[recipe Help] English Style Mild Ale

[beerguide]

Im going to do my first AG at the weekend after a few practice partial runs in the last few weeks, and a friend gave me the following recipe to create a Mild (read: mid strength) English Style Ale which I've punched into Beersmith.

Make up to 23ltrs.

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 kg Pale Malt, Ale (Barrett Burston) (5.9 EBC) Grain 76.93 %
0.40 kg Crystal (Joe White) (141.8 EBC) Grain 10.26 %
0.30 kg Oats, Flaked (2.0 EBC) Grain 7.69 %
0.10 kg Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (750.6 EBC) Grain 2.56 %
0.10 kg Crystal, Dark (Joe White) (216.7 EBC) Grain 2.56 %
30.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 17.6 IBU
15.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (15 min) Hops 4.4 IBU
10.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc

From my readings and understanding of each of the grains Im spotting a few problems, firstly:

- Almost 13% of crystal. Won't this make it an exceptionally sweet beer? As its my first solo mash too, I'd have to mash at a lowish temp wouldn't I due to the high percentage of crystal?
- Chocolate Malt.... I don't see the relevance for this in this type of Ale. Im happy to run with it, if there is not likely to be an overly sweet flavour produced - or will such a low amount simply darken the colour a little?
- Oats - My friend told me this is simply a personal preference thing. He said it imparts a little 'oaty' flavour but due to the smallish % he said its nothing like an oatmeal porter/stout, it just makes the body a little fuller and slightly hazier. What are other peoples thoughts?

Beersmith has suggested the following steps, are these correct?

- Mash grain in 10.17 ltr of water at 70 degrees
- Sparge with 9.68 ltrs
- Sparge a second time with 10.68 ltrs
- Top up to 26.62 and Boil for 60 mins
- Add hops yadda yadda, fermenter, drink, enjoy

 

[Stuster]

zoddy, mild is not simply a low gravity English ale. It's more along the lines of a low gravity brown ale, which is why your friend has included some chocolate malt in the recipe. The recipe looks fine to me, though the hopping's on the high side. What gravity are you looking at? IBUs? Colour?

There's some info and links to other info on milds in this thread.

 

[beerguide]

IBU by my count is low 20s which is close to what I was hoping for and the colour is maybe a little darker than I'd hoped, but it was more the flavour I was worried about, not the appearance. I just don't want to produce an overly sweet, almost porter like beer. I was after more of a nutty northern brown instead in terms of flavour.

Thanks for the link Stuster I'll have a read..

 

[tangent]

~13% crystal? that's going to be sweet no matter what temp you mash at.

 

[Stuster]

I just don't want to produce an overly sweet, almost porter like beer. I was after more of a nutty northern brown instead in terms of flavour.

Right. If that's what you want, I'd cut back on the crystal a bit, maybe halve the ordinary JW crystal (keep the dark), and add some brown/amber malt. Very nice stuff, giving more of a nutty/biscuity taste to the beer, a bit drier taste as well. Maybe something like 200g of either one to start with and see how you like it. Could up it a bit if you want next time.

 

[KoNG]

there is a good thread somewhere on Mild... do a little search and you'll find it.
i brewed 160 litres of the mild recipe below with T.D.
it has been a great beer..!! if you dont want the choc/roast flavours like heading towards a porter.?? then i would suggest just cutting those two malt additions in half.
( just a small note to make too... the crystal malts will produce a sweet flavour etc... but Chocolate malt doesnt. it's not chocolate as in cadbury.. just a lighter roasted malt than black/roast)


Mild

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
17000.00 gm Joe White Traditional Ale (5.9 EBC) Grain 84.2 %
1000.00 gm Crystal, Dark (Joe White) (216.7 EBC) Grain 5.0 %
800.00 gm Chocolate Malt (Joe White) (750.6 EBC) Grain 4.0 %
600.00 gm Amber Malt (Joe White) (45.3 EBC) Grain 3.0 %
600.00 gm Melanoidin (Weyermann) (59.1 EBC) Grain 3.0 %
200.00 gm Roasted Malt (Joe White) (1199.7 EBC) Grain 1.0 %
150.00 gm Challenger [6.70%] (60 min) Hops 18.2 IBU
80.00 gm Challenger [6.70%] (15 min) Hops 2.6 IBU
80.00 gm Challenger [6.70%] (5 min) Hops 1.6 IBU

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.033 SG (1.030-1.038 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1.033 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.009 SG (1.008-1.013 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Color: 31.2 EBC (23.6-49.3 EBC) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 22.4 IBU (10.0-25.0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 1.2 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 3.2 % (2.8-4.5 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 2.7 %
Actual Calories: 308 cal/l

 

[ausdb]

~13% crystal? that's going to be sweet no matter what temp you mash at.

Drop the Crystal to about 6%
Mash high but add some Lyles golden syrup or some flaked maize in to lighten the body up. Sort of self defeating but it works. Also Milds are not a hop driven beer so forget the off boil addition if you are brewing to style. Here is the Mild out of Beer captured that I have brewed a few times, if you use golden syrup there is a big difference between Lyles and aussie CSR or Bundaberg stuff

BC_Black_Cat_Mild
----------------
Batch Size (L): 25.00 Wort Size (L): 25.00
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
26.7 1.00 kg. Weyermann Munich I Germany 1.038 15
36.9 1.38 kg. Bairds Maris Otter Pale Ale M UK 1.037 6
12.0 0.45 kg. TF Flaked Maize UK 1.040 0
8.0 0.30 kg. Golden Syrup Generic 1.036 2
6.0 0.22 kg. Bairds Medium Crystal Great Britian 1.034 145
4.9 0.19 kg. Weyermann Carafa Special I Germany 1.036 950
4.9 0.19 kg. Chocolate Malt Great Britain 1.034 936
0.5 0.02 kg. Smoked(Bamberg) Germany 1.037 18

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
27.78 g. Fuggle Plug 4.80 16.3 60 min.
16.26 g. Fuggle Plug 4.80 2.5 15 min.

Yeast
-----
Wyeast 1968 or Wyeast 1496 Tim Taylors

 

[Stuster]

How did the TT yeast go in a mild, ausdb? When I used it, the attenuation on all the batches was really high. :huh:

 

[MHB]

I just ran a search for milds in my recipe database, of the 14 mild recipes the lowest has about 5.5% Crystal the highest Arkell's Mash Tun Mild comes in at 30% Crystal.

There is also a clear trend; as the % of crystal goes up the mash temperature comes down, for the Arkell's the recommendation is for 90 minutes at 63 C.

My favourite mild
Sara Hughes Dark Ruby Mild 25% Crystal 75% pale Ale, 30 EBC (1/2 Golding 1/2 Fuggle), 20g Golding in the last 15 minutes (23L batch), 5.9% ABV

MHB

 

[KoNG]

Sara Hughes Dark Ruby Mild 25% Crystal 75% pale Ale, 30 EBC (1/2 Golding 1/2 Fuggle), 20g Golding in the last 15 minutes (23L batch), 5.9% ABV

MHB

whooa, is it just me or does that read like a glass of fairy floss...?
25% crystal and just 20g of golding @ 15 min.???


edit: second read... i guess you mean IBU and not EBC.?

 

[kook]

whooa, is it just me or does that read like a glass of fairy floss...?
25% crystal and just 20g of golding @ 15 min.???

I've tried it draught and its not fairy floss cloying sweet, but it is very malt driven. Loads of caramel and dark fruit flavours.

Nice sipping beer actually. Not something I'd want to drink more than a pint of though.

Also Milds are not a hop driven beer so forget the off boil addition if you are brewing to style.

I helped judge the Mild category at Ealing beer festival back in 2005. There was one real standout beer, though I did mark it down in places as i felt it was too hoppy for style. Turned out it won anyway! Dark Star "Over the Moon". It was a great dark mild, but with a really nice american citric hoppy finish.

 

[KoNG]

I've tried it

ok, so is it 30 IBU...? or really only 20g @ 15 minutes.?

 

[gap]

ok, so is it 30 IBU...? or really only 20g @ 15 minutes.?

Hello
Brew Your Own Real Ale at Home gives the hop bill as
Fuggles 41g 120 minutes
Goldings 35g 120 minutes
Goldings 20g 15 minutes

30 EBU

Graeme

 

[neonmeate]

fwiw here's the recipe for a mild i brewed 2 weeks ago - drinking well already:
Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
UK Pale Ale Malt 2.00 kg 57.1 % In Mash/Steeped
UK Brown Malt 1.00 kg 28.6 % In Mash/Steeped
Australian Roast Barley 0.1 kg 2.9 % In Mash/Steeped
Kithul Jaggery Treacle 0.4 kg 11.4 % Start Of Boil


Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
UK Golding 5.5 30 g Pelletized Hops First Wort Hopped


Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When


Yeast
White Labs WLP004-Irish Ale

OG 1036

it is a bit on the roasty side - more like a weak porter, but that's what i wanted. kithul treacle is a sri lankan palm sugar treacle - dark and viscous. get it at indian shops. tasty.

 

[warrenlw63]

Heya NM... Long time no hear. Welcome back!

Just to concur a little. I try and make my Dark Milds like light Porters if that makes any sense.

Warren -

 

[MHB]

Yes its Goldings and Fuggle to give 30 IBU, and 20g Golding late addition.

Posting with the P(issed) plate on.
Cheers and sorry about the confusion.

MHB