Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

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Matteo57 said:
Any thoughts on adding some Falconer's Flight instead of Crystal? How do you think it would come out? I would keep it around the same IBUs.

It's a single bittering addition to around 14 IBU. You could use almost any hop with a minimal flavor impact. I'm not familiar with FF but I'm guessing it's not one like CTZ that will carry some flavor even at 60 min (although at 14 IBU there would be so little of it you could probably use that one too).
 
It's a single bittering addition to around 14 IBU. You could use almost any hop with a minimal flavor impact. I'm not familiar with FF but I'm guessing it's not one like CTZ that will carry some flavor even at 60 min (although at 14 IBU there would be so little of it you could probably use that one too).

Oh yah, I forgot they are both 60 minute additions. I was thinking of doing a 5-10 minute addition for it... but eh I think that would change too much and add more hop aroma/flavor than might be desireable...
 
I'm not much of a lite beer drinker but I brewed this for friends that are. I brewed a 5 gal batch with 5.5 lbs pale 2 row 2.5 lbs flaked corn 1 lb flaked rice and .5 lb rice hulls. I used Safal 05 yest. I ended up with a pre boil gravity of 1.038 and a final gravity of 1.005. I left it in primary for 1 week and secoundary for 1 week kegged it on friday and tasted on sunday.
the problem is when I tasted the beer this morning it tasted really watery and the color was no where close to what I see on this thread. What could have gone wrong. I know it is a lite beer but on this thread I see a lot of people saying how much flaver it should have. Any imput would be helpfull.
 
I'm not much of a lite beer drinker but I brewed this for friends that are. I brewed a 5 gal batch with 5.5 lbs pale 2 row 2.5 lbs flaked corn 1 lb flaked rice and .5 lb rice hulls. I used Safal 05 yest. I ended up with a pre boil gravity of 1.038 and a final gravity of 1.005. I left it in primary for 1 week and secoundary for 1 week kegged it on friday and tasted on sunday.
the problem is when I tasted the beer this morning it tasted really watery and the color was no where close to what I see on this thread. What could have gone wrong. I know it is a lite beer but on this thread I see a lot of people saying how much flaver it should have. Any imput would be helpfull.

When I make this recipe I let it stay in the primary for 2-3 weeks and I don't use a secondary. I also up the grain bill slightly to reach about 4% ABV. The first batch I kegged tasted a bit thin of the first 1-2 weeks while it was on the gas. I added a few oz of maltodextrine that I boiled in 1 cup of water to give it a bit more body. This "thin taste" is not the fault of the initial recipe but was most likely due to my brewing methods the first few times I made this.
 
I brewed this today, to turn into a Maple Cream Ale for my sister-in-law. I think I'm underestimating my boil-off rate. I had 6.5 gallons at the start of the boil, and had maybe 4.5 gallons that made it into the fermenter. As a result, I overshot my O.G. and hit 1.052. I can't wait to taste it!
 
When I make this recipe I let it stay in the primary for 2-3 weeks and I don't use a secondary. I also up the grain bill slightly to reach about 4% ABV. The first batch I kegged tasted a bit thin of the first 1-2 weeks while it was on the gas. I added a few oz of maltodextrine that I boiled in 1 cup of water to give it a bit more body. This "thin taste" is not the fault of the initial recipe but was most likely due to my brewing methods the first few times I made this.

thanks for the heads up ill try that in another week or two if it needs a bump.
 
When I make this recipe I let it stay in the primary for 2-3 weeks and I don't use a secondary. I also up the grain bill slightly to reach about 4% ABV. The first batch I kegged tasted a bit thin of the first 1-2 weeks while it was on the gas. I added a few oz of maltodextrine that I boiled in 1 cup of water to give it a bit more body. This "thin taste" is not the fault of the initial recipe but was most likely due to my brewing methods the first few times I made this.

I'm not much of a lite beer drinker but I brewed this for friends that are. I brewed a 5 gal batch with 5.5 lbs pale 2 row 2.5 lbs flaked corn 1 lb flaked rice and .5 lb rice hulls. I used Safal 05 yest. I ended up with a pre boil gravity of 1.038 and a final gravity of 1.005. I left it in primary for 1 week and secoundary for 1 week kegged it on friday and tasted on sunday.
the problem is when I tasted the beer this morning it tasted really watery and the color was no where close to what I see on this thread. What could have gone wrong. I know it is a lite beer but on this thread I see a lot of people saying how much flaver it should have. Any imput would be helpfull.

I’ve brewed this 3 times and have had success with this recipe. It doesn’t vary much from BierMuncher’s, and it’s a house favorite. I bottle and it’s hard to keep on the shelf so this is a recipe that’s in my regular rotation. My ABV comes in at 6%, but it's light, flavorful, and appeals to everyone.


Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.056 SG
Estimated Color: 3.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 16.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.9 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

3 weeks in Primary
1 week in Secondary
3 weeks to condition (Gets better with age)

Ingredients:
------------
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 90.0 mins)
4.0 oz Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM)
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US
2 lbs Corn, Flaked
14.1 oz Rice, Flaked
8.0 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose)
0.50 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
 
I've brewed two cream ales and both have had terrible head retention - as in completely gone within 30 seconds. The first was Jamil's recipe that calls for rice and sugar, the other used 10% rice, 10% corn and no sugar.

I'm going to brew Cream of Three Crops next but I'm wondering if I should add 0.5 lbs of flaked or malted wheat (5-gal batch) to help with the head retention.

Lately I haven't had head retention problems but I'm still not sure if this is typical/normal for the style or if there is something about my process that I need to fix. My previous cream ales had 77% and 81% efficiency, 50% RO water, plenty of 1056 yeast and temp controlled ferments at 67. Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated.
 
jwalker1140 said:
I've brewed two cream ales and both have had terrible head retention - as in completely gone within 30 seconds. The first was Jamil's recipe that calls for rice and sugar, the other used 10% rice, 10% corn and no sugar.

I'm going to brew Cream of Three Crops next but I'm wondering if I should add 0.5 lbs of flaked or malted wheat (5-gal batch) to help with the head retention.

Lately I haven't had head retention problems but I'm still not sure if this is typical/normal for the style or if there is something about my process that I need to fix. My previous cream ales had 77% and 81% efficiency, 50% RO water, plenty of 1056 yeast and temp controlled ferments at 67. Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated.

It's typical of the style. It's even in the BJCP guide lines.
 
^ Agreed. And wheat would contribute a mouthfeel that's not really appropriate for the style.

And even ignoring stuffy guidelines that one may or may not care about, in my opinion it just wouldn't be very good. The crispness is really what's great about a beer like this, and wheat ruins that.
 
This is a BMC-like cream ale. Have you ever had a draft Bud Miller or Coors? The head is gone after the first 30 seconds.
 
My cream ales have been different from BMC in that the bubbles are bigger and more fizzy, like sparkling wine fizzy. I used to drink Little Kings cream ale when I lived in Indiana, and I just don't remember the head being like this. Based on the replies, I've decided to brew the recipe as is and just make sure to pitch plenty of healthy yeast. I checked my notes and I didn't make a starter for my slurry that was a couple weeks old. Maybe I underpitched without realizing it. Thanks for the replies!
 
jwalker1140 said:
My cream ales have been different from BMC in that the bubbles are bigger and more fizzy, like sparkling wine fizzy. I used to drink Little Kings cream ale when I lived in Indiana, and I just don't remember the head being like this. Based on the replies, I've decided to brew the recipe as is and just make sure to pitch plenty of healthy yeast. I checked my notes and I didn't make a starter for my slurry that was a couple weeks old. Maybe I underpitched without realizing it. Thanks for the replies!

If it really is bad and you wanted to do something you could replace 0.5 to 1.0 of the base malt with cara-pils (dextrin) with minimal flavor/color impact.
 
I choose this recipe as my first ag recipe. Started my cook yesterday at 9:00am and finished last night around 8:00. I only encountered a few problems and really enjoyed the whole process.
Pre-boil gravity 1.035
Post-boil gravity 1.042
Not sure why my pre-boil gravity was off but pleased I hit my post boil numbers.
Carboys are now tucked away in my 60 degree fermenting chamber with SAF ALE US-05 American Ale (Chico Strain) yeast.
 
So i juest brewed this about a week and a half ago and notice i did not cut my hops in half. So for 5.5 gallons i used 1oz instead of .5 has anyone else done this. Is it going to be overly bitter?
 
If you look back to the original post there was originally two ounces.... one each of Willamette and crystal so half that and you'd have your one
 
jtd_419 said:
If you look back to the original post there was originally two ounces.... one each of Willamette and crystal so half that and you'd have your one

I brewed this yesterday. 1 oz of crystal & 1/2 oz of willamette. I could taste the hops just out of the fermenter.
 
After sitting for another week. I noticed the flavor has improved greatle. I guess I was just rushing this beer to much. Very popular with everyone now.
 
Sorry for the drunken ramble. What I meant to say is i want to cut the corn in half and replace with some crystal 10 and maybe some carapils for just a tiny bit more body. Other then that its a great brew to drink after you have had a few good beers and cant taste anything lol
 
Here is a pic of my first attemot.

ForumRunner_20121105_202950.jpg
 
I've brewed maybe 20 batches of this stuff, and believe me, until you get it into secondary, it's one butt ugly beer.
 
I'm debating between brewing this and BM Centennial Blonde for a party on the 21st. I keg & filter so clarity or carbonation isn't an issue. Thoughts?
 
Hey BM,

Just wanted to give you props on the recipe. Got first in 6A and silver in the Hybrids category at a comp last month (42 pts). Those darn American Wheats always get gold!

Great recipe, always a crowd pleaser.
 
IsItBeerYet said:
Hey BM,

Just wanted to give you props on the recipe. Got first in 6A and silver in the Hybrids category at a comp last month (42 pts). Those darn American Wheats always get gold!

Great recipe, always a crowd pleaser.

Nice!!!!
 
Cold crash either wlp080 comes out super clear. Gelatin works when cold crashing as well.

I use half-tab of whirlfloc at 5 minutes left in the boil. S-05 in primary for two weeks and bottle condition for two weeks. Pretty clear at two weeks - at three to four weeks in the bottle, it's clear as a bell. Taste keeps getting better too!
 
msa8967 said:
I recommend against using the house brand of white rice from Walmart. I tried it once and it did not go well.

Why do you say that? Just wondering since that is all I've used for 3 batches and I've had nothing but rave reviews. To me, the rice should be just for a slight ABV boost and shouldn't contribute much flavor anyways.
 
I have used other brands of rice with no problems but the house brand bag i tried using from Walmart just continued to clump together like a paste. It could have just been that bag buit I never had problems with the other cheaper brands I have tried.
 
msa8967 said:
I have used other brands of rice with no problems but the house brand bag i tried using from Walmart just continued to clump together like a paste. It could have just been that bag buit I never had problems with the other cheaper brands I have tried.

Oh, ok. I thought you were saying minute rice in general. I've got no experience with the walmart stuff myself, but good to know.

No say on the brown rice. It should have the same extract potential, but I'm not sure about the flavor impact.
 
I always used the boxed 5 min rice from Walmart. I think the stuff your referring to is 15 min rice. Which you would have to let soak in water before dumping it in with your mesh. Never used brown rice, I assume that would impact flavor somehow.
 
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