Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild Clone Recipe
When seeking out beers that define the style that they belong to Mild is quite difficult to track down. Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild is a beer only available in cask and is produced in a small brewpub in Sedgely near Wolverhampton. Despite this, the beer is known around the world as a classic example of the style.
Dark Ruby in its current form is brewed by Sarah Hughes’ grandson John Hughes from her original recipe. If you cannot get to the Beacon Hotel where the beer is brewed or the few beer festivals that it appears at each year then your next best option is to brew Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild yourself.
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 L | 60 min | 30.0 IBUs | 39.2 EBC | 1.059 | 1.013 | 6.0 % |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pale Malt, Maris Otter | 3.887 kg | 75.19 |
| Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L | 1.283 kg | 24.81 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuggles | 30 g | 60 min | Boil | Leaf | 4.5 |
| East Kent Goldings (EKG) | 25 g | 60 min | Boil | Leaf | 5 |
| East Kent Goldings (EKG) | 12 g | 15 min | Boil | Leaf | 5 |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham Yeast (-) | Lallemand | 75% | 16.67°C - 22.22°C |
Mash
| Step | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mash In | 66.5°C | 60 min |
| Mash Out | 75.56°C | 10 min |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby
For a brewery that reportedly only produces 24 brewers barrels a week to have a beer that is coveted as much as Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild is extraordinary.
I have managed to try Dark Ruby on cask and it is great but for most people, it is going to be hard to find unless you visit the Beacon Hotel where the brewpub is or large beer festivals around the UK.
At a time when most mild ales were low ABV beers, Sarah Hughes who ran the brewery from 1921 for 50 years produced a big, dark 6% ABV mild.
Malt Extract Version
To brew a malt extract version of Dark Ruby Mild, replace the Maris Otter malt with either of the following:
4.1 kg Pale Liquid Malt Extract
Or
3.4kg Pale Dry Malt Extract
Recipe Notes
- Details for the recipe are quite limited. A version is in the book “Brew Your Own Real Ale At Home” by Graham Wheeler and Roger Protz.
Wow! I made this and am only regretting I didn’t make a larger batch. 100% will brew again for next winter. Great taste with enough abv-oomph to give it flavour and body. Not at all what I’d cone to think of milds as being. Thanks for the recipe.