Milds

[quixoticgeek]

I'm on the search for the perfect mild. I've tried a couple of recipes, but they have all come out a bit anaemic. I realise no that I should have been mashing a lot higher than I was. But I'm not so sure about the recipes (also since lost due to a phone failure).

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good mild I can use for inspiration?

Thanks

Julia

[Kyle_T]

That all depends on what kind of mild you want, do you want a light mild, a medium mild, a dark mild, a caramelised mild, a toffee mild, a roast mild, a chocolate type mild, a molasses mild, a very malty mild, a balanced mild, a hoppy mild, a dry mild, a medium dry mild, a sweet mild, a low abv mild, a mid ABV mild, a strong ABV mild, I have a recipe for just about all of these

[BenB]

The penultimate Jamil show is on milds. Just FYI.

[seymour]

Here's a bunch of dark mild grainbills to get your creative juices flowing:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=56335#p591869

This recipe might just blow your mind, though the hops definitely make it more American than English overall:
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=66118#p695124

Like Kyle_T said, there are infinite interpretations of mild. That Seymour Simcoe Mild was conceived as a watered-down modern-day porter grainbill, lots of crystal malt, mashed high but with a super high-attenuating English ale yeast to dry it out nonetheless, hopped like an American IPA. Bottle it or keg it, primed for high carbonation. Not exactly a classic mild, but in any case, it's possibly the best beer I've ever brewed (and maybe ever drunk).

[Kyle_T]

Mild is such a great style to choose but you really need to have an idea of what kind of mild you want to drink, I'm more than happy to pour my years of research into a recipe for you if you like.

[quixoticgeek]

Thank you everyone for your replies so far, lots of interesting food for thought.

Looking through the list of grain bills got me wondering. Why add a sugar to such a low abv beer? I've always thought of sugar as something you add to thin the body of a beer. Where as the problem I've had with mild's I've made was getting enough body in.

Have found a rye mild recipe that has caught my eye. Might have to work that into my crew schedule.

Cheers everyone.

Julia

[Rookie]

Thank you everyone for your replies so far, lots of interesting food for thought.

Looking through the list of grain bills got me wondering. Why add a sugar to such a low abv beer? I've always thought of sugar as something you add to thin the body of a beer. Where as the problem I've had with mild's I've made was getting enough body in.

Have found a rye mild recipe that has caught my eye. Might have to work that into my crew schedule.

Cheers everyone.

Julia

Leave the sugar out. Adding some oatmeal will help with the body.

[Dennis King]

hopped like an American IPA.

Sorry but that would not be anything like a mild, and I'm not a member of the style police.

[quixoticgeek]

I think the answer now, is to go drink lots of milds. Wow, it's a hard life...

J

[keith1664]

Thank you everyone for your replies so far, lots of interesting food for thought.

Looking through the list of grain bills got me wondering. Why add a sugar to such a low abv beer? I've always thought of sugar as something you add to thin the body of a beer. Where as the problem I've had with mild's I've made was getting enough body in.

Have found a rye mild recipe that has caught my eye. Might have to work that into my crew schedule.

Cheers everyone.

Julia

I think the idea is to mash at a high temperature to give you unfermentable sugars and body, then the added sugar gives the alcohol.

[seymour]

... mashed high but with a super high-attenuating English ale yeast to dry it out nonetheless, hopped like an American IPA. Bottle it or keg it, primed for high carbonation. Not exactly a classic mild...

Sorry but that would not be anything like a mild, and I'm not a member of the style police.

Exactly, it's insanely hoppier, like I said. Even so, it began as an English Mild Ale grainbill, mash schedule, fermentation regime, and alcoholic strength. The type and amount of hops (okay, and higher carbonation) are the only real differences.

Just as the countless crazy modern-day New World IPAs are based upon classic English Pale Ale...I think classic English Mild Ale is a perfect experimental launchpad as well, and one which isn't nearly so worn-out.

I'll make one more controversial statement here: if I understand Ron Pattinson's Mild Ale blogs and book correctly, the word "mild" didn't always infer mildly-hopped. Originally it meant in a general sense mildly-flavoured, as in beer served young, as opposed to aged and thus sour and woodsy. Some of his examples from historical brewing logs were highly alcoholic and highly hopped, they just weren't aged before serving.

But no problem, if a true-to-style low-grav, low-hopped mild is what she's after, the first link I provided gives many real-life examples. And they're delicious as is, no American experimentation necessary.

[Hanglow]

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

[Padalac]

yep low abv beers taste better on cask imho. you get a much creamier drink somehow

[Padalac]

haha just reread that statement and had to laugh

[Kyle_T]

I generally find I like my Milds one of three ways, light and caramelly, dark and roasty or dark and chocolatey. Hop balance leaning toward malty, mash higher and ferment to around 1.012 - 1.010, sweet but not overly sweet.