Sweet (Vanilla Milk) Cream Ale

I know Cream Ales are really just an ale "response" to a lager (with dry, clean finish), but I thought I'd put a small twist on it and actually sweeten it up a bit with some lactose and a hint of vanilla. I don't want the flavors to come through too strong, but just to add a hint of sweetness, hopefully maintaining the dry, clean finish.

Should be brewing this in a few weeks (near the end of the month), and have it ready just in time for that mid-summer heat :rockin:

Here's what I've drummed up so far:

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Vanilla Milk Cream Ale
Brewer: Anthroon
Asst Brewer:
Style: Cream Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 6.52 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 4.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 18.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.2 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 66.7 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 14.3 %
1 lbs Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 3 9.5 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.8 %
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 18.6 IBUs
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 6 -
2.00 tsp Vanilla Extract (Boil 10.0 mins) Flavor 7 -
8.0 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) [Boil for 10 min](0 Sugar 8 4.8 %
1.0 pkg London Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1028) [12 Yeast 9 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 8.0 oz
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 12.50 qt of water at 169.6 F 154.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 4.84 gal water at 168.0 F
Notes:
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Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
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A few other notes/questions:

1. I'll be using a yeast starter; most likely getting it going 3 - 4 days or so in advance.
2. Not sure if I need the Carapils or if I should use more to help head retention. I haven't really designed a "lighter" beer before and haven't typically worried about it as my reds and stouts have all used Caramel/Crystal malts. On a related note, I'll be bottling with DME - did this on my Midnight Milk Stout and it turned out excellent.
3. I'm not 100% sure on the hop schedule. Most cream ales I've seen have some solid aroma hops; however, any addition or change I made to the recipe seemed to bump my IBU's up and out of the desired range...

Any thoughts are appreciated, and I'll be sure to follow up with how this turned out once I actually brew it and somewhere down the line drink it.

Cheers!

I'm no beer expert, yet, but I came into brewing from baking artisan breads. So, my use of vanilla in baking may or may not hold merit in this discussion.

I would hesitate in adding the vanilla extract to the boil. My first inclination would be to add it to the primary and rack over it with cooled wort. I think this method would not alter the vanilla flavor with heat.

Perhaps, an actual vanilla bean split down the center with the innards separated out could all be added to the boil. Then I would make sure the bean itself made it into the primary.

Thanks for the input! Any specific reason for not in the boil?

I was a bit afraid that a bean in the fermenter would give too much flavor, so I opted for some extract near the end of the boil. Of course it was real extract and not imitation.

I already brewed it a few weeks ago and it's currently in the secondary for a bit longer. When I racked it it didn't have much vanilla flavor, but I could definitely pick up on the lactose. It also had a very strong orange/citrus flavor - I think due to the yeast fermenting at some slightly higher temps (mid 70s). I'll post more info when its good and ready.

Could be great beer......Or it could be totally disgusting. Vanilla doesn't sound good in a beer to me though.