Milds

[Dave S]

How are you packaging your milds? I've never been particularly impressed with my bottled milds, so I rarely make them now. I just try and seek them out in pubs, not that they are easy to find here at all. Thankfully Highland Dark Munro makes an appearance every so often which is one of my favourite beers ever

But I'd like to see some good bottled mild recipes, I'd certainly like to try again

I've always associated milds with draught and brown ales with bottled where browns often tend to be stronger than milds.

[Hugh Jampton]

I've found that very simple milds work best. I've made the Bass mild from GWs book a couple of times and it's good.I add about 5% more malt and mash at 68. It's not a startling beer but you can drink it and say 'yes that's a mild'.

I find it more difficult to brew a low gravity beer. If you miss the numbers by a few points it makes a big difference to the finished beer. There's always a temptation to use more grain 'just to make sure' and you end up with something muddy.

[seymour]

This was the first mild I brewed, and remains a favourite template. I haven't tried a cask-conditioned/hand-pump version yet, but I can vouch from experience that it works great bottled or kegged. Please note this is an American 5 gallon recipe, you'll need to scale-up the ingredients 20% if you make a 5 Imperial gallon batch.

Dry Dock Brewing Company - SS Minnow Mild Ale (remember Gilligan's Island?)

Professional all-grain Recipe from Dry Dock Brewing Company, Colorado, USA. Silver Medal Winner at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival.

"Don’t judge a book by its cover, never judge a beer by its ABV. It may be mild in gravity, but this sessionable dark mild has big flavor. In fact, with less alcohol in the way, the true nuances of British malts have a chance to shine. Think biscuity, nutty undertones with gentle toffee and chocolate-like roast character, wrapped up in a smooth, full body. Balanced drams like this one are why British pint glasses are bigger."

Provided to the American Homebrew Association for Big Brew Day 2009

YIELD:
5 US gallons = 4.16 Imperial gallons = 19 Litres

FERMENTABLES:
78.5% = 5.25 lb = 2.4 kg, UK Pale Malt (in my experience, if you substitute some of this with Mild Malt, it's even better)
10.3% = 11 oz = 312 g, UK Crystal Malt
5.6% = 6 oz = 170 g, UK Dark Crystal Malt
2.8% = 3 oz = 85 g, UK Chocolate Malt (I substituted Black Malt once, and that was great too)
2.8% = 3 oz = 85 g, UK Brown Malt or Amber Malt (I've tried it both ways, and the Amber Malt is actually a little roastier which I prefer)

MASH grains at 156°F/69°C for 60 minutes.
SPARGE with 170°F/76°C water. Collect enough to end up with 5 US gallons after boil (approximately 6.45 US gallons pre-boil.)

HOPS:
0.75 oz = 21 g, East Kent Goldings, 5.8 AA%, for 60 minutes (may substitute Fuggles or Willamette for 15 IBU.)
3/4 tsp = 3 g, Irish moss, for 15 minutes

Bring to a boil and add the hops. Boil for 45 minutes before adding the Irish moss. Boil 15 minutes more, for 60 minutes total.

CHILL to 67-70°F/19-21°C, TRANSFER to a fermenter, PITCH the yeast and AERATE well.
FERMENT at 67°F/19°C for a total of one week. Rack to secondary and age for a week.

YEAST:
The classic Fullers Brewery English ale strain, available as Wyeast 1968 or White Labs WLP002.

CARBONATION:
Force carbonate your keg at approximately 1.75 to 2.0 volumes of CO2.
—OR—
Bottle condition using 2.5-3 oz/70-85 g priming sugar

After the beer is carbonated, store for 2-3 weeks at the ideal serving temperature of 50-54°F/10-12°C before serving.

APPROXIMATE STATS:
OG: 1037
ABV: 3.4%
IBU: 15