Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

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I brewed a batch of this beer this Sunday. I was shooting for a half recipe (5.75 gallons). I halved the amounts of all the grains from the original recipe for 11.5 gallons. BeerTools Pro calculated I should have gotten an OG of 1.040 at 75% efficiency. To my surprise, I ended up with 5.4 gallons of 1.050 wort post-boil. I can attribute some of the higher than expected gravity to a slightly low post-boil volume, but I must have gotten much better than 75% efficiency. I believe the efficiency increase is due to a finer crush on the grain. On this batch, I crushed the 2-row using my buddy's Barley Crusher, and I definitely got a finer crush than my LHBS provides. Hopefully, this brew isn't too underhopped. I think it will be fine as it isn't a hoppy style and should be well-attenuated also.
 
Well-

Just got finished and cleaned up after brewing this beer.

I did decide to go with the grits and do a cereal mash. next time i should start before 4 in the afternoon when i decide to attemp a new techinique.

Shoot for 11 gallons at 1.044 and nailed it.

Dropped in two packet of US-05 and turned the temp controller to 65.

Cream of 3 crops here i come!
 
I've got a couple of ounces of Czech Saaz @ 2.3 AA, looking for a home. Do you think that it would work for this one?

I'm thinking about brewing this one this weekend as my first 10 gallon batch.
 
Darn - After looking at passload's pictures I'm wondering if this is gonna carb slowly. I haven't anything other than Edworts cider thats been this clear.

What you guys think, rack the 2ndary to the bottling bucket and not worry about dusting up the yeast a little or will it carb even clear as a bell?

I can see through the carboy....
 
I'm 15 minutes into the boil on this. Having made BM's Centennial Blonde, I can't see how this couldn't be a winner.

Mash went great, hit my numbers dead on. I have never used corn or rice in a brew. Tasting the wort I noticed a sweetness that was different from barley, and I liked it.

Making a 5.5G batch, I used 6lbs of 2 Row, 2lbs of Flaked Maize and 1lb of Minute White Rice, sparged slowly and remained problem free. I'm pretty excited about this.

I can't decide on US-05 or Notty though....
 
I just checked this morning before work and yeast was pitched sunday night at 10:30, dry mind you, and it is fully rocking this morn.

I was concerned i didnt aerate enough but the dry yeasts are supposed to not need aeration any way. oh well.

will dump yeast this weekend and rack in another week and let you know how it turns out.
 
Bump....

Darn - After looking at passload's pictures I'm wondering if this is gonna carb slowly. I haven't anything other than Edworts cider thats been this clear.

What you guys think, rack the 2ndary to the bottling bucket and not worry about dusting up the yeast a little or will it carb even clear as a bell?

I can see through the carboy
 
What you guys think, rack the 2ndary to the bottling bucket and not worry about dusting up the yeast a little or will it carb even clear as a bell?

Clear wort doesn't mean yeast-free wort.

Rack it to a bottling bucket and keep the wand about 1" off the bottom (maybe use a paint strainer to filter even further). When the level gets low...prop up the "away" side of the carboy so the wort pools down toward the cane.
 
Thanks BierMuncher. The sucker is now in 19 1-Ltr bottles. The invisible yeasts are about to have a fiesta on the dextrose. This should be a primo beer for my HB Club's Convert A Bud Drinker (CABD).

I tasted this again and its pretty damn drinkable even warm and flat. I juiced this with a little extra sugar. This will be the Champagne of Beers!!! :D

If we do a blind taste test at this party, I wonder how many people could ID their Fav BMC or the HB?
  • Old Milwaukee
  • Michelob
  • Miller High Life
  • Budweiser
  • Coors
  • Pabst Blue Ribbon
  • Miller Genuine Draft
  • BierMunchers' Cream of 3 Crop Ale
$hit - How many pick the HB as the best tasting?!!! :rockin:

I can see the Hard-Core Bud Light Drinker saying the 3-Crop is their beer.

I bet they will get about ~3 of oz. each brew and by the time they are done they will be b'fuddled as to which was even their brew. :D
 
Well, today is July 16, 2008. Just sitting here in the summer heat drinking the last of my Cream of Three Crops. This beer is even better 5 weeks from first tap. This beer has converted 4 people to trying more homebrew which is good and bad at the same time. I, myself, find this beer to be my house ale. From now on, only 10 gallon batches will be brewed. In closing I will post a few pics of this wonderful home brew. :mug:

Click-able Pics:

 
I plan on brewing this recipe this weekend for my first all grain batch. I just downloaded the trial version of Beersmith but I'm having trouble trying to figure out my water volumes and temps. I only have a 9 gallon brew kettle so I wanted to aim for a batch in the 5-6 gallon range. I've halved the recipe to 6 lb. 2-row, 1 lb corn and 0.5 lb rice (and I'm thinking about throwing in 0.25 lb crystal 40L, bad idea?). Anyway, I know the mash should be done at 152 F but what temp should I aim for on the sparge? And how much water should I use to sparge? If it makes a difference, I have a 10 gallon rubbermaid cooler with a false bottom for my MLT. Thanks for any help!
 
Instead of doing a secondary, what if I did a 14-20 day primary, then crash cooled and went straight to keg. I think this beer is so light it wouldn't hurt it to miss a secondary, and the cold crash should drop whatever yeasties are left floating to the bottom.

What do you think BM?
 
Instead of doing a secondary, what if I did a 14-20 day primary, then crash cooled and went straight to keg. I think this beer is so light it wouldn't hurt it to miss a secondary, and the cold crash should drop whatever yeasties are left floating to the bottom.

What do you think BM?

That's what I did with my first batch and it was crystal. Of course, I always add a 1/2 tsp of dissolved gelatin to the keg when I rack.

The last batch I secondaried because I'm transporting to a party and don't want to kick up the least bit of sediment that will fall during conditioning.
 
I visited my HBS this afternoon and came back with 1/2 recipe ingredients ala Aubie Stout: 4# pale malt, 2.5# flaked maize, 1# flaked rice. The HBS didn't have Crystal hops, but I settled for Argentinian Cascade (3.5%) and Williamette leaf (4.3%), and I had to substitute WLP001 for Safale-05 (which I like better but they were out of) (I know, I need to start harvesting my yeast but I haven't got that far in brewing yet). My first order of business tomorrow morning is brewing this. My plan is 7 days in Primary, 14 in Secondary, and 3-5 weeks in bottles (I haven't graduated to kegs yet!).

What I find interesting is that BeerSmith calculates this recipe to be 43 calories/pint, which is 32+ in 12 oz bottles. My goodness, Bud Lite is, what, 110 cal/12oz, Miller Lite is 96 cal/12oz, Coors 102 cal/12oz. BierMuncher, I think you're on to something. Look at all the weight we're not gaining by drinking your beer!

It is going to be interesting to see how it comes out with the substitutions. If I get anything like the results I've been reading, I will be happy :mug:
 
I visited my HBS this afternoon and came back with 1/2 recipe ingredients ala Aubie Stout: 4# pale malt, 2.5# flaked maize, 1# flaked rice. The HBS didn't have Crystal hops, but I settled for Argentinian Cascade (3.5%) and Williamette leaf (4.3%), and I had to substitute WLP001 for Safale-05 (which I like better but they were out of) (I know, I need to start harvesting my yeast but I haven't got that far in brewing yet). My first order of business tomorrow morning is brewing this. My plan is 7 days in Primary, 14 in Secondary, and 3-5 weeks in bottles (I haven't graduated to kegs yet!).

What I find interesting is that BeerSmith calculates this recipe to be 43 calories/pint, which is 32+ in 12 oz bottles. My goodness, Bud Lite is, what, 110 cal/12oz, Miller Lite is 96 cal/12oz, Coors 102 cal/12oz. BierMuncher, I think you're on to something. Look at all the weight we're not gaining by drinking your beer!

It is going to be interesting to see how it comes out with the substitutions. If I get anything like the results I've been reading, I will be happy :mug:
Beersmith uses the "actual" gravity points off to the right to determine the calories. Plug in the correct numbers and see what you get.

If this were a 43 calorie beer...I'd make a fortune. :D
 
BierMuncher or Anybody who has tasted this beer -

I you had to compare this to a commercial beer, what would you say that it most resembles.

Thanks!!!
 
BierMuncher or Anybody who has tasted this beer -

I you had to compare this to a commercial beer, what would you say that it most resembles.

Thanks!!!

My last batch I let clarify in glass carboys under flourescent lights for about 3 days. (I always leave my brewshop lights on).

That slight skunking had my friends asking if this was a corona or heineken (sp) clone. :D
 
My last batch I let clarify in glass carboys under flourescent lights for about 3 days. (I always leave my brewshop lights on).

That slight skunking had my friends asking if this was a corona or heineken (sp) clone. :D


Would you clarify your skunking process? :D
  • Light Intensity - Footcandles or Wattage
  • Distance from Light source
  • How Long ~ Hours/day
 
I wonder what would happen if you used this grain bill and a lager process and yeast?
I'm looking to do a lager, and I haven't done this yet (have the ingredients.)

Giterdone!!!! :D

The results would be very similar. Maybe not worth the added effort...

Did you buy pale malt or pilsner? If you got pils, it might be lighter in color.

I'd make your first lager a bock or octoberfest. - Just in time for fall.
 
BM.

I am thinking of doing a 10gal batch of this .. and pitching kolsch in one and Notty in the other.

What are you thoughts on using a wp029? Kolsch?


I split mine 5gal on US-05 and 5Gal on Wyeast 2575 Kolsch. They were just kegged Monday and the05 is great and the Kolsch is better.

I just recently(last night) had a chance to try an original BierMuncher bottle of this(thanks for sending one of these). This could please any crowd, beer geek to lite beer drinker, although for me I will probably up the flavor hops a bit when I make a batch

I added .35 oz of Willamette @ 10 min. I likee

I wonder what would happen if you used this grain bill and a lager process and yeast?
I'm looking to do a lager, and I haven't done this yet (have the ingredients.)

It would be like Genny Cream Ale. Next time I'm going to try some S-189 on this.
 
I brewed this one July 15th, and today it's only attenuated to 1.021. Does the safale-05 usually take 2 weeks to fully attenuate out?
 
If anything Safale 05 ferments too dry for me.

BierMuncher, do you get any kind of tangy flavors using that much corn? I recently did a cream ale and now that I am drinking it I am picking up a bit of tangy aftertaste, wondering if it's from the corn.
 
If anything Safale 05 ferments too dry for me.

BierMuncher, do you get any kind of tangy flavors using that much corn? I recently did a cream ale and now that I am drinking it I am picking up a bit of tangy aftertaste, wondering if it's from the corn.

No...never any off flavors at all. What temp did you ferment at?

Corn and rice have a very neutral flavor...that's why they're good for a lawnmower beer like this.
 
No...never any off flavors at all. What temp did you ferment at?

Corn and rice have a very neutral flavor...that's why they're good for a lawnmower beer like this.
Actually, I hadn't drank it in a couple of days and I tried it again tonight and it is gone. So I guess nevermind, but for the record I fermented very close to 70.

I have done one rice beer and one corn beer, and although the flavors are subtle, I think they are very distinct to their grain.
 
This one has piqued my interest! I may have to do this for my first all-grain, next weekend.

A couple questions.
1st, would wyeast 1056 work well for this? I'd like to brew something to create a yeast cake of 1056 in preparation for a barley wine.
2nd, would a small amount of Magnum or Galena work for bittering? I have these in my freezer and would love to use my existing hops.
 
This one has piqued my interest! I may have to do this for my first all-grain, next weekend.

A couple questions.
1st, would wyeast 1056 work well for this? I'd like to brew something to create a yeast cake of 1056 in preparation for a barley wine.
2nd, would a small amount of Magnum or Galena work for bittering? I have these in my freezer and would love to use my existing hops.

Yes on both. I've already decided if/when I run out of crystal, I'll use Galena. Galena is a very popular bittering hop because of its clean flavor.

The 1056 will work very well. :mug:
 
Just checked my gravity and after 12 days it is down to 1.008

I have a bit of acetalaldehyde which i expect to be gone in the next 5 days or so. it was very present on wednesday and then last night it was about half as noticeable.

I am getting the corn coming through very nice.

I fermented mine a bit lower at 65.

BM- think the yeast will drop on their own after 10 days at 34 or should i use gelatine?
 
Since I brew this more for the "public" than my own consumption, I always rack to a secondary after 2 weeks with gelatin. Let it sit for 48 hours and you should be able to read a newspaper through the carboy.

Then I rack to a keg and chill for 10 days. Just a couple pints in...and she'll start flowing very clearly.
 
took a gravity sample tonight. sitting at 1.008. what surprised me was that it is incredibly pale. paler than bmc. nearly colorless. still had a lot of yeast in suspension. it's been 2 weeks since brewday. i think i'll rack it onto some gelatin in another week and leave it for a couple days then bottle. the sample had a very nutty kind of flavor. do you think that is from the suspended yeast?
 
I just brewed this yesterday, as my first attempt at all-grain. It went pretty well, but there were a few hiccups that are probably expected of the first time doing all-grain. The one thing I noticed when taking the hydrometer sample, that wort is extremely clear! I was amazed at how clear it was in the hydrometer tube. I'm assuming that's because I only used .35 oz of hops at 60 min. and used Irish Moss in the boil.

I can't wait to transfer to secondary to see how clear it is. I may not even add any gelatin to this one... time will tell. :ban:
 
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