Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

LVBen said:

In the batch I made, it had a lighter malt flavor like what you would find in a BMC product with a slightly more noticeable hop profile, and a slight sake-like twist form the rice. I wouldn't call it bland, but it is definitely a beer that is aimed towards pleasing a large number of people.

I say that you should just go for it. It takes like $8 worth of ingredients (if you re-use yeast), and if you don't like it, then give it away to your friends and they will think you are the best brewer in the world.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. Will likely do that very thing off of the yeast from the Haus Pale Ale that I'm brewing this weekend. Just wasn't sure how the flavor comes through on this as it seems everyone walks away with a different description! Sweet, corny, sake-like, etc - sounds like it comes down to process on what flavors are highlighted.

lets see....post #155

cbdeacon said:

lets see....post #155

Click to expand...

???

Just brewed this with slight alterations::
3#->2row
3#->Pilsn
2#->FlakeMaze
1#->FlakeRice
1oz.Tettang @45minutes 4.9AA
OG1042 and tasted great

Football day...makes sense to me!

Just brewed this for a 2nd time on 8/13. Finally cracked one today.

The first one I made was good, but it tasted a little off to me. That being said, it's the only beer I've made my wife has liked.

2nd time around, I used a water bath and I think that made all the difference. Instead of holding low-to-mid-70s, I was in the mid-60s range, and the beer just tastes cleaner. My wife approves again, and this time I can drink it without making any weird faces... It just tastes like a nice, clean, light ale, with more flavor than what BMC offers.

Thanks for the recipe BierMuncher!

First off, thank you for this recipe BM... Brewed this twice now. Nice simple recipe makes for a laid back brew day and the keg gets drained in short order. Currently using this recipe as the poster child to convince the SWMBO that I need to upgrade my equipment for 10-gallon batches. :rockin:

I was curious if anyone has tried racking this over any kind of fresh fruit? My local brewpub makes a Raspberry Cream Ale that is very good, and I was wondering if this Cream Ale recipe would be a good base beer to try it out on. Thanks!

yep, in my experiences, cream ales are great bases to beers you're trying to flavor since they are so mild and somewhat neutral. Your "flavoring" tends to shine instead of getting swallowed up by the beer. I used a very similar base for my smoked jalapeno ale and it turned out wonderful! entering it in some regional comps this fall. The raspberry cream sound delicious, definitely a panty dropper!lol

Looks like I'll have to give this one a go. The majority of the people I know like piss water so this should be a good alternative for them. Plus it would be a good refreshing beer to have on those thirsty days.

I have all these ingredients on hand:


How well will this recipe represent your base recipe?

ozzy1038 said:

...The majority of the people I know like piss water so this should be a good alternative for them...

Click to expand...

Ummmm.

Not sure how I should take this.

BierMuncher said:

Ummmm.

Not sure how I should take this.

Click to expand...

Them's fightin words buddy.

Brewed this yesterday afternoon since the weather was so good. Mid October and 25 C!

Anyway, having no flaked corn, I cooked up a couple of pounds of cornmeal and added that to the mash. Furthermore, I spread an ounce of Saaz over the final ten minutes of the boil.

Smells great - bubbling merrily along this morning.

B

BierMuncher
Pardon my stupidity. This will be my first all grain brew and I don't want to mess up. I've read thru all the posts and I have just one question. Early on, you responded:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquidicem
Do you mill the rice and flaked corn or just toss it in the mash?

Just toss it in. I usually add it last to keep the mucky stuff at the top of the tun. Doesn't really matter probably since I use a big scoop of rice hulls in all my recipes.

So you add the flaked corn and Minute Rice to the mash tun AFTER the boil and do not boil them?

Thanks, This looks like a great cream style ale. - Snow

Snow said:

BierMuncher
Pardon my stupidity. This will be my first all grain brew and I don't want to mess up. I've read thru all the posts and I have just one question. Early on, you responded:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquidicem
Do you mill the rice and flaked corn or just toss it in the mash?

Just toss it in. I usually add it last to keep the mucky stuff at the top of the tun. Doesn't really matter probably since I use a big scoop of rice hulls in all my recipes.

So you add the flaked corn and Minute Rice to the mash tun AFTER the boil and do not boil them?

Thanks, This looks like a great cream style ale. - Snow

Click to expand...

No, he adds it to the mash, but he puts the malt in first and then the rice and corn to keep it away from the bottom of the tun. That prevents them from causing a stuck sparge.

BierMuncher said:

Tell you what...pull out a half pound of the 2-row and a half pound of the corn and replace with 1 pound of simple table sugar. That will really lighten up and dry out this beer. That's a pretty normal practice for me with my "house" beer.

Click to expand...

This was back on page #50, and mentioned again in a few other posts. Do you still like the idea? If so, when do/did you add the table sugar?

BierMuncher said:

Tell you what...pull out a half pound of the 2-row and a half pound of the corn and replace with 1 pound of simple table sugar. That will really lighten up and dry out this beer. That's a pretty normal practice for me with my "house" beer.

Click to expand...

Nemleu said:

This was back on page #50, and mentioned again in a few other posts. Do you still like the idea? If so, when do/did you add the table sugar?

Click to expand...

thats a great find!!! been doing a little of the same but adding instead of replacing just adjust the hops... subbing the sugar you want to add a little more ibu's(couple grams) and is a crowd pleaser...



Edit: the sugar gets the full boil..

My brother-in-law wants me to brew a yellow fizzy for a family party in November. Since he'll be helping for the day (another term for being my personal brew kettle cleaning slave), who am I to argue ? This recipe seems like it would be my kind of yellow fizzy, but I don't want to pay 3$ a kilo for flaked maize. Would replacing the flaked maize with corn grits (seminola for us French types) in a 1:1 give the same results ?

I know I'll have to do a cereal mash, but at 50cents a kilo in bulk, corn grits can't be beat. Plus, as I said, I'll have someone to stir the pot for 60 minutes

A friend of mine uses canned corn that he cooks and puts in a straining bag. Personally I have a 50 lb bag of flaked corn shipped from Keller, Texas : http://www.brewhaus.com/Default.aspx

kontreren said:

A friend of mine uses canned corn that he cooks and puts in a straining bag. Personally I have a 50 lb bag of flaked corn shipped from Keller, Texas : http://www.brewhaus.com/Default.aspx

Click to expand...

Why cook the corn?

I've read every post, and I think this will be the final:

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name
3 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
3 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US
2 lbs Corn, Flaked
1 lbs Rice, Flaked
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
1.10 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins
0.28 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)
12.0 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Boil 15.0 min


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 4.0 oz

With that much 6row I would boil the hell out of it ( as in 90+min) or it's gonna be a DMS bomb.
Unless you really dig the cooked corn thing

Brewskii said:

With that much 6row I would boil the hell out of it ( as in 90+min) or it's gonna be a DMS bomb.
Unless you really dig the cooked corn thing

Click to expand...

I must have misread a few other posts. I added 6-row because I thought the extra enzymes would help convert the cereal adjuncts opposed to using all 2-row. It’s not too late for me to change back to 2-row. Thoughts?

My plan is 90 minute mash, 90 minute boil.

What a solid beer. Brewed this with my dad, and we both love it so far. I used the original recipe and cut it in half, but still used the full amount of minute rice, and 1 oz. of each hop. It tastes great!! Should I have used .5 oz. of each hop though to stay true to the original recipe since I made a 5 gallon batch??

Nemleu said:

I must have misread a few other posts. I added 6-row because I thought the extra enzymes would help convert the cereal adjuncts opposed to using all 2-row. It’s not too late for me to change back to 2-row. Thoughts?

My plan is 90 minute mash, 90 minute boil.

Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with the 6 row... Just need to be aware of the increased potential of DMS. The 90 min at a good roll should be enough to flash it off.
I made an ale and added 2# of 6 row to the base malt and did a full boil on my stove top which will boil it, but it takes awhile. Did 60 min boil and did primary in a glass carboy. Because of the car oh I couldn't aerate as much as if I was fermenting in my primary and, viola' -DMS.
I did some research after the fact and eventually realized what happened. In something as clean as a cream ale I wouldn't take chances and stick the 90 min boil. It should be stellar!

Brewskii said:

Nothing wrong with the 6 row... Just need to be aware of the increased potential of DMS. The 90 min at a good roll should be enough to flash it off.
I made an ale and added 2# of 6 row to the base malt and did a full boil on my stove top which will boil it, but it takes awhile. Did 60 min boil and did primary in a glass carboy. Because of the car oh I couldn't aerate as much as if I was fermenting in my primary and, viola' -DMS.
I did some research after the fact and eventually realized what happened. In something as clean as a cream ale I wouldn't take chances and stick the 90 min boil. It should be stellar!

Click to expand...

Your post gave me a reality check and I went back to the basics, only using 2-row. I plan on adding .75 lb. of sugar during the boil, 15 minutes. I made a yeast starter and there should be plenty of hungry cells to do the job. Cut my hops back too!

I think if ur are using 6 row u will be making Miller lite or something close anyway.

Mudflap said:

yep, in my experiences, cream ales are great bases to beers you're trying to flavor since they are so mild and somewhat neutral. Your "flavoring" tends to shine instead of getting swallowed up by the beer. I used a very similar base for my smoked jalapeno ale and it turned out wonderful! entering it in some regional comps this fall. The raspberry cream sound delicious, definitely a panty dropper!lol

Click to expand...

That's good enough advice for me... let's see how this one turns out!

shadows69 said:

I think if ur are using 6 row u will be making Miller lite or something close anyway.

Click to expand...

American lite lagers use predominately 6 row as their base malt because it has a clean flavor profile, more foam stability due to the protein and a high diastatic power which is useful in the liquification of cereal grains that need to be gelatinized and still transferred via pump as well as their conversion in the mash.
They have developed ways to deal with the by-products to maintain the flavor profile of their beers (whatever that may be). The examples I am thinking of are $$/equipment intensive and not practical to home brewers like us who haven't the time or the need to deal with decoctions and step mashes used to take full advantage of 6row malt as well as the increased potential for chill haze and boil compounds like SMM/ DMS
It's a good base malt for many reasons. Using it is far from "stooping" to a BMC type of brew.

That's for the info. Wondering how much 6 row the add. I'll give it a try on my next batch hopefully this weekend.

I am out of US-05 and there is no LHBS near me. I have some dry S-04 yeast and some washed kolsch from 3 months ago. Can anyone suggest another good yeast to use for this? I would like to make a double batch this weekend.

From my personal experience, S-04 can substitute for S-05 but only if you keep the temps down real low in the 60s. Otherwise you get a taste I don't enjoy. But that is my personal taste, others enjoy S-04 better. Nottingham and S-05 are close to interchangeable for my preference at least, but YMMV.

This is assuming you want to keep to dry yeasts. The Kolsch may be interesting as an experiment.

I have some extra Notty to use. How low in the 60's and for how long would you recommend using the S-04 at?

I don't have a package in front of me, the low end of what is on the package iirc.

Just looked it up, 59F is the low end, I think 60-64F was what I would do.

But I'd use Notty if I had it.

OK...I'll use Notty and report back in 6-7 weeks.

Kegged this morning.

Seems the Saaz late aditions, and using cooked cornmeal to replace the flakes turned out fine. Warm, flat and green and it seems pretty good.

Thanks for the recipe - the light beer drinkers will be happy!

Brent

5 gal batch -
6# 2row
2# Flaked corn
1# Flaked rice

OG = 1.060
FG = 1.022

The gravity doesn't look right. It probably fermented a little warm around 72 - 74.
What could have happened? Was it my ferment temp? I actually only got about 4 gals because I didn't start with enough water.
My second batch was OG = 1.040. I will secondary tomorrow and take reading. Maybe this one will end up better. I wonder what a good reading should be at this point? I'm sure it fermented around the same temp.

Brewed up 5 gal of this recipe tonight (after brewing 5 gal of bitter this afternoon). I went with this recipe:

SG: 1.043
BU: 18,4

0,50 kg Grits (1,0 SRM) Adjunct 12,50 %
3,00 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2,0 SRM) Grain 75,00 %
0,30 kg Rice, Flaked (1,0 SRM) Grain 7,50 %
25,00 gm Goldings, US [3,90 %] (60 min) Hops 15,3 IBU
10,00 gm Goldings, US [3,90 %] (30 min) Hops 3,1 IBU
0,20 kg Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1,0 SRM) Sugar 5,00 %

I tried a little experiment. After reading on the gelatinization temperatures of the corn grits, I found that it was in the range of the sacch rest. So what did I do ? I skipped the cereal mash and just did a single rest @ 151F for 90 minutes.

Since I hit the OG right on the nose (and thus got complete conversion), I don't think a cereal mash is absolutely necessary for grits, provided you mash for a long enough time in the right range.

Can I make this with pilsner instead of pale? 50/50? Anyone tried this?

skippyf16 said:

Can I make this with pilsner instead of pale? 50/50? Anyone tried this?

Click to expand...

Yup, its a little lighter also so like the color of a bmc lite