Mashed in with 2.75 gallons plus maybe 1.5 cups of water at 158F. Per the calculator this should put me at 149F for strike temp, but sadly landed at 144F instead. Will remove 2.5 qts from the 4.75 gallons of sparge water to use as a boiling water addition after about 20 minutes: Hochkurz mash!
Did so: stabilized at 153-154F.
After HK addition, sparge with remaining water (around 4.25 gallons, slightly less) at 170F or so.
The invert sugar is 3 piloncilo pyramids: 18 oz total. Combined with 1/2 cup water and dissolved over low heat, then added 1 tsp each of Wyeast Beer Nutrient and Cal Para Nixtamal. Added maybe 0.25-0.5 cup more of boiling water since the powders weren't dissolving well. Next time dissolve the powders in the water first before adding sugar. Set on the back burner to cook over setting number 3.
Full notes from my other mild recipe:
Here's a nice wee Dark Mild recipe. It's a very simple one, and based on the recipes Ron Pattinson provides in "The Homebrewer's Guide to Vintage Beer," but with North American ingredients:
Bob Fossil Mild
OG 1038 FG 1010 ABV 3.6% IBU 25
Grist:
7 lb of Skagit Talisman True British Ale Malt, Mecca Grade Vanora, Troubador Serenade, or similar toasty Pale or Vienna malt. Not regular domestic 2-row if you can help it.
0.5 lb of Briess Crystal 75 or similar
6 oz of Briess Midnight Wheat or Blackprinz Debittered Malt
1 lb of homemade #3 dark invert sugar added at end of boil
Add caramel coloring for extra darkness, if you feel like it.
Hops:
90 min Willamette 1 oz
10 min Willamette 2 oz
You can optionally dry hop with another ounce of Willamette for extra spice and marmaladeyness.
Yeast:
Wyeast 1469 West Yorkshire
Wyeast West Yorkshire evolved to ferment in open Yorkshire squares, so if you're able to ferment in a large stainless chafing dish or an open bucket with a fine mesh cloth tied over the top that'd be splendid.
For the homemade invert, this recipe is adapted from the ryanbrews.blogspot.com post on making candi syrup. Combine one pound of a flavorful unrefined sugar such as demerara, jaggery, sucanat or piloncillo with 1/2 cup of water and 1 tsp of slaked lime (aka "Cal Para Nixtamal" at the Latino market) and 1 tsp of Wyeast Beer Nutrient.
Dissolve everything, then heat over high heat without stirring ( so that it doesn't re-crystallize), and add small amounts of water if it gets too frothy or starts to boil over. It may initially smell like ammonia due to the presence of DAP, but relax, don't worry. Heat and taste until it has turned a rich dark chocolatey brown and smells and tastes lovely. Add the sugar syrup towards the end of the boil.
Ferment in the mid 60's, add fresh yeast, finings (I like gelatin) and priming sugar at kegging/casking and carbonate to about 1.5 volumes of CO2, serve young and yeasty and fresh and fruity, dispensed through a sparkler into a handled dimple mug if possible.
