All-Grain Recipe

(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.

Extract-Only Recipe

(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.