Caramel cream ale?

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Don't know if anyone brought this up, I didn't see it but may have missed it... how bout using real vanilla beans in the secondary instead of the extract? Would you get the same flavor? and how many beans would ya need?
 
MrSaLTy said:
Don't know if anyone brought this up, I didn't see it but may have missed it... how bout using real vanilla beans in the secondary instead of the extract? Would you get the same flavor? and how many beans would ya need?

I've never worked with beans, but I suppose it's up to you to decide how much vanilla you want. Some people think that my recommendation is too much while others think it's good as-is. Try a small amount in the primary and sample when you rack. Then you can decide about adding more in the secondary.
 
well i brewed your first version of this yesterday....and MAN did it smell GOOD!!! checked it last night and it had a little krausen on it.. so i was excited.. came in this am to check it and well .. needless to say the blow off tube is now attached! probably made it just in time before i heard the BOOM! this stuff smells so good though.. i cant wait for it to be ready..

btw.. for those asking i did a hydrometer reading.. my OG was 1.055
 
Hmm, this will be 1 of my 2 boils in a few weeks. Amazing recipe! The timing should be perfect for Thanksgiving.

Luckily I have some natural vanilla from Mexico in the spice cabinet

Someone should modify and try lager yeast and temps and see what happens...
 
I bottled mine yesterday. I added only 1 ounce of vanilla in the bottling, rather than the 4 called for in the recipe. I was afraid it would be too candy-like if I used it all. I used Mexican vanilla, a total of 3 ounces. (2 in the primary). I had it one week in primary, 2 in secondary and it is still very cloudy. Moderate amount of trub.

I will let everyone know how this one turned out.
 
Ok, here's the modifications I came up with since I use LME. Please comment, esp. if the 45min steep of the crystal is to long and if the IBU's are to high.

Grains:
1.5# Crystal 60L + 3oz Aromatic (60min mini-mash at 155deg)(rinsed at 170deg.)
3.3# Light LME
3.3# Wheat LME

Boil time: 60min
expected SG: 1.051

Hops:
1oz Cascade at 50min remaining
1oz Saaz at 15min min remaining
1oz Hallertau at flame-out for 3-5min steep
(expected IBU: 32)

Extras:
4oz lactose at 15min remaining
1tsp Irish Moss at 10min remaining
2oz Vanilla at flameout

Wyeast 1007 German Ale fermenting at +/-68deg.

Priming:
2oz bourbon (good call cheesefood)
1cup lactose
2oz vanilla
3/4 cup corn sugar

Can't wait for this one!
 
Exo said:
Ok, here's the modifications I came up with since I use LME. Please comment, esp. if the 45min steep of the crystal is to long and if the IBU's are to high.

Grains:
1# Crystal 60L (45min? steep at 150deg)
3.3# Light LME
3.3# Wheat LME

Boil time: 60min
expected SG: 1.051

Hops:
1oz Cascade at 50min remaining
1oz Saaz at 15min min remaining
1oz Hallertau at flame-out for 3-5min steep
(expected IBU: 32)

Extras:
4oz lactose at 15min remaining
1tsp Irish Moss at 10min remaining
2oz Vanilla at flameout

Wyeast 1007 German Ale fermenting at +/-62deg.

Priming:
2oz bourbon (good call cheesefood)
1cup lactose
2oz vanilla
3/4 cup corn sugar

Can't wait for this one!

Looks good. You want the Caramel 60L to go for a while to get as much caramel flavor as possible.

I need to brew this one again before Christmas. My friends and co-workers are all big fans and ask about it the most.
 
Chimone said:
Cheese have you done an all grain recipe for this yet?

No, I haven't broken through to the other side. I need to find a way to obfuscate to cost of converting. I'm trying to think of a good, valid reason as to why we NEED two coolers, a copper manifold and a turkey fryer. She's all in favor of me brewing outside, but not spending a ton of money.
 
Hmm, my wife constanty asks...can't you do this outside? My reply is always, "Then our home won't smell like a brewery for a few days..."

But still, she doesn't complain about the kitchen being cleaner than when I started.

There must be a genome in their DNA that makes the brew-smells nasty-smelling to them...gotta be genetic.
 
Exo said:
Hmm, my wife constanty asks...can't you do this outside? My reply is always, "Then our home won't smell like a brewery for a few days..."

But still, she doesn't complain about the kitchen being cleaner than when I started.

There must be a genome in their DNA that makes the brew-smells nasty-smelling to them...gotta be genetic.

Women can see more color than men and have a sharper sense of taste and smell than men do. You wouldn't know it by the way that women seem to love Miller Lite, but its supposedly true.

Women see a shirt that's a mix between pink and coral. Men see "Red". Women smell things that are disgusting and vile. Men smell "hops". Supposedly, women's senses are even sharper when they're on the rag, hence the extra amount of complaints about "the smell". And "the horrible farting".
 
When the dog starts barking in the middle of the night; you wake yourself up; the wife grumbles, and rolls over...you know you got it right!!
 
I happen to LOVE the smell of boiling wort. My kids (teenagers) walk through the house opening windows and making gagging noises. That's how I figure it's going to be good! I especially love when the hops pellets leave a stinky green slime around my pot. But maybe that's just me........

Let me say this though...... NO MORE GREEN BEER FOR MY HUSBAND. He almost suffocated me Saturday night.

Lorena
 
Well... Just taped my all grain version of Cheese's Caramel Cream Ale. I have to say this is an absolutely wounderful beer. I will definately be brewing this again.
Thank you Cheese for puting this recipe on the forum for all to share, again outstanding brew.
 
I see from other threads that this recipe is being brewed again by many this weekend. I am also going to give it a try.

On a side note, I happened to luck into a nitrogen system (all but the tank) with a jockey box on ebay. The stuff comes in about a week.

To Cheese and anyone who has tasted this recipe, would a N2 pour of this beer add to the experience or be a distraction?

I may have to spilt it to two cornies as an experiment.
 
Rather new to homebrewing here and loving it. Cheesefood's Caramel Vanilla Cream Ale was my third attempt, just racked to the secondary. Sampled the fermenting wort, and it tastes quite nice...perhaps a little strong on the vanilla. I altered his recipe just a little - whaddaya think?

Added 10oz lactose during the last bit of the boil to avoid stirring the 4 oz in at bottling time.

Split, scraped, and boiled half a vanilla bean and its contents for the full boil. Added 2 oz double strength extract just before cooling - would've skipped the extract, but I wanted the effect of boiling a whole bean and only had half of one.

SG was 1.044 - down to 1.013 and bubbling slowly in the secondary. Had a 72 hour lag even with a starter...thinking maybe I rushed the starter a bit.

Happy brewing!
Yuri

Drinking: Munton's Wheat Kit
Conditioning: Alton Brown's "Good Brew" Amber Ale
Secondary: Cheesefood's Caramel Vanilla Cream Ale
 
Felt I needed to bump this thread because this is a fantastic beer for summer. I also wanted to add that if you really like using generous amounts of real vanilla extract in your beer and are frightened by the price... you can make your own. Basically all you need is vanilla beans and vodka and you will have a lifetime's worth of vanilla extract. The beans continue to give off flavor in the bottle and when you are half empty you can refill and they will re-flavor the vodka.
 
veggiess said:
Felt I needed to bump this thread because this is a fantastic beer for summer. I also wanted to add that if you really like using generous amounts of real vanilla extract in your beer and are frightened by the price... you can make your own. Basically all you need is vanilla beans and vodka and you will have a lifetime's worth of vanilla extract. The beans continue to give off flavor in the bottle and when you are half empty you can refill and they will re-flavor the vodka.


Yeah, I got about a gallon of this going in my coldroom right now, it works great. Don't skimp on the quality of the vodka though, it can be pretty harsh if you do.
 
That sounds interesting. What's the ratio of vanilla beans to vodka that you use? Do you just put the beans in whole?
 
RichBrewer said:
Maybe this?
Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
48.6 4.50 lbs. American 2-row America 1.038 2
37.8 3.50 lbs. Wheat Malt Belgium 1.038 2
10.8 1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60
2.7 0.25 lbs. Milk Sugar Generic 1.030 0

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 5.80 25.7 60 min.
0.50 oz. Saazer Whole 4.30 3.2 20 min.
0.50 oz. Tettnanger Tettnang Whole 4.50 0.0 0 min.


-----

Ok, so im doing this again since it was so good, but this time doing an all grain. Had anyone tried this AG recipe? if so were you happy with the amount of wheat malt?

And will I need a protein rest for the wheat?
 
edost said:
That sounds interesting. What's the ratio of vanilla beans to vodka that you use? Do you just put the beans in whole?

I used 4 beans in a liter of mid-quality vodka. Sliced all 4 beans, and scraped the seeds out of 2. Figure I can scrape the other 2 later when I've added more vodka and it starts to get weaker. The bottle needs to sit for about a month before you use it, in the dark, and should be shaken daily. Once it's "ready", you should pour a small amount in a little container and store it in a handy place while the big bottle stays in the dark (like a closet) and gets shaken once every couple weeks.
 
if you're kegging and not bottling (and are force carbonating), do you need to boil the vanilla extract before adding it to the keg?
 
I don't see any reason to boil the vanilla extract, since it has a pretty high alcohol content, if you are using it by itself.

Cheese, this recipe looks like just what I needed! When I lived in Hawaii, I fell in love with a brown ale, named Macadamia Nut Brown Ale, made by Ali'i Brewing. (And me, since I got a job there!) (If anyone knows that recipe, I'd be eternally grateful!)

Unfortunately, I can no longer remember the recipe, and this might work, if I leave out the vanilla, and replace it with MacNut extract, which I have already found. (My local HBS has it!)

steve
 
I think I'm gonna try brewing this one as soon as my Old Ale gets outta primary... with modifications of course! What's the point of not experimenting, right? Here's my plan:

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3.5 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel 80L (steeped for 45 minutes at 150'-165')
.5 pound Victory 25L

Hops
1oz Cascade for bittering (60 minutes)
.5oz Saaz for flavor (20 minutes)
.5 oz Tettnang for aroma (end of boil)

Yeast
White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast (750 ml starter)

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
4oz Lactose @ 15 minutes
2 oz real vanilla extract

Priming
>1cup Lactose
4oz vanilla
1.5 cups light DME

Basically the only changes are the darker crystal, the victory grains, and the yeast strain. I'm hoping the 80L will give a little darker color and a little stronger caramel flavor, and that the victory will give it a biscuity 'crust' flavor. Think Caramel Vanilla Cream Pie :) LHBS doesn't carry Wyeast so I went with the burton ale yeast instead. Supposedly it produces some honey-apple-pear flavors that I think might give a nice complementary flavor complexity to it. Any comments? It might be a few days to a week before I brew.

Also, is there any con to using imitation vanilla as opposed to real extract? I only ask because I have the imitation in my cabinet right now :)
 
At the HBS, at least mine carries it right along with all the other sugars and extracts. I'm sure you can order it online from any of the major companies as well.
 
MattD said:
I think I'm gonna try brewing this one as soon as my Old Ale gets outta primary... with modifications of course! What's the point of not experimenting, right? Here's my plan:

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3.5 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel 80L (steeped for 45 minutes at 150'-165')
.5 pound Victory 25L

Hops
1oz Cascade for bittering (60 minutes)
.5oz Saaz for flavor (20 minutes)
.5 oz Tettnang for aroma (end of boil)

Yeast
White Labs WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast (750 ml starter)

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
4oz Lactose @ 15 minutes
2 oz real vanilla extract

Priming
>1cup Lactose
4oz vanilla
1.5 cups light DME

Basically the only changes are the darker crystal, the victory grains, and the yeast strain. I'm hoping the 80L will give a little darker color and a little stronger caramel flavor, and that the victory will give it a biscuity 'crust' flavor. Think Caramel Vanilla Cream Pie :) LHBS doesn't carry Wyeast so I went with the burton ale yeast instead. Supposedly it produces some honey-apple-pear flavors that I think might give a nice complementary flavor complexity to it. Any comments? It might be a few days to a week before I brew.

Also, is there any con to using imitation vanilla as opposed to real extract? I only ask because I have the imitation in my cabinet right now :)
I wouldn't use imitation vanilla. In fact, I rarely use imitation anything.

But then, real (mexican, the good stuff, not the coumarin stuff) is plentiful around here.

Lactose, my LHBS usually has it, but Jeff is out right now. It'll be in, early next week.

steve
 
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011207.html

Vanilla fragrans, as genuine vanilla is known, is native to Mexico, and well into the 19th century makers of high-quality Mexican vanilla had a lock on the business. But competitors elsewhere in the world began stealing market share, and in the 1880s the first synthetic vanilla was developed in Germany. During the Mexican Revolution of 1910-'20 fighting devastated the gulf coast, the center of Mexican vanilla cultivation, and production dropped sharply. Faced with a flood of cheap ersatz product and little of the genuine article to sell, Mexican producers began making synthetic vanilla themselves. But Mexico was still known as the home of the world's best vanilla, so the producers didn't admit what they were doing. They disguised the artificial taste by adding coumarin, an extract of the tonka bean, Dipteryx odorata. Coumarin tastes and smells just like vanilla, only more so. One whiff and your rube tourist from Utah is likely to say, "Whoa, that's good!" No, that's bad. Coumarin has been shown to cause liver damage in lab animals. The Food and Drug Administration restricted it starting in 1940 and banned it outright from all foods and food additives sold in the U.S. in 1954. Many other countries have done likewise.
Coumarin has its uses. A derivative called dicumarol is used as an anticoagulant (blood thinner). Under the trade name warfarin it's used to poison rats by causing internal bleeding. The 1983 article in FDA Consumer I'm getting this from says "there has been no indication that coumarin itself produces this blood-thinning effect in humans." I'm not so sure. Another FDA Consumer article about the dangers of herbal tea told of a young woman who drank large amounts of a home-brew tea containing coumarin and suffered abnormal menstrual bleeding. So yes, I'd say toxic. On the plus side, it's very reasonably priced. You can get a quart for only a few bucks.
Most of the vanilla sold in Mexico is synthetic, though it doesn't all have coumarin in it. Telltale signs of the fake stuff: clear, or dark and murky (the real stuff is amber colored and translucent), low alcohol content (genuine vanilla extract contains at least 35% ethyl alcohol), laughably low price. Pure Mexican vanilla is available, but you're better off getting it in this country. Warning: it won't be cheap.
 
Alright, I broke down and made this this weekend also.

Cheesefood, out of lazyness. May I ask how many oz's of lactose, 1cup is? My LHBS sells lactose in 4oz packages. I am too lazy to have messure how many much of a cup the 4oz package I used during the boil was. I'll need to figure out how much to buy come bottling time.

Thanks
 
I think we're still back to square one because he wasn't specific about ounces by volume or weight. The short answer is that I think he still needs 2 packages, 4 oz by weight each, to make a cup by volume.
 
I think that will get me close enough. Now I need to descide if I want to use all 8oz of lactose at bottling or not. I am not going to use the full 4oz of vanilla at bottling, I don't want it quite that sweet. So I don't know if I want to use the full 8oz of lactose then either. Maybe I'll go 2oz vanilla, and 4oz lactose at bottling.

I can say, I am excited to see what all of the hype is about. I also know why this is called boom-boom ale now. My fremination went crazy about 24 hours into it. I am sure glad I had a blow-off tube attached.
 

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