Batch No. 7: Midlands Mild Ale

Formula: Midlands Mild recipe: Bewitched Red Ale HME + 1 lb Amber DME, 1/2 oz Fuggle Hops, 1/4 Cup Molasses
Brew Date: January 22, 2011
ferment time: 21 days
Bottle Date: February 12, 2011
conditioning time: 4 weeks
Open Date: March 12, 2011
Original Gravity:: 1.046

Brewing process:
- Brought 8 cups water almost to a boil, added 1 lb Amber DME
- dissolved all and brought it to foam over
- reduced heat, added 1/2 oz Fuggle hops for 20 minute boil
- removed Fuggles and added 1/4 cup molasses at flameout
- added 1 can Bewitched Red Ale HME
- added to cold water in keg, topped off to 8.5 Q with cold water and pitched yeast

* Serious temperature problems for the kegs. Up around 80 due to heating pad. Raised kegs off of the pad, but still high, so turned the heating pad off.
Worried about this batch and Victorian Bitter (previous batch).

Update: 13 February
Bottled today. The draw for the hydrometer was very cloudy, but I think it cleared up as the bottling went along.
A brighter, clearer beer. I don't think it's going to be "the one", but it should be a lighter, less dense beer in a month's time.