First AG Mild

[PaddyX21]

I'm going to make AG#2 a mild, as I like them so much
I have been looking through Seymour's excellent thread full of Mild grain bills, more to get a feel for what I want than to actually copy any of them, and have come to a recipe eventually.

80% Mild Ale Malt (7 EBC ~ 4L) 4.00Kg
15% Crystal Malt (155 EBC ~ 80L) 0.75Kg
5% Chocolate Malt (950 EBC ~ 475L) 0.25Kg

Mash @ 68°C to give body - enough?
Yeast - Danstar Windsor to leave some sweetness and character

I realise this is a little stronger than a typical mild, but it's my beer I'll make it how I like it :p

I'm going for between 25 and 30 IBU, but I fancy trying something other than the fuggles/ekg that I would default to for this style - any suggestions?
I fancy giving Bramling Cross a go (as I have some), thoughts?

Not quite sure if I'll get round to brewing this week, or next week, so I've time to think about it

[seymour]

Yeah, good plan, that's gonna be a nice drop o' wallop! Like you said, it's your beer, make it how you like it, but I think Fuggles is an exquisite bittering hop for dark English ales (full 60 or 90 minute boil), Bramling Cross adds some delicious flavors at 30 or 40 minutes remaining, then some nice marmalade notes from Goldings at 15 minutes remaining.

Excellent yeast choice for style, too.

[jimp2003]

Nice recipe. It's a little more bitter thn I would go for (20-25 IBIs) but that's just me.

Other hop options might be progress or northdown. If you are using windsor try to keep the fermentation temperature in the right range as it has a tendency to go to sleep too early.

[PaddyX21]

Thank you gentlemen.

...I think Fuggles is an exquisite bittering hop for dark English ales (full 60 or 90 minute boil), Bramling Cross adds some delicious flavors at 30 or 40 minutes remaining, then some nice marmalade notes from Goldings at 15 minutes remaining.

This sounds like an excellent plan to me
What flavours should I expect from the Bramling X? I have read about Blackcurrant, or have I mixed up?

Excellent yeast choice for style, too.

I have used Windsor before, and I really enjoyed the depth of flavour. Plus there is the convenience of dry yeast

It's a little more bitter thn I would go for (20-25 IBIs) but that's just me.

I'll probably aim for the 25 - I want to balance the body and sweetness, but not overpower them

Other hop options might be progress or northdown.

Progress I have 'in stock' - can you elaborate for me as to the differences I could expect?

If you are using windsor try to keep the fermentation temperature in the right range as it has a tendency to go to sleep too early.

I will be fermenting towards the top end of the temperature range to encourage more complex flavours, so hopefully this won't be too much of an issue


Thank you again for your feedback - I take this all in, and I am learning slowly

[shredder]

Sorry to hijack this thread Paddy but I'm planning my first mild in a couple of days too and want some advice...

I'm thinking along the lines of:

85% Pale malt (haven't got any mild malt unfortunately)
10% Crystal (145 EBC)
5% Chocolate (1060 EBC) (Too much?)

to an OG of about 1.035?

And was thinking standard 60 min fuggles addition to ~20 IBU and possibly a very small further addition about 15 mins (not really true to style but I'd like a very little hop character) but I've already got open bags of northdown, challenger and target in the freezer that need using up so considering some northdown in place of the fuggles and maybe dropping the final addition? only got nottingham in stock as well so was thinking of mashing up around 69-70C range to keep the FG up as nottingham rips through pretty much everything else, never mashed this high before though!

What do you gurus of mild think would be a good plan of action?

[PaddyX21]

No problems Shredder
Sounds like a perfectly good recipe to me, and unless you plan on entering a competition with it then I shouldn't worry too much about 'true to style'.
As far as I'm concerned they are an unnecessary restriction to brewing great beer.

I've seen a few others here mashing as high as 70°C, also due to using Nottingham if memory serves.

Let us know how it goes

[shredder]

As far as I'm concerned they are an unnecessary restriction to brewing great beer.

+100 to that, I normally just brew whatever I think will taste nice, just never done a mild before. I'll crack on with that recipe then and see how it turns out! Oh and thanks for the heads up about the mash temp, I thought I had read other guys mashing that high on here too so I'm sure it will be fine

Cheers

[jimp2003]

Other hop options might be progress or northdown.

Progress I have 'in stock' - can you elaborate for me as to the differences I could expect?

I haven't used Progress for bittering so can't comment on its effect. When I used it for aroma it was a bit fuggly.

Sorry to hijack this thread Paddy but I'm planning my first mild in a couple of days too and want some advice...

I'm thinking along the lines of:

85% Pale malt (haven't got any mild malt unfortunately)
10% Crystal (145 EBC)
5% Chocolate (1060 EBC) (Too much?)

to an OG of about 1.035?

And was thinking standard 60 min fuggles addition to ~20 IBU and possibly a very small further addition about 15 mins (not really true to style but I'd like a very little hop character) but I've already got open bags of northdown, challenger and target in the freezer that need using up so considering some northdown in place of the fuggles and maybe dropping the final addition? only got nottingham in stock as well so was thinking of mashing up around 69-70C range to keep the FG up as nottingham rips through pretty much everything else, never mashed this high before though!

What do you gurus of mild think would be a good plan of action?

That looks good to me shredder. The mild I brewed last week was similar to your recipe (see HERE) but with the addition of some flaked barley to give more body. I also mashed at 70C and used WLP002 which attenuated less than nottingham to help prevent a thin beer. I added a little brown sugar to bump up the alcohol in anticipation of a high FG.

If it was me I would be wary of using nottingham even if I did mash at 70C - I just would not trust that yeast not to chomp through the sugars. Also I find it does not add much flavour and with a mild I like to pack in flavour from wherever I can get it.

[shredder]

I just would not trust that yeast not to chomp through the sugars

I hear you on that one, that was my worry as well. Might postpone this a week or so until I can get some Windsor in and make something pale and hoppy like usual instead. Incidentally I chucked the Fuller's slurry I had from my last brew as I thought it was getting a bit haggard (although the brew has now turned out great and I expect the yeast was fine) annoying really as it's such a great yeast!

I've also been contemplating adding 100-200g of oats (as I've already got some) to add some body/silkiness. What mash temp and fermentation temp do you guys recommend with Windsor? I've read lots of stories about it not finishing out properly (although that wouldn't be quite so disastrous in a mild I suppose, still not ideal though)

[Hanglow]

I did a mild with notty and lots of chocolate

80% marris otter
7% crystal 80
7% chocolate
6% torrified wheat


my dad thought it was a stout It was a bit too thin for my liking. I bittered it to 20 so it wasn't too bitter even though it finished quite dry. If I was to do a mild today, I wouldn't use notty and I'd use maybe 3-4% chocolate and 12% or so crystal

[shredder]

That's funny you should say that Hanglow as the recipe I've just now put together is:

80% Pale
12% Crystal 80
4% Oats
3% Chocolate

21 IBUs and fermented with Windsor

[PaddyX21]

So I did make this in the end, have my notes at home and will update later, but pics

80% Mild Ale Malt (7 EBC ~ 4L) 4.00Kg
15% Crystal Malt (155 EBC ~ 80L) 0.75Kg
5% Chocolate Malt (950 EBC ~ 475L) 0.25Kg


Mashing away


Fuggles (60min), Bramling X (30min), EKG (15min), IBU target around 25 but the hops are a bit old so will come our lower.


First Runnings


Boil


I did ferment with Windsor, it was done within about 3 days, but I left it for about 10.
Will update if wrong, but from memory 1044 - 1016
Primed with 60g demerara sugar for the 23Ltr

I know I should leave it longer, but I've started drinking it
Excellent! Not too sweet, but noticeable malty sweetness with (dark) fruity hop flavours, coffee/choc aftertaste.
Very drinkable, will make it again which is probably the true measure of how good I think it is!

[Ben711200]

That sounds delicious. I also have all of those things in stock. I think my next one will be very similar that, Paddy, in anticipation of getting bored of all the really light hoppy pale ales I've been making while the sun's shining.

[seymour]

Good work, Mate. Sounds like a classic English Dark Mild to me!

[PaddyX21]

I still, somehow!, have some of this left - was enjoying a pint or two of it last night and it has matured into a really great beer.
It has cleared (it's been three months now so I should hope so!) to a really deep dark red colour, so dark you'd think it black unless the sun shines through it.
The malt dominates the flavour, as you'd expect with a Mild, and the sweetness is more noticeable I'd say.
If I make this again - and I think I will - then I would think about replacing a couple of % off both the crystal and the choc with oats - much as shredder's recipe above. Did you ever make that?