Style Of The Week 1/8/07 - Mild

[mje1980]

My latest is underway. Done this a few times ( first time with mild malt though ) , very happy with.

17.5% TF MO
70.2% TF Mild ale malt
1.8% Choc malt
1.8% RB
8.8% Simpsons heritage crystal

Galena 60 min
Willamette 1 min

1.032
20 IBU


Wy 1335 British ale 2.

Super keen to see what the TF mild malt tastes like!

 

[mje1980]

Didn't get to taste the above, as i got a brewhouse infection. Long story short its gone now. Im going to try a "sarah hughes ruby mild" inspired mild. The mild book i have list's this 6%er as having 25% crystal!!. Im not that game, and im adding a touch of roast barley to stop it being too sweet in the finish.

82.4% MO
11.8% Simpsons heritage
5% Spec b
.8% RB

Galena 60
Willamette 1

1.059
37 IBU
5.9% based on a 1.014 FG. Probably use 1968.

 

[Bongchitis]

Didn't get to taste the above, as i got a brewhouse infection. Long story short its gone now. Im going to try a "sarah hughes ruby mild" inspired mild. The mild book i have list's this 6%er as having 25% crystal!!. Im not that game, and im adding a touch of roast barley to stop it being too sweet in the finish.

82.4% MO
11.8% Simpsons heritage
5% Spec b
.8% RB

Galena 60
Willamette 1

1.059
37 IBU
5.9% based on a 1.014 FG. Probably use 1968.

Hey mj,

Whats the go with the 6% Mild? Isn't that like a soft hammer or a lovely wife h34r:

I thought Milds were session beers. Dont get me wrong, it looks fantastic but I wouldn't be able to drink more than 2 pints before I had to start 'tapering' :lol:


...I just read the style guideline and it seems a special occassion mild and not out of style at all, just at the upper boundaries. Who cares about styles anyway huh, just my stupid analytical brain needing to compartmentalise.

Sorry, carry on

 

[mje1980]

My milds are normally 3%, but this is a special mild, or "throwback/historic" mild. Something different!.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Hey mj,

Whats the go with the 6% Mild? Isn't that like a soft hammer or a lovely wife h34r:

I thought Milds were session beers. Dont get me wrong, it looks fantastic but I wouldn't be able to drink more than 2 pints before I had to start 'tapering' :lol:


...I just read the style guideline and it seems a special occassion mild and not out of style at all, just at the upper boundaries. Who cares about styles anyway huh, just my stupid analytical brain needing to compartmentalise.

Sorry, carry on

The term "Mild" traditionally referred to a beer that was not aged, it was a beer that was consumed young and had nothing to do with the ABV, O.G or even IBU of the beer in question.
It's a shame that the BJCP didn't do a little more accurate research when they created their Style Guides, the same thing applies to their interpretation of an IPA.

 

[Bribie G]

I thought willamette was in fact American grown Fuggles...!

Like Styrian Goldings, Bobek and Aurora are Slovenian Grown Fuggles B) That Fuggle Guy has a lot to answer for.

The term "Mild" traditionally referred to a beer that was not aged, it was a beer that was consumed young and had nothing to do with the ABV, O.G or even IBU of the beer in question.
It's a shame that the BJCP didn't do a little more accurate research when they created their Style Guides, the same thing applies to their idea of an IPA.

BJCP is sometimes annoyingly American-centric. Especially their treatment of UK bitters. (Paraphrasing) the bitterness should be the major feature of an ordinary bitter....... BOLLOCKS. UK ales are generally malty with hop accentuation, but a beer like Wadworth 6x or Brains Bitter is not a bitter beer by any means. Even the UK versions of hop monsters such as Bombardier or TTL the hops are the rich "up the back of the nose" and what you burp up hop complexity, not hammered with Chinook to 80 IBU.

Oh those Yanks.

I'm a bit of a Victoriana freak and there's a couple of websites about how people actually lived in those days. One article was about dock workers who would often spend much their day wages on beer on the way home, and some of them would drink (wait for it...) four pints - Mind you if those four pints - presumably of mild - were 1075 OG then four pints would do it nicely for you.

 

[mje1980]

BJCP is sometimes annoyingly American-centric. Especially their treatment of UK bitters. (Paraphrasing) the bitterness should be the major feature of an ordinary bitter....... BOLLOCKS. UK ales are generally malty with hop accentuation, but a beer like Wadworth 6x or Brains Bitter is not a bitter beer by any means. Even the UK versions of hop monsters such as Bombardier or TTL the hops are the rich "up the back of the nose" and what you burp up hop complexity, not hammered with Chinook to 80 IBU.



Thankyou for the clarification mate. I have always found UK bitters ( the ones i've tried here in the bottle, never been to the UK ) to be mostly malty, but with nice hop character, just as you say. That is how i brew them too, i like nice maltiness ( not cloying though ) with a hit of willamette etc late in the finish. Yummmmmmmmoooooooo

Haha i looked up a boddo's recipe the other day, and lots of american brewers thought it was a cream ale hahahahahahahahah classic!!!

 

[mje1980]

Righto, bit of a drama. I checked the cube a few hours after cubing, and found it not airtight, shit!!, managed to seal it up, but it was only warm to touch. I've just got rid of an infection so i am pretty damn paranoid. I wanted to ferment this asap, and i was just about ready to keg a koelsh with 2565. Hmmm clean ale yeast for 6% mild??. Good enough for me, so i've kegged the koelsh and dumped the mild onto the cake. I didn't notice any off smells, so i think it will be fine. Maybe a little different, but at least i won't lose another batch to infection.

Will update on how it tastes. I plan to bottle this one.

 

[mje1980]

Well, the big mild with koelsh yeast didn't turn out great, though i think the high amount of xtal is what i don't like about it!.

Next up im trying for a pale mild. Love to brew a boddo's, and while this isn't like most of the boddo's recipes i've seen, i hope to tweak it after. Unless it turns out great, then i'll keep it the same!!.

80.6% Simpsons MO
3% Simpsons heritage
1.5% Victory
10.4% Wheat
4.5% Simpsons aromatic

Willamette 60

Willamette 30

1.034
18 IBU

Whitbread ale yeast.

 

[mje1980]

Flat as a tack mild.

89.2% TF MO
3.9% TF dark Xtal
1% Victory
1% Pale choc
1% RB
3.9% Flaked barley.

Willamette 60
EKG 30 mins

1.043
20 IBU

1968 London ESB

Been a while since i brewed a dark mild. Trying the flaked barley and higher mash temp for more silky mouthfeel.

 

[Bribie G]

As posted before I go for an OG in the higher 40s, say 1048 and find if I mash at 70 for the scant hour (Butters just mashes till the iodine test gives him the thumbs up even if just 45 mins) then a quick ramp to mashout, then you can get say 1019 final gravity and end up with a midstrength beer with all the flavour and body.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

As posted before I go for an OG in the higher 40s, say 1048 and find if I mash at 70 for the scant hour (Butters just mashes till the iodine test gives him the thumbs up even if just 45 mins) then a quick ramp to mashout, then you can get say 1019 final gravity and end up with a midstrength beer with all the flavour and body.

+1 - did the same for a golden middy with willamette - 1.048 to 1.020. I would probably say I'd up the bitterness for balance, but it certainly doesn't end up sickly sweet, and me and my brother rolled about 1/3rd a keg in 2-3 hours last year and never felt any ill effects.

Goomba

 

[Bribie G]

The "yeast" book strays into mashing temperatures for some strange reason (Jamil probably just couldn't control himself ) where he states that dextrins, whilst giving body, are not generally sweet and that this is a common misconception.

This was confirmed for me while I was on holiday, I normally do Psyllium and had run out. The metamucil at the supermarket was exhorbitant but they had Benefibre on special so I thought what's the difference.
Very different, it dissolves and doesn't thicken but provides heaps of fibre. WTF? So I looked at the label and it's mostly dextrins - and not at all sweet, they have to trick it up with orange flavour etc to make you drink it.

Mash hot, young man

edit: I expect if you were a commercial brewer and mashed super hot to get a mid, the brewery accountants would have you out the door in five minutes. I once read a CUB document that someone posted where, instead of sugar as an adjunct in their mids, they use a type of maltose syrup that doesn't completely ferment thus giving body cheaply. I'll try and find it again.

 

[mje1980]

I know you're a fan of high mashing for milds bribie, im not ready to go too high yet, i like em pretty dry and light, but im working on it . A 1.019 FG for a 1.048 ale just messes with my head haha. I have trouble stopping my beers from hitting 1.010, but i do mash for those kind of FG's, usually lower for mild.

I will report back.

It stumped me when i read the classic beer styles book on mild, the amount of sugaz they use in commercial milds ( if the book is accurate ). Most were like 15-20%. My all malt, low mashed milds end up pretty light and dry as is, so with that much adjunct i can't help but think they'd be thin. Though i'd bet my balls an authentic cask mild in the midlands would be heaven!!. Another reason to go there and try them out for myself!!

 

[super_simian]

Just cubed one based on Shut Up About Barlcay Perkins' collection of historic recipes. It's a bit of a 20th century mishmash grist-wise. 60% Ale malt, 20% Maize*, 10% Crystal, 5% Chocolate, 5% Dark Invert. Mashed high and bittered with Bramling Cross, 1.032OG, 16IBU. I'll be using Windsor at 20C as soon as a fermenter is available.

*Polenta actually.

 

[Eggs]

Hi brewers,
I'm planing to brew my first mild this weekend. Any feedback on my recipe would be greatfully trecieved. Its based on batemans dark mild posted here earlier, but ive adjusted for what is available from my local shop. I've also tried to lighten it up by substituting 240 grams of black malt with 125g of light chocholate and 125g of cafra 2. I'm a concerned that the recipes here might be a little to heavy on the roasted, toasted burnt coffee flavours for my taste. I cant get challenger in the time frame so have substituted EKG and fuggles. I have upped the hopps a little in response to what I have read in this thread about the chance of theese beers being a little cloying. the % alch is a little higher than id like, can i simply reduce the ammount of base malt and crystal to lower it to arround 3.2? Its possible that I might only be able to get Safale S-04, any thoughts? Apologies, i cant find a way to make brewmate print in the actual quantities rather than %. Thanks to the contributors to this thread, its been a great read.

New Recipe (Mild)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.035 (P): 8.8
Final Gravity (FG): 1.009 (P): 2.3
Alcohol (ABV): 3.44 %
Colour (SRM): 19.1 (EBC): 37.6
Bitterness (IBU): 15.9 (Average)

78.17% Maris Otter Malt
11.05% Crystal 60
4.04% Flaked Wheat
3.37% Carafa II malt
3.37% Chocolate, Pale

1 g/L East Kent Golding (4.7% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.4 g/L Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
0.4 g/L East Kent Golding (4.7% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma)


Single step Infusion at 68C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20C with Safeale S-04


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

 

[manticle]

Feedback from Mike L'itorus, mje1980, bribie and other mild lovers appreciated

Considering:

Mild

Type: All grain
Size: 18 liters
Color:27 HCU (~14 SRM)
Bitterness: 24 IBU
OG: 1.044
FG: 1.016
Alcohol: 3.6% v/v (2.8% w/w)
Grain: 3kg Simpsons MO
150g Dingemans aromatic
150g Dingemans biscuit
250g Simpsons heritage crystal 70-80L
50g Simpsons chocolate
Mash: 70% efficiency, TEMP: 69/72/78
TIME: 30/10/10
Boil: 60 minutes, SG 1.032 25 liters
Hops: 18g Challenger (6% AA, 60 min.)
10g Challenger (6% AA, 20 min.)

Ringwood or 1469

CaCl2 to mash and boil.

Possibility of caramelising some runnings and adding back.

 

[mje1980]

Mmmmm nice mate, it looks fine, you could up the choc a bit, but definately don't need to. I like the lighter coloured milds IMHO

 

[mje1980]

I know you're a fan of high mashing for milds bribie, im not ready to go too high yet, i like em pretty dry and light, but im working on it . A 1.019 FG for a 1.048 ale just messes with my head haha. I have trouble stopping my beers from hitting 1.010, but i do mash for those kind of FG's, usually lower for mild.

I will report back.

It stumped me when i read the classic beer styles book on mild, the amount of sugaz they use in commercial milds ( if the book is accurate ). Most were like 15-20%. My all malt, low mashed milds end up pretty light and dry as is, so with that much adjunct i can't help but think they'd be thin. Though i'd bet my balls an authentic cask mild in the midlands would be heaven!!. Another reason to go there and try them out for myself!!

Taken a while, but im trying the high mash today, sitting at 70c. Probably should've went bigger than 1.035, but i may undersparge a little to up it a bit.

 

[manticle]

Mmmmm nice mate, it looks fine, you could up the choc a bit, but definately don't need to. I like the lighter coloured milds IMHO

I was aiming for butters' percentages (roughly) detailed on page 2 of this thread: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=37960 but I cocked it up. 100g of choc should come closer. Might do 100g of choc and 20 of RB if I have any (can't remember) just to offset some of the chewyness and sweetness from higher FG and crystal combo.

Usually my beers are a minimum of 5% abv and usually closer to 6 or 7 so it will be nice to have a more sessionable, hopefully equally flavourful drop on hand. Looking forward to it.