Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

English style Dark Mild ale. Dark & flavorful. The ultimate 'pub' session ale.

Heat approximately 18 liters of brewing water to about 74°C to allow for a target mash temperature of 66°C when grains are added. If using softer water, add calcium chloride per your water profile to achieve proper mash ion balance; adjust to aim for mash pH ~5.2–5.4.

Heat Strike Water

Add crushed grains (all malts listed in Malt/Grains) to your mash tun and stir in the strike water to reach a stable mash temperature of 65–67°C. Aim for 66°C. Stir thoroughly to avoid dough balls and ensure even hydration.

Mash In

Hold the mash at 66°C for 60 minutes. Optionally check mash pH after 15–30 minutes and adjust if necessary. Maintain gentle recirculation or stirring once or twice during the rest to keep even temperature and conversion.

Mash Rest

Raise the mash temperature to 76–78°C (mash out) by adding hot water or applying direct heat, and hold for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity and improve wort flow during lautering.

Mash Out

Sparge the grains with enough water to collect approximately 24–25 liters of wort in the kettle (total brewhouse water ~25 L). Use water around 75–78°C and drain slowly to avoid extracting excess tannins. Collect sufficient wort for a post-boil volume of ~20 liters (accounting for boil-off).

Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil. Once boiling begins, start your 60-minute timer.

Begin Boil

At 60 minutes remaining (start of boil), add 35 g East Kent Goldings. This will provide gentle English bitterness appropriate for a dark mild.

Bittering Addition

With 10–15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 tsp Irish Moss (dissolved per package instructions) to help clarify the wort.

Fining (optional)

At 5 minutes remaining in the boil, add 15 g East Kent Goldings for aroma and a subtle hop lift.

Aroma / Late Hop Addition

After 60 minutes total boil, turn off the heat and cool the wort as quickly as possible to yeast pitching temperature (18–20°C).

End of Boil

Use a wort chiller (immersion or counterflow) to bring wort down to 18–20°C. Sanitize the fermenter and transfer the cooled wort into it, leaving behind as much trub as practical.

Aerate the cooled wort well (shake, splashing, or pure oxygen) to provide adequate oxygen for the yeast. Target DO appropriate for ale yeast (~8–10 ppm if using O2).

Oxygenation

Pitch the English ale yeast (one pack or a properly prepared starter if using liquid) into the cooled, aerated wort at 18–20°C.

Pitch Yeast

Allow fermentation to proceed at 18–20°C for 5–7 days. Expect moderate activity; English strains will produce a gentle ester profile suitable for a traditional dark mild.

Primary Fermentation

After primary attenuation (specific gravity stable over 2–3 days), optionally rack to a secondary or allow to condition in the primary for an additional 7–10 days at 18–20°C to clear and mature flavor. If you prefer a cleaner profile, drop temperature to 14–16°C for a few days for a diacetyl rest earlier in fermentation, then return to 18–20°C.

Secondary / Condition

Dissolve 70 g priming sugar in 250 ml boiling water, cool, and sanitize. This quantity is calculated for ~20 L final beer to achieve mild carbonation typical of an English session ale (approx. 1.5–2.0 volumes CO2). Adjust amount for exact final volume and desired carbonation.

Prepare Priming Sugar

Transfer beer to bottling bucket, gently mix in priming solution, and bottle. If kegging, carbonate to ~1.5–2.0 volumes CO2. Seal and store bottles at 18–20°C for 1–2 weeks to carbonate, then condition at cellar temperature (12–15°C) for 1–2 weeks to mature.

Bottle or Keg

Chill to cellar temperature (~10–13°C). Serve in a nonic or tulip pint glass. Expect a dark brown color with ruby highlights, low-medium malt sweetness, mild roast from chocolate/brown malts, and gentle English hop bitterness and aroma.

Maris Otter Pale Malt

Brown Malt

Crystal (60L)

Chocolate Malt

Cara-Pils / Carapils

East Kent Goldings (whole or pellets)

East Kent Goldings (finishing/aroma)

English ale yeast (e.g., Wyeast 1968 or Safale S-04)

Irish Moss (optional, fining)

Water (brewhouse)

Priming sugar (for bottling)

Campden tablet (optional, to remove chlorine)

Mash pH adjust (e.g., calcium chloride or calcium carbonate) — adjust to pH 5.2–5.4

DARK AND MILD

Make DARK AND MILD Recipe in just 16h . English style Dark Mild ale. Dark & flavorful. The ultimate 'pub' session ale.

DARK AND MILD

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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