Ok, so I want to try to brew a batch using multiple grains and I'm wondering about proportion. I'm looking to use barley (predominant) wheat (crisp, etc) oats (mouthfeel) and rye (that little something extra!) The style I'm shooting for is ESB, I figure that's a style where the grains can really take center stage.If I go with 3.3lbs pale malt and 3.3 lbs wheat, how much oats (I'm thinking 1lb) and rye do you guys think? I want the rye to be noticeable, but not overpowering. Also, is there something I should use to balance it, maybe crystal? As far as hops, I'm thinking traditional, kent goldings maybe... So what do you think?
-D

your question is pretty much asking someone to give you a recipe. If you go to the recipe section and look for an ESB recipe then you can adjust that to add the grain that you want to add. This will make your search for a recipe a little easier and something you built.

Don't take me as a dick head, just trying to help you build your knowledge a bit.

If you are brewing an ESB and you want to make it to style, you may want to consider a different grain bill. You won't find a lot of ESB out there with that selection. Also, from my experience, you get a good amount of mouthfeel from the rye so you don't necessarily need to combine that with the oats. I'm not sure what crispness the wheat will add. Just from my experience.
mark
www.backyardbrewer.blogspot.com
www.thebackyardbrewer.com

I'm not really looking for a recipe, more for advice on how to balance the flavour of rye. Also, I certainly wouldn't say I want to make a traditional ESB, more a multigrain ale with the general idea of an ESB as a taking off point because of it's malty/ "grainy" character. Specificly I'd like to know if crystal would be a good balance to rye? I think... maybe.

I'd cut back the oats to a half a pound and add a half a pound of crystal.

In answer to your question: Malted barley, wheat and rye are all base grains. Even with a mixture they could stand some specialty grains...

If you really want to venture into wild territory try making your own specialty grains out of malted wheat and rye (i.e. crystal malts) and do a batch out of just one grain...

Now that would be original. Would the process be the same as it is for making homemade crystal out of green or malted barley?

I made a dark crystal rye out of rye malt that came out well. I used the same process as with home made barley malt.