Dark Mild Reaper's Mild, 1st place 2011 HBT Competition

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azscoob

Brewpub coming soon!
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
7,446
Reaction score
313
Location
Lake in the Hills, IL
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Nottingham
Yeast Starter
nope
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
nope
Batch Size (Gallons)
5.5
Original Gravity
1.035
Final Gravity
1.012
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
20.4
Color
19.1
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
10 days at 65 degrees
Tasting Notes
Catagory 11 winner in 2011 HBT comp. 42/50 in round one, 40/50 in final round
Here is my posting of Orfy's Mild Mannered Ale that took 1st place, category 11 in the 2011 HBT homebrew competition, and was a part of the "Orfy's mild mini-comp".

5 lb 8 oz Maris Otter (Crisp, UK)
1 lb 8 oz Crystal 60L (Crisp, UK)
6 oz Chocolate malt (Crisp, UK)

1 oz UK Fuggle 4.30% at 45 minutes
1 oz UK Fuggle 4.30% at 15 minutes

Brewhouse efficiency for this recipe is set to 75%

Mash at 158 degrees for 60 minutes at 1.25:1 ratio, mashout with 1 gallon of boiling water and Vorlauf till first runnings are clear. Double batch sparge with 170 degree water to get to pre-boil volume.

Pitch yeast at the starting fermentation temp of 65 degrees and ramp up to 68 degrees after 3 days at initial fermentation temp.

After 10 days of primary fermentation rack to a keg or bottling bucket and carb to 1.8 volumes.


A few notes about this beer:

If you have never tried a Northern English Mild, you are missing out on a great full flavored session beer that is both an inexpensive beer to brew and it is a quick beer to go from grain to glass, it can be ready to drink in a couple weeks if you push it.


I always have a great time brewing this beer, if I don't have Maris Otter, I use 4.5 lbs of 2-row and a pound of victory malt to approximate the MO, don't have victory? Just toast a pound of your 2-row at 350 degrees for 16 minutes and let it sit in a bag for a week prior to brewing. It also lends itself well to other English hops, and if Notty is not your thing, use S-04 or WLP002.

As requested be included in the recipe, the yeast that was used for my competition beer was a long forgotten packet of Nottingham yeast that had an expiration date of March 2006, it would appear it made a fine beer after all that time!

old_yeast.jpg


English_Mild_004.jpg


English_Mild_005.jpg
 
. . . the yeast that was used for my competition beer was a long forgotten packet of Nottingham yeast that had an expiration date of March 2006 . . .
So, did you have the foresight to use some of the slurry of this magical yeast on another batch of Orfy’s?

Congratulations on the show of excellent brewing skills!
 
I'm going to make this! Except I don't like fuggles- so I'll be subbing something else, maybe EKG or willamette.

I don't have any ancient notty, either! I have a fresh pack of notty, and a washed yeast of Wyeast 1335. Hmmmmmm, decisions, decisions!
 
I have made this with a 50/50 blend of Willamette and EKG, makes for a fantastic beer! I use the same blend in my Northern Brown as well.
 
Congrats on the win. My non-Orfy's Mild didn't fare so well in the HBT comp.

What brand/country-of-origin were the crystal and chocolate malts? They can be quite different and I didn't want to assume they were both UK. Even the UK chocolates can vary in color.
 
All of the malts in the recipe were from Crisp Malting in the UK, and the Fuggles were also listed as UK origin.

The chocolate malt was the Crisp chocolate malt 700-1100 EBC

I will amend the recipe to reflect origin and maltster.
 
All of the malts in the recipe were from Crisp Malting in the UK, and the Fuggles were also listed as UK origin.

The chocolate malt was the Crisp chocolate malt 625-635°L

I will amend the recipe to reflect origin and maltster.

Crisp doesn't show a chocolate malt of that color on their website. On top of that, 625L is really dark and would likely be more roast malt like instead of chocolate. Are you sure you're mis-quoting Lovibond for EBC? 625 EBC would be a light chocolate with a color on the order of 240L.
 
Yes, it looks like you are correct, I got my figures from the LHBS where I get my grains and did not ask if it was °L or EBC, should have caught that one! thanks for picking that up!
 
I have all the grain on hand but I am short 2 ounces on the chocolate and short 8 ounces on the crystal 60. I can make up the diff with either more MO or with Honey malt or a combo.
Thoughts ?
 
Vongo said:
I have all the grain on hand but I am short 2 ounces on the chocolate and short 8 ounces on the crystal 60. I can make up the diff with either more MO or with Honey malt or a combo.
Thoughts ?

Or I can just run out and pick up what's needed.
 
I would pick up what is needed on your first batch, once you try it as written, start subbing to suit your tastes and normal stocking of grains.
 
Will do... I am going to start buying crystal and chocolate and some other grains a couple pounds at a clip and food saving them.
 
Will do... I am going to start buying crystal and chocolate and some other grains a couple pounds at a clip and food saving them.

I love my vacuum packer, I use it for my bulk hops, and all but my base grains. I pick up most in 5 pound increments, vacuum pack them with extra bag for resealing and store in my brew closet in a couple storage bins, my base grain goes in vittle vaults that I picked up from costco, 24 dollars each and they hold a full sack of base malt.
 
The costco by my house got in a fresh shipment, it took some 'splainin to the wife why I bought 6 of them....

I brewed this up again on Tuesday eve, I used Gambrinus 2-row, some home toasted victory as described in the recipe. this batch puts my total at over 70 gallons. This current 10 gallon batch is going to be served at a friends pool party, and was requested by many repeat attendees.

When you get your batch finished, pour up a pint and post a pic so I can admire yet another pint o' mild!
 
Brewing tomorrow morning. Have you ever put this beer into a secondary for any reason? I May not have a free keg after 10 days. This will be my 1st brew in my grain mill ! I am thinking about a hand full of rice hulls just in case.
 
You could just let it sit on the yeast cake til you have an open keg, then you are only transferring once so risk of oxidation is reduced.
 
I've been wanting to make a mild someday - I'll make this my first one :mug:

(I got 10 gallons of red and 5 of brown I need to brew first. :D)
 
Brewed this Tuesday week back still in primary I'll put into secondary on Sunday for a week or so
 
OG came in at 1.037... Spot on with the software! I think I love the grain mill !
 
OG came in at 1.037... Spot on with the software! I think I love the grain mill !

My grain mill was one of the best brewing gear purchases I have made!

Let me know how your brew turns out!

I am going to be brewing 10 gallons of this in 2 weeks after I return from Chicago.
 
Mashing the grains as I type. Cant wait to hear some reports from the others who have brewed this one. Brew shop did not have crystal 60. Had to use some 80 and 45 mixed
 
Mashing the grains as I type. Cant wait to hear some reports from the others who have brewed this one. Brew shop did not have crystal 60. Had to use some 80 and 45 mixed

I have had to mix crystal malts to get the approximate color before, it came out quite close if I recall. if you have questions just fire em off and I will answer as best I can.
 
Pitched yeast yesterday at 64 degrees and it has already ramped up to 70. Might be time for a chest freezer.
 
anycrew said:
Mashing the grains as I type. Cant wait to hear some reports from the others who have brewed this one. Brew shop did not have crystal 60. Had to use some 80 and 45 mixed

What did your OG come in at ?
 
The og was 1.039, But I was short on volume about 1/2 gal. My boil off rate is tricky with a wide mouth pot. So I think it would have been spot on if my volume was correct.
I hit my temps and double sparged as per directions.
 
So I can leave this on the yeast cake for about 4 weeks with no ill effects or off flavors ?
 
You can, there should be no issues leaving it that long, but it isn't necessary.

Why do you need to leave it on the cake that long? Most of my beers sit that long, but this one I move to the keg pretty quickly.
 
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