brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Dark Mild

By thomas #30 Minute Boil, #Ale, #Barley, #Beer, #BIAB, #Britain, #British, #Dark Mild, #Homebrew, #Hops, #Mild, #One Gallon, #Recipe, #Session Ale, #Sparge, #Unaged Ale, #Water, #Westfort, #Winter 2025, #Yeast

Codename : Westfort Dork Mildthorpe (2025)

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I am trying the dark mild again, changing up the recipe from previous iterations to add some more sweetness with more crystal malts. A little about this style of beer,

Generally a malty beer, although may have a very wide range of malt- and yeast-based flavours (e.g., malty, sweet, caramel, toffee, toast, nutty, chocolate, coffee, roast, fruit, liquorice, plum, raisin) over a bready, biscuity, or toasty base. 

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/13/13A/dark-mild/

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Maris Otter malt (3.8L)
  • 2 oz Biscuit malt (28L)
  • 1 oz Double Roasted Crystal (113L)
  • 1 oz Crystal malt I (45L)
  • 1 oz Carafa Special III (525L)
  • 1/4 Campden tablet in strike water (optional)
  • 0.20 oz Minstrel hops at 25 minutes
  • 1 oz turbinado sugar at 20 minutes
  • 1/2 tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 3 ml Windsor ale yeast

Vital Stats

  • BJCP Style : Dark Mild
  • Anticipated ABV : 3.3%
  • Anticipated IBU : 17
  • Anticipated SRM : 20
  • Pre-sparge SG : 1.029
  • Pre-boil SG : 1.025
  • Post-boil SG: 1.035
  • Original SG : 1.035
  • Target SG : 1.010
  • Carbonation : 2.2
  • Water profile : North English Brown
  • Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 72%

Brew Day

  • Prepare 4.4L strike water, 158F
  • Add the milled grains to the bag
  • Place the bag in the hot water, set the timer for 90 minutes, and maintain the temperature at 158F. It is acceptable if the temperature varies by a couple of degrees in either direction
  • With about 15 minutes remaining in the mash in, heat 2L of water to approximately 170F
  • Stir occasionally
  • Calibrate the refractometer, AKA the sonic screwdriver
  • Lift the bag out of the water, and allow it to drip into the pot. Every bit of sugar that can be extracted will benefit the end ABV
  • Pour the sparge water over over the grain bag, this should help extract even more sugar
  • Bring up to a boil, 212F, set the timer for 30 minutes. Add hops, sugar, and Irish moss, as prescribed above
  • Sanitise everything required for fermentation.
  • Cool to room temp, an ice-bath or a snowbank work effectively.
  • Prepare the yeast mixture, per manufacturers directions.
  • Transfer the wort to the carboy, splash the wort around to aerate the contents.
  • Put the airlock on the carboy.
  • Store in a cool dark place for primary fermentation for 10-14 days.

Bottling Day

Brew Notes

Valentine heart with bow
  • The last batch I sparged, I extracted more sugar than expected, the BHE has been bumped to 72% for this attempt, feels close enough, one more batch to confirm it.
  • The North English Brown water profile was chosen to enhance the malt in the beer.
  • The mild is intended to be unaged, that is, it can be consumed as soon as it is fermented. Despite that, this one will be carbonated.
  • Happy Valentine’s Day
Carboy with dark wort to be fermented
The dork mild will take 10-14 days to ferment.

Brew day : 14-Feb-2025

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