Dark Mild Grainbills (reference)

[seymour]

We've had many threads about dark mild recipes lately, so I thought I'd post some of my research here. Much of this has been previously posted, but I thought we could use this clearly marked thread as a crowd-sourced "master list." Please add to this work-in-progress with additional recipes.

Following are the grainbill percentages for many well-known and historic dark mild ales. I find it useful to look at many proven recipes when brainstorming my own. I collected these figures from all over the place, and I absolutely do not guarantee authenticity. However, as you can see, they are all quite similar and informative as a whole. Cheers!

Adnams Mild (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt:
Amber Malt:
Black Malt:
Wheat:
Caramel:

Arkell's Mash Tun Mild
Pale Malt: 66%
Crystal Malt: 25%
Chocolate Malt: 5%
Cane Sugar: 4%

Ballard's Midhurst Mild
Pale Malt: 74%
Torrified Wheat: 11.5%
Crystal Malt: 8.5%
Chocolate Malt: 6%

Banks Mild
Pale Malt: 88%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Black Malt: 2%

Banks & Taylor Shefford Mild
Pale Malt: 95%
Crystal: 5%

Bar Harbor - Harbor Lighthouse Ale
Pale Malt: 86%
Crystal: 6%
Chocolate Malt: 5%
Peated Malt: 3%

Barclay Perkins X (Mild)
Pale Malt: 64.5%
Flaked Maize: 9.4%
Amber Malt: 8.2%
Brown Malt: 3.8%
#3 Invert Syrup: 13.4%
Caramel Colorant: .6%

Barclay Perkins XX (Best Mild)
Pale Malt: 35.6%
Mild Ale Malt: 35.6%
Flaked Barley: 8.9%
Amber Malt: 6.1%
Torrefied Barley: 3.4%
Crystal Malt: 3.4%
#3 Invert Syrup: 6.9%

Barney's Excellent Strong Mild*
Pale Malt: 77%
Aromatic Malt: 6.7%
Black Malt: 5.8%
Sugar: 5.8%
Pale Crystal Malt: 3.4%
Torrified wheat: 1.4%

Bass Mild
Pale Malt: 89%
Dark Crystal Malt: 4%
Invert Syrup: 7%

Bateman's Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 80%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Black Malt: 7%
Flaked Wheat: 3%

Batham Mild (not "dark")
Pale Malt: 100%

Boddington's Mild
Pale Malt: 85%
Crystal Malt: 9%
Chocolate Malt: 2%
Invert Syrup: 4%

Boddington's Oldham Mild
Pale Malt: 86.5%
Crystal Malt: 8.2%
Chocolate Malt: 1.7%
Invert Syrup: 3.6%
+ Caramel Colorant

Born To Be Mild (BYO Magazine)
Pale Malt: 91.2%
Crystal Malt: 7%
Chocolate Malt: 1.8%

Brakspear Henley Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 84%
Crystal Malt: 3%
Black Malt: 3%
Cane Sugar: 10%

Brains Mild/XXX (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt
Crystal Malt
Invert Sugar

Buckley's Dark Mild (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt:
Black Malt: 8%
Wheat Malt:
Flaked Maize:

Bulmastiff Ebony Dark
Pipkin Pale Malt: 85%
Chocolate Malt: 9%
Crystal Malt: 6%
plus dark Invert Syrup

Burtonwood Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Crystal Malt: 7%
Black Malt: 2%
Torrified Wheat: 9%
Sugar: 12%

Bushy's Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 82.6%
Crystal Malt: 13.2%
Chocolate Malt: 4.2%

Cain's Dark Mild (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt
Chocolate Malt
Roasted Barley
Torrified Wheat

Cannon Light Brigade
Pale Malt: 90%
Crystal Malt: 5%
Wheat Malt: 5%

Chesters Best Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Torrified Wheat: 15%
Invert Syrup: 10%
Chocolate Malt: 5%

Coach House Gunpowder Strong Mild
Pale Malt: 94%
Crystal Malt: 3%
Chocolate Malt: 3%

Courage X
Pale Malt: 36.2%
Mild Ale Malt: 36.2%
American 6-Row Pale: 10.7%
Crystal Malt: 5.2%
#3 Invert Syrup: 11.7%

Crouchvale Blackwater Mild
Pale Malt: 94.7%
Roasted Barley: 5.3%

Dave Miller Mild
Pale Malt: 76%
Brown Sugar: 14%
Crystal Malt: 7%
Chocolate Malt: 3%

Dry Dock S.S. Minnow Mild
Pale Malt: 78.5%
Crystal Malt: 10.3%
Dark Crystal Malt: 5.6%
Chocolate Malt: 2.8%
Brown malt: 2.8%

Everards Burton Mild
Pale Malt: 92%
Flaked Maize: 8%

Everards Mild
Pale and Caramel Malts: 90%
Torrified Wheat or Flaked Maize: 8%
Black Malt: 2%

Fullers OH & H/X (Old Harry and Hock/Mild parti-gyle)
Pale Malt: 75.1%
Flaked Maize: 9.68%
American 6-Row Pale: 4.15%
Sugar: 1.85%
#2 Invert Syrup: 6.46%
#3 Invert Syrup: 2.77%

Fullers X (Mild)
Pale Malt: 70.6%
American 6-Row Pale: 9.1%
Flaked Maize: 9.1%
#2 Invert Syrup: 10.6%
#3 Invert Syrup: 2%

Gales Festival Mild
Pale Malt: 87%
Crystal Malt: 3%
Black Malt: 3%
Torrified Wheat: 2%
Sugar: 5%

Greenalls Cask Mild
Pale Malt: 93%
Wheat Flour: 7%

Greene, King & Sons XX Dark Mild (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt
Crystal Malt
Black Malt
Invert Syrup

Guernsay LBA Mild
Pale Malt: 98%
Flaked Barley: 1.5%
Wheat Malt: .5%

H.E. Bravery Mild Ale (1965 homebrew book)
Crystal Malt: 50%
Demerera Sugar: 37%
Flaked Maize: 13%
Caramel: .2%

Hanby Black Magic Mild
Pale Malt: 88%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Black Malt: 2%

Highgate Dark Mild
Mild Ale Malt: 70%
Maltose/Caramel Syrup: 12%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Flaked Barley: 6%
Black Malt: 2%

Higsons Mild/Best Mild
Mild Ale Malt: 71%
Wheat: 11%
Crystal Malt: 6%
Chocolate Malt: 3.5%
Sugar: 8.5%

Holdens Black Country Mild
Pale Malt: 92%
Crystal Malt: 4%
Chocolate Malt: 2%
Black Malt: 2%

Hogs Back Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Crystal Malt: 17%
Chocolate Malt: 8%
Black Malt: 5%

Holts Mild
Pale Malt: 84%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Wheat Flour: 6%

Home Mild
Pale Malt: 62%
Crystal Malt: 15%
Invert Syrup: 10%
Flaked Maize and/or Torrified Wheat: 8%
Black Malt: 5%

Hook Norton Best Mild
Pale Malt: 93%
Flaked Maize: 6%
Black Malt: 1%
+ Invert Syrup (overall percentage?)

Hopback Mild
Pale Malt: 89%
Crystal Malt: 5%
Chocolate Malt: 3%
Roasted Barley: 3%

Hull Brewery Mild
Pale Malt: 95%
Black Malt: 5%

Hyde's Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 85%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Chocolate Malt: 5%

J. W. Lees Best Mild
Pale Malt: 72.5%
Crystal Malt: 3.9%
Chocolate Malt: 3.8%
Brown Malt: 2%
Black Malt: 1.9%
#1 Invert Syrup: 13.8%
Caramel colour: 2%

J. W. Lees GB Mild
Pale Malt: 90%
#3 Invert Syrup: 10%

Jamil Zainasheff Mild
Pale Malt: 85%
Crystal Malt: 6%
Dark Crystal Malt: 4.5%
Black Malt: 1.5%
Pale Chocolate: 3%

Jake and Tom Modest Mild (Zymurgy Magazine 2009)
Pale Malt: 65.9%
Brown Malt: 3%
CaraMunich Malt: 12%
Chocolate Malt: 3.3%
Dark Crystal Malt: 3.3%
Special B Malt: 1.7%
Carafa II Malt: .8%

Joshua Tetley & Son Mild
Pale Malt: 76%
Invert Syrup: 14%
Micronized Barley: 10%

Kidd XXX (Strong Mild)
Pale Malt: 53.5%
American 6-Row Pale: 24.8%
Flaked Maize: 7.9%
#2 Invert Syrup: 14%

Kings and Barnes Mild
Pale Malt: 75%
Flaked Maize 5.2%
Black Malt: 3.1%
Invert Sugar: 16.7%

Linfit Mild
Pale Malt: 87%
Roasted Barley: 12%
Flaked Barley: 1

Lost Abbey/Pizza Port - Dawn Patrol Dark (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt:
Munich Malt:
Crisp Medium Crystal Malt
Crisp Dark Crystal Malt
Special B Malt
Crisp Chocolate Malt

M&B Mild
Halcyon Pale Malt: 94.1%
Crystal Malt: 3.5%
Black Malt: 2.4%
small percentage of malt syrup

Manns Chestnut Mild
Pale Malt: 94.2%
Roasted Barley: 4.6%
Torrified Wheat: 1.2%

Mansfield Riding Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 75%
Crystal Malt: 5%
Invert Syrup: 20%

Marstons Border Mild
Pale Malt: 92%
Invert Syrup: 8%

Marstons Mercian Mild
Pale Malt: 83%
Invert Syrup: 17%

McGuinness Feather Plucker Mild
Pale Malt: 95.7%
Roasted Barley: 3.1%
Torrified Wheat: 1.2%

Mill Race Mild
Pale Malt: 92.8%
Crystal Malt: 3.6%
Chocolate Malt: 1.8%
Black Malt: 1.8%

Mitchell's Country Mild
Pale Malt: 90.4%
Crystal Malt: 5.2%
Chocolate Malt: 3.2%
Black Malt: 1.2%

Moorhouse's Black Cat Mild
Pale Malt: 80%
Crystal Malt: 5%
Torrified Wheat: 5%
Invert Syrup: 10%

Morland's Mild
Pale Malt: 83.3%
Roasted Barley: 4.2%
Dark Brown Sugar: 12.5%

Morrells Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 82-87%
Crystal Malt: 6-8%
Torrified Wheat: 7-10%

Morten Mild*
Vienna Malt: 78.6%
Crystal Malt: 14.3%
Biscuit Malt: 7.1%

Nix Wincott Old Cock Up Mild
Pale Malt: 91%
Crystal Malt: 9%
Invert Syrup (overall percentage?)

Northern Brewer Mild
Pale Malt: 90%
Amber Malt: 4%
Brown Malt: 4%
Chocolate Malt: 2%

Okells Mild
Pale Malt: 95%
Black Invert Syrup/Caramel: 5%

Orkney Dark Island
Pale Malt: 84%
Wheat: 4%
Crystal Malt: 3%
Chocolate Malt: 3%
Sugar: 6%

Ozark Brown
Pale Malt: 93.3%
Crystal Malt: 2.7%
Black Malt: 2.7%
Chocolate Malt: 1.3%

R.W. Randall Best Mild
Pale Malt:93%
Wheat Malt: 3%
Sugar: 4%

Reindeer Mild
Maris Otter: 75%
Crystal Malt: 22%
Chocolate Malt: 2%
Wheat Malt: 1%

Ross Clifton Dark Ale
Pale Malt: 90%
Crystal Malt: 5%
Black Malt: 5%

Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild
Maris Otter: 75%
Crystal Malt: 25%

Seymour Wormwood Dark Mild*
Mild Malt: 70%
Brown Malt: 10%
Pale Crystal Malt: 9%
Dark Crystal Malt: 5%
Chocolate Malt: 3%
Flaked Oats: 3%

St. Peters Mild
Pale Malt: 95%
Chocolate Malt: 5%

Stone Lee's Mild
Pale Malt: 82.9%
Brown Malt: 7.6%
Dark Crystal Malt: 7%
Pale Chocolate Malt: 2.5%

Theakstons Mild (anyone know percentages?)
Pale Malt:
Crystal Malt:
Black Malt:
Flaked Wheat:
Flaked Maize:
Sugar:

Thwaites Mild
Pale and Crystal Malts: 85%
Sugar: 15%

Thwaites Nutty Black/Best Mild
Pale Malt: 80%
Crystal Malt: 10%
Black Malt: 5%
Sugar: 5%

Timothy Taylor Best Dark Mild (anyone know percentages?)
Golden Promise:
Caramel Syrup:

Tolly Cobold Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Crystal Malt: 10.7%
Chocolate Malt: .2%
Torrified Wheat: 10.7%
Dark Invert Syrup: 8.4%

Vista Golden Mild (not exactly "dark")
Pale Malt: 80%
CaraPils Malt: 17%
Pale Crystal Malt: 1%
Medium Crystal Malt: 1%
Chocolate Malt: 1%

West Coast Dark Mild
Pale Malt: 95%
Black Malt: 5%
Roasted Barley: 5%

Whitbread Chester's Best Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Torrified Wheat: 15%
Chocolate Malt: 5%
Invert Syrup: 10%

Whitbread Oat Mild (weird!)
Mild Ale Malt: 61.1%
Flaked Oats: 12.4%
American 6-Row Pale: 10.2%
Crystal Malt: 8.5%
#3 Invert Syrup: 6%
Cane Sugar: 1.9%

Whitbread X (Mild)
Pale Malt: 90%
Sugar: 10%

Whitbread XX Export Mild
Mild Ale Malt: 85.7%
#2 Invert Syrup: 14.9%

Whitbread XXX (Best Mild)
Mild Ale Malt: 80.6%
Crystal Malt: 4.9%
#1 Invert Syrup: 3.2%
#3 Invert Syrup: 11.3%

LINKS:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 4169,d.eWU
http://www.winning-homebrew.com/English-Mild-Ale.html

* Jim's Beer Kit members

[seymour]

WISH LIST: does anyone know Adnams, Brains, Cains or Theakstons? Any other favorite real ale versions?

[barney]

What a list of beer there Seymour, tremendous. I have a couple not on the list would you like me to add them?

[seymour]

What a list of beer there Seymour, tremendous. I have a couple not on the list would you like me to add them?

Yes, please. You saw your ESM made the list, right?

[barney]

HA HA! Fame at Last, Have you tried it?

Here is an Old English Recipee

58% Mild Ale
9% Pale Ale
14% Med Crystal
9% Flaked Maize
10% Dark cane sugar

Mash is 64°C for 2 hours

Aim for 1031 and use a good attenuating yeast 80-85%

Hops are East Kent Goldings 40g for 1 3/4 hrs and 15g for 3/4hr

[seymour]

HA HA! Fame at Last, Have you tried it?...

Not yet, sadly, but soon! I almost made it last time, but didn't have the aromatic and pale crystal, so I brewed that Chocolate Milk Stout instead. I'm hoping to make a flurry of batches after the holidays, and this is definitely on the list. Cheers!

[Hanglow]

Nice list

I recently made one with a bit too much chocolate malt in it (10% or so) and it's a little imbalanced Still drinking it though

[barney]

75% pale malt
12.5% crystal
7.5% dark crystal
5% pale chocolate

Hop to the Mild Limit

[seymour]

75% pale malt
12.5% crystal
7.5% dark crystal
5% pale chocolate
Hop to the Mild Limit

Another good-lucking grainbill, Barney. Is that one of yours or an historic brew?

[barney]

Its a cobbled together crack at Hobsons Mild

http://www.hobsons-brewery.co.uk/beers/mild.aspx

[gnutz2]

Well Seymour thts a great list and no doubt all the grainbills make great beer which just goes to show all the fretting us brewers do about a few 100g's here and there is probably in vain.

If you dont mind i'll share my first and only brewing experience of a mild with you.

I bottled this just under a week ago. Came home from the pub last night, only had a couple (theakstons Best, cask) and cracked a bottle open. Carbonation was very low and the flavous coming from the malt were roasty, chocolately, coffee, sweet, etc, etc, the taste was so smooth with the low alcahol and bitterness. There was me thinking it wouldn't be ready for christmas and its allready a cracker.

Grainbill: Dark Mild
Low colour marris otter: 84.7% (thats all i had)
Crystal 80l: 6.8%
Amber: 5.6%
Carafa III: 2.8%

The bottle i tasted was brewed with Thames Valley 2 but i have another 25l ready to bottle which is fermented using East midlands. This was also the first time using amber and carafa III, bloody amazing.

Cheers Baz

[boingy]

This:

Arkell's Mash Tun Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Crystal Malt: 25%
Chocolate Malt: 5%

made me go
Has anyone brewed that one? My rule of thumb for Crystal is 10% max. I might have to try a small batch of that one, just to see...

[FUBAR]

This:

Arkell's Mash Tun Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Crystal Malt: 25%
Chocolate Malt: 5%

made me go
Has anyone brewed that one? My rule of thumb for Crystal is 10% max. I might have to try a small batch of that one, just to see...

Will let you know shortly as that is my next planned brewday on the 28th,not a small batch will be 47ltrs ,the ammount of Crystal is why I have picked this recipe,fancied a chewy Malty meal in a glass.Going to split it between two FV's using Windsor in one and S04 in the other.

[DaveyT]

This:

Arkell's Mash Tun Mild
Pale Malt: 70%
Crystal Malt: 25%
Chocolate Malt: 5%

made me go
Has anyone brewed that one? My rule of thumb for Crystal is 10% max. I might have to try a small batch of that one, just to see...

It's geat! Done it twice now. GW's notes say vanilla, nuts and chocolate and it really is.

[mabrungard]

Wow! That is a nice compilation of grists.

That recipe that Barney posted is similar to the Reaper's Mild posted on the Homebrew Talk forum, 20% crystal and pale chocolate malts. I've made it twice and absolutely love the pale chocolate contributions. But I have to admit that I'm not quite loving the 20% crystal. Its leaving a bit too much crystal sweetness for my preference. But I do feel that a good Mild is going to utilize more than 10% in order to produce SOME residual sweetness. Boingy, don't be afraid. My house Mild has 15%, I feel that was quite reasonable and tasty on my palate.

Do try the pale chocolate in a Mild though, its delicious.