Caramel cream ale?

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I found a bottle of it that had gotten stashed away. I'm drinking it right now - the very last of the original batch and it's even better with age. The vanilla flavor gets a little lighter but it's still nice and creamy. I can't wait to try Batch 2.
 
I have the CVCA in 2ndary and about to keg. Looks and tastes good so far. I cant wait to try this out. I will give it a week in the keg on 15 psi, then put it on tap. Thx Cheese.....
 
Cheesefood said:
Here's the final recipe that I'm brewing RIGHT NOW.

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel 60L (steeped for 45 minutes at 150'-165')

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

Yeast
Wyeast German Ale (they don't carry White Labs)

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
4oz Lactose @ 15 minutes
2 oz real vanilla extract (too damned expensive to use more)

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

I'm adding the Lactose in the last 15 minutes of the boil. I'll add the vanilla in the primary, because I don't want to risk losing any that bonds to the trub. So far, it smells fantastic but I'm still at the bittering hops boil. I think this should end up with a nice caramel flavor and a good hint (perhaps a suggestion size amount) of vanilla. I've had vanillas with way too much flavor and they tasted too much like candy. This should have a decent balance.

Notes: 11/4/05

So good. Can't even explain it - you simply must make this beer. I let it prime for almost 2 weeks before fridging it, then cracked one tonight after only about 30 hours. Great head, good lace, nice color, good body and nose. Pictures won't do it justice, but here's one anyways

cv.jpg
Click to expand...
Guys, as someone who is lactose intolerant, how badly is this recipe going to blow my ass out?

I'd really like to try this beer, but the lactose worries me.

Kevin
 
Kevin K said:
Guys, as someone who is lactose intolerant, how badly is this recipe going to blow my ass out?

I'd really like to try this beer, but the lactose worries me.

Kevin
Click to expand...

Find another insoluble sugar that agrees with your stomach. Or you can try it without the extra sugar all together. As someone who is lactose tolerant, I can assure you that there will be considerable ass-blow. A few of these and I can blow the sheets off the bed.

I cut it down significantly on version 2.0 and haven't noticed a massive difference, but I haven't drank a proper bottle of it yet (just leftovers from bottling.)
 
Kevin K said:
Guys, as someone who is lactose intolerant, how badly is this recipe going to blow my ass out?

I'd really like to try this beer, but the lactose worries me.

Kevin
Click to expand...
You could try using malto-dextrin instead of lactose...that will take care of the "creamy" part, but you'll need something else for the sweetness. You might try using Laaglander extract...that will finish sweeter than other brands.
 
Kevin K said:
Guys, as someone who is lactose intolerant, how badly is this recipe going to blow my ass out?

I'd really like to try this beer, but the lactose worries me.

Kevin
Click to expand...


a comparison:

8oz of lactose in 5 gal (1.18%) or 0.2 oz per pint.
milk has 4.7 % app. (0.75 oz per pint aprox)
So drinking a Pint of this beer is like drinking about 5 oz of milk.

Don't know if this is too much for you, but the comparison may help.
what if you replace the lactose by maltodextrine plus a dash of some sweetener?
can even use only maltodextrine in the boil and bottling and sweeten in the glass
:confused:

not sure of the result, but just an idea to be on the safer side.
 
Thanks Cheesefood, I'll let you know if I decide to risk it.

Kev

Edit - m_f, 5oz of milk would keep me a safe distance from my wife and any sources of open flame.
 
Version 2.0 used M-D for the mouthfeel and cut back the Lactose by 1cup to a total of 4oz in 5 gallons. I'm wondering if you couldn't substitute Splenda for the lactose, thereby making it even lower in calories.

Let me know what you decide to try. I'm not nearly enough of an expert on non-fermentables to give you a good sub.
 
sonvolt said:
Can someone post or link to an AG version of this . . . ?:ban:
Click to expand...

Sorry, but there isn't one. I'd love to try an AG version if someone were to ever make one. Beerswap anyone?

I would suggest using a medium colored grain as the base and probably upping the caramel. In fact, you might use various degrees of caramel to give it more intricate flavors.
 
I'd guess for an AG you'd want
7.5# 2-row
2.5# wheat
1# crystal 60

Cut the bittering hops to .8-.85oz to account for a full wort boil.

It's a bit of an odd percentage of wheat (I'd expect ~5% wheat for head rentention, or more like 40% and up for actual wheat-based grist), but it obviously gives a result everybody likes.
 
sonvolt said:
Can someone post or link to an AG version of this . . . ?:ban:
Click to expand...
Maybe this?
You can add the vanilla, DME, and Lactose at bottling.

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 9.25
Anticipated OG: 1.052 Plato: 12.91
Anticipated SRM: 9.6
Anticipated IBU: 28.9
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


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.


Yeast Edit: I'm no expert as to what strain of yeast to use.
-----
 
Cheesefood said:
Here's the final recipe that I'm brewing RIGHT NOW.

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel 60L (steeped for 45 minutes at 150'-165')

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

Yeast
Wyeast German Ale (they don't carry White Labs)

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
4oz Lactose @ 15 minutes
2 oz real vanilla extract (too damned expensive to use more)

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

I'm adding the Lactose in the last 15 minutes of the boil. I'll add the vanilla in the primary, because I don't want to risk losing any that bonds to the trub. So far, it smells fantastic but I'm still at the bittering hops boil. I think this should end up with a nice caramel flavor and a good hint (perhaps a suggestion size amount) of vanilla. I've had vanillas with way too much flavor and they tasted too much like candy. This should have a decent balance.

Notes: 11/4/05

So good. Can't even explain it - you simply must make this beer. I let it prime for almost 2 weeks before fridging it, then cracked one tonight after only about 30 hours. Great head, good lace, nice color, good body and nose. Pictures won't do it justice, but here's one anyways

cv.jpg
Click to expand...

If you are kegging this and not bottling, do you still add all the DME at priming..?? Thanks.

Jester
 
You would add the DME if you are naturally conditioning the beer. If you are force carbonating, then you would not need the DME.

Thanks - RichBrewer - for the AG recipe for this one. I think that I am going to save it for a late summer or fall brew. Sounds like one I would like to drink when it starts getting a bit chilly.

:) I can't wait to taste it, though.
 
I brewed this last night... smelt great... I still don't have any activity in the fermenter yet... I think the wort was @ or around 80 degrees when I pitched the yeast... hopefully I didnt kill the yeast... if I dont have any activity in a few days, I'll have to pitch some more yeast...
 
Jester said:
I brewed this last night... smelt great... I still don't have any activity in the fermenter yet... I think the wort was @ or around 80 degrees when I pitched the yeast... hopefully I didnt kill the yeast...
Click to expand...
80F isn't going to kill any yeast..RDWHAHB, you should be fine.
 
Alright, I'm convinced to try Caramel Cream....I'm gonna try all-grain (though I'm new and still learning it) and will NOT add vanilla extract to the boil, only to the primary fermenter before aeration so it's mixed well.

Someone had questioned when vanilla was added and it appears not to be in the boil as some alluded.
 
Well I brewed a variation of this today.
Instead of

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3 pounds light wheat DME

I did this

Malts
Breiss Light Unhopped Liquid Malt Extract 9.3 lbs

Otherwise everything else is identical.

I like a little extra kick.:mug:

I'll post results.
 
My Caramel Cream Ale version's been in the primary for four days. It over-ran my airlock so I switched to my first blow off tube set. There's still active fermentation going on.

Thanks to Kaiser for the batch sparging information and encourage. It made this all-grain batch apparently more successful.
 
Has anyone who brewed this thought that 6 oz. of vanilla is way to much? I brewed this a few months ago and I will never add more than 3 oz. of vanilla to anything again.
 
slushy1975 said:
My Caramel Cream Ale version's been in the primary for four days. It over-ran my airlock so I switched to my first blow off tube set. There's still active fermentation going on.

Thanks to Kaiser for the batch sparging information and encourage. It made this all-grain batch apparently more successful.
Click to expand...

My fermentation was a few days stalled and has been going for a bout 5 days now... I am at a week, when I normally rack to the secondary, but there is still activity in the air lock... I am going to wait a few more days, then rack... maybe since you did all-grain, thats why your fermentation is so active...
 
I just bottled this over the weekend after three weeks in the secondary.

I poured half a pint for a taste test and WHOA was it good

i'm excited to see what it's like in three weeks...um i mean at one, two and three weeks!;)
 
I transfered to the secondary today and took a little test taste it tasted pretty good.. I am not all that tuned to know how beers taste and what they will taste like once done, but I liked it so far... We'll see...

Jester
 
Has anyone considered adding corn to the mash (AG)? When I make my cream ale I use it and it does provide a nice sweetness.. couple that with some carapils malt for body, caramel for.. well.. caramel.. and you get a good bittersweet cream ale. I use cascade hops for bittering and aroma (added at 60 and 30 min). I'd been considering adding vanilla, I'll definately have to try that next time around since y'all seem to be having such success.

Anyhow, the corn may be something you lactose intolerant folks might want to try instead. I know how corn is frowned upon but.. well.. it is appropriate for the style...
 
Like many others, youve inspired me to brew this one up. I read a comment saying that if you wanted to do a full boil you need to adjust the hops. How large was your boil for this, cheese? I plan to do a full boil (6.0 - 6.5 gallons). Also, those who are having troubles with their fermenters needing blow off tubes, how large are your fermenters. I have a 7.5 gal fermenter, should I need to rig one up too?
 
I want to brew this next weekend and I have questions. I dont use bottles anymore but your recipe calls for 1 cup Lactose & 4oz Vanilla for priming this would seem to have a huge effect to flavor should I add these to my keg?
 
fa1321tx said:
I want to brew this next weekend and I have questions. I dont use bottles anymore but your recipe calls for 1 cup Lactose & 4oz Vanilla for priming this would seem to have a huge effect to flavor should I add these to my keg?
Click to expand...

I asked a similar question... you add the lactose and vanilla to the keg before racking into it... at least this is what I understood... and what I planned on doing next weekend, when I keg...

Jester
 
Jester said:
I asked a similar question... you add the lactose and vanilla to the keg before racking into it... at least this is what I understood... and what I planned on doing next weekend, when I keg...

Jester
Click to expand...

PM me and let me know how it comes out
 
fa1321tx said:
I want to brew this next weekend and I have questions. I dont use bottles anymore but your recipe calls for 1 cup Lactose & 4oz Vanilla for priming this would seem to have a huge effect to flavor should I add these to my keg?
Click to expand...

No, lactose isn't a priming sugar. It's unfermentable, so it adds sweetness, body and mouthfeel to the product. If you like candy beers, then add or cut back if your sweet tooth is pretty week. I loved the way the lactose and vanilla worked together, but it may be a bit overpowering for those with a pallet that's more sensitive to sweetness.
 
I'm excited to hear about so many people trying this recipe. Both versions I've brewed have been greatly enjoyed by myself and my friends, even my more cynical ones who are content with Aquabrau.

Version 1.0 is great for people with a sweet tooth. It will remind you of a cream soda. Perfect for a desert beer, or just a beer to cool down with on a hot day. This is one that ladies will enjoy as much as guys will.

Version 2.0 is for the hopheads out there who want some candy like flavors without all the sweetness. At just about 3 weeks in the bottle, it's displaying some great hop flavors that are starting to lose their initial bitterness and display their flavors. The use of whole hops makes a big difference in terms of providing more "green" hop flavors. I can taste the flowers, not just their bitterness. The reduced Lactose makes it easier on my system. While this hasn't carbonated as much as I'd hoped, the use of honey for priming provides some interesting layers of flavor.

Best of luck to everyone who makes this. I highly recommend it as a summer beer, perfect for drinking on your deck during the evening after a hot day.
 
I picked up all the stuff to brew the Carmel Cream ale for this weekend and was wondering if I should cut back on the Vanilla extract from 4oz at priming to like 2oz so it doesnt taste like candy. Opinions?:confused:
 
fa1321tx said:
I picked up all the stuff to brew the Carmel Cream ale for this weekend and was wondering if I should cut back on the Vanilla extract from 4oz at priming to like 2oz so it doesnt taste like candy. Opinions?:confused:
Click to expand...

Try cutting it all in half. Taste the wort before you bottle and adjust accordingly.

I would up the hops from v1.0 (which only used 2oz total). I rather like the 3 oz version.
 
Cheesefood said:
Try cutting it all in half. Taste the wort before you bottle and adjust accordingly.

I would up the hops from v1.0 (which only used 2oz total). I rather like the 3 oz version.
Click to expand...

You mean use 1oz of all three hops and cut the vanilla & lactose in half?
 

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