Dark Mild Recipe

[Zephyr259]

Hi folks, looking for some opinions on a recipe for a dark mild. Got this recipe from the beer and brewing magazine website, it's one of their "brew your best" series, looks tasty but seems unique in that the author isn't keen on using crystal malts in the style as he finds they make it too sweet. I've looked about and every other recipe seems to use 15 - 20% crystal, often as a blend of medium and dark. The recipe asks for chocolate rye which I don't have so I'm using pale chocolate instead, could use carafa special I but it's whole grain where the chocolate is a recently opened bag of pre-crushed grain.

15L batch, OG 1.035, FG 1.009, ABV 3.5%, IBU 17.4, 33.6 EBC

1.5 kg Golden Promise (65%)
350g Munich II (15%) - I added this as I like the boost Munich gives to smaller beers
150g Amber (7%)
150g Brown (7%)
150g Pale Chocolate (7%)

10g First Gold (9%) at 60 mins

Mash at 68c, ferment with Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale at 18-20c to see if it gives some esters and maybe use the cake for the next brew.

The assumption is that the toasted/roasted malts should give some body and nutty flavours while keeping the beer dry, but this seems contrary to everyone else so now I'm doubting myself. I could swap the chocolate for some CaraAroma which is a 400 EBC crystal or split it between the two?

Anyone had success brewing a dark mild?
Thanks.

 

[Dutto]

I'd halve the Chocolate and move the 75g to something nice and dark.

Apart from that, the recipe looks okay to me!

Did this in February 2017:

2.50kg Maris Otter Malt
0.10kg Chocolate Malt
0.20kg Caramel Malt
0.20kg Crystal Malt
40g EKG Whole Leaf (full 60 minutes)
Protafloc Tablet for 10mins
20g Perle Whole Leaf (5 mins before Flameout)
Wilco Ale Yeast
Yeast Nutrient
15g EKG Whole Leaf for Hop Tea before bottling.

23 litres in the FV gave:

• OG 1.036
• FG 1.010
• ABV 3.41%

i love a Mild in winter!

 

[Zephyr259]

Thanks Dutto, I remembered that I just ordered some Crisp dark crystal malt which is something like 380 - 435 EBC so nice and dark like CaraAroma but a British version. Also have their medium (~245 EBC) which has done well in some other beers.

 

[Sandimas]

Here's my Dark Mild recipe that I've just brewed again, I love Bramling Cross in a Mild - I'd be tempted to use more of it as a late hop next time, but it's still come out very good.

Batch Size (L): 23L
Original Gravity (OG): 1.042
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.13 %
Colour (SRM): 31.0 (EBC): 61.0
Bitterness (IBU): 21.6
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 68

Grain Bill
----------------
3.800 kg Maris Otter Malt (82.97%)
0.400 kg Crystal 60 standard (8.73%)
0.150 kg Black Malt (3.28%)
0.130 kg Black Roasted Barley (2.84%)
0.100 kg Chocolate (2.18%)

Hop Bill
----------------
32g Bramling Cross Leaf - 60 Minutes Boil
15g Bramling Cross Leaf - 10 Minutes Boil
20g Bramling Cross Leaf - Aroma 30min Steep