Saturday, December 29, 2012

Pinko's English Mild Ale

After my Dole-bludger's Draught, I decided to make a richer, more complex beer. So, a few weeks ago, I picked up two can's of Black Rock's IPA and augmented this base with a caramalt grain pack, a kilo of dextrose and two types of hops. Feeling that the kits are usually bitter enough, I used the Styrian Goldings hops mainly for general "hoppiness"; these were added at 30 minutes prior to the end of the boil. And for aroma, I used Fuggles hops. (These were added within about 5 minutes of concluding the boil. This raw beer smells and tastes great. It is hoppy and caramel. You should be able to enjoy it all afternoon as, in the style of an English Mild, the alcohol by volume is only about 3.5 - 4.0%.
While the keg fills, I take a sip of my Dole-bludger's Draught.