Dark English Mild

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eastbaybrewer

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I'm looking for a good mild recipe. I've been working on a recipe but I think it's a kitchen sink. Thoughts?
5 gallon batch
8lbs Maris Otter
1lb c40
1 lb pale chocolate
.5 lbs golden naked oats
.5 lbs coffee malt
1oz EKG@60
Wyeast1318
 
Go with a proven recipe, then you can modify that. on my system your proposed grain bill will give me 10.55 or a little more that will be a 5 % beer.
 
I do a Dark Mild that has won a bronze medal. It is on the lighter side of the spectrum but still delicious.
5.5 gallon Batch
6lbs Maris Otter
12oz C60
8oz Melanoiden
6oz Pale Chocolate
1oz EKG 60min
1oz Fuggles 20min
Wyeast 1968
 
I know you've chosen lighter kilned roasted malts but you're pushing 14% there, looks more like a porter. Especially since you'll be way over target on OG unless your efficiency is pretty bad (like 50%). Orfy's mild is a great recipe, you might want to check it out.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=52776


Edit: or here is Reaper's Mild, a version of the above recipe in US units and for 5.5 gals

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=239228

Thanks I think I will give this recipe a try, looks tastey. I will probably use c40 instead of the c60.
 
Go with a proven recipe, then you can modify that. on my system your proposed grain bill will give me 10.55 or a little more that will be a 5 % beer.

Nothing wrong with a 5% mild, historically they were that and more, it was Lloyd George in WWI that diluted them. Personally I'm a big fan of stronger milds in the 4.5-5% range, they're not as heavy as the equivalent stout or porter, so they're more sessionable.
 
Nothing wrong with a 5% mild, historically they were that and more, it was Lloyd George in WWI that diluted them. Personally I'm a big fan of stronger milds in the 4.5-5% range, they're not as heavy as the equivalent stout or porter, so they're more sessionable.

Yeah but I'm getting more like a 6.3% beer with that original recipe. For sure though, brew what you like OP. If you do want a typical low gravity mild I think you won't be disappointed with Orfy's recipe. I sub in British 70/80L crystal as that's the medium crystal I usually stock.

:mug:
 
In the 19th century milds of 7-8% were not uncommon - "mild" referred to the taste of young beer, as opposed to beer that was Brett-funky from ageing in wood. It was only post WWI that it came to refer to alcoholic strength.

But yeah, these days <4% is "normal" for mild, and 4-5% is definitely considered a strong mild. They can be lovely beers though. Do look for complexity in your malt - mix up crystal, carapils, whatever, definitely a bit of dark sugar and some caramel for colour. Here's a few historical recipes from Ron Pattinson, which show some of the decline in strength :

Maclay 1909 (4.76%)
Boddingtons 1939 (3.55%)
Lees Best 1952 (3.5%)

I must admit, the Lees one is the one that catches my eye, followed by the Maclay, but I include the Boddies one since you mentioned 1318 yeast (although whether that's the one they would have been using at the time is debatable, probably not qv The Great Boddies Disaster of 1981)

The Maclay shows you don't have to be too shy of hops with milds, dry-hop or whatever, just keep them English and don't go too crazy with them - something normal like Fuggles/Goldings or I recommend one of the new ones like Flyer if you can find it.
 
I know I put 5 gallon batch but I brew 6 gallons that puts me about 4.8% on my software. My mistake
 
try this one

5lb marris otter thomas fawcett
4oz crushed roast barley
2 oz fuggles
14oz dark brown sugar 12 oz in boil 2 oz for bottling
yeast

This is for 5 galons and should have a OG of 1033. So adjust until you get there.

Also note this is a old receipe and it asks for a 90 minute boil.
 
OK so looking around and using ingredients I have on hand I put this recipe together. What do you guy's think?
6 gallon in the fermenter
OG 1.044 FG 1.012
8lbs Maris otter
.75lbs c40
.75lbs pale chocolate
.5lbs c120
.25lbs black malt
1 Oz EKG @60 min
Wyeast 1318
 
If you go over on gravity, just call it a brown ale. Historically, brown ale was just bottled mild.

If you're really committed to the style, I'd reduce the crystal malt by a lot and add adjuncts like invert sugar (or golden syrup) or flaked barley. I think it's characteristic of milds after the Second World War that they have a pretty low FG.
 
As mentioned earlier "mild" was not originally a style at all. The term "mild" was a British term that meant un aged. Mild beers could be "mild ports" or "mild stouts". It only meant that those beers were shipped to the public houses for sale right after fermentation was complete. Aged beers... and the term at the time was "stale" were typically kept in the brewery yard until properly aged and then shipped out.

It was also pointed out that mild beers were often high gravity. Milds came in several iterations... X, XX, XXX and sometimes XXXX. The X's representing OG even though they were still all milds. The XXX and XXXX milds could reach OG's of 1.100 or more.

Milds were also not dark in color. They were brewed with 100% pale malt for the most part and it wasn't until after the world wars that crystal malt and other adjuncts were added. 100% pale malt is not going to give you a beer as dark an SRM as the modern day style guidelines require.

And one last observation... Milds were not "mildly" hopped. Some (mostly the XX and higher) contained more hops than the IPA's of the day.

Toss out all of your specialty grains. Add some amber if you want a bit more color but don't fear a lighter SRM mild. And add another ounce or more of hops. Use a yeast like Whitbread Wyeast 1099 or WLP017.
 
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