1952 JW Lee's Ruby Mild

Impromptu 'slow sunday' Brewday/evening.

Due to the apparent success of other Barclay Perkins site recipe (1914 AK) the write up on this Best Mild sounded promising.

Its a curious psychology - i guess part interest in how beers 'used to be', part investigation of the complete unknown (although not in this case, use of adjuncts like corn and high % of invert syrup seems to have died a death in the modern world of brewing) but mostly, if i'm honest, is the ability to say 'i tried this, and if its no good its not my fault, it was a complete experiment!' - lack of confidence on show i guess, but at 5L brewlength not much lost, potentially huge gain.

Anyway, this was chosen for a couple of reasons; first i'd like a different style for Christmas - Mild is supposed to be pretty quick turn around, and i dont have any 'in stock'. Secondly though is my Dad - he's supportive of the 'hobby' but not that interested in the specifics. Maybe he's just that way with beer anyway, but i'd like to make something that actually impresses him - convince him i can actually make 'beer'. Unfortunately (if you will....) he likes bitter. I don't not like bitter, but i'm still at that stage where its a world of wonderous flavours, styles to be copied, ingredients to be experimented with. He's given the thumbs up to the 'experimental pale ale', but its not his thing, thats fair enough.

So, this doesnt really support 'Best Mild', but, this recipe is from his year of Birth. Its a talking point. Hopefully representing something in itself that is enough of a curiosity it'll be interesting to try, analyse together? Who knows. Either way, not much lost, potentially huge gain.

Recipe (should start really doing these properly):

Brewlength: 5L
Assumed Efficiency: 65% (actually nearer 70...had to water down a bit - approx 5.5l result)
Aiming @ 3.5% ABV
OG 1.038
Mini-bucket kitchen top brew :)

Grain
770g Lager Malt (current base malt :/)
60g Crystal
40g Chocolate
20g Brown
20g Black
20g Barley Flakes (personal addition to up the body issues i've been having with some beers - seems to help, especially w/ lower gravity)
150g Golden Syrup (in place of Invert Sugar - In the boil)

Mash
90min Mash @ 66C (ended @ 64)
3.3Litres
Sparge @ 77C (Fly sparge over approx 30 mins, straight from kettle)
All Bottled Water.

Stopped a little early hitting approx gravity (1.025 - amended for temp). Approx 7.5L

Boil
90 mins
9g Fuggles @ 90
3g Fuggles @ 30
*Golden Syrup in @ 30.

Approx 30IBU

Yeast
SO4 @ Room temp - currently been 3 days and fermenting nicely. Room relatively warm - approx 20 so may ferment a little hot but fluctuations during day due to central heating. Must. Fix. Brew. Fridge.

Notes: 
1.7L Kettle (yes an actual Kettle!) + 600ml tap water takes temp down to Mash in @ 73 to hit 67 deg C for Mash. 450ml addition = 77C sparge.

Had to add in a little extra water to hit gravity. Currently Ruby Red and very dark (was expecting mild to mean watery...shrug!) and smells incredible - dark cherries or something. Genuinely the best smelling pre-ferment wort i've made.