Mild

[graylion]

Hiya

I have a bit of grain brewing experience and am debating a mild:

Batch Size (fermenter): 29.00 l
Bottling Volume: 28.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.046 SG
Estimated Color: 38.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 12.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.00 kg Mild Malt (7.9 EBC) Grain 1 34.2 %
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 2 34.2 %
1.00 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (157.6 EBC) Grain 3 17.1 %
0.50 kg Munich II (Weyermann) (16.7 EBC) Grain 4 8.5 % (using up a left over)
0.25 kg Melanoiden Malt (39.4 EBC) Grain 5 4.3 %
0.10 kg Carafa Special III (Weyermann) (900.0 EB Grain 6 1.7 %
8.00 g Pacific Gem [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 8.6 IBUs
20.00 g Bramling Cross [6.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 4.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg Whitbread Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP017) Yeast 9 - (starter)

what do people think? Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

[seymour]

Okay but you asked for it. Lots going on there. I'm sure that recipe would produce a tasty brown ale, but it's not much like an historic English Mild, if that's the goal. It's the kind of thing an American or Australian brewpub would call Mild, and Englishmen would roll their eyes.

The OG is awfully high, but you can certainly find isolated historical examples to support it. If that's the goal, call it a "Festival Mild."

Great call with the Mild malt, you can actually use up to 100%.

Munich, Melanoiden and Carafa are inappropriate grains, technically. The type of sweetness and aroma will be more German Alt than English Mild. Why not use good ol' English Crystal, Chocolate, and/or Black Malts? This is not a style where pleasant bready, nutty, toasty, roasty flavours are to be avoided, which is the only reason I can think of to use Carafa.

Bramling Cross hops are traditional, but Pacific Gem is not, though 8 grams probably won't skew it much.

Cool yeast choice too, that's the Whitbread-sweet strain, as opposed to the much more common Whitbread-dry strain. It leaves a little residual sweetness, like the Fullers strain, which is perfect for Milds.

For your consideration: Dark Mild Grainbills (reference)

Then again, you're the brewer so you should brew whatever you wanna drink. I brew plenty of audacious milds too. Don't count on me to always practice what I preach.

[graylion]

Thanks for that - This is exactly what i was looking for!

Munich II and Melanoiden were mostly trying to use up leftovers. Oh, and I am German. I saw the post about Mild grain bills. I am admittedly not too keen on the strong roasted flavours which is why I am debating using the Carafa. I've also now swapped out the Pacific Gem for Marynka, since there is still lots kicking around and also tried to follow your suggestions a bit. I have used the Whitbread before and I love it. My fellow brewer just made an Irish Stout with it and it came out way different to using Irish Ale Yeast.


Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 42.6 EBC
Estimated IBU: 14.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3.00 kg Mild Malt (7.9 EBC) Grain 1 47.6 %
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 2 31.7 %
1.00 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (236.4 EBC) Grain 3 15.9 %
0.25 kg Wheat, Flaked (3.2 EBC) Grain 4 4.0 %
0.05 kg Black Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1300.2 EBC) Grain 5 0.8 %
8.00 g Marynka [10.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 6.8 IBUs
20.00 g First Gold [7.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 7.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Whitbread Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP017) Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Full Body

I went away from the Bramling X, since on the same day I plan a SMASH bitter that looks like this, So I didn't want to use the same hops in both:

Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 22.4 EBC
Estimated IBU: 32.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
6.00 kg Munich II (Weyermann) (22.0 EBC) Grain 1 100.0 %
20.00 g Bramling Cross [6.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 2 9.8 IBUs
60.00 g Bramling Cross [6.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 3 14.6 IBUs
0.38 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 4 -
80.00 g Bramling Cross [6.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 5 7.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Whitbread Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP017) Yeast 6 -

[seymour]

Thanks for that - This is exactly what i was looking for!

Well, that's a relief. I came down kinda hard.

Now you're talking! Those recipes I can definitely get behind.

And Marynka hops take the stage outta nowhere! I know they're Polish, not English, but I love those cedar/liquorice notes in a dark English ale. Well played.

Happy brewing.

[graylion]

I am German. By my standards you did not come down hard I really appreciate the advice.

[seymour]

I am German. By my standards you did not come down hard I really appreciate the advice.

Well then, Zum Wohl!

[graylion]

Thanks!

two more recipes, if I can bother you a bit further?

Bottling Volume: 28.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.053 SG
Estimated Color: 60.1 EBC
Estimated IBU: 22.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 1 28.4 %
1.00 kg Cara Bohemian (200.0 EBC) Grain 2 14.2 %
1.00 kg Smoked Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 3 14.2 %
1.00 kg Wheat Malt, Dark (17.7 EBC) Grain 4 14.2 %
0.50 kg Brown Malt (128.1 EBC) Grain 5 7.1 %
0.50 kg Munich II (Weyermann) (16.7 EBC) Grain 6 7.1 %
0.50 kg Special B Malt (354.6 EBC) Grain 7 7.1 %
0.25 kg Melanoiden Malt (39.4 EBC) Grain 8 3.5 %
0.25 kg Wheat, Torrified (Thomas Fawcett) (3.9 E Grain 9 3.5 %
0.05 kg Chocolate Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1000.8 Grain 10 0.7 %
11.00 g Marynka [10.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 11 8.9 IBUs
50.00 g Willamette [5.90 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 12 13.7 IBUs
1.0 pkg Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007) [35 Yeast 13 -


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 7.05 kg

now, I am fully aware of the continental influences in this one. I have made a Baltic Porter with similar ingredients that came out _very_ nicely. I am not sure of the Willamette hops especially and you can see that my spare Munich Ii has ended up in here.

Also an idea for a pale Old Ale:

Bottling Volume: 28.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.077 SG
Estimated Color: 21.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 46.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 72.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 1 80.0 %
2.00 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (39.4 EBC) Grain 2 20.0 %
30.00 g Marynka [10.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 14.7 IBUs
30.00 g First Gold [7.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 4 8.0 IBUs
30.00 g Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 5.9 IBUs
70.00 g Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 6.5 IBUs
60.00 g First Gold [7.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 7.6 IBUs
20.00 g Marynka [10.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 3.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg Bedford British Ale (White Labs #WLP006) Yeast 9 -

[JKaranka]

For the mild I'd try to bring the OG closer to 1.040 than 1.050 or it will end up very much like a winter warmer / old ale. I'd consider adding invert sugar, corn sugar or flaked corn to both the mild and the old ale. Also, for old ale I'd use 0-10% crystal malt rather than 20%, and consider aging with Brett. Everything very non-German but that's the fun of it.

[graylion]

Thanks! Aging with Brett?

Edith says:

OK, had a look at Brett. Was thinking oak anyway. Hmmmmmmmm. Interesting idea.