What to do with a Cream Ale

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BroomVikin

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Ok HBTers I'd like your input. I am about to plug in my first keezer. It's a 5.1 cu/ft w/o a collar. I can JUST fit two cornies in there and I'm trying to decide what to fill them with. I've already got a Rum Raisin Dubble sitting on oak that should be ready next month. That one chimes in around 8.7% so I won't be kicking that keg too quickly unless it proves wildly popular with the neighbors. For the second keg I've got a Cream of Three Crops eBIABing as I'm typing this. I've made this beer before and really liked it for something lighter and not so high in ABV. My first thought when I made it last time was something along the lines of "Boy this beer is a great base beer for______!" Here's my question, what should I do with it? I like it as is fine but I might get bored with 5g of it and only one other choice on hand. Have any of you made it and experimented with it in any way? I don't really want to alter the original hop schedule as it is already boiling away. Are there any post-boil pre-serve additions that have worked out well? Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
 
Are you planning to do two separate boils? If so, you can increase the hops, add 5% or so steeped C40 crystal and make a pale ale. Increase the crystal to 10% (maybe C80), add 3% chocolate and you have a brown ale. A touch of light DME may be a good idea to boost gravity and malt complexity in both cases.

EDIT: Also your base beer plus 12-15% medium-dark crystal and you have an amber. It won't be sweet with appropriate IBUs and darker, more complex crystal malts.
 
Are you planning to do two separate boils? If so, you can increase the hops, add 5% or so steeped C40 crystal and make a pale ale. Increase the crystal to 10% (maybe C80), add 3% chocolate and you have a brown ale. A touch of light DME may be a good idea to boost gravity and malt complexity in both cases.

EDIT: Also your bases beer plus 12-15% medium-dark crystal and you have an amber. It won't be too sweet with appropriate IBUs.

I like the direction you're heading there. This will just be a single 5g boil but next time I might just head towards the brown ale. I did sub out 1# of generic 2 row for 1.5# of Marris Otter just for a little extra color.
 
I might dry hop with 1oz of Amarillo and then rack onto ¼ cup of blood orange syrup. Did a hefe that way once and it was great.
 
If you like fruit, it would go well. That might not be good for the winter. Orange peel at the end of the boil if you have it on hand - that can be subtle and interesting.

I dry hopped a batch with El Dorado and liked it quite a bit.

But I think of all these ideas (and cream ale) as warm weather beers.
 
If you like fruit, it would go well. That might not be good for the winter. Orange peel at the end of the boil if you have it on hand - that can be subtle and interesting.

I dry hopped a batch with El Dorado and liked it quite a bit.

But I think of all these ideas (and cream ale) as warm weather beers.

I do agree but with the Dubble on tap and company coming into town that might lean a little closer to the BMC genre I was thinking it might be close enough to satisfy them w/o being too boring for me.
 
I just did this with a pound of crystal 15L, used 1/2oz Williamette and 1/2oz Hallertau at 60mins, 2 oz Cascade at 20mins, 2oz Cascade at 5 mins, and will dry hop with 2oz Cascade in the keg when primary is done. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
 
I've had a cream ale with vanilla and coffee steeped after fermentation. The coffee wasn't ground at all. The vanilla was simply sliced open.
 
I've added jalapeno to my cream of three crops on a few occasions. Turns out pretty good.


I'm drinking a jalapeño cream ale as I type this! Put a few roasted peppers in the boil and then "dry hopped" some roasted peppers and vodka tincture.

Mine is just a subtle hint of jalapeño and very refreshing.
 
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