Thornbridge Brewery & Bundobust Brewery’s Dark Mild Clone
All-Grain Recipe
(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.
Extract With Grains Recipe
(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).
