Cream Ale from leftovers

[Seneca]

I am making a Cream Ale using left over ingredients. It may not be perfect but I was wondering what people thought.

Partial Mash

1 lb 2 Row Pale (US)
1 lb Flaked Maize
.5 Carapils

115 degrees for 20 min. 150 degrees for 10 min. 156 degrees for 20 min (or until all starch is coverted)

3.3 lbs Liquid Light Malt Extract (60 min)
1 lb Dry Gold Malt Extract (60 min)
1 lb table sugar (inverted) (60 min)
1 oz Cascade (60 min)
.5 Cascade (30 min)
.5 Hallertauer (5 min)

WLP060 American Ale/ WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch at 68-70 degrees (ill have to buy the yeast)
I am thinking about using dry ale yeast, I used some in my last cream ale just because I had it lying around and it came out great.


I plan on using the 1-2-3 fermentation method. Adding 2 vanilla beans (split and soaked in vodka to sanitize) in secondary.

 

[Pappers_]

Looks good! Like in cooking, it's fun to use what's on hand to create a new beer! If you go with dry yeast, I recently used Safale US-05 in a cream ale and it worked well - dry, light and crisp with little or no esters.

 

[Yooper]

I'm curious- why the step mash?

 

[Seneca]

No reason in particular. I'm new to partial-mash recipes. This would be my second partial. It's the method I learned from reading "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing". If there's any other suggestions I am open to them.

 

[Seneca]

I had a little problem with this beer. I was wondering if anyone knows the effects of my screw-up. During the partial mash part of the process I started the mash at 130 for 30 min. Then I raised it up to 150 and the trouble began. My thermometer starting going nuts, every few seconds jumping to 190 and falling to 140. After fifteen minutes of trying to stablize the temperature I gave up. I strained, sparged the grains added the extract and hops and started the boil. Upon taking the hydrometer reading the OG was at 1.041 and with the grains should have been closer to 1.055. Hence, I realize the starches were not coverted to sugar during the botched mashing process.

What effect is this going to have on my beer as far as flavor, mouthfeel, head retention, etc.? I know the obvious drawback is lower alcohol, which I could live with. However, I am trying to see if my beer is completed screwed, or if is still salvagable

 

[Pappers_]

1.041 for a Cream Ale's OG is within the range for the style, I think. No worries - let the yeast do it's job and enjoy!

Edit: I looked it up, and the low end of the range for Cream Ale is 1.042 - so its damn close. It really is difficult to screw up extract brews - I am betting that your beer will be fine!