Banks's Mild Recipe

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Even though I'm not a Midlander I still brew a Mild occasionally. I'm just drinking Hyde's Owd Oak from the Wheeler book, I couldn't decide which Mild to brew so just picked one.

Let us know how the Banks Mild turns out as that's on my list to do.
 
Late to the party but have to agree as a midlander I loved Hansons mild, the difference is Banks's is brewed in Wolverhampton and Hansons was brewed in Dudley but they closed that brewery in 1992. I preferred Hansons as it had a nicer taste, put it down to the water, I do love Banks's original when I can get it in Northumberland
My recollection (which may well be inaccurate) is that the Hansons variety was often a little darker than the Banks's one and also had a softer mouthfeel. They were both good session beers though!
 
I couldn't agree more! I occasionally see it in some of the old fashioned Wolverhampton pubs on smooth pour. Although having said that it has been a good while since I've seen it...
I am pretty sure it is on as cask conditioned draught at the Swan Compton Wolverhampton and also at the Royal Oak Compton Road or at least was before pub visiting for all of us was disrupted by the pandemic.
 
Going back many moons, Mrs Soupdragon and myself had a weekend away in Wolverhampton. We paid a visit to the Clarendon and I was surprised how light the mild was. I thought it was actually lighter than their bitter. Turns out that old school mild was so named due to the lower alcohol content, the old two beers from the one mash trick.
Was a pleasant beer either way 😊

Cheers Tom
 
Going back many moons, Mrs Soupdragon and myself had a weekend away in Wolverhampton. We paid a visit to the Clarendon ...

Can I ask why you went to Wolverhampton for a weekend away? (even as a proud Wulfrunian it wouldn't be top of my list of places to go for a weekend).

Your mention of the Clarendon brought back memories. It was the first pub I ever had a drink in, before walking over to Molineux to watch Wolves. I think it was Banks's Bitter. I wondered why anyone drank this foul tasting liquid. How times have changed!
 
Last edited:
Can I ask why you went to Wolverhampton for a weekend away? (even as a proud Wulfrunian it wouldn't be top of my list of places to go for a weekend).

It was a random pin in the map selection. As long as a place has a decent selection of pubs that serve food and good beer, along with a few shops to buy some tat it doesn't really matter where we used to stay.

Cheers Tom
 
It was a random pin in the map selection. As long as a place has a decent selection of pubs that serve food and good beer, along with a few shops to buy some tat it doesn't really matter where we used to stay.

Cheers Tom
The Great Western attracts people who come from afar by train (or at least did) partly because its Holdens beers don't seem to find their way much elsewhere.
 
Even later to the party....

As a youth, growing up in Birmingham and on the edge of the Black Country (Halesowen / Lapal) , I recall having the odd Banks's Mild and remembering that Hanson's was actually a nicer pint.

I see the Banks's Original / Mild recipe, does anyone have a Hanson's Mild recipe please?

Oh - I notice that the Worcester Hop Shop have one. Can anyone vouch for it or tried it?

Thank you.
 
@UKSkydiver Not tried it, but I see it is based on the Graham Wheeler recipe, which book I can vouch for. If you're into real ale, there is no better book really. If you're going to get the Worcs Hop Shop kit (or copy it) note that the boil time is 90 mins (which the WHS webpage doesn't seem to state)
 
I have the GW book, and I'd like to try both these mild recipes at some point (and thanks for the tip about the Original being in the Bitters section), but the big question is...


What yeast did you guys use?
 
Hansons Mild Ale
According to Roger Protz in The Real Ale Almanac
Pleasant dark amber mild, less distinctive since the strength has been lowered from 3.5% (to 3.3%)
 
Back
Top