Let's Brew - 1996 Youngs Best Malt Ale

I’m not exactly sure when Youngs dropped their Mild. Sometime between 1983 and 1986. Then, in 1996, there was an attempt to revive it. I have three examples from that year, and all three are different.

This is the weirdest of the bunch. Being parti-gyled with Oatmeal Stout. Making this, effectively, a watered-down Stout. Not wanting a huge quantity of Mild – this batch was just 39 barrels – it made sense to parti-gyle it. Though Winter Warmer would have been a more sensible choice.

The grist is rather odd for a Mild, containing both roast barley and flaked oats. It must have been quite different in character from the 1980s version. Were there still any Mild drinkers around who remembered the earlier beer? There must have been, as the beer had only been gone for a decade or so.

There were two types of English hops, as in most of their beers. I’ve increased the amounts to get the right bitterness level. 

1996 Youngs Best Malt Ale
pale malt	5.50 lb	78.97%
roast barley	0.50 lb	7.18%
flaked oats	0.50 lb	7.18%
glucose	0.33 lb	4.74%
molasses	0.125 lb	1.79%
caramel 2000 SRM	0.01 lb	0.14%
Fuggles 70 min	1.50 oz
Goldings 10 min	0.50 oz
OG	1031
FG	1008.5
ABV	2.98
Apparent attenuation	72.58%
IBU	25
SRM	15
Mash at	149º F
Sparge at	165º F
Boil time	78 minutes
pitching temp	61.5º F
Yeast	WLP002 English Ale

 

Listen to brewer John Hatch explain how they brewed at Youngs in the 1990s.