Feedback on English Dark Mild Recipe?

[Miraculix]

I’m giving dark mild another go, aiming for a full-bodied beer at 3.8% ABV and 23 IBUs. My focus is on hitting specific flavor notes, but I’m taking a non-traditional route with this one. The plan is to go with all-late hopping, omitting invert sugar, and I’m going with Windsor yeast for the low attenuation. Fingers crossed!

NO RULES DARK MILD 3.8% ABV 24 IBU
78% Superior pale malt
11.5% C75
8.5% Torrified Wheat
2% Black patent
3oz EKG @ 10 (5 gallon batch)
Windsor yeast

The milds I've had in the UK were not full bodied. They were also not thin, but definitely not full bodied. They were also not hoppy so yours is kind of a new invention that sounds pretty tasty to me.

 

[Witherby]

The milds I've had in the UK were not full bodied. They were also not thin, but definitely not full bodied. They were also not hoppy so yours is kind of a new invention that sounds pretty tasty to me.

Google “American mild”. It’s been a US homebrew thing for probably 15 years at least.

 

[rhys333]

The milds I've had in the UK were not full bodied. They were also not thin, but definitely not full bodied. They were also not hoppy so yours is kind of a new invention that sounds pretty tasty to me.

Thanks, Miraculix! I hear you on the hopping rate. I'm currently in Canada, so getting my hands on authentic milds is a bit tricky. That said, I’ve had dark milds in West Yorkshire, where I’m originally from, and they were definitely fuller-bodied than you’d expect from a typical 3.5% ABV beer. The beer I’m trying to replicate is no longer available, but I’m going off a description my relative provided. I started this journey after they tasted an amber ale I brewed with 15% C75 and told me it reminded them of their favorite dark mild from over 40 years ago.

I may have used the wrong term when I said "full-bodied." Maybe "smooth and creamy" would be a better way to describe it. I’m not sure if I can fully capture it, but I’m definitely giving it a shot!

 

[rhys333]

Latest mild.View attachment 868597View attachment 868598

looks tasty, Dunc! Are you able to share the recipe?

 

[An Ankoù]

Google “American mild”. It’s been a US homebrew thing for probably 15 years at least.

http://www.mildmonth.com/2015/03/an-american-mild.html
I wonder if that is representative.
Interesting take. American milds seem not too distant from English milds. There were a few pale milds, but many were dark: 20+ SRM. Gales of Horndean did both a light mild and a dark mild. Low hopping levels, low alcohol malt forward. But some were coloured with brewers caramel or dark brewing sugar rather than dark malts. The mid-20th century mild, I think was brewed for a purpose- to rehydrate miners and steel workers after a long hot shift. Served cool rather than cold and swilled down by the gallon. Historical milds were much stronger and brews Like Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild at 6% (nor reduced, I think) would be an example of the tail ends of that style. Mild basically died out as heavy industry and hard, manual work died out. It also had a bad reputation as some publicans, it's alleged, would throw the dregs and slops into the mild barrel. I hope that is apocryphal.

 

[An Ankoù]

looks tasty, Dunc! Are you able to share the recipe?

You're taking your life in your hands, there, @rhys333 . @DuncB 's going to tell you to temper your malt bill with equal parts Aurora and Shepherd's Delight, with a healthy dose of Redback and optional Supernova. Give it a bit of colour with some Eclipse and chuck in an ounce of Tangerine Dream at the start of the boil.

I love N.Z. ingredients.

 

[An Ankoù]

At 4½% abv, it's tending towards the stronger end. The colour's about right. Mild should have a decent head, but shouldn't be unduly fizzy. This one's been in the bottle a year and is the last of it's batch. Still tastes ok, but was better when it was younger.

 

[rhys333]

Brewing the above recipe today, with the addition of this one secret ingredient...

 

[Miraculix]

Brewing the above recipe today, with the addition of this one secret ingredient...

View attachment 868629

Ha! I know it!!!
It is malt!!!!

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

I agree with the above poster, you clearly are adding malt to the beer.

 

[rhys333]

It's a top secret malt!

 

[rhys333]

Holy chit. 30 minutes ago I received a message from the former head brewer at the UK brewery in question. I know how they brewed their dark mild and apparently I was completely wrong. Except... no invert sugar!

 

[An Ankoù]

Brewing the above recipe today, with the addition of this one secret ingredient...

View attachment 868629

It's malt, Jim, but not as we know it. My first though was rye malt, but it looks more like oats.

 

[day_trippr]

Whatever's in that small pail it's definitely not like malted oats I've used, including GNO.
Just look like barley malt of some kind to me...

Cheers!

 

[WouldBeBrewmaster]

Hey everyone,

I'd like to brew a batch of beer based on a dark mild that my dad used to enjoy back in the old country. If I can get it close, I'll brew it again for the parents over Christmas. He mentions Timothy Taylor's Dark Mild as a favorite, and describes it as having the following characteristics:

- Dark ruby, almost black. Slightly lighter in colour than Guinness.
- Thick creamy head, and very good head retention.
- Good body and mouthfeel. Definitely not thin or watery (as many attempts at mild can be)
- Chocolatey in flavor, somewhat like cold hot chocolate. Slightly sweet, smooth tasting and neither roasty or hoppy.

Now, there's also a good description on the Timothy Taylor website, which gives more insight. It describes some subtle flavors that he may not be picking up:
https://www.timothytaylor.co.uk/beer/dark-mild
Based on all of this, I've come up with the following draft recipe. Absent is brown malt, which I considered adding if I were to reduce the chocolate malt by a percent or so. I'm considering mashing high. Very high in fact, around 160F to get the body. I realize this breaks with convention, but may be necessary to get the appropriate mouthfeel in such a low abv beer. I could cheat and use rye, but would rather not.

DARK MILD
1.042-1.013 (3.8% abv), 20 IBU, 18 SRM
80% Golden Promise
9% Flaked barley
7% C80
4% UK Chocolate malt
1.5 oz Willamette @ 60 (5.5 gal)
WY 1469 (or 1968, which I have on hand)

I appreciate your feedback and suggestions, or advice based on experience brewing this tricky style. Thanks in advance!

Looks good to me. I’d ditch the flaked barley and use 89% base malt. If the beer isn’t sweet enough or feels too light, use more Crystal Malt.

 

[rhys333]

I need time to defrost before catching up. I just completed brew day in unexpected weather conditions. Yesterday was calm and sunny. Today, I was treated to extreme high winds, snow, and -20 degrees C (-4 F). On the upside, it didn't take long to chill the wort.

 

[DuncB]

Brown or Amber malt is my guess.

 

[tracer bullet]

Holy chit. 30 minutes ago I received a message from the former head brewer at the UK brewery in question. I know how they brewed their dark mild and apparently I was completely wrong. Except... no invert sugar!

So, you're going to share a recipe soon, from a former head brewer of a UK brewery, right?

 

[rhys333]

So, you're going to share a recipe soon, from a former head brewer of a UK brewery, right?

Lion Dark Mild, brewed in Blackburn, Lancashire. He mentions it was quite a while ago and is relying on memory. The grist was mild ale malt with about 10% flaked maize (corn), and brewer's caramel for color adjustment. He doesn’t recall using black malt. The original gravity was around 1.032, and the beer ended up just over 3% ABV. The hops were low-alpha Fuggles and Goldings (around 2%), with an estimated 1 oz per gallon. The house yeast, which had been used for decades but is sadly no longer available, was key to the beer’s distinctive character.

Anecdotally, my family member who enjoyed Lion Mild in the 1960s, drank an amber ale of mine with about 13% C75 in the grist and noted that it tasted like Lion Mild. This suggests to me that deep caramel, toffee, or burnt sugar flavors were likely present, possibly coming from the brewer's caramel.

 

[rhys333]

Brown or Amber malt is my guess.

Nope. It's melanoidin malt. I added it because my amber ale mentioned above had a small amount of melanoidin along with the C75. I know it doesn't belong, but my goal is to replicate the flavor profile that led to the mild ale comparison, even if I'm using a different approach to get there.

 

[Miraculix]

Lion Dark Mild, brewed in Blackburn, Lancashire. He mentions it was quite a while ago and is relying on memory. The grist was mild ale malt with about 10% flaked maize (corn), and brewer's caramel for color adjustment. He doesn’t recall using black malt. The original gravity was around 1.032, and the beer ended up just over 3% ABV. The hops were low-alpha Fuggles and Goldings (around 2%), with an estimated 1 oz per gallon. The house yeast, which had been used for decades but is sadly no longer available, was key to the beer’s distinctive character.

Anecdotally, my family member who enjoyed Lion Mild in the 1960s, drank an amber ale of mine with about 13% C75 in the grist and noted that it tasted like Lion Mild. This suggests to me that deep caramel, toffee, or burnt sugar flavors were likely present, possibly coming from the brewer's caramel.

Depending on the brewers caramel, it could also have been a version with literally zero flavour.

I think @Colindo once discovered some interesting caramel in a Dutch shop that should be promising? Am I right or am I confusing the person? Have you tried it already?

 

[Colindo]

@Miraculix I absolutely love the stuff. Recently used it in a Burton Ale and it really gives that extra mouthfeel. It has 1500 SRM and is 100% unfermentable sugar (SG 1.280).
This is it: https://www.natuurlijknatuurlijk.nl/en/catalog/organic-burnt-sugar-liquid/a-392-0

 

[Miraculix]

@Miraculix I absolutely love the stuff. Recently used it in a Burton Ale and it really gives that extra mouthfeel. It has 1500 SRM and is 100% unfermentable sugar (SG 1.280).
This is it: https://www.natuurlijknatuurlijk.nl/en/catalog/organic-burnt-sugar-liquid/a-392-0

Wow, I think I'll need to buy some as well. Should be great for a mild!

How much do you use in a bitter?

 

[Colindo]

Wow, I think I'll need to buy some as well. Should be great for a mild!

How much do you use in a bitter?

Well, to add 15 EBC, you would need a dilution of 1:200, so in a 20L batch you would need 100 mL. That should already be a noticeable contribution compared to adding 1% Chocolate malt to your grist.

I have only done a Mild and a Burton Ale with it so far.
Edit: And a clone of Man's Brown Ale that I forgot.

 

[rhys333]

Depending on the brewers caramel, it could also have been a version with literally zero flavour.

I think @Colindo once discovered some interesting caramel in a Dutch shop that should be promising? Am I right or am I confusing the person? Have you tried it already?

Good point. I plan to mention the caramel in a followup with the brewer.

And the product @Colindo mentions might be just what's needed to achieve the right flavor and mouthfeel. Nice!