Summer Cream Ale

Let me know what you guys think

7 lbs 2 Row
1/2 lb Honey Malt
1/2 lb Flaked Barley
1/2 lb Flaked Maize
1/2 lb Carapils

1/2 oz Cluster @ 45mins
1 oz Citra @ FlameOut

Yeast: Any California/American Ale Yeast...I usually do San Diego Super (WLP 90) and Cream Ale mix and expedited fermentation in an ice bath to keep the temp down. :rockin:

1 oz Citra @ Dry Hop @ 2 wk rack (Optional)

2 wks primary
2 wks secondary with 1 oz Citra dry hop
Keg or Bottle 1-2 wks


Total 5-6 wks

I'd recommend WLP080 Cream Ale Blend. Should be a good beer, the citra dry hop would be out of style if you care though...

IMO cream ale should be gentle on the hops, so I'd say the 1 oz at the end is ok but I wouldn't dryhop. I also would drop the carpils. When making cream ale think BMC but good. Clean, light dry beer with gentle hop balance and a little yeast character. Should not be exceptionally malty and aside from corn sweetness should not be sweet. but this is just my opinion, this should still make a nice beer.

Looks tasty but I'd ditch the carapils. It should be dry and you'll get plenty of body from the honey malt.
I'd cut the honey malt a pinch as well. I'd go to 5-6 oz.

I'd move the cluster.to 60 min and use less. It may not play nice with the citra.

It looks very tasty, though I'd be more likely to call it a Blonde than a Cream ale. Technically it's not hoppy enough for either, and the Citra, while one of my all-time favorites, is not normally associated with cream ales. If it were me I'd either add more Cluster at 60 minutes and leave out the Citra and make it a for-sure cream ale, or add more Citra at around 10 minutes and make it a for-sure blonde ale.

I agree that the recipe would make a fine blonde ale. If you have a specific flavor you are going for with that recipe feel free to brew it and classify it as such.

Ideally a Cream Ale should be as clear and light bodied as an American Lager. The flaked barley will make the beer too cloudy, and the carapils might add body that is not quite appropriate. To be true to style I'd use a pound of flaked maize and dump the rest of the specialty malts. If you want a more pronounced sweetness or creaminess from the corn, you could double down on the flaked maize and use 6-row base malt.

The Citra at flamout would give the beer too pronounced of a hop flavor. A 0.25-0.5 oz addition at 10-15 minutes will give the beer added complexity without becoming too hop forward for style.

Flaked barley creates a great rich rocky head- but also a haze in the beer so it's generally only used in darker beers (like stout). If you don't mind a murky beer, it's ok, but it's way out of the style for a cream ale which is light, clear, and crisp.

Carapils is fine- I use it in a cream ale often, and also in pilsners, for head retention and formation, without color or flavor or a haze.

With the citra, it's more of an American pilsner, if there was really such a thing that had hops flavor, and if it used a lager yeast, but it looks like a tasty beer even if not to style.

All great comments and I am seeing a theme in the comments ....less Carapils, little to no barley and avoid Citra and no dry hop. Personally I find Cluster really dull.....is there a step up from Cluster that is not too overbearing preferably adds a nice fruity undertone on the nose?

There's nothing wrong with using citra if that's the flavor you want. Its just not to style. No one is going to to say a cream ale finished with citra s going to taste bad....cuz it'll taste good!

Replacement for cluster? If you really want citra character/flavor to highlight a cream ale, consider something simple to give you a pinch of bitterness like warrior or magnum. You could just use citra.

I'd use the cluster as a bittering hop and try .5 oz Saaz or Halertau at 15 min. left and maybe 1/4 oz. at flameout.
I wouldn't be afraid of carapils. I use 4 to 8 oz in everything I brew for head retention. I have never used honey malt so I can't comment there.
Flaked barley definately a no. I'd throw in a pound of minute rice in the mash instead. or just double up on the corn. Modern 2 row has more than enough diastatic power to convert the adjuncts.
Of course this is for a true Cream Ale.

+1 on the Saaz.