Beginners Mild

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skitter

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big fan of Ambers, if you pick up Firestone DBA from HEB it's my right kind of taste, although the brew I do is a bit heavier (more malt)

That being said I am intrigued by the concept of Mild's, especially with the shorter fermentation time. That also being said I do not have a Keg... Or the ability to do All-Grain... Oh, and I'm only using the little Mr. Beer keg atm... on top of that no Hydrometer.

Loving the amber I can make at the moment and my family loves it, co-workers like what I can pull off with limited equipment.

So what about a mild using extracts with a week ferment and 2 weeks in the bottle? My current fermentation is 2 weeks in LBK and 3 weeks in bottle before drinkable.

Suggestions on how to make it happen please, not "you need more stuff idiot". Looking for advice for a 2.5g batch of Mild. If it cannot be done, that's all I need to know. Please don't hammer me too hard :D
 
skitter said:
big fan of Ambers, if you pick up Firestone DBA from HEB it's my right kind of taste, although the brew I do is a bit heavier (more malt)

That being said I am intrigued by the concept of Mild's, especially with the shorter fermentation time. That also being said I do not have a Keg... Or the ability to do All-Grain... Oh, and I'm only using the little Mr. Beer keg atm... on top of that no Hydrometer.

Loving the amber I can make at the moment and my family loves it, co-workers like what I can pull off with limited equipment.

So what about a mild using extracts with a week ferment and 2 weeks in the bottle? My current fermentation is 2 weeks in LBK and 3 weeks in bottle before drinkable.

Suggestions on how to make it happen please, not "you need more stuff idiot". Looking for advice for a 2.5g batch of Mild. If it cannot be done, that's all I need to know. Please don't hammer me too hard :D
Click to expand...

What is a DBA, and a HEB, and a LBK?
 
Little Brown Keg.
Are you asking should you do it or for a recipe?
1. go for it
2. there are simple recipes in the library
3. The timing sounds right, 1 wk, 3 weeks. Maybe just 2 weeks carbonation because is it low ABV and meant for a quick turnaround.
 
fearwig said:
These are things you need for brewing if you can't swing a $4 bucket. Very technical.
Click to expand...

Thanks and no, wife bought me a MR Beer keg, all I have room for, don't have room for a full setup
 
Epimetheus said:
Little Brown Keg.
Are you asking should you do it or for a recipe?
1. go for it
2. there are simple recipes in the library
3. The timing sounds right, 1 wk, 3 weeks. Maybe just 2 weeks carbonation because is it low ABV and meant for a quick turnaround.
Click to expand...

Asking for an extract based stupid simple recipe that tastes good, what I make now is my own recipe, not looking for a mr beer clone that tastes like ass
 
Orfy has a nice mild posted here, both AG and extract versions. You could probably scale it down to 2.5 Gal.
 
Here is a great simple English Dark Mild, I make often. It has an O.G. 1.040 and an F.G. of 1.010. This is a five gallon recipe.

Chocolate Malt 1/4 lb
Crystal 120 1/2 lb
Crystal 60 1/2 lb
2-row 6 pounds

Styrian Golding 1.00 oz @ 60 minutes
( I don't like the metallic taste of E K Goldings )
London ESB 1968 Yeast
I mash at 154* F for 90 minutes
This is a 3.9% ABV which is a little high for a mild, but that's is easy to fix.
You can easily make this a three grain beer by taking out one of the crystals. A while back, I made this recipe and added 2 oz of cocoa powder that I had lying around, as the color was rather light. The chocolate flavor didn't really show up until after two months or so, and I really found out by accident as I thought all of that batch was long gone. But if you want a quick grain to glass, or extract to glass, give this a try and keep the fermentation temps in the mid 60's if possible.
 
There is no equipment save a reusable grain bag which is $1.

You really need to steep grains to make a mild-- it requires chocolate and crystal 60L. As mentioned by another poster, look for Orfy's Mild ale in the English brown ale recipe section on here.
good luck!
 
midfielder5 said:
There is no equipment save a reusable grain bag which is $1.

You really need to steep grains to make a mild-- it requires chocolate and crystal 60L. As mentioned by another poster, look for Orfy's Mild ale in the English brown ale recipe section on here.
good luck!
Click to expand...

I have a Nylon hop bag, same concept? Thought it required mash tun and all that
 
skitter said:
I have a Nylon hop bag, same concept? Thought it required mash tun and all that
Click to expand...

Steep vs mash. Steeping grains is to extract color and flavor. The grains are held in water for 20 to 30 minutes, as the water heats for the boil, not exceeding 170°. 170° and over will extract astringent tannins from the husks of the grains.
Mashing is hold the grains at a certain temperature, in a certain amount of water, for a certain amount of time to convert starches in the grain to fermentable sugars.
Please forgive the 'certains'.
 
You can also do partial mash in a kitchen pot. Or full mash, really, if you have a biggish stock pot, since this is only 2.5gal.

People overthink the mash process starting out when they see traditional mash tuns with false bottoms, etc. Small batch BIAB is easier than making a cake, all you need is a pot, a poly sack and a probe therm.
 
So then yes I could steep, something to try, would need a step by step In the recipe as I have never done it before.
 
skitter said:
So then yes I could steep, something to try, would need a step by step In the recipe as I have never done it before.
Click to expand...

there are a lot of steeping how to's on here & the net.
 
K, that being said anybody got an extract + steeping or just go dig through the recipes
 
MindenMan said:
Here is a great simple English Dark Mild, I make often. It has an O.G. 1.040 and an F.G. of 1.010. This is a five gallon recipe.

Chocolate Malt 1/4 lb
Crystal 120 1/2 lb
Crystal 60 1/2 lb
2-row 6 pounds

Styrian Golding 1.00 oz @ 60 minutes
( I don't like the metallic taste of E K Goldings )
London ESB 1968 Yeast
I mash at 154* F for 90 minutes
This is a 3.9% ABV which is a little high for a mild, but that's is easy to fix.
You can easily make this a three grain beer by taking out one of the crystals. A while back, I made this recipe and added 2 oz of cocoa powder that I had lying around, as the color was rather light. The chocolate flavor didn't really show up until after two months or so, and I really found out by accident as I thought all of that batch was long gone. But if you want a quick grain to glass, or extract to glass, give this a try and keep the fermentation temps in the mid 60's if possible.
Click to expand...

You could try this one. Its pretty simple. Its a dark mild, though. Instead of the 2-row, you'd use extract. For a 2.5 gallon batch, I would try 2 pounds of DME.

Scale the other ingredients down. Either multiply by .45 or .5. The LBK is really 2.13 gallons. Probably end up with about 3% or so.

Steep the grains in a bag for 20-30 min, remove and drain the bag, then boil. Add hops at 60.

Wouldn't a mild need some hops at 30 as well?

Do you need more instruction?

I might do this one myself!
 
Thanks, usually I only half the 5 gallon batches, I get 24-26 12oz bottles per batch. Makes for a heavier beer.

What about another recipe for a lighter mild?

Also assuming 1 week ferment and then 2 week bottle
 
So, crush the malt, steep it like tea (without going above 170) , add your DME or LME and boil with hops for 60 minutes. Ferment for 1 week and bottle/keg
 
And if you don't want todo any of this just do a search on web where to buy a Muntons midland mild kit
 
skitter said:
So, crush the malt, steep it like tea (without going above 170) , add your DME or LME and boil with hops for 60 minutes. Ferment for 1 week and bottle/keg
Click to expand...

Yep. But bring it to a boil, then add hops, then at the last 15 minutes or so, add the DME. it will taste better the less it cooks (the DME).

I usually use about half the boil volume to steep, then heat the rest if the water in another pot to rinse the grain in. A lot of people just use the full volume to steep. (My method is probably a waste of time.)
 
ericbw said:
Yep. But bring it to a boil, then add hops, then at the last 15 minutes or so, add the DME. it will taste better the less it cooks (the DME).

I usually use about half the boil volume to steep, then heat the rest if the water in another pot to rinse the grain in. A lot of people just use the full volume to steep. (My method is probably a waste of time.)
Click to expand...

Thanks, DME i always add post boil sorry. Lots of the LME recipes I have require adding during the boil. Illkeep that in mind on my trial batch. Unfortunatly nobody has offered a kegging kit for free :p
 
Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) Mild

2.5 Gallons

Base Malt: 1.75 lbs Light Dry Malt Extract

Specialty Malts:

4 ozs Special B Malt
2 ozs Pale Chocolate Malt

Kettle Hops: 3/4 ounce Goldings (U.S. or UK)
Finishing hops: 1/4 ounce Goldings (U.S. or UK)

Yeast: 1/2 package of Danstar Nottingham

This beer will have an original gravity of approximately 1.032 and an ABV of around 3%. If your local home brewing supplier does not sell grains in sub-one pound increments, you are going to have to purchase a pound of the special B and pale chocolate malts. Hopefully, your wife owns a 12 quart or larger stock pot and a meat or candy thermometer.

In keeping with the KISS principle, you can crush the malt using a rolling pin (place it in a heavy gauge freezer bag). You can make grain steeping bags out of sections of old panty hose by tying a knot in one end, adding the crushed malt, and tying the other end.

Process

  1. Boil two gallons of water the night before you plan to brew (this water will be used after the boil to top off your batch)
  2. Clean and sanitize your Mr. Beer Keg and everything else that will touch your wort after it is cool
  3. Assuming that your wife owns a stock pot that holds at least 12 quarts, place the stock pot on the the stove and add 2 gallons of tap water (if she owns a larger stock pot, add 2.5 gallons of tap water)
  4. Bring the water up to 150F, kill the heat, add the bagged grains, and allow the grains to steep for 30 minutes
  5. Remove the bagged grains and carefully mix in the dry malt extract before applying heat to the pot
  6. After the wort comes to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow the wort to boil for 15 minutes before adding the kettle hops
  7. After boiling the wort an additional sixty minutes, kill the heat, add the finishing hops, cover the stock pot, and place it in a kitchen sink full of ice water
  8. Allow the wort to cool to room temperature before pouring it into the Mr. Beer Keg, toping off with the water that you boiled the night before, and pitching the yeast (you should have more water than you need)

Note: You can also make hop bags out of old panty hose. Using hop bags will reduce the bitterness level slightly.
 
EarlyAmateurZymurgist said:
Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) Mild

2.5 Gallons

Base Malt: 1.75 lbs Light Dry Malt Extract

Specialty Malts:

4 ozs Special B Malt
2 ozs Pale Chocolate Malt

Kettle Hops: 3/4 ounce Goldings (U.S. or UK)
Finishing hops: 1/4 ounce Goldings (U.S. or UK)

Yeast: 1/2 package of Danstar Nottingham

This beer will have an original gravity of approximately 1.032 and an ABV of around 3%. If your local home brewing supplier does not sells grains in sub-one pound increments, you are going to have to purchase a pound of the special B and pale chocolate malts. Hopefully, your wife owns a 12 quart or larger stock pot and a meat or candy thermometer.

In keeping with the KISS principle, you can crush the malt using a rolling pin (place it in a heavy gauge freezer bag). You can make grain steeping bags out of old panty hose by tying a knot in one end, adding the crushed malt, and tying the other end.

Process

  1. Boil two gallons of water the night before you plan to brew (this water will be used after the boil to top off your batch)
  2. Clean and sanitize your Mr. Beer Keg and everything else that will touch your wort after it is cool
  3. Assuming that your wife owns a stock pot that holds at least 12 quarts, place the stock pot on the the stove and add 2 gallons of tap water (if she owns a larger stock pot, add 2.5 gallons of tap water)
  4. Bring the water up to 150F, kill the heat, add the bagged grains, and allow them to steep for 30 minutes
  5. Remove the bagged grains and carefully mix in the dry malt extract before applying heat to the pot
  6. After the wort comes to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow the wort to boil for 15 minutes before adding the kettle hops
  7. After boiling the wort an additional sixty minutes, kill the heat, add the finishing hops, cover the stock pot, and place it in a kitchen sink full of ice water
  8. Allow the wort to cool to room temperature before pouring it into the Mr. Beer Keg, toping off with the water that you boiled the night before, and pitching the yeast (you should have more water than you need)

Note: You can also make hop bags out of old panty hose. Using hop bags will reduce the bitterness level slightly.
Click to expand...

Well that works :)

I have a hop bag, was planning on using that for my grains since they aren't in the pot at the same time.

Why not use LME over DME?
 
I have not read the whole thread so please excuse anything I should have known had I have read this...

I just looked that beer up. I haven't noticed it at our HEB, which is a good one for various craft beers, although I tend to seek out 12 packs, and variety packs often come home with me. It looks like it's a good beer. Is this something like an ESB?

You mentioned not being able to do all grain. I'd bet you could. I've moved from steeping grains to doing a BIAB partial mash now, which opens so many doors, and also keeps me from really needing to worry about my water.

We have very hard water up here, and so I've begun to use 1 gal of store bought water to help soften my filtered tap water. I use a large grain bag, though a large muslin bag ought to work OK as long as the grains aren't packed in too tight.

I have a floating thermometer that I keep an eye on my temp with and stir/adjust heat/add water to help maintain it for an hour to 90 mins.

Once I'm near done I zap a few pints of water in the microwave to heat it up to ~160* and sparge my grains through a metal colander and use the base of the cup to press the wort out. Then I'll set it on a plate or pot to collect by gravity whatever else drains out and add it periodically.

BIAB is very simple and only require a thermometer, grain bag, and colander. This can allow you to use rye or British grains or oatmeal, etc.

I assume you use a brew calculator and buy your ingredients from the LHBS?

You mentioned liking the quickness at which a mild can be ready. I used to follow the rule of thumb (3/3/3), but have since switched to 4/4/1 which only gives the yeast more time to clean up, and for the flavors to meld together better. The greatest improvement seems to be with IPA's and beers with complex grain bills. Maybe it's not quite the issue for you, but you may very well see a difference if you allow it more time. If you have several Mr Beer fermentors you can do a side by side test.
 
Mild is (I think) more related to a brown than an ESB. Flavors like a weak brown or porter. More dark and toasty (chocolate) than caramel like an ESB. also lower hops bitterness.
 
You're killing me ericbw! That sounds similar to something I thought I was going to try to create after having made a Cascadian Dark! I wanted a dark beer that wasn't so roasty by using carafa special that would garner the cross-eyed look by those who just drink typical American big box fizzy stuff. So it has a name after all...
 
I noticed the mild skitter originally posted has an ABV of 5%. Is that high for a typical mild then?

I generally brew my "light" beers at 4.7-8%. I drink too slow to bother with anything lighter as I like the buzz too.
 
I didn't post a mild or a beer, unless your referring to the Firestone DBA? My personal recipe for my current run of beer is an amber, nothing to do with a Mild. The recipe I posted was a quote from EarlyAmateurZymurgist that I want to try
 
rodwha said:
I noticed the mild skitter originally posted has an ABV of 5%. Is that high for a typical mild then?

I generally brew my "light" beers at 4.7-8%. I drink too slow to bother with anything lighter as I like the buzz too.
Click to expand...

A mild is supposed to be like 3%.
 

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