Machine House has great Mild T-shirts (and others).
@Northern_Brewer @Derp If either of you come to Seattle and don't let me shout you a mild from Machine House, then I'm going to be seriously cheesed off.
Methinks the Machine House Mild is the dog's bollocks, but I've never visited the UK and have nothing to judge it against. Would welcome a very experienced mild drinker from the home country's view.
If costs are going up across the board, for everyone, give everyone a decent pay rise to cover it. Simple. Economics isn't that complicated. Unless shareholder value and greed are driving up costs as well.That's kind, although I'm far from a mild expert, I'm from the other side of the dark/pale border that roughly runs between the Mersey and Trent watersheds. I've had a few at festivals but seldom in pubs. Still, Machine House looks fun, it's impressive if they can keep all those lines on with a sensible turnover.
In other news, UK hop growers are warning of price rises :
https://www.beerguild.co.uk/news/british-hop-inflation-2022/
Between 2016-2021 the aggregate wage rate increase was 37%, although for most growers the figure was higher, as both labour availability and quality have declined as a consequence of the UK’s departure from the European Union. For 2022 growers are faced with:
Maltsters will be facing similar problems. Energy costs are even more of a problem on the Continent.
- a minimum 15% increase in wage costs
- approaching 100% increase in fuel costs
- significant increases in the cost of fertilisers, spray chemicals, string and other inputs
If costs are going up across the board, for everyone, give everyone a decent pay rise to cover it. Simple. Economics isn't that complicated. Unless shareholder value and greed are driving up costs as well.
Between 2016-2021 the aggregate wage rate increase was 37%, although for most growers the figure was higher, as both labour availability and quality have declined as a consequence of the UK’s departure from the European Union.
If costs are going up across the board, for everyone, give everyone a decent pay rise to cover it. Simple. Economics isn't that complicated. Unless shareholder value and greed are driving up costs as well.
I'd just use crystal 150 and not bother with the 240, although you're not adding much. Not sure about the amber. Maybe reserve the amber for a more robust ale or use less. For me, Mild recipes are better the simpler they are, grist wise. This holds true for most styles, imo. I'd try to use no more than 3 types of grain. If a Mild is a mild (not mature) ale consumed fresh, within a week or two of being brewed, then a simple recipe is going to work better. I've followed some overly complicated 'Mild' recipes in the past and they took several weeks to reach a drinkable stage.But what do you guys think about the dark mild grain bill? Solving world's issues aside.
I'd just use crystal 150 and not bother with the 240, although you're not adding much. Not sure about the amber. Maybe reserve the amber for a more robust ale or use less. For me, Mild recipes are better the simpler they are, grist wise. This holds true for most styles, imo. I'd try to use no more than 3 types of grain. If a Mild is a mild (not mature) ale consumed fresh, within a week or two of being brewed, then a simple recipe is going to work better. I've followed some overly complicated 'Mild' recipes in the past and they took several weeks to reach a drinkable stage.
Beer's quite a simple affair. Complexity is subtle. At least it's best served that way. When I read recipes these days - where complexity of the recipe seems to be the aim more than anything else - several different types of grain on top of the base malt and a several hop varieties with two dozen additions - I wonder if the brewer knows what beer is. Base malts alone are often enough, if the brewer's done enough to produce a balanced beer.I know this is a common advice but... how could the number of different grains employed impact the required maturation time in this way?
I generally prefer recipes that use just a few grains, mostly because that makes it easier to adapt them to your own palate, but I don't see how the mere number of them would dictate the beer should take longer to mature.
And please refrain from using the vague term "muddled" in your reply
I liken it to "Stew tastes better the second day"mere number of them would dictate the beer should take longer to mature.
Beer's quite a simple affair. Complexity is subtle. At least it's best served that way. When I read recipes these days - where complexity of the recipe seems to be the aim more than anything else - several different types of grain on top of the base malt and a several hop varieties with two dozen additions - I wonder if the brewer knows what beer is. Base malts alone are often enough, if the brewer's done enough to produce a balanced beer.
The very first beer I ever made was a cream ale. It was a very basic recipe and I bottled the first half plain. Then I added a small about of bourbon vanilla extract (from a commercial chocolate maker) to the remaining half and bottled that. Everyone raved over the plain bottles but it took 30 days before the vanilla bottles tasted right at all.I totally agree with this statement. I just don't see how or why overcomplicated recipes would yield beers that require longer maturation times.
I find it takes longer for things to blend together to produce a nice balanced beer, if they ever do. I don't mind getting adventurous with a big porter, but generally I don't feel it adds anything of much to overcomplicate things.I totally agree with this statement. I just don't see how or why overcomplicated recipes would yield beers that require longer maturation times.
This is a good description of a Mild, imo.You might stumble on the right combination of ingredients that doesn't need aging but I think fewer ingredients improves those chances.
I happen to have a Dark Mild fermenting today but it has 4 grains because I didn't have quite enough MO and had to sub a pound of Crisp Pale.This is a good description of a Mild, imo.
I'm sure it's going to be just fine. I like a 50:50 mix of MO and Halcyon pale malt, but haven't been able to get any Halcyon for years.I happen to have a Dark Mild fermenting today but it has 4 grains because I didn't have quite enough MO and had to sub a pound of Crisp Pale.
Halcyon's not been on the Recommended List for 20-odd years, so it won't be grown unless for a specific contract.I'm sure it's going to be just fine. I like a 50:50 mix of MO and Halcyon pale malt, but haven't been able to get any Halcyon for years.
https://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/10-lb-halcyon-fawcett/I'm sure it's going to be just fine. I like a 50:50 mix of MO and Halcyon pale malt, but haven't been able to get any Halcyon for years.
Heh, I'd not seen it at homebrew level for ages, the Malt Miller seem to be the only place that have it in the UK. I suspect it's a byproduct of the pandemic - Fawcetts will have been growing it on contract for a specific brewer, who then didn't need so much because the pubs were closed and so they had some spare which they released to other channels.
Was that about David Heath? Apologies for posting, I'm new to the forum and didn't realise.Is that the shifty double-glazing salesman on YouTube who claims to be a master brewer and recommends 'thawing frozen hops in the fridge for a few days before dry hopping'? Personally, I'm totally not interested in what notorious con artists claim. On any subject. I have zero time for con artists whose brazen ignorance and blatant lack of genuine knowledge tend to send naive home brewers down dead-end rabbit holes. He's a menace, frankly.
Don't worry, he fools a lot of people. Welcome to HBTWas that about David Heath? Apologies for posting, I'm new to the forum and didn't realise.
I've seen in many of Ron's recipes he has published in his books and blog, that a common theme in British brewing seem to have been 30 min hop additions.
So I have decided to start experimenting a little with adding hops at 30 min left, my next bitter I think I will split my 1g/L hopstand between the stand and 30 min.
I googled around a bit and some guy said he found it to give a deeper hop flavour, and that Bramling X gave the most black currant when boiled for 30.
Wheat is pretty traditional, so is corn. But corn doesn't improve head retention, neither do oats.Those 30 minute additions also popped up when I was looking into Czech lagers... they'd often even forego any late additions and still seem to have some character from the hops (although probably a different kind). There must be something to it, I guess. Brulosophy has done two experiments on it, and both came out significant.
I have another question regarding British beers in general: is there any place for non-barley grains besides oats in oatmeal stout or a bit of torrefied wheat for head retention?
Crisp (the maltster) has published a recipe named "London Porter" London Porter Recipe | Crisp Best Ale Base Malt | Crisp British Malt, which features a bit of rye malt. I guess that's not very traditional? Are "modern" brewers incorporating other grains? (Incidentally, the recipe is actually quite similar to a Rye Porter I made two years ago, which happened to be one of my favourite beers ever.)
That's interesting. My recent bitter has a shortened boil, 30 minutes with 66% of the ibus as a 30 minute addition and 33% as a ten minute addition. Hope this works.I've seen in many of Ron's recipes he has published in his books and blog, that a common theme in British brewing seem to have been 30 min hop additions.
So I have decided to start experimenting a little with adding hops at 30 min left, my next bitter I think I will split my 1g/L hopstand between the stand and 30 min.
I googled around a bit and some guy said he found it to give a deeper hop flavour, and that Bramling X gave the most black currant when boiled for 30.
Well, that would be the sensible thing to do. However, it goes into the glass right away. It's my house brew.Sounds tasty, I take it is some strong/keeping ale meant to be matured for a while?
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