G'day fellow brewers.
I was planning on doing a fairly authentic English mild ale, based on Olivers description in Beer Styles.
" Mild Ale One of the great styles of British beer, mild ale originally was a beer that had not been aged, as many were to “sour†them. Today, mild ale means lightly hopped and not bitter, therefore slightly sweet. They are usually dark in color and have a rich grainy character due to large amounts of cereal adjucts. They get their deep copper to dark brown color from caramel and roasted malts. While not particularly bitter, they can be full of flavor. They usually have a light body and are low in alcohol, but it is not always the case. It is a beer able to be drunk in quantity and was popular in industrial areas where a hard-earned thirst was a daily occurence. After almost being lost, mild ale has had somewhat of a revival in Britain. OG is usually 1.030 to 1.040. IBUs are usually 10 to 25. Alcohol 2.5 to 3.5%."
My first time using Brewmate. What do you think about this recipe?
Grain Potential Extract %
1Kg Munich I 1.038 30
1Kg Munich II 1.038 30
850g Pale malt extract 1.037 25
200g dark Creystal 1.033 6
200g Pale crystal 1.034 6
100g Pale chocolate 1.030 3
O.G: 1.032 (predicted)
F.G: 1008 (predicted)
Hops AA% Boil Time IBU
12g Northern Brewer 9.6% AA 60 mins 15.4
10g Fuggles 3.8% AA 20mins 2.4
Total IBU: 17.8
BU:GU Ratio 0.56
Finings
1 Whirlfloc Tablet @10mins
Yeast ???
I was thinking of giving a brewcellar premium ale yeast a go in this one. I am yet to use it but have a starter sitting in the fridge. Smells a bit like a fresh baked fruit loaf, albeit in a much more restrained way. Concerned it might chew away too much of the body though. Do you think that will be a problem with that much crystal in the mix? I can go S-04, but a liquid is out of the question financially.
Is it too much crystal for the IBU?
Does it need more hops/aroma, bearing in mind the style guidelines/restrictions?
I have on hand: 500g dark crystal
500g pale crystal
500g Pale chocolate
1kg Munich I
1Kg Munich II
1Kg Pale extract
1Kg dark extract
500g LDME
1kg Coopers BE2
70g Nelson Sauvin
40g Northern Brewer
50g Fuggles
50g Challenger
50g EKG
I am relatively new at brewing English ales, so any advice greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Paul
Edit: Added hop quantities.