Brewing Mild Ales- How Low Can You Go?

Society of Barley Engineers General Meting

4/5/17

Bob Mac Kay - QUAFF

Agenda• Why I love this style

• History & popularity of Milds

• Influence on changes to Milds over time

• Mild Ingredients– Pale & Dark Mild

• Process particulars on brewing Milds

• Mild recipes – past & present

• Conclusion

• Q & A

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Why I Love This Style• Low in alcohol … but full of flavor!

• Tasty with various flavor contributions

– Bready flavor from base malts

– Chocolate/roast flavor from dark malts (Dark Mild)

• Well balanced beer leaning towards malt

– Hop bitterness for balance only

• Economical – simple grain bill

• Easy to brew – single infusion mash

• Can enjoy quickly3

I’ve Enjoyed Some Success with Milds• Mild awards include . . .

– Best of Division – 2006 – San Diego County Fair• English Pale Mild

– Best of Show – 2011 – San Diego County Fair• English Dark Mild

– 1st Place – 2016 ViaSat Homebrew Competition• Dark Mild

– 1st Place – 2016 California State Homebrew Comp.• Dark Mild

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The Highs & Lows of Milds

• Today we think of Milds as the lowest strength English beers

– But this was not always the case

• Latter 19th century, Mild Ale stronger than . . .

– Pale Ale or

– Bitter

– For example:

• Burton Mild: OG of 1.080

• vs Bitter: OG of 1.064

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Time for a Beer – Mild #1• Nerf Herder Dark Mild - 4.5% ABV

– Pizza Port San Clemente, CA

– 2012 World Beer Cup Bronze Medal Winner

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First… A Little English Brewing History

17th Century 18th Century

From 1600 on, hops in most

ales;Ales 1/3

amount of hops than Beers

Early 1700s –

Porters & Stout

Porters in London

Distinct barrel sizesAle: 32 gal

Beer: 36 gal

Publicans Commercial brewers-e.g., Sam Whitbread’s

Porter & Stout created 1st cmml

brewing industry in the world

“Mild” Meant Fresh

All colors of ales

produced –depending upon base malts used

17th & Early 18th

Century –Beer ≠ Ale

All Malt LiquorAle-British

beers before hops 15th cent.Beer-hopped malt liquor

from European immigrants

Hydrometer– malt yields

accurately measured

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A Century of Predominance• “Mild” was fairly common term in 1700s

– Fresh beer that was not kept or vatted– Meant to be drunk within a few weeks

• Often applied to Porter – most popular 18th century beer in England

– Versus “stale” porter kept in wooden vats for 6 – 12 mos.

• Tastes changed in early 1800s– More beers were fresh – called “Mild” or “Running Beers”

• Mild Ale, Mild Porter, Mild Bitter

• By mid 1800s, all ales were fresh beers– Term “Mild” to denote fresh beer fell out of use– Kept beers were now termed “Stock Ales”

• By 1850, Mild Ale overtook Porter as England’s favorite beer – A spot it held for over 100 years (1850 to 1960)!

Roger Prost- Mild Ale: It’s Not Dead Yet – Brew Your Own, September 20058

Mild Designations- circa 1830s

• Milds were designated X through XXXX

– Exact origin is unclear

• Tax / barrel of strong ale before 1830 = 10 shillings = X?

• Just easiest thing to chalk on a barrel end?

• X

• XX

• XXX

• XXXX

67%

23%

6%

4%

Production

1840s

1864

1875

EOL

*OG

* To ~ 1060 in 1870

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The Highs & Lows of Milds

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Time for a Beer – Mild #2

• Skidmark Brown Ale – 4.5% ABV

– Pizza Port Brewing, Ocean Beach, CA

– 2011 GABF Gold Medal Winner

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Legislative & Technology Impacts

19th Century

1820 –IPAs at Burton-on-Trent

Coke on large scaleproduced

1st pale beers in world!

Mild or Running

Beers Common

All ales fresh vs. “Stock” for kept

1850Mild Ale

surpassed Porter as England’s #1 Beer

1816Only 4

ingredients in beer

Beerhouse Act of 1830- Tax malt &

hops- Auto

Licensing of Beer Houses

1880 - Free Mash Tun Act - Tax on OG

- Adjuncts OK

Maize, rice & sugar

lightened body;

ConditionedQuicker

Sugar led to gradual

darkening of color

Gravities continued to decline1.050 to 1.055 for

“X”

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Wars Impact Mild Gravities

20th Century

Brewers cut

strength to retail at

same pre-tax price

1918Average

OG fell to 1.025

World War I- Material shortage- Gov’t

Restrictions

OG continued to drop to ~ 1.027 or

1.028

Gravity of Mild Ale dropped

to ~ 1.035 - modern Mild Ale was born

Post War 1920s OG increased - but only to 1.043

1929Depression

- Led to British Gov’t dramatic tax increase on beer in 1931

1990 Lager

overtakes Bitter

WWII –further

shortages &

restrictions

By 1945 most mild ales were

below 1.030

By 1950 gravities

rose a little to 1.030 to

1.032

1960 Bitter

overtakes Mild

2002 Only 1.2% pub sales

were Milds

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Not Dead Yet• Milds continued to decline… but are not dead

• CAMRA has continued to support

– May declared as Mild Month

• Some revival at US craft breweries

• But particulars that make it a great personal favorite doom it to widespread US support

– Low hopping rates – against grain of US palates

– Shorter shelf life

– Slower sales movement & profitability for brewers

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Time for a Beer – Mild #3

• Pale Mild - 4.0% ABV

– Harold Gulbransen, QUAFF

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Mild Ales by the Numbers

• Pale Mild

– BJCP Style Guidelines

– Roger Protz3

• Dark Mild

– BJCP Style Guidelines

– Roger Protz3

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Brewing Milds• Both Pale & Dark Milds were brewed

– Based upon geographical location

• Dark in London, Whales & Midlands of England

• Pale in North of England

• Key – make flavorful but not watery!

– Trickier for Pale Mild, since a lot of flavor in Dark Mild comes from the roasted malts

• A dextrinous wort from high temp mashing is key

– 154ᵒ F to 158ᵒ F

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Ingredients for Milds• Base Malt

– Use Maris Otter, Mild Ale malt or Pale malt• Terry Foster2 – use Mild Ale malt

– Kilned higher get some roasted/nutty flavor

• Specialty Malts– Crystal malt - 10% to 15% in both Dark & Pale Milds

• Pale mild: Lighter colored malts – 20 to 40 Lovibond• Dark mild: Darker but not too dark – 60 to 80 L

– Chocolate or Pale Chocolate• Pale mild: 1-2% of total grist to add complexity• Dark mild: up to 5% of total grist

– Can omit Crystal malt

– Black malt (Dark Mild) – for a dry finish• 1 – 2% of grist

• Hops– English hops – Kent Goldings or Fuggle

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Process for Brewing Milds

• Single step infusion mash

– 154ᵒ F to 158ᵒ F to produce dextrinous wort

• I add a twist with a “pseudo decoction”

– Dark Milds only, not Pale Milds

• Sparge with 170ᵒ F water

• Boil for 60 minutes

• Water treatment- 50% RO/50% filtered tap

– Some Calcium Chloride

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Pseudo-Decoction• Pull 0.5 qts/lb wort 15’ boil return to mash tun

• Jonny Lieberman, Maltose Falcons, 2009; link: pseudo-decoction

• Enhances melanoidin process maltiness

• Aids protein breakdown/coagulation clarity

• Maximizes gelatinization of starches efficiency20

Yeast, Fermentation & Packaging• Pitch with English yeast

– Character but low attenuation

• Pitch yeast without starter– Help ester production

• Ferment at 66ᵒ F to 68ᵒ F– Should be finished in 4 to 5 days

• Secondary fermentation not needed

• Carbonate to only 1.5 to 2.0 volumes CO2

– Priming sugar, DME or forced carbonation

• Or serve on beer engine - the CAMRA way!

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Time for a Beer – Mild #4

• Dark Mild - 3.9% ABV

– Bob MacKay, QUAFF

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Recipes - 19th Century Milds

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Recipes – Current Day MildsPP San Clemente – Nerf Herder (Sample #1) – 4.5% ABV• 62% - 2 row malt• 6% - CaraPils malt• 5% - Crystal 50L malt• 9% - Crystal 77L malt• 3% - Crystal 120L malt• 3% - Chocolate malt• 2% - Chocolate Wheat• 3% - Honey malt• 7% - Flaked oats• 75 min – Magnum hops• 30 min – EKG & Fuggle• WP – EKG & Fuggle• House strain - La Cruda Yeast (Tomme Arthur brought back

from UK)24

Recipes – Current Day MildsPP Ocean Beach – Skidmark Brown (Sample #2) – 4.5% ABV• 66% - Maris Otter English Pale Ale malt• 9% - Mild malt• 5% - Chocolate malt• 4% - Wheat• 4% - Crystal 120L malt• 6% - Crystal 50L malt• 6% - Flaked oats • 90 min – UK Phoenix hops• 65 min – Brewers Gold• 10 min – Sterling• House strain - La Cruda Yeast (Tomme Arthur brought back

from UK)25

Recipes – Current Day MildsHarold’s Pale Mild – 6.5 gallons (Sample #3)• 7lbs. Bairds English Pale Ale malt• 1 lb. Crystal 10L malt• 2 oz. Pale Chocolate malt• Mash at 157ᵒ F ± 1ᵒ F for 60 minutes• 12g of Magnum (12.4%AA) for 60 min; 15g of

Liberty (5.5% AA) for 10 min• White Labs WLP013 London Ale Yeast• Ferment at 68ᵒ F for 7 days; then 65ᵒ F for 7 days• OG = 1.039; FG = 1.008; ABV = 4.0%• Force carbonated to 2.2 volumes CO2

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Recipes – Current Day MildsBob’s Dark Mild – 10 gallons (Sample #4)

• 10lbs. Maris Otter English Pale Ale malt

• 1 lb. Crystal 60L malt

• 0.8 lb. Crystal 120L malt

• 0.6 lb. Pale chocolate malt

• 0.30 lb. Black Patent malt

• Mash at 157ᵒ F ± 1ᵒ F plus pseudo-decoction mash

• 46g East Kent Goldings hops (5.1%AA) for 60 min.

• White Labs WLP002 English Ale Yeast

• Ferment at 68ᵒ F ± 1ᵒ F for 7 days; then 4 days at 70ᵒ F

• OG = 1.039; FG = 1.011; ABV = 3.9%

• Force carbonated to 2.3 volumes CO227

Recipes – Current Day Milds• John Palmer’s Belladonna Took’s Oaked Mild5

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Recipes – Current Day Milds• Jamil Zainasheff & John Palmer’s Dark Mild4

– Brewing Classic Styles, 2007, pg. 145

“Through A Mild Darkly” – 7 gallons• 7lbs. British Pale Ale malt• 0.5 lb. Crystal 60L malt• 6 oz. Crystal 120L malt• 0.25 lb. Pale chocolate malt• 2.0 oz. Black Patent malt• Mash at 154ᵒ F • 24g East Kent Goldings hops (5% AA) for 60 min.• White Labs WLP002 English Ale Yeast or Wyeast 1968

Londaon ESB Ale or Safeale S-04 • OG = 1.039• Ferment at 68ᵒF ± 1ᵒ F• Carbonate to 1.5 volumes and serve at 52ᵒ F to 55ᵒ F

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Recipes – Current Day Milds

Terry Foster2 30

Recipes – Current Day Milds

Terry Foster2 31

In Conclusion• Mild Ales are not . . .

– Just fresh beers (vice stock ales)– Same high gravity beers as in 19th Century England– Popular for craft brewers– Dead yet

• Mild Ales are . . . – Nice alternative to super-gravity & hoppy beers– Easy to brew– Economical & Efficient– Low gravity & ABV– Refreshing – true Session Ales– Worth finding when commercially available– Definitely worth brewing & enjoying with friends

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References• 1-The Home Brewers Guide to Vintage Beer

– Ron Pattinson – Quarry Books, 2014

• 2 - Mild Ale: It’s Not Dead Yet– Terry Foster - Brew Your Own, September 2005

• 3 - Unesco: Take a Look At Britain’s Heritage– Roger Protz – Protz On Beer, January 25, 2017

• 4 - Brewing Classic Styles– Jamil Zainasheff & John Palmer, 2007

• 5 - Belladonna Took’s Oaked Mild– John Palmer – Brewing TV, Episode 8: NHC 2010

• 6 – Mild Ale – AHA Classic Beer Style Series– David Sutula – Brewers Publications, 1999

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A Special Thanks To . . .

Harold Gulbransen of QUAFFfor brewing the

Pale Mild

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And a Special Thanks To . . .

Sean Farrell

Director of Brewing

Pizza Port Brewing Companyfor providing the Commercial Milds:

Nerf Herder – PP San Clemente

Skidmark Brown – PP Ocean Beach

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Anyone Still Awake?Questions?

Stone Yorkshire Squares at

Samuel Smith Brewery, Tadcaster

Hook Norton (Victorian Tower) Brewery

Oxfordshire Cotswolds

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