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Author Topic: American Mild  (Read 18268 times)

Offline archstanton

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #30 on: August 22, 2014, 10:02:18 am »
I got amazing efficiency...89% brewhouse for a no sparge!  Ended up at 1.040 OG.
that is amazing for no sparge. I generally aim for the mid to low 60's no sparge

Yeah, but I think something's wrong.  I just pulled that from Promash.  When I calculate it manually, I get about 76%.  I think that"s correct and I must have something set wrong in Promash.  Still. 76% is pretty respectable.

I find that my extract efficiency goes way up when I use < 10 pounds of grain for a 5 gallon batch. I would expect a "no sparge" to be mid seventies for that bill. Especially with the mash not being too diluted for full conversion. 

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #31 on: August 22, 2014, 12:52:10 pm »
Some thoughts on session beers I have made and looking at Ron Pattinson's book of recipes, I will through this out.

Torrified what will help a little, but not American.
Flaked maize has been in many session beers I make.
Invert sugar has higher sugars, and seems to give a nice flavor and fullness to the beer if the toffee flavors are not overboard.

Most British session beers are in the 149 to 152F range in the mash, but that is for the British Pale ale Malts. The hotter NA malts may work fine at 158-160 and give the desired results.

Jeff Rankert
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #32 on: August 22, 2014, 01:00:20 pm »
I'd call it a Double Infusion

Double infusion no sparge hoo haw

Just think how famous you'll be inventing a new style AND a new method for brewing it.

Offline denny

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #33 on: August 24, 2014, 12:47:28 pm »
Some thoughts on session beers I have made and looking at Ron Pattinson's book of recipes, I will through this out.

Torrified what will help a little, but not American.
Flaked maize has been in many session beers I make.
Invert sugar has higher sugars, and seems to give a nice flavor and fullness to the beer if the toffee flavors are not overboard.

Most British session beers are in the 149 to 152F range in the mash, but that is for the British Pale ale Malts. The hotter NA malts may work fine at 158-160 and give the desired results.

Thanks for the tips, Jeff.  Isn't using maize or sugar counter to the body that I'm trying so hard to produce?  Maybe I'm going in the wrong direction?  Although I haven't had a lot of milds, many of them seem to be very thin bodied.  I always considered that a flaw.  Am I wrong in that?  I have tried using some candi syrup in a low ABV beer, but other than some flavor from it, I wasn't too thrilled at what it did to the body.

I appreciate your suggestions!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline denny

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #34 on: August 24, 2014, 12:48:07 pm »
I'd call it a Double Infusion

Double infusion no sparge hoo haw

Just think how famous you'll be inventing a new style AND a new method for brewing it.

 ;D
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline jeffy

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #35 on: August 24, 2014, 01:11:36 pm »
I made a dark English Mild recently.  I decided to mash at 160 and use London Ale yeast, so the gravity went from 1.039 to 1.019 after three weeks.  I like drinking Imperial Pints of it without guilt.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
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Offline denny

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #36 on: August 24, 2014, 02:17:41 pm »
I made a dark English Mild recently.  I decided to mash at 160 and use London Ale yeast, so the gravity went from 1.039 to 1.019 after three weeks.  I like drinking Imperial Pints of it without guilt.

Good to hear.  I'm hoping for something similar.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline dzlater

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #37 on: August 24, 2014, 02:36:47 pm »
Some thoughts on session beers I have made and looking at Ron Pattinson's book of recipes, I will through this out.

Torrified what will help a little, but not American.
Flaked maize has been in many session beers I make.
Invert sugar has higher sugars, and seems to give a nice flavor and fullness to the beer if the toffee flavors are not overboard.

Most British session beers are in the 149 to 152F range in the mash, but that is for the British Pale ale Malts. The hotter NA malts may work fine at 158-160 and give the desired results.

Thanks for the tips, Jeff.  Isn't using maize or sugar counter to the body that I'm trying so hard to produce?  Maybe I'm going in the wrong direction?  Although I haven't had a lot of milds, many of them seem to be very thin bodied.  I always considered that a flaw.  Am I wrong in that?  I have tried using some candi syrup in a low ABV beer, but other than some flavor from it, I wasn't too thrilled at what it did to the body.

I appreciate your suggestions!

This is something I've been wondering about myself. It seems most recipes I've see for British beers that are written by Brits call for relativly low to middle of the road mash temps. While recipes from US homebrewers seem to go with the upper range.
 I have a book Brew Your Own British Real Ale, by Graham Wheeler. All the mild recipes have a mash temp of 153 and the bitters are all mashed at 151. Many of the recipes also include sugar.
 Of course this could just be a fault with book, but I'm not so sure. It seems to well regarded on the Brit homebrew forums.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2014, 02:40:39 pm by dzlater »
Dan S. from NJ

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #38 on: August 24, 2014, 03:35:53 pm »
I've been noticing this lately myself. I think that the goal from the british persepective is to create a beer that is light bodied but full flavored. So you pump up the crystal malt and use a very flavorful base malt while mashing low and even including some simple sugars for a pretty dry beer. I still like to mash high on session beers but it's largely an issue of prejudice against crystal malts for me.  with a healthy portion of munich malt and a medium high mash temp and no sugar I think you get a character similar to a high percentage crystal malt grist with some sugar and a lower mash temp.
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Offline denny

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #39 on: August 24, 2014, 04:09:39 pm »
I've been noticing this lately myself. I think that the goal from the british persepective is to create a beer that is light bodied but full flavored. So you pump up the crystal malt and use a very flavorful base malt while mashing low and even including some simple sugars for a pretty dry beer. I still like to mash high on session beers but it's largely an issue of prejudice against crystal malts for me.  with a healthy portion of munich malt and a medium high mash temp and no sugar I think you get a character similar to a high percentage crystal malt grist with some sugar and a lower mash temp.

Ya know, I think that might be it.  I may be totally off course in looking for more body.  I guess I'll know kin a few days when fermentaion is done and I can give it a preliminary taste.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Octabird

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #40 on: August 24, 2014, 04:54:44 pm »
Denny for my first brew I was thinking the type of beer you are talking of would be good to me as well.

My plan was to use a similar grain assortment, but the hops are going to be fresh dried Columbus and pelleted Crystal. Then at flameout I was going to add some coriander seed and a few bay leaves to get a more floral note in the finish.
Can't wait to see how yours turns out.


Mr. Octabird
American Made!

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #41 on: August 24, 2014, 07:21:12 pm »
Some thoughts on session beers I have made and looking at Ron Pattinson's book of recipes, I will through this out.

Torrified what will help a little, but not American.
Flaked maize has been in many session beers I make.
Invert sugar has higher sugars, and seems to give a nice flavor and fullness to the beer if the toffee flavors are not overboard.

Most British session beers are in the 149 to 152F range in the mash, but that is for the British Pale ale Malts. The hotter NA malts may work fine at 158-160 and give the desired results.

Thanks for the tips, Jeff.  Isn't using maize or sugar counter to the body that I'm trying so hard to produce?  Maybe I'm going in the wrong direction?  Although I haven't had a lot of milds, many of them seem to be very thin bodied.  I always considered that a flaw.  Am I wrong in that?  I have tried using some candi syrup in a low ABV beer, but other than some flavor from it, I wasn't too thrilled at what it did to the body.

I appreciate your suggestions!

This is something I've been wondering about myself. It seems most recipes I've see for British beers that are written by Brits call for relativly low to middle of the road mash temps. While recipes from US homebrewers seem to go with the upper range.
 I have a book Brew Your Own British Real Ale, by Graham Wheeler. All the mild recipes have a mash temp of 153 and the bitters are all mashed at 151. Many of the recipes also include sugar.
 Of course this could just be a fault with book, but I'm not so sure. It seems to well regarded on the Brit homebrew forums.

The ones I have had in the UK are on handpump or gravity, so there is that difference. Lower attenuating yeast may be another.

I will also say that one of the best Milds/low gravity beers I have had was a Haveys Mild while in Brighton, not so far from the brewery. I could not wrap my head around the flavor and body that was in a 3.0% ABV beer - served on a handpump of course.
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline realbeerguy

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #42 on: August 24, 2014, 08:30:40 pm »
I made a dark English Mild recently.  I decided to mash at 160 and use London Ale yeast, so the gravity went from 1.039 to 1.019 after three weeks.  I like drinking Imperial Pints of it without guilt.

When I was working on my Dark Mild last year,  Denny suggested London Ale III.  It was the missing link.

Denny, I think that you are on the right track with one exception.  Go with a single hop charge upfront with American hop, Chinnock would be a good choice and dry hop.  Mashing at 160 dF will give nice body, low alchohol, and the dryhop will shine thrugh.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #43 on: August 24, 2014, 08:41:37 pm »
You might see what these guys can say, if they reply.

The American Pale Ale was wonderful at 4.7%, with a nice body and mouthfeel.
http://darkstarbrewing.co.uk/beer/
Jeff Rankert
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Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline denny

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Re: American Mild
« Reply #44 on: August 26, 2014, 11:25:57 am »
Just took a gravity reading...1.010, lower than I was shooting for!  Had a wonderful hop aroma, though.  I put some in a PET bottle to carb and chill for a taste this afternoon.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2014, 11:30:48 am by denny »
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell