Hop Bursting Mid advice

[Reef]

Howdy folks,

I’m a new AG brewer and just about to keg and gas my 3rd AG batch. After attempting some stronger/higher ABV APA’s and IPA’s I’m looking to do something a little tamer. The 5.5-7.5% ABV’s are great over winter but during summer I like to drink more with lower ABV.

Basically I’m looking to do a similar hop bursting, hop intense, citrusy, fruity ale that has a lower session ABV – say max 4%. Back I the old extract days it was simply at matter of halving the fermentables such as dry malt/dextrose. I’ve never made an AG mid-strength and I’m sure it’s not just a case of lower the grain bill.

I’m thinking along the lines of BrewDog Dead Pony Club…

Can anyone recommend a good recipe (such as Dead Pony Club) or give me some tips on how to brew a ‘balanced’ mid-strength?

Any advice would be great.

Cheers!

 

[syl]

I don't know the dead pony club, but the key is to ensure it is still balanced.

To do so, you will be lowering your base malt more than you lower some of the crystal malts. So instead of keeping the normal 5-10% crystal, you will be pushing up to 20% crystal.

I would use some munich or victory too. I would probably go 12-15% Crystals and 10% Biscuit or Munich. This sohuld ensure you have the malt backbone required to carry the IBU's

 

[manticle]

There's a number of ways you can do it.
Depends a little on preference. Do you like crystal heavy apa or prefer the dry, tongue twisting west coast aipa?

I know qldkev has a regularly used recipe for mid strength apa.

You can simply reduce base but leave crystal as suggested above.

Or you can reduce total grist.

Or you can mash high and short.

Best method depends on preferred outcome.

 

[contrarian]

I've made a few low ABV beers that were hop heavy and I have always used a fairly basic grain bill like 80% ale, 15% wheat, 5% crystal and got all of the IBUs from a run of hop additions starting at 15 minutes.

If you want more mouthfeel you can mash high, use more rye, wheat or crystal but I find that to make it really sessionable mash low so it's nice and dry.

It really comes down to personal preference.

 

[anthonyUK]

Brewdog had a prototype mild earlier this year called All Day Long which was very nice.
This is my first attempt at something similar which turned out very nice. I've just made another batch with small increases to the speciality malts especially the rye and increased all flameout hops to 20g.

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/758495/all-day-longer


Amount Name Type #
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 1
250.0 g Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 2
250.0 g Carared (39.4 EBC) Grain 3
100.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (19.7 EBC) Grain 4
100.0 g Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 5
100.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC) Grain 6
100.0 g Rye Malt (9.3 EBC) Grain 7
20.0 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.3%] - Boil 10 min Hops 8
20.0 g Cascade [6.7%] - Boil 10 min Hops 9
20.0 g Amarillo Gold [8.8%] - Boil 5 min Hops 10
20.0 g Centennial [10.0%] - Boil 5 min Hops 11
10.0 g Cascade [5.5%] - Boil 0 min Hops 12
20.0 g Amarillo Gold [8.5%] - Boil 0 min Hops 13
10.0 g Centennial [10.0%] - Boil 0 min Hops 14

 

[drsmurto]

I brew *milds regulalry, it's unusual for me to not have a light beer on tap. I generally aim for 3%. Currently have an english dark mild which i dry hopped with EKG and it's too easy to drink.

For hoppy milds i add the hops as a single, 10 min addition. Dry hopping optional.

As others have mentioned, mash higher, bulk up the base malt with munich/vienna, add rye for extra body/mouthfeel (I use 30% rye as a standard!), more crystal than you would normally use (10-20%).

*not a mild by BJCP standard, mild in alcohol only.

 

[syl]

I brew *milds regulalry, it's unusual for me to not have a light beer on tap. I generally aim for 3%. Currently have an english dark mild which i dry hopped with EKG and it's too easy to drink.

For hoppy milds i add the hops as a single, 10 min addition. Dry hopping optional.

As others have mentioned, mash higher, bulk up the base malt with munich/vienna, add rye for extra body/mouthfeel (I use 30% rye as a standard!), more crystal than you would normally use (10-20%).

*not a mild by BJCP standard, mild in alcohol only.

I was just thinking about this when I woke up, session IPA's currently have no place to enter in BJCP comps eh? I have an all day, but was wondering where I could slot it in.

 

[barls]

its category 21b you need to specify the strength though in your entry

 

[Blind Dog]

Brewed a Weyermann Munich session IPA / hoppy PA SMaSHjust before the move south; stepped mash at 55 for 5, 66 for 45, 72 for 20 and 78 mashout. Amarillo as FWH for 15 IBU and then at flame out (entered in BS as 15 min boil) and in the cube (20 min steep) for another 15 IBU from each. Cubed at 80C. OG was 1.034, yeast Wyeast 1275. FG 1.010, so 3.1% ABV. Too bloody nice...

 

[Reef]

Brewdog had a prototype mild earlier this year called All Day Long which was very nice.
This is my first attempt at something similar which turned out very nice. I've just made another batch with small increases to the speciality malts especially the rye and increased all flameout hops to 20g.

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/758495/all-day-longer


Amount Name Type #
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 1
250.0 g Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 2
250.0 g Carared (39.4 EBC) Grain 3
100.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (19.7 EBC) Grain 4
100.0 g Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 5
100.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC) Grain 6
100.0 g Rye Malt (9.3 EBC) Grain 7
20.0 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.3%] - Boil 10 min Hops 8
20.0 g Cascade [6.7%] - Boil 10 min Hops 9
20.0 g Amarillo Gold [8.8%] - Boil 5 min Hops 10
20.0 g Centennial [10.0%] - Boil 5 min Hops 11
10.0 g Cascade [5.5%] - Boil 0 min Hops 12
20.0 g Amarillo Gold [8.5%] - Boil 0 min Hops 13
10.0 g Centennial [10.0%] - Boil 0 min Hops 14

Thanks fro all the tips people. I'm definitely going to give this one a go.

This one looks OK also - not sure if pellets will upset the balance though?

http://brewgr.com/recipe/7966/dead-pony-club-clone-recipe

I'm yet to fully understand the balance and prob won't until I start brewing some mids. I might try playing around with crystal/malt volumes and mash temps in Beer Smith to see if I can raise my understanding of achieving a balanced mid.

 

[syl]

Thanks fro all the tips people. I'm definitely going to give this one a go.

This one looks OK also - not sure if pellets will upset the balance though?

http://brewgr.com/recipe/7966/dead-pony-club-clone-recipe

I'm yet to fully understand the balance and prob won't until I start brewing some mids. I might try playing around with crystal/malt volumes and mash temps in Beer Smith to see if I can raise my understanding of achieving a balanced mid.

That one is over the top... 55 IBU's... Stick to the one posted above!

EDIT: Although I don't know about that website and it's IBU calc'ing

 

[Reef]

Brewdog had a prototype mild earlier this year called All Day Long which was very nice.
This is my first attempt at something similar which turned out very nice. I've just made another batch with small increases to the speciality malts especially the rye and increased all flameout hops to 20g.

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/758495/all-day-longer


Amount Name Type #
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 1
250.0 g Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 2
250.0 g Carared (39.4 EBC) Grain 3
100.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (19.7 EBC) Grain 4
100.0 g Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 5
100.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC) Grain 6
100.0 g Rye Malt (9.3 EBC) Grain 7
20.0 g Columbus (Tomahawk) [17.3%] - Boil 10 min Hops 8
20.0 g Cascade [6.7%] - Boil 10 min Hops 9
20.0 g Amarillo Gold [8.8%] - Boil 5 min Hops 10
20.0 g Centennial [10.0%] - Boil 5 min Hops 11
10.0 g Cascade [5.5%] - Boil 0 min Hops 12
20.0 g Amarillo Gold [8.5%] - Boil 0 min Hops 13
10.0 g Centennial [10.0%] - Boil 0 min Hops 14

Just about to order one similar to this - did you dry hop at all?

Cheers.

 

[fdsaasdf]

My partner and I love Dead Pony Club. Based on the ingredients I could find at short notice last summer I came up with the below recipe and though it wasn't an exact clone it had a similar character to DPC. Full of fresh, vibrant hop aroma and flavour but sessionable without on a hot summer's day. I'll be brewing this again in a couple of months!

Dead Wallaby Club - 4% ABV

3000.00 g Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC)
300.00 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (78.8 EBC)
200.00 g Caramel Wheat Malt (90.6 EBC)
100.00 g Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC)
25.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min 13.5 IBUs
25.00 g Mosaic [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min 13.5 IBUs
25.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min 14.6 IBUs
25.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
25.00 g Mosaic [12.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
25.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast
100.00 g Mosaic [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days 0.0 IBUs

 

[Reef]

My partner and I love Dead Pony Club. Based on the ingredients I could find at short notice last summer I came up with the below recipe and though it wasn't an exact clone it had a similar character to DPC. Full of fresh, vibrant hop aroma and flavour but sessionable without on a hot summer's day. I'll be brewing this again in a couple of months!

Dead Wallaby Club - 4% ABV

3000.00 g Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC)
300.00 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (78.8 EBC)
200.00 g Caramel Wheat Malt (90.6 EBC)
100.00 g Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC)
25.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min 13.5 IBUs
25.00 g Mosaic [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min 13.5 IBUs
25.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min 14.6 IBUs
25.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
25.00 g Mosaic [12.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
25.00 g Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast
100.00 g Mosaic [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days 0.0 IBUs

This looks great. Was this a mash around 67' and a 90min boil? What was your batch size?

I'll order both recipes as I usually buy recipes in pairs. That will get me through a few months.

Cheers.

 

[fdsaasdf]

Was this a mash around 67' and a 90min boil? What was your batch size?

Testing my memory (and poor recordkeeping)... Batch size was 22L, boil was 60min and I think (but am not certain) that the mash was 67C...

My recordkeeping has improved since this batch (it was on my old equipment) so I'll probably multiply everything by 2 for 42L and take the slight increase in ABV.

 

[anthonyUK]

Just about to order one similar to this - did you dry hop at all?

Cheers.

I didn't but to get close to the Brewdog version I would in future.