Just tasted my 3.3% Mild and it’s…well kinda’ what I expected! Aroma is pretty good although it’s very thin. It’s been carbonating for a week at 1.6 volumes (4 PSI).
I am entering this into a non-BJCP local homebrew event. Can anyone suggest something I might be able to add to the keg to make this a little more interesting? Cheers!
I would let it ride at least another week before making any serious adjustments in the keg. I have made milds before that don’t really start to shine until about 1 mos in the keg, surprisingly. Judges in comps apparently have agreed as well.
Sadly the gathering in 2 weeks.
I bet your crew will enjoy it just as it is.
I do have a sour dregs starter (Jolly Pumpkin) which is smelling really nice, loads of lacto. Dare I try it on the whole batch? Perhaps some oak spirals?
The dregs will not do much in 2 wks. I would still let it ride. Are you drinking the beer at cellar temps, ie 50-55F? That will help to pull out some of the better aromatics/flavor in the beer.
+1. Serving temp for a mild is crucial, I think. It can be a whole different beer if you let it warm a bit before drinking.
I wouldn’t sour a mild in a million years. Its called mild for a reason- easy drinking and light alcohol with subtle flavors that reward those who are open to drinking the style. For a competition, I’d leave it as is & hope the judges score it for what its supposed to be. If you don’t like it, by all means change it. Maybe add a small amount of maple syrup to it- I’d do it by the glass first and then scale up to your keg volume.
Don’t monkey with it. Submit for critique. You might be overly critical of your own brew.
Just an update on this beer. I didn’t end up serving it at the event. I did however bottle a couple 22 ounce bottles for the heck of it and stuck them in the fridge. I’m guessing it’s mental, but it tasted really good tonight. Aroma was better, taste was better.
Why the hell did this happen?
Even small, session beers can benefit from a bit of aging. Dark milds especially as they usually have some roasted malts and darker crystals which can provide some anti-oxidants and need some time for the beer to come together.
Not that they can’t taste great young, but they can also improve with some age, as you have found.
Would they actually have been aging since they were chilled in the refrigerator?