), we used to drink a lot of Lucky Lager at the Richland Delta, even Built To Spill's Doug Marsch spent an evening at the Delta after his former band, The Treepeople, played a show at the Hoedown Center, which is just a couple miles down the street.

The choice of Delta hops was really by chance. I like to get my hops from Hops Direct because they are great people, have terrific prices, and also because they are only about an hour away from where I live and it's fun to drive through the hop fields to pick up hops. Hops Direct had a pound of Delta on sale for something like $8.00, that's $.50 an ounce. Delta hops are the combination of Fuggles and Cascade.