Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: American Mild  (Read 18278 times)

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #45 on: August 26, 2014, 11:29:33 am »
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.

I'll be curious to see how the 160 mash affected things given the SG I just got.  I've been thinking about an early hop charge, too.  I love the flavor and aroma from the late additions and I wanted the smoother bittering from a late addition, but I've started detecting a bit of "soapiness" in all late hopped beers I've done.  I don't know for sure that late hops are the culprit, but they are the consistent factor.

Also, at this point I'm trying to keep to all American ingredients, so I'm avoiding a British yeast.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: American Mild
« Reply #46 on: August 26, 2014, 12:50:09 pm »
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.

I'll be curious to see how the 160 mash affected things given the SG I just got.  I've been thinking about an early hop charge, too.  I love the flavor and aroma from the late additions and I wanted the smoother bittering from a late addition, but I've started detecting a bit of "soapiness" in all late hopped beers I've done.  I don't know for sure that late hops are the culprit, but they are the consistent factor.

Also, at this point I'm trying to keep to all American ingredients, so I'm avoiding a British yeast.
I know it's not your 'favorite' and I don't have experience with it, but 1332 Northwest Ale Yeast has lower attenuation.
https://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=139
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #47 on: August 26, 2014, 01:19:56 pm »
I know it's not your 'favorite' and I don't have experience with it, but 1332 Northwest Ale Yeast has lower attenuation.
https://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=139

I may revisit it, but when I've used it in the past it had a tartness that I found unpleasant.  And the real key will be in the wort, not the yeast attenuation, I think.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline chumley

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1208
Re: American Mild
« Reply #48 on: August 26, 2014, 01:34:58 pm »
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.

I'll be curious to see how the 160 mash affected things given the SG I just got.  I've been thinking about an early hop charge, too.  I love the flavor and aroma from the late additions and I wanted the smoother bittering from a late addition, but I've started detecting a bit of "soapiness" in all late hopped beers I've done.  I don't know for sure that late hops are the culprit, but they are the consistent factor.

Also, at this point I'm trying to keep to all American ingredients, so I'm avoiding a British yeast.

No doubt you know all "American" ale yeasts are of British origin, of course.....

Best English milds I have made, were using Fuller's yeast.  If you don't rouse it, it drops quick, leaving a fuller, maltier beer.

Wyeast and White Labs are both on the Left Coast, so I would consider their products to be American ingredients.

Just sayin'.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #49 on: August 26, 2014, 01:53:22 pm »
No doubt you know all "American" ale yeasts are of British origin, of course.....

Best English milds I have made, were using Fuller's yeast.  If you don't rouse it, it drops quick, leaving a fuller, maltier beer.

Wyeast and White Labs are both on the Left Coast, so I would consider their products to be American ingredients.

Just sayin'.

Yeah, I'm aware of that, although I haven't done enough research to say "all".  But you know what I meant!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #50 on: August 29, 2014, 01:34:18 pm »
OK, here's the update after a tasting yesterday....

The beer was brewed on the 21st. By the 26th it had reached 1.010 so I sealed the fermenter and crashed it to 35F. After 2 days, the yeast had dropped and the beer was crystal clear. I'm finding one of the advantages of a low gravity beer is that it ferments fast!

I put about 12 oz. in a 20 oz. PET bottle, attached a carbonator cap and hit it with 30 psi. Since the beer was already at 35 it only took a couple hours til it was carbed and ready.

Overall, it was closer to what I had in mind than I expected. The 1450 left a decent mouthfeel even for a low gravity beer. The body was a bit thin, but not bad. The toastiness of the Special Roast came through, and I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. It did enhance the flavor, but I think maybe it also contributed to the perception of thin body. The hops didn't come through as much as I would have thought but at least the Chinook I used for "bittering" at 20 min., didn't seem harsh or overpowering. I'd say the beer didn't suck!

For the next iteration I'm gonna make a few changes all at once. Yeah, I know I always tell people not to do that, but what good are rules if you can't break them! Besides, I think I have a good idea of what they'll do and what will account for what. So here's the plan....I'm gonna sub in a lb. of Great Western Munich 10L for a lb. of base malt. I'm hoping that will bump up the malt flavor some, which wasn't too bad already. I'll also raise the mash temp to 163 to see if it increases the body. I'll leave the Special Roast for now, although it may not play nice with the Munich. Hop schedule will remain the same.

I hope to have time to brew this sometime next. The week after that I'm off to Yakima for Hop and Brew School at Hop Union, so I probably won't report on this version (v2) until after the 12th. Stay tuned!

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

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: American Mild
« Reply #51 on: August 29, 2014, 02:17:08 pm »
Here's the recipe for a 3.5% abv Brown ale I did last year. I want shooting for American, but the high prevent of specialty malt and high mash temp produced nice low attenuation. OG 1.041

It's Northern Brewer's Surley Bender clone recipe and I reduced the base malt significantly while keeping the specialty malts. It worked very well.


Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #52 on: August 29, 2014, 02:41:47 pm »
Thanks!  Holy cow, there's a lot of ingredients!  At this point I'm hoping to keep it a bit simpler, but in the end it's the results that will count.  I'll use what I need to to get what I want.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline davidj

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: American Mild
« Reply #53 on: August 30, 2014, 11:02:52 am »
Ever thought of using mild ale malt, I see Briess make a version so would be in keeping with your american ingredients.

Had a few milds back in the UK this summer, they can seem thin at times but works well to have 3-4 pints in a row after work before you go home to the wife and still be compos mentis.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #54 on: August 30, 2014, 11:29:15 am »
Ever thought of using mild ale malt, I see Briess make a version so would be in keeping with your american ingredients.

Had a few milds back in the UK this summer, they can seem thin at times but works well to have 3-4 pints in a row after work before you go home to the wife and still be compos mentis.

I might go for GW pale ale malt, but I generally dislike Briess malts so much that that would be about my last choice.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline yso191

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1816
  • Yakima, WA
Re: American Mild
« Reply #55 on: August 31, 2014, 09:04:23 am »
Ever thought of using mild ale malt, I see Briess make a version so would be in keeping with your american ingredients.

Had a few milds back in the UK this summer, they can seem thin at times but works well to have 3-4 pints in a row after work before you go home to the wife and still be compos mentis.

I might go for GW pale ale malt, but I generally dislike Briess malts so much that that would be about my last choice.

My non-brewer friends think I'm a beer genius - that I know pretty much everything there is to know about beer.  This is such a great example of my efforts to correct their impression.  There is NO WAY I could pick a Briess malt out of a lineup.  I have a hard time discerning the difference between a Pale malt and Maris Otter for pete's sake.  You're my hero Denny!
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: American Mild
« Reply #56 on: September 01, 2014, 11:21:22 am »
Denny,

After I get my Klickitat American Sour done, I'm going to jump on your band wagon.
I want my American Mild to be numerically like a British Mild, but American flavors.

Klickitat American Mild
1.035 to 1.010ish
3%
16 IBU 16 SRM
Malt fwd with classic PNW hop in the background

3.5lb GW Pale
3.5lb GW Munich 20L
.75lb C40
2oz carafa 2
Mash 158º no sparge

14g Cascade at 30
14g Cascade at 10

1056 at 65 no starter

Edit: to be truly American I'll probably not measure my hops with metric
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 11:24:03 am by klickitat jim »

Offline pete b

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4134
  • Barre, Ma
Re: American Mild
« Reply #57 on: September 01, 2014, 11:28:08 am »
Denny, you don't need my advice for this beer but if you ever perfect it and get someone to make a kit here's a name for it: "Born to be Mild". 8)
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27093
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: American Mild
« Reply #58 on: September 01, 2014, 11:36:39 am »
Jim, looks good...lemme know how it goes!

Pete, I LOVE that name!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

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

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: American Mild
« Reply #59 on: September 01, 2014, 11:48:01 am »
Jim, looks good...lemme know how it goes!

Pete, I LOVE that name!

Will do. I'm thinking that a beer exchange may be in order. Something to pass the winter with. Maybe others will want to join in. We could have a Born to be Mild best of show...