Best Mild kit?

[Del]

You don't get a lot of mild in Scotland - although Strathaven Ales does a really nice one - but after trying Bank Top Mild at a festival, I'd really like to make a batch. Trouble is, there's a lot of comments about a 'thin' taste to many kits and the Bank Top was far from 'thin'. What's the best kit and what should I add to get a similar mouthfeel and hoppy finish?

 

[beerhunter]

Del, I did one of the Simply Milds and was surprised how good it turned out.

 

[Speccy]

I've only done one, the Young's Harvest Mild, which came out brilliantly. I did it with 500g of medium spraymalt and 500g of sugar, and brewed a little short, and it didn't taste thin at all. It had a great malty complexity, with almost a herbal thing going on, but it wasn't particularly hoppy if that's what you're after.

 

[Del]

Thanks guys. So far I've only brewed two-can kits but, going through the forums, most who brew one-can kits add a spraymalt or kit enhancer. Sounds like a Young's kit with the spraymalt and maybe a light dry-hopping might be in order. Tried a Leeds Brewery Midnight Bell yesterday and that has made me all the more determined to make a mild.

 

[griff]

Thanks guys. So far I've only brewed two-can kits but, going through the forums, most who brew one-can kits add a spraymalt or kit enhancer. Sounds like a Young's kit with the spraymalt and maybe a light dry-hopping might be in order. Tried a Leeds Brewery Midnight Bell yesterday and that has made me all the more determined to make a mild.

I've just bottled a Range Nut Brown Ale, it came with a bag of Mt Hood hops. I added .5kg of medium spraymalt , 1kg of brewing sugar and a little vanilla extract. It fermented to 5% in 10 days with the hops being added on day 7.

I didn't bottle very carefully and got far too much of the hops in some bottles so may have spoilt some? But samples during fermentation tasted promising so fingers crossed.

 

[devexwarrior]

I'm about to put a Brupaks Honley Mild kit on. How hoppy do people make it? I don't recall milds being too hoppy. How have folk used the hop teabag?

 

[Sandimas]

If you've done some 2 can kits and mastered the basics then get yourself a 15L pan and do this. It's not only the best Mild I've ever had, it's one of the best beers I've ever had full stop: "Old Master is a dark mild, which was brewed for both CAMRA's mild month and to celebrate the start of the Constable exhibition at Salisbury Museum."
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/oldmaster.html