Mule's Mild

A standard in my brewhouse for years and years. I brew several batches of this every year.

Brewer:	Bob Davis		Email:	bob@reconstructinghistory.com
Beer:	Mule's Mild		Style:	English Dark Mild
Type:	Extract w/grain		Size:	5 gallons
Color:	46 HCU (~21 SRM)		Bitterness:	16 IBU
OG:	1.039		FG:	1.009
Alcohol:	3.9% v/v (3.1% w/w)
Water:	Spring water from a local supplier. Never analyzed. Both water and the beer it makes taste fine, so why bother?
Grain:	8 oz. American victory 8 oz. American crystal 60L 4 oz. American chocolate
Steep:	Cracked grains added to nylon boiling bag, placed in room-temperature water in brewpot, steeped until ~170° is reached. Rinsed with boiling water from teakettle.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.056	3.5 gallons
	4 lb. Amber dry malt extract
	Yeastex and Allfloc added at 50 minutes.
Hops:	1 oz. Fuggles (4.75% AA, 60 min.)
Yeast:	Large Wyeast smack-pack used.
Log:	Always fermented open in plastic, with lid loosely installed (no airlock). Ferments to completion within three days from inoculation. Racked and stored until beer drops bright, then bottled. I wish I could cask-condition this, but I can't drink it all in time. Maybe reconfigure for a 2-3 gallon batch...? I could drink that in a weekend. ;-)
Carbonation:	1.5 volumes	Dried Malt Extract: 2.76 oz. for 5 gallons @ 65°F
	Too much carbonation kills beer of this type. I rarely, if ever, use corn or cane sugar to prime.
Tasting:	A very drinkable session mild. It's not unknown for drinkers to enjoy five or six of these of an evening without significant impairment. Mule's Mild is also the beer of choice for people of my acquaintance unused to good beer; I often think of it as training wheels for people who say they dislike beer.

Recipe posted 11/12/07.