Let's Brew Wednesday - 1952 Lees Best Mild

Best Mild. Sounds so romantic, doesn't it? Not just Mild, but Best Mild. Who wouldn't want the best?

The first reference I've come across to Best Mild is Barclay Perkins XX. This is the beer that appeared in 1931, after a big hike in beer duty. Brewers responded by slashing gravities. Especially of Mild. Barclay Perkins dropped the gravity of their X Ale from 1043 to 1037. But introduced a new beer, XX Ale, at the old X Ale gravity. X was marketed as "Ale", XX as "Best Ale".

WW II saw the gravity of standard Mild drop to 1028. Or the just-about-intoxicating-if-we-attenuate-the-hell-out-of-it level. Postwar, Mild gravities remained at their low wartime level, but some brewers introduced slightly stronger versions. These were sold under the name of Best Mild. Not that they were particularly strong, just 1034 to 1036. Still, better than a 1028 beer.

Lees Best Mild appeared in 1946. It initially had a gravity of 1033 and was party-gyled with K, Lees standard Mild. By 1952, it was being brewed on its own, though in much smaller batches - just 40 barrels, as opposed to 110 barrels of K. By this time there was a significant difference between K and Best Mild: the colour. K was 35 EBC, Best Mild 100. The grists had diverged considerably. K was brewed from pale malt, crystal malt and sugar. The Best Mild grist additionally included brown and black malt.

Before I started looking at actual brewing records, this was the sort of Dark Mild grist I'd expected to find. Ones with dark malts in them, rather than dark sugars. This looks a really tasty beer. Especially for the low gravity. Please brew it and send me a few bottles.



My bullshit is done. Time for Kristen and the detailed recipe . . . . .




-->

JW Lees - 1952 - Best Mild
General info: Finally. FINALLY! This is one beer I've been wanting to do for a long time. This is the stuff my granddad would always drink before my mum was born. Pictures at the old pub with the Lee's Best Mild in hand. What would it have been like to have a pint with the man I’ve always thought? Well, seeing that he went tits up in 1989 it’s not likely I get the chance in the near future. However, I can still drink what he did. Here it is. This one’s for you Mr. Tythcott.
Beer Specifics			Recipe by percentages
Gravity (OG)	1.035		72.5% English Pale malt			1.9% Black malt
Gravity (FG)	1.008		3.9% Crystal 75L			13.8% Invert No1
ABV	3.50%		3.8% Chocolate malt			2% Caramel colorant
Apparent attenuation	75.97%		2% Brown malt
Real attenuation	62.23%
IBU	27.0		Mash	90min@149°F		1.17qt/lb
SRM	51			90min@65°C		2.44L/kg
EBC	100.5
			Boil	1.75 hours
	Homebrew @ 70%				Craft @ 80%
Grist	5gal		19L		10bbl		10hl
English Pale malt	4.74	lb	2.158	kg	257.09	lb	99.33	kg
Crystal 75L	0.26	lb	0.117	kg	13.99	lb	5.41	kg
Chocolate malt	0.25	lb	0.114	kg	13.55	lb	5.24	kg
Brown malt	0.13	lb	0.059	kg	7.00	lb	2.70	kg
Black malt	0.12	lb	0.057	kg	6.78	lb	2.62	kg
Invert No1	0.90	lb	0.411	kg	48.97	lb	18.92	kg
Caramel colorant	2.13	oz	60.9	g	7.21	lb	2.79	kg
	6.403		2.915		354.59803
Hops
Fuggle 5.5% 90min	0.86	oz	24.4	g	53.42	oz	1.291	kg
Fuggle 5.5% 30min	0.29	oz	8.1	g	17.81	oz	0.430	kg
Fermentation	63°F /17.2°C
Yeast	Manchester ale
	1318 London Ale Yeast III
Tasting Notes: Very dark, nearly black, with brilliant ruby highlights. Biscuits, chocolate and a good dose of licorice. Dark caramel and rich dark fruit…cherries and plums. Finishes dry but with a good dose of mouth heft to keep from being watery. Definitely a top notch mild and one that everyone should make at least once.