I made an excellent English Dark Mild a couple of months ago (it was my favorite beer for at least a month) and re-read the very good style series book, Mild Ales, by Dave Sutula. This created in me a strong desire to make the Mild even better. I took the original recipe and tweaked it thusly:
Original Lapeer Mild:
(King Henry V's Barley Broth)
14 Lbs US 2-row
1 Lb Crystal 45
1 Lb US Chocolate Malt
1 Oz HG Nugget-60 minutes
1 Oz HG Cascade-10 minutes
Mashed at 152 F
Boiled 60 minutes
OG: 1.038
FG: 1.010
New Lapeer Mild:
(Bigger Barley Broth)
12 Lbs US 2-row45
2 Lb Crystal
1 Lb US Chocolate Malt
1 Lb Flaked Oats
1 Oz HG Nugget-60 minutes
1 Oz HG US Goldings
Mashed at 155 F
Boiled 90 minutes
OG: 1.039
FG: 1.010
I was going for more mouthfeel, more body, as well as some more residual sweetness. I racked the first five gallons into a keg yesterday and tasted the hydrometer reading sample. It was good but I really couldn't judge it well with the small and un-carbonated sample. We'll see soon. The second five gallons will be bottled with priming sugar, I think. The final gravity of both was about the same, so I don't know what the difference will be. I might have kept the 2-row to 14 pounds but it would have made for a pretty big Mild.
My yeast cakes are looking to be fed with some new wort and I am not sure what to make. Has anyone any good ideas? I'm looking to keep it in the family, so to speak. An English beer of higher gravity than a Mild. Perhaps a Brown Ale or a Bitter or even a Pale Ale.
I'm entertaining all suggestions at this time...
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9 comments:
No suggestions; it's all good.
I just bought a bunch of malt and will be making some beer next weekend. I'm stressing over the type to make, though. I don't want to buy any more malt, so that kinda rules out a dark beer, 'cause I'm out of dark malt...
How about an ESB?
If you're still looking for suggestions, I was really happy with my recently brewed Brown Ale. So happy its all gone...
I made an ESB last month and I still have about three gallons in the keg. I think I'll get some chocolate malt and a little roasted barley and make a brown ale or a stout...maybe...
By the way, the Dark Mild is carbonated now and is delicious. There is a wee bit more residual sugar in it and that same chocolate flavor with a stiff floral hop presence. Mmmm-mmm! Real purty, too!
MICHmash,
Maybe I'll toast some of the 2-row to make up the dark malt component, as you did! Great idea!
Would you do anything different to make that Brown again?
I would toss my vote in for a Southern English Brown ale. I tossed one on top of my last english bitter yeast cake and I can say after a few weeks in the keg that this stuff is fantastic.
You could also step it up to an english barley wine after the brown..now thats utilizing your yeast to it's fullest!
by the way - the recipe for my brown is over on my blog.
I second the idea of toasting some 2 row for a little bit darker malt. You could even do something inbetween a brown and a bitter (in terms of darkness) and get really creative with the caremels.
I fully intend to step this yeast up to a Barleywine next month. English Barleywines are one of my very favorite beers.
I don't have the dark malt right now so I may just make an English Pale Ale. We'll find out tomorrow...
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