Advice Strawberry Cream Ale

[Norselord]

Haven't brewed in a year, and want to get back into it.
Thought i would put together a nice spring themed beer, but its really something completely outside of my normal recipes, therefore i could use some help and/or advice.

Process:
1) Steep 1lb of flaked corn and 4oz of honey malt at ~150F for 20 minutes
2) Boil and add: 5lbs extra light DME, 1lb amber DME, 12oz of honey, and 0.25oz of Galaxy pellets
3) add 0.5oz of willamette pellets 5 minutes before end of boil
Use clarfloc/irish moss as an additive during boil.

Primary at 74F with Cream Ale Yeast Blend (white labs #WLP080) for 7 days or so.

Rack onto 4lbs of frozen strawberries and two vanilla beans, dry hop with 0.75oz of galaxy in secondary. Ferment for another two weeks or so.

Prime with the goal of 2.0 vols of CO2.
Bottle and age for 6 weeks.

Hope Spring comes early.

 

[zombiefreak]

Have you fermented WLP080 at 74F before? I have used that yeast quite a bit but I ferment mine cool in the low to mid 60's and have always had good results. White labs lists this: Optimum Ferment Temp.65-70°F (18-21°C)

For a 5 gallon batch I use 8lbs of Strawberries. How much strawberry flavor are you going for? I like mine with a good amount, not over the top, but I still get a good balance. Your 4lbs would be too low for my tastes, but it's your beer.

I do a good bit of dry hopping certain beers, but I've never dry hopped a fruit beer. I'd be interested to see how yours turns out.