Mild is a niche style in North America, and we tend to brew its modern form: dark and session-strength. However, milds weren’t always dark, and at times they were stronger, too. (For more on that, see Why We’re Wild for Mild.) Hard to find and historically interesting? Easy to drink, straightforward to brew? Sounds like the perfect style to tackle at home—or a nice one to grab some interest in the taproom, with its quick turnaround and quantity appeal. Let’s dive in.
Style: “Pale” is a relative term, and commercially available pale milds tend to be nearer to amber than to golden. Easing up on the darker malts and leaving out dark sugars is also going to change the flavor profile. Pale mild can feature some nutty malt character as well as biscuit and toast (plus fruity character that will be driven by the yeast). The hops, meanwhile, tend to be restrained—but, again, that wasn’t always the case with this style, and many historical examples were well-hopped. Anyway, I subscribe to the principle that paler versions of certain styles fare better with more noticeable hops—especially when the hops are regionally appropriate.
Ingredients: In aiming for lower gravity, I want some richness from the malts. Atop a base of Maris Otter, I add some Munich for extra depth and smaller portions of Caramunich and chocolate rye—I’m looking for bready melanoidins, some complex but lighter caramel flavors, and a drying, light-roast-coffee character. Those should get us to an SRM of about 15—a pleasant amber shade. Hopping is simple: a 20-minute dose of Styrian Goldings that adds all the bitterness we need, plus some herbal, earthy character to complement the malt. (Of course you could use English hops; Fuggles will get you a similar result—in fact, Styrian Goldings are essentially just Fuggles that grow in Slovenia.) Finally, I ferment with Wyeast 1318 London Ale III, which brings those “English” fruity notes that are important to the style.
Process: This is a great style for beginning brewers—the process is a straight line, and it doesn’t take long to get finished beer. After a typical single-infusion mash and 60-minute boil, we’re fermenting at about 67°F (19°C) for a week; optionally, let it rise a bit to clean up any diacetyl. Crash and carbonate to about 1.75 volumes of CO2—or, if you have the means, rack to cask. (See Brewing and Conditioning Cask Ale at Home, Simplified.)
If you enter this beer in competition (possibly in a historical beers category), be sure to describe it fully—judges don’t see many of them. A solid year-round style, a well-kept pale mild can even stand up to some age—as the hops fade and malt comes to the fore, it remains a joy to drink, even on a hot early-autumn afternoon.
