Brewing Mild Ales - How Low Can You Go?

Society of Barley Engineers General Meting 4/5/17 Bob Mac Kay - QUAFF Agenda • Why I love this style • History & popularity of Milds • Influence on changes to Milds over time • Mild Ingredients – Pale & Dark Mild • Process particulars on brewing Milds • Mild recipes – past & present • Conclusion • Q & A

2 Why I Love This Style • Low in alcohol … but full of flavor! • Tasty with various flavor contributions – Bready flavor from base malts – Chocolate/roast flavor from dark malts (Dark Mild) • Well balanced beer leaning towards malt – Hop bitterness for balance only • Economical – simple grain bill • Easy to brew – single infusion mash • Can enjoy quickly

3 I’ve Enjoyed Some Success with Milds • Mild awards include . . . – Best of Division – 2006 – San Diego County Fair • English Pale Mild – Best of Show – 2011 – San Diego County Fair • English Dark Mild – 1st Place – 2016 ViaSat Homebrew Competition • Dark Mild – 1st Place – 2016 California State Homebrew Comp. • Dark Mild 4 The Highs & Lows of Milds

• Today we think of Milds as the lowest strength English beers – But this was not always the case • Latter 19th century, Mild Ale stronger than . . . – Pale Ale or – Bitter – For example: • Burton Mild: OG of 1.080 • vs Bitter: OG of 1.064

5 Time for a Beer – Mild #1 • Nerf Herder Dark Mild - 4.5% ABV – Pizza Port San Clemente, CA – 2012 World Beer Cup Bronze Medal Winner

6 First… A Little English Brewing History

From 1600 on, Early 17th & hops in most 1700s – Early 18th ales; Porters & Century – Ales 1/3 Stout Hydrometer “Mild” Beer ≠ Ale amount of hops Porters in – malt yields Meant than Beers London accurately Fresh measured

17th Century 18th Century

Distinct barrel sizes Publicans  All Malt Liquor All colors of Ale: 32 gal Commercial brewers- Ale-British ales Beer: 36 gal e.g., Sam Whitbread’s beers before produced – Porter & Stout hops 15th cent. depending created 1st cmml Beer-hopped upon base brewing industry in malt liquor malts used the world from European immigrants 7 A Century of Predominance • “Mild” was fairly common term in 1700s – Fresh beer that was not kept or vatted – Meant to be drunk within a few weeks • Often applied to Porter – most popular 18th century beer in England – Versus “stale” porter kept in wooden vats for 6 – 12 mos. • Tastes changed in early 1800s – More beers were fresh – called “Mild” or “Running Beers” • Mild Ale, Mild Porter, Mild Bitter • By mid 1800s, all ales were fresh beers – Term “Mild” to denote fresh beer fell out of use – Kept beers were now termed “Stock Ales” • By 1850, Mild Ale overtook Porter as England’s favorite beer – A spot it held for over 100 years (1850 to 1960)!

Roger Prost- Mild Ale: It’s Not Dead Yet – Brew Your Own, September 2005 8 Mild Designations- circa 1830s

• Milds were designated X through XXXX – Exact origin is unclear • Tax / barrel of strong ale before 1830 = 10 shillings = X? • Just easiest thing to chalk on a barrel end? • X • XX EOL Production *OG 67% 23% • XXX 1875 1864 6% • XXXX 1840s 4% * To ~ 1060 in 1870

9 The Highs & Lows of Milds

10 Time for a Beer – Mild #2 • Skidmark Brown Ale – 4.5% ABV – Pizza Port Brewing, Ocean Beach, CA – 2011 GABF Gold Medal Winner

11 Legislative & Technology Impacts

1816 All ales Only 4 fresh vs. 1880 - Free Sugar led to Mild or ingredients 1820 – “Stock” Mash Tun Act gradual Running in beer IPAs at for kept - Tax on OG darkening of Beers Burton- - Adjuncts OK color Common on-Trent

19th Century

Beerhouse Gravities Coke on 1850 Maize, rice & Act of 1830 continued large scale Mild Ale sugar - Tax malt & to decline produced surpassed lightened st hops 1.050 to 1 pale Porter as body; - Auto 1.055 for beers in England’s Conditioned Licensing of “X” world! #1 Beer Quicker Beer Houses

12 Wars Impact Mild Gravities

Brewers cut WWII – OG World War I Post War strength to further continued - Material 1920s OG retail at shortages to drop to 1960 2002 shortage increased same pre- & ~ 1.027 or Bitter Only 1.2% - Gov’t - but only tax price restrictions 1.028 overtakes pub sales Restrictions to 1.043 Mild were Milds

20th Century

1990 1918 By 1945 By 1950 1929 Gravity of Lager Average most mild gravities Depression Mild Ale overtakes OG fell to ales were rose a - Led to dropped Bitter 1.025 below little to British Gov’t to ~ 1.035 1.030 1.030 to dramatic tax - modern 1.032 increase on Mild Ale beer in 1931 was born

13 Not Dead Yet • Milds continued to decline… but are not dead • CAMRA has continued to support – May declared as Mild Month • Some revival at US craft breweries • But particulars that make it a great personal favorite doom it to widespread US support – Low hopping rates – against grain of US palates – Shorter shelf life – Slower sales movement & profitability for brewers

14 Time for a Beer – Mild #3

• Pale Mild - 4.0% ABV – Harold Gulbransen, QUAFF

15 Mild Ales by the Numbers • Pale Mild • Dark Mild – BJCP Style Guidelines – BJCP Style Guidelines

3 – Roger Protz – Roger Protz3

16 Brewing Milds • Both Pale & Dark Milds were brewed – Based upon geographical location • Dark in London, Whales & Midlands of England • Pale in North of England • Key – make flavorful but not watery! – Trickier for Pale Mild, since a lot of flavor in Dark Mild comes from the roasted malts • A dextrinous wort from high temp mashing is key – 154ᵒ F to 158ᵒ F

17 Ingredients for Milds • Base Malt – Use Maris Otter, Mild Ale malt or Pale malt • Terry Foster2 – use Mild Ale malt – Kilned higher  get some roasted/nutty flavor • Specialty Malts – Crystal malt - 10% to 15% in both Dark & Pale Milds • Pale mild: Lighter colored malts – 20 to 40 Lovibond • Dark mild: Darker but not too dark – 60 to 80 L – Chocolate or Pale Chocolate • Pale mild: 1-2% of total grist to add complexity • Dark mild: up to 5% of total grist – Can omit Crystal malt – Black malt (Dark Mild) – for a dry finish • 1 – 2% of grist • Hops – English hops – Kent Goldings or Fuggle

18 Process for Brewing Milds • Single step infusion mash – 154ᵒ F to 158ᵒ F to produce dextrinous wort • I add a twist with a “pseudo decoction” – Dark Milds only, not Pale Milds • Sparge with 170ᵒ F water • Boil for 60 minutes • Water treatment- 50% RO/50% filtered tap – Some Calcium Chloride

19 Pseudo-Decoction • Pull 0.5 qts/lb wort  15’ boil  return to mash tun • Jonny Lieberman, Maltose Falcons, 2009; link: pseudo-decoction

• Enhances melanoidin process  maltiness • Aids protein breakdown/coagulation  clarity • Maximizes gelatinization of starches  efficiency 20 Yeast, Fermentation & Packaging • Pitch with English yeast – Character but low attenuation • Pitch yeast without starter – Help ester production • Ferment at 66ᵒ F to 68ᵒ F – Should be finished in 4 to 5 days • Secondary fermentation not needed

• Carbonate to only 1.5 to 2.0 volumes CO2 – Priming sugar, DME or forced carbonation • Or serve on beer engine - the CAMRA way!

21 Time for a Beer – Mild #4

• Dark Mild - 3.9% ABV – Bob MacKay, QUAFF

22 Recipes - 19th Century Milds

23 Recipes – Current Day Milds PP San Clemente – Nerf Herder (Sample #1) – 4.5% ABV • 62% - 2 row malt • 6% - CaraPils malt • 5% - Crystal 50L malt • 9% - Crystal 77L malt • 3% - Crystal 120L malt • 3% - Chocolate malt • 2% - Chocolate Wheat • 3% - Honey malt • 7% - Flaked oats • 75 min – Magnum hops • 30 min – EKG & Fuggle • WP – EKG & Fuggle • House strain - La Cruda Yeast (Tomme Arthur brought back from UK) 24 Recipes – Current Day Milds PP Ocean Beach – Skidmark Brown (Sample #2) – 4.5% ABV • 66% - Maris Otter English Pale Ale malt • 9% - Mild malt • 5% - Chocolate malt • 4% - Wheat • 4% - Crystal 120L malt • 6% - Crystal 50L malt • 6% - Flaked oats • 90 min – UK Phoenix hops • 65 min – Brewers Gold • 10 min – Sterling • House strain - La Cruda Yeast (Tomme Arthur brought back from UK) 25 Recipes – Current Day Milds Harold’s Pale Mild – 6.5 gallons (Sample #3) • 7lbs. Bairds English Pale Ale malt • 1 lb. Crystal 10L malt • 2 oz. Pale Chocolate malt • Mash at 157ᵒ F ± 1ᵒ F for 60 minutes • 12g of Magnum (12.4%AA) for 60 min; 15g of Liberty (5.5% AA) for 10 min • White Labs WLP013 London Ale Yeast • Ferment at 68ᵒ F for 7 days; then 65ᵒ F for 7 days • OG = 1.039; FG = 1.008; ABV = 4.0%

• Force carbonated to 2.2 volumes CO2

26 Recipes – Current Day Milds Bob’s Dark Mild – 10 gallons (Sample #4) • 10lbs. Maris Otter English Pale Ale malt • 1 lb. Crystal 60L malt • 0.8 lb. Crystal 120L malt • 0.6 lb. Pale chocolate malt • 0.30 lb. Black Patent malt • Mash at 157ᵒ F ± 1ᵒ F plus pseudo-decoction mash • 46g East Kent Goldings hops (5.1%AA) for 60 min. • White Labs WLP002 English Ale Yeast • Ferment at 68ᵒ F ± 1ᵒ F for 7 days; then 4 days at 70ᵒ F • OG = 1.039; FG = 1.011; ABV = 3.9%

• Force carbonated to 2.3 volumes CO2 27 Recipes – Current Day Milds • John Palmer’s Belladonna Took’s Oaked Mild5

28 Recipes – Current Day Milds • Jamil Zainasheff & John Palmer’s Dark Mild4 – Brewing Classic Styles, 2007, pg. 145 “Through A Mild Darkly” – 7 gallons • 7lbs. British Pale Ale malt • 0.5 lb. Crystal 60L malt • 6 oz. Crystal 120L malt • 0.25 lb. Pale chocolate malt • 2.0 oz. Black Patent malt • Mash at 154ᵒ F • 24g East Kent Goldings hops (5% AA) for 60 min. • White Labs WLP002 English Ale Yeast or Wyeast 1968 Londaon ESB Ale or Safeale S-04 • OG = 1.039 • Ferment at 68ᵒF ± 1ᵒ F • Carbonate to 1.5 volumes and serve at 52ᵒ F to 55ᵒ F 29 Recipes – Current Day Milds

Terry Foster2 30 Recipes – Current Day Milds

Terry Foster2 31 In Conclusion • Mild Ales are not . . . – Just fresh beers (vice stock ales) – Same high gravity beers as in 19th Century England – Popular for craft brewers – Dead yet • Mild Ales are . . . – Nice alternative to super-gravity & hoppy beers – Easy to brew – Economical & Efficient – Low gravity & ABV – Refreshing – true Session Ales – Worth finding when commercially available – Definitely worth brewing & enjoying with friends

32 References • 1-The Home Brewers Guide to Vintage Beer – Ron Pattinson – Quarry Books, 2014 • 2 - Mild Ale: It’s Not Dead Yet – Terry Foster - Brew Your Own, September 2005 • 3 - Unesco: Take a Look At Britain’s Heritage – Roger Protz – Protz On Beer, January 25, 2017 • 4 - Brewing Classic Styles – Jamil Zainasheff & John Palmer, 2007 • 5 - Belladonna Took’s Oaked Mild – John Palmer – Brewing TV, Episode 8: NHC 2010 • 6 – Mild Ale – AHA Classic Beer Style Series – David Sutula – Brewers Publications, 1999

33 A Special Thanks To . . . Harold Gulbransen of QUAFF for brewing the Pale Mild

34 And a Special Thanks To . . . Sean Farrell Director of Brewing Pizza Port Brewing Company for providing the Commercial Milds: Nerf Herder – PP San Clemente Skidmark Brown – PP Ocean Beach

35 Anyone Still Awake? Questions?

Stone Yorkshire Squares at Samuel Smith Brewery, Tadcaster Hook Norton (Victorian Tower) Brewery Oxfordshire Cotswolds 36