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recipe

British Pale Mild

Jamil Zainasheff provides readers with a recipe for a classic British Pale Mild. These are generally less hoppy when compared to an Ordinary Bitter.

Pale Mild recipe

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.036 (9.0 °P)  FG = 1.011 (2.8 °P)
IBU = 18  SRM = 10  ABV = 3.3%

Ingredients

6.6 lb. (3 kg) Crisp British pale ale malt or similar substitute (3 °L)
6 oz. (170 g) crystal malt (120 °L)
6 oz. (170 g) Carastan malt (30 °L)
2.1 AAU Challenger hops (0.42 oz./ 12 g at 8% alpha acids) (60 min.)
1.25 AAU East Kent Goldings hops, (0.25 oz./7 g at 5% alpha acids) (15 min.)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale) or Fermentis Safale S-04 yeast

Step by Step

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 5.9 gallons (22.3 L) and the gravity is 1.031 (7.7 °P).

Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is one hour after adding the bittering hops. During that time add the Irish moss or other kettle finings and the last hop addition with 15 minutes left in the boil.

Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C) and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 6 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast or 1 package of liquid yeast. Ferment around 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in a week or less.

Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 1 to 2 volumes depending on your packaging. Serve at 50 to 55 °F (10 to 13 °C).

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