Mild By Name, Mild By Nature
The mild is the one British beer style that seems not to have penetrated the traditions of North American brewers or homebrewers the way many ales of English origin have. Despite a few examples I found writing this article, mild is truly an elusive style when walking down the aisle of even the best North American bottle shops. There is not a specific American substyle for mild ales, as there are some other styles that originated in Britain such as barleywine, IPA, or stout, which are all styles that have been cherished and adapted in the U.S. and North America. Mild, on the other hand, remains a rare curiosity.
I think one of the reasons mild hasn’t been embraced by American homebrewers is that it’s hard to quantify. It’s not hoppy like an IPA, dark and roasty like a stout, or bitter like a . . . bitter. Steve Dunkley, Owner and Head Brewer of the Beer Nouveau in Manchester, England, put it best: “Mild isn’t bitter. It isn’t sweet. It simply is.”
It’s a shame because mild is extremely approachable, easy to brew, and easy to drink due to its gentle malt flavor and sessionable ABV — making it an ideal beer for a homebrewer who’ll have forty or more pints to drink with each 5-gallon (19-L) batch. Its low-hopped nature makes brewing a mild a less expensive brew day too. So hopefully this article will get a few more of you out there brewing milds the way we English do!
Trying to explain exactly what makes a mild can be difficult though. It’s got hundreds of years of history and contemporary milds can reflect that with a wide range of strengths and colors. This is what got me chatting to Steve about milds in the first place; to try and unpack this history. Steve breaks down the long history of mild into three distinct styles: Heritage, traditional, and hybrid.
Heritage Mild
Mild first saw use as a term for beer in the 1700s and was actually more of a description of conditioning than a distinct style. Beer writer Ron Pattinson explained that the same beer conditioned differently would have a different name. “Ones [ales] sold young were described as Mild. Ones that had been aged were called Keeping or Stale.”1
Steve expanded on this for me, saying, “The beer itself was brewed as normal but there was still a fair amount of sugars left in it.” The beer would ferment in the barrel, which most likely would have included Brettanomyces, and this extended its shelf life. Steve estimates the beer might have gone into barrel with a gravity as high as 1.026 — so very thick and sweet. A pub could buy a barrel of mild and either serve it as a mild or cellar age it and sell it as a keeping beer that was then higher ABV with less sweetness and a lighter body.
These heritage milds were brewed with a very high starting gravity though, up to the 1.090s and so would still have a high ABV even if served before fermentation was fully complete.
As pale ale became popular in the 19th century, the mild became a distinct style from pale because of a much lower hopping rate; the one consistency mild has maintained is a low bitterness and muted hop character. Heritage milds were not dark beers though, they generally used 100% brown malt and later 100% pale malt. So a heritage mild is a strong, pale, and malty beer with low hop character.
Traditional Mild
Traditional mild bears little resemblance to heritage mild. It’s got an ABV of 3–4% and ranges from copper to chestnut brown in color. It does maintain the low bitterness, malt focus, and thicker body of its older cousin, however. So how did mild go from a pale, strong beer to the darker, sessionable beer we more commonly know today?
Around 1900, mild had over time gotten weaker with changing consumer tastes but was much stronger than today’s average mild. Burton mild ale around this time was averaging between 1.056–60 original gravity.2
Two World Wars led to periodic sharp increases in the price of food and thus the price of malt. Also, to try and fill a budget deficit brought on by the Great Depression, the taxes on beer increased sharply in the 1930s, which led to brewers making weaker beers to keep them affordable.So this confluence of political and economic factors lead to traditional mild eventually becoming around 3–4%.
The question of why mild became darker is a bit less clear. We do know that steadily throughout the early 20th century milds initially used caramel to darken the beer before eventually the use of roasted and crystal malts became the norm, causing mild to change from pale to a dark brown. We don’t know what drove brewers to do this though; it’s honestly a bit of a mystery.
There are still some traditional milds, such as Timothy Taylors Golden Best, that are built like low-ABV heritage milds — these are called pale or golden milds, but are much less common than dark mild.
Another change around this time was the introduction of invert sugar. Invert sugar is a sugar syrup that is a 50/50 mix of glucose and fructose, made from cane sugar. Its proponents swear by its use in traditional mild brewing, believing it adds sweetness and a creamier mouthfeel to the beer whereas detractors say it is almost entirely fermented out. There are examples of milds with and without invert sugar used in contemporary beers representing this split of opinion.
Hybrid Milds
In the past few years there has been a growing interest in milds from British craft breweries. As you’ll see from the contemporary clone brews at the end of the article, many of these newer English craft breweries have wanted to resurrect the high ABV of heritage milds but often include idiosyncrasies such as the darker malts of traditional milds. This has led to beers sold as “strong” or “imperial” milds that aren’t really either heritage or traditional, so instead they are sometimes referred to as hybrid milds.
Brewing Your Own Mild
My advice that follows is focused on brewing a traditional mild and one that might fit into the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) guidelines, but I will make reference to heritage milds as well.
The specifications of a traditional mild are pretty much what the vital statistics of the current BJCP dark mild style describe:
IBU: 10–25
SRM: 14–25
OG: 1.030–1.038
FG: 1.008–1.013
ABV: 3–3.8%
Grain Bill and Mashing
The majority of the grist (80%+ or 70%+ if using invert sugar) should be a base of a mild malt. Mild malt is kilned slightly darker than pale malt and adds a golden hue and sweet/nutty notes. It’s similar to Vienna and Munich malt but lighter than either. Pale malt can also be used, ideally using Maris Otter or Chevallier barley varieties for the heritage flavor.
Invert sugar can be included up to 10%. It can be hard for homebrewers to get ahold of but Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a good alternative; this is readily available in the U.K. and can be found online or often in the British section of North American supermarkets. Molasses or honey can be used as a substitute. Searches on the internet also turn up DIY invert sugar if you’re up for making your own.
Crystal malts are essential for building body and coloring the beer. You can color the beer with any crystal malt combinations you like as long as you get the beer to the 14- 25 SRM that is appropriate for the style, but an addition of up to 3–4% of either chocolate or black malt wouldn’t be inappropriate. You are looking to build notes of nut, toffee, caramel, and bread. Roasted character shouldn’t be dominant if you are using roasted malts and any coffee or chocolate notes should be muted.
Mash at a slightly higher temperature than usual — 152–155 °F (67–68 °C) is ideal — to get a higher final gravity. A one-hour mash is sufficient.
Hops and Boiling
British landrace hops are the most appropriate. The earthy bitterness of the majestic Fuggle hops or floral notes of East Kent Golding complement the malty character well.
You want sufficient bitterness to avoid the beer being cloyingly sweet and a hint of hoppy aroma, but not enough to overpower the malt character. Enough bittering hops for 10–20 IBUs and around 0.5–1 ounce (14–28 g) of hops as a late boil addition. Dry hopping isn’t appropriate for the style.
If you are doing a heritage or hybrid style mild, increase the IBUs to around 25–30 to offset the increased residual sugars.
Yeast and Packaging
A characterful British yeast with lower attenuation is ideal. White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) is my go-to. Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) is another good option. The lower attenuation of these strains compared to other English ale strains from these manufacturers will keep the beer at higher final gravity resulting in a thicker body and luscious mouthfeel, which is vital with such a low-ABV beer.
Bottle conditioning mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is — like other British ale styles — best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation. This low carbonation level is why mild is traditionally cask conditioned in the U.K. — obviously for us homebrewers that’s not too easy to do unless you’ve got your own beer engine, but I would encourage bottle conditioning over forced carbonation.
Contemporary Mild Clones
I reached out to a few breweries to learn more and develop clone recipes of contemporary mild ales. Many of the more traditional breweries would not reveal their secrets and a lot of metaphorical doors were slammed in my face; mild is taken very seriously by British brewers! However, a few craft brewers were kind enough to share their recipes with me in hopes of inspiring more homebrewers to brew the humble mild. Enjoy the clone recipes on pages 31–33 that illustrate just how diverse a style mild is.
Elusive Brewing’s Microball clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.041 FG = 1.013
IBU = 16 SRM = 18 ABV = 3.7%
This is a great example of how to build the grain bill without relying on chocolate or black malt. A blend of dark crystal malts gives this recipe that classic malty mild flavor. Andy Parker, Owner and Head Brewer of Elusive, is a homebrewer at heart; however, and couldn’t resist using Bramling Cross to make this recipe a bit different from other traditional English mild ales. Bramling is a relatively modern hop, released in the 1960s, and has a distinct blackcurrant aroma. Bramling adds atypical flavors for a mild, yet they complement the sweet malt flavors well.
Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich malt (20 °L)
8.8 oz. (250 g) Crisp crystal 400 (150 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) Special B malt
3.5 oz. (100 g) Simpsons DRC malt
1.2 AAU Bramling Cross hops (60 min.) (0.2 oz./6 g at 6% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Bramling Cross hops (30 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 6% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Bramling Cross hops (15 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 6% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Bramling Cross hops (0 min)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or LalBrew London yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash crushed grains at 151 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Batch sparge slowly for 15 minutes at 162 °F (72 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort in the brew kettle. Bring wort to boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list.
When the boil is complete, cool wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermentation vessel.
Add yeast as packet directs. Bottle conditioning mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Elusive Brewing’s Microball clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.041 FG = 1.013
IBU = 16 SRM = 18 ABV = 3.7%
Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
8.8 oz. (250 g) Crisp crystal 400 (150 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) Special B malt
3.5 oz. (100 g) Simpsons DRC malt
1.2 AAU Bramling Cross hops (60 min.) (0.2 oz./6 g at 6% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Bramling Cross hops (30 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 6% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Bramling Cross hops (15 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 6% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Bramling Cross hops (0 min)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or LalBrew London yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Steep crushed grains in a muslin bag as brewing water heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Turn off the heat, remove the grains allowing liquid to drip back in the kettle, and stir in all the liquid malt extract. Once extract is fully dissolved, bring wort up to a boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list.
When the boil is complete, cool wort to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermenter. Add yeast as packet
directs. Bottle conditioning mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Tips for success:
Bramling Cross hops can be difficult to source outside of the U.K. If you can’t get ahold of Bramling Cross then Bullion or Galena would be appropriate substitutes for a similar blackcurrant character. You could also go with a traditional mild ale variety such as Fuggle or East Kent Golding, but this will result in a beer further from Elusive’s Microball.
Thornbridge Brewery & Bundobust Brewery’s Dark Mild clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.039 FG = 1.010
IBU = 25 SRM = 23 ABV = 3.8%
A bit more chocolate malt than you’d usually see in a traditional mild makes this collaboration beer unique (though you’d lose points from a BJCP judge). Dominic Driscoll, Production Manager at Thornbridge, noted he was aware of this but that their patrons prefer the more roasted character this imparts. The Slovenian hops are also the brewer’s preference. Swap them for English Golding hops if you wish.
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
0.5 lb. (230 g) chocolate malt
5.6 oz. (159 g) wheat malt
5.6 oz. (159 g) medium crystal malt (90 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) dark crystal malt (135 °L)
11.5 oz. (325 g) Lyle’s Golden Syrup
6.3 AAU Fuggle hops (60 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1.6 oz. (45 g) Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or LalBrew London yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash crushed grains at 153 °F (68 °C) for 60 minutes. Batch sparge for 15 minutes at 162 °F (72 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort in the brew kettle. Turn off heat and slowly pour in Golden Syrup while constantly stirring, making sure to stir in thoroughly until dissolved in order to avoid scorching.
Bring wort to boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list. When the boil is complete, cool wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermentation vessel. Add yeast as packet directs.
Bottle conditioning English mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Thornbridge Brewery & Bundobust Brewery’s Dark Mild clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.039 FG = 1.010
IBU = 25 SRM = 23 ABV = 3.8%
Ingredients
4.2 lbs. (1.9 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
0.5 lb. (230 g) chocolate malt
5.6 oz. (159 g) medium crystal malt (90 °L)
3.5 oz. (100 g) dark crystal malt (135 °L)
11.5 oz. (325 g) Lyle’s Golden Syrup
6.3 AAU Fuggle hops (60 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1.6 oz. (45 g) Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or LalBrew London yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Steep crushed grains in a muslin bag as brewing water heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Turn off the heat, remove the grains allowing liquid to drip back in the kettle, and stir in all the liquid malt extract being sure not to scorch any on the bottom of the pot. Once extract is fully dissolved, bring wort up to a boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list.
When the boil is complete, cool wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermentation vessel. Add yeast as packet directs.
Bottle conditioning English mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Tips for success:
If you can’t find Lyle’s Golden Syrup online or in the British section of your local supermarket you can substitute honey or make your own invert sugar (recipes can be found online — requiring only sugar, water, and citric acid or cream of tartar).
Steam Machine Brewing Co.’s Imperial Honeyed Mild clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.079 FG = 1.013
IBU = 32.5 SRM = 5.7 ABV = 8.7%
This is a good example of a modern homage to the heritage mild. Nick Smith at Steam Machine told me he was inspired by reading Ron Pattinson’s blogs and seeing heritage mild recipes that were completely unlike anything he’d seen before. The brewery had been gifted some honey from a local producer and wanted to use it in the mild in place of invert sugar, and the honey flavors blend perfectly with the sweet and floral aroma of East Kent Golding hops.
Ingredients
6.7 lbs. (3 kg) Crisp Chevallier® Heritage malt
6.7 lbs. (3 kg) mild malt
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) honey (0 min.)
6.25 AAU East Kent Golding hops (60 min.) (1.25 oz. at 5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU East Kent Golding hops (10 min.) (0.9 oz. at 5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP013 (London Ale), or Wyeast 1028 (London Ale), or SafAle S-04 yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash crushed grains at 149 °F (65 °C) for 60 minutes. Batch sparge for 15 minutes at 162 °F (72 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort in the brew kettle. Place jars of honey in a bowl of warm water (85–90 °F/29–32 °C) at this time to help loosen up the honey and make it easier to add later. Bring wort to boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list.
When the boil is complete, stir in the honey until dissolved. Cool wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermentation vessel. Add yeast as packet directs.
Bottle conditioning mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Steam Machine Brewing Co.’s Imperial Honeyed Mild clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.079 FG = 1.013
IBU = 32 SRM = 6 ABV = 8.7%
Ingredients
9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) honey (0 min.)
6.25 AAU East Kent Golding hops (60 min.) (1.25 oz. at 5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU East Kent Golding hops (10 min.) (0.9 oz. at 5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP013 (London Ale), or Wyeast 1028 (London Ale), or SafAle S-04 yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Heat brewing water up to 170 °F (77 °C). Turn off the heat and stir in all the liquid malt extract. Once extract is fully dissolved, bring wort up to a boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list. Place jars of honey in a bowl of warm water (85–90 °F/29–32 °C) at this time to help loosen up the honey and make it easier to add later.
When the boil is complete, stir in the honey until dissolved. Cool wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermentation vessel. Add yeast as packet directs.
Bottle conditioning English mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Cross Borders Brewing Co. & Dark Star Brewing Co.’s Intergalactic Mild clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.061 FG = 1.015
IBU = 25 SRM = 22 ABV = 6.1%
This recipe represents the hybrid mild. Brewed using Nottingham yeast for its strong attenuation for the higher gravity. This beer has a strength more akin to heritage mild but incorporates the dark grains of a traditional mild.
Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) mild malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
12.5 oz. (354 g) crystal malt (150 °L)
4.6 oz. (130 g) chocolate malt
7.4 AAU Admiral hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz. at 14.75% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Fuggle hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) East Kent Golding hops (0 min.)
LalBrew Nottingham, White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale), or Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash crushed grains at 151 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes. Batch sparge for 15 minutes at 162 °F (72 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort in the brew kettle. Bring wort to boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list.
When the boil is complete, cool wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and transfer to fermentation vessel. Add yeast as packet directs. Bottle conditioning mild is much more traditional than force carbonating in a keg, but either way mild is best served at lower carbonation levels. Aim for 1.5–2.0 volumes of carbonation.
Cross Borders Brewing Co. & Dark Star Brewing Co.’s Intergalactic Mild clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.061 FG = 1.015
IBU = 25 SRM = 22 ABV = 6.1%
Ingredients
8 lbs. (3.6 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
12.5 oz. (354 g) crystal malt (150 °L)
4.6 oz. (130 g) chocolate malt
7.4 AAU Admiral hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz. at 14.75% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Fuggle hops (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) East Kent Golding hops (0 min.)
LalBrew Nottingham, White Labs WLP007 (Dry English Ale), or Wyeast 1098 (British Ale) yeast
1⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Steep crushed grains in a muslin bag as brewing water heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Turn off the heat, remove the grains allowing liquid to drip back in the kettle, and stir in all the liquid malt extract. Once extract is fully dissolved, bring wort up to a boil for a standard 60-minute boil, adding hops as indicated in the ingredients list.
Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe instructions.
REFERENCES
1 Pattinson, Ron. “A Short History of Mild.” Shut up about Barclay Perkins, http://barclayperkins.blog
spot.com/2008/05/short-history-of-mild.html.
2 Daniels, R. (2000). Designing Great Beers. Brewers Publications.
