Mild (BCS)

Mild is a style on the brink of extinction in England, but its popularity is slowly growing with a subset of amateur brewers who desire a beer with lots of rich flavors and a low level of alcohol. The majority of the flavor and aroma in mild comes from the yeast and the malts. Mild has very little in the way of hop flavor or aroma, and hop bitterness should be just enough to balance the bulk of the malt sweetness. It is most often dark in color, from copper to very dark brown, but there are pale versions, too. The pale version focuses on the biscuity, toasty malt notes, while darker milds may have caramel, chocolate, coffee, licorice, raisin, and other flavors. I have even come across a mild in England with a firm tobacco note, which was actually a pleasant part of the overall beer. There is such a huge range of flavors in mild that it allows for a great deal of creativity. Being a low-gravity, low-alcohol beer, brewing a great example requires enough dextrins and other residual sugars to keep it from seeming thin. Using a relatively high percentage of specialty malts and a good base of English pale ale malt helps create a nice, broad malt backbone and plenty of malt character. Keep the hops simple, with just a bittering addition. Ferment with an English yeast that provides character but attenuates lower to help keep the beer from seeming thin. Also, serve it warmer and with restrained carbonation. The warmer serving temperature allows the character to come out, and the restrained carbonation prevents that harsh biting feel when a low-gravity beer has
too much carbon dioxide.

Use 5 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 1 liquid yeast package, or make an appropriate starter. Ferment at 68° F (20° C). When finished, carbonate the beer to approximately 1 to 1.5 volumes and serve at 52 to 55° F (11 to 13° C).