Midsummer Mild

[yashicamat]

OK, so it's not relaly midsummer anymore, but my thoughts on a mild recipe - what do people reckon? I'm aiming for an easy drinking, low abv drink with a characteristic chocolate flavour.

3570g MO (92.5%)
96g chocolate malt (2.5%)
190g crystal malt (5%)

38g EKG for 60 mins
26g EKG for 10 mins

Yeast: Danstar Windsor (not used this before, but am working on an estimated 70% attenuation)

OG 1.041
FG 1.012

Estimated abv: 3.7%
Estimated bitterness: 30 IBUs


What do people reckon?

[OldSpeckledBadger]

A higher IBU that milds usually have but if that's what you like then go for it

[yashicamat]

Hmmm yeah I tend to find even at 1:1 IBU:Gravity ratios my beers are not especially bitter and I'm pretty sure I get good utilisation (I think it's my palette actually).

But for this style I should probably think a bit more open minded as I want the chocolate flavour to emerge and on retrospect, too much bitterness might counteract that a bit. Should I be stabbing somewhere closer to 20 IBUs?

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Most milds seem to be in the range 20-25 IBU. Maybe go for the higher end?

[yashicamat]

Cheers, probably aim for 20 IBU actually to see what it's like. As an afterthought (and after a bit of background reading), thinking of adding 250g of black treacle as well? Apparently adds some fruity flavours?

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Some commercial milds are said to use dark invert sugars so black treacle sounds like it could be good although I haven't tried it yet.

[booldawg]

I'd be tempted to split the pale malts 50/50 with Maris Otter and Mild Malt.

Mild malt is slightly less fermentable that MO and will give a slightly creamier mouthfeel. Windsors a good choice for yeast.

Like you, I've often brewed a recipe that seems like it should be fairly bitter, 35 IBUs for example, and its not really turned out that hoppy. I used Beersmith to calculate my recipes and always ensure that I enter the correct AAs.

[yashicamat]

I have managed to get 500g of mild malt, so OK that's not going to be a massive percentage of the grist, but at least it should add something or other. I'm also planning a fairly hot mash (69 deg C) so that should help increase the mouthfeel as well.

Cheers for the advice all.

[Rookie]

I'd be tempted to split the pale malts 50/50 with Maris Otter and Mild Malt.

Mild malt is slightly less fermentable that MO and will give a slightly creamier mouthfeel. Windsors a good choice for yeast.

Like you, I've often brewed a recipe that seems like it should be fairly bitter, 35 IBUs for example, and its not really turned out that hoppy. I used Beersmith to calculate my recipes and always ensure that I enter the correct AAs.

Whenever I brew a mild I use all mild ale malt as my base grain and I think it turns out pretty good.

[trucker5774]

I have used black treacle (mainly for priming) in my Theakston Old Peculiar. It gives that richness that you expect in that brew. Not sure if it would be too much in a mild? Maybe not so distinct if added to the boil.........one way to find out The Windsor sounds a good choice. I am also of the opinion that less hops may be the way to go (after all, that's what mild is...less bitter!).... a matter of taste and method. I would only use 95 g of chocolate malt though

[yashicamat]

That didn't quite go to plan . . . . repeated stuck sparges (maybe a lot of powder in the malt, was from the bottom of the sack, plus the choc had quite a lot of powder in it too) meant that I eventually gave up after 5 restarts at a grand total of 10 litres of wort.

So, after a bit of maths, the beer is now recalculated, 1079 OG, 45g of EKG for 1 hour and 55g of EKG for 10 minutes, Nottingham yeast. Should be something very different from what I eventually set out with. I also had bunged 500g of mild ale malt into the mix so this beer should be very interesting. Just hoping the Nottingham will munch through some of that malt to give a reasonably balanced beer.

Touchwood!

[yashicamat]

Bottled it (the beer, as opposed to giving up ). Due to the total hash of this, I have renamed it too. Didn't smell amazing (not really "off", just didn't smell good) but tastes OK, but it needs a lot of time for all that malt to come together.

Piccie of one of the sixteen bottles: