Cream Ale recipe help

[JayMac]

Hey everyone,

It's been a long time since I've posted because I left all of my brew stuff it my university town and I worked away for the summer. However, now it's time for some brewing now that I'm back!

I have a ton of beers lined up (amber ale, blonde ale, stone IPA clone, hefeweizen) but the only one I can't come to a conclusion on is this cream ale.

I've done my research and looked at a TON of posts. I have come to a couple conclusions:
1. I only want to use flaked maize and 6-row (no dextrose, rice, or any other malts). This will be in 80% 6-row and 20% maize quantities.

2. I will be using ale yeast and trying to keep it as cold as possible (may end up being high 60's still- let's hope my basement/cellar is colder!)

I am currently undecided for hops and yeast. I know that I want a high-attenuating and crisp yeast. I have heard that Wyeast 1056 works well (that's what I currently have in my Beer Smith). Does anyone think there are other yeasts out there that produce better results than 1056?

As for hops, I was thinking 0.5oz cluster for the bittering addition, and 0.5oz tettnanger with 15 minutes left (for a 5.5gal batch). This puts me in at about 17.2 IBU's.

Unfortunately, I won't have my RIMS set-up for this batch (I still need to get holes cut out of my control panel) but even if I did, I doubt I'd be able to do step mashes, so single infusion at ~151-153F it is!

I'd love to hear all of your input. Let me know if anything seems off to you!

Cheers,
Jay

 

[Yooper]

Sounds pretty good! If you can keep it colder than 65, you have quite a few yeast options to work with. I really like Wyeast's California lager yeast for a cream ale, especially if you can ferment at 62-65 or so. Wyeast 1056 is fine, especially if closer to 70 degrees, or White Lab's Cream Ale Yeast blend (Wlp080) would work ok at up to 70 degrees.

I'd mash at 150ish to have a nice crisp dry finish to the beer.

 

[JayMac]

Sounds pretty good! If you can keep it colder than 65, you have quite a few yeast options to work with. I really like Wyeast's California lager yeast for a cream ale, especially if you can ferment at 62-65 or so. Wyeast 1056 is fine, especially if closer to 70 degrees, or White Lab's Cream Ale Yeast blend (Wlp080) would work ok at up to 70 degrees.

I'd mash at 150ish to have a nice crisp dry finish to the beer.

Thanks for the input Yooper!

I just took some temp readings in the basement using my Thermopen. The ground is about 63F and the air registers about 66F. The temperature outside should begin to drop in the next few weeks or so, so I could always wait a few weeks to brew. But that being said, if the basement is at 65F and fermentation begins, the wort will be fermenting closer to 68-70F anyways. Do you think it's safer to go with WLP080 or Wyeast 1056?

With the yeast stuff aside, does the grain bill and hop additions walk the lines of typical cream ales?

Thanks again Yooper, I can always count on you for recipe help!

Jay

 

[Hoser_brewing]

In an episode of either CYBI or Brew Strong, JZ was discussing White Labs' new setup where they parallel test yeasts using the same wort, and he commented that although he had always advocated wlp001 for a cream ale, after trying it done with their cream ale blend, he was a convert to 080.

That being said, I've never personally used the strain, so this is all 2nd hand knowledge. My cream ales have all used 001 and turned out fine. At low 60's I usually get a nice crisp finish without a whole lot of fruitiness.

 

[Yooper]

I've never done a cream ale with all 6-row, except for 20% maize, but it sounds fine!

 

[Bob]

I agree with Yooper. It sounds fine indeed!

Check the settings on your mill, as 6-row has a less-plump corn than 2-row. You want a good crush without powdering, and you want to keep the husk material as intact as possible.

You can do a simple step mash using infusions of boiling liquor, provided you don't mash too wet. I usually start as close to 1 qt/lb as I can get while getting good wetting. Try the mash detailed here; you should find that reaching the saccharification temperature in that mash is easily attainable by an additional infusion of boiling liquor. Of course you'll have to adjust for volumes, though your brewing software should be able to do that for you.

6-row and adjunct mashes greatly benefit from a relatively brief protein rest, as detailed in the above link. This ensures bright beer in the glass without filtration or long lagering.

Cream Ale greatly benefits from a period of lagering, even though it was fermented with an ale yeast (or blend). I generally prefer Nottingham for this style, fermented at the lower to middle of its recommended range, with at least four weeks of lagering.

Cluster is of course the de rigeur bittering hops for any domestic style like this. I think you'll have excellent results with a hint of Tettnang in the finish.

Do use a kettle fining, as you will probably end up with a lot of break material, comparatively speaking.

Any lighter beer is a real challenge to brew well. I'm glad you're undertaking the challenge! Good luck!



Bob

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

You may want to consider Biermuncher's cream of three crops Cream Ale. I brewed a 5 G batch as a partial mash with 1.5 oz Liberty and Saf-05 and it was one of my best beers ever. The keg disappeared much too fast.

 

[JayMac]

I agree with Yooper. It sounds fine indeed!

Check the settings on your mill, as 6-row has a less-plump corn than 2-row. You want a good crush without powdering, and you want to keep the husk material as intact as possible.

You can do a simple step mash using infusions of boiling liquor, provided you don't mash too wet. I usually start as close to 1 qt/lb as I can get while getting good wetting. Try the mash detailed here; you should find that reaching the saccharification temperature in that mash is easily attainable by an additional infusion of boiling liquor. Of course you'll have to adjust for volumes, though your brewing software should be able to do that for you.

6-row and adjunct mashes greatly benefit from a relatively brief protein rest, as detailed in the above link. This ensures bright beer in the glass without filtration or long lagering.

Cream Ale greatly benefits from a period of lagering, even though it was fermented with an ale yeast (or blend). I generally prefer Nottingham for this style, fermented at the lower to middle of its recommended range, with at least four weeks of lagering.

Cluster is of course the de rigeur bittering hops for any domestic style like this. I think you'll have excellent results with a hint of Tettnang in the finish.

Do use a kettle fining, as you will probably end up with a lot of break material, comparatively speaking.

Any lighter beer is a real challenge to brew well. I'm glad you're undertaking the challenge! Good luck!



Bob

Thanks for the encouragement Bob!

What do you recommend for heating the liquor for step up? I'm thinking I could heat 7 gallons to approximately 140F (to hit 122F for first step), then keep the flame on high for the 20 minutes it rests. Then use the heated liquor for the second step, and repeat for the last rest.

Would this be more effective and consistent? Or should I simply use an electric kettle in the kitchen.

My kegerator is big enough to put my entire carboy in. I could just adjust the temp to 45F and there we go, lagering!

I have Irish moss... that should bring out most of the break material

So you would recommend me using nottingham opposed to 1056? I hate making starters, so it might be easier just to throw in 2 pkgs of nottingham.

Thanks so much!
Jay

 

[Bob]

I'd just use the kettle and burner to heat the needed liquor to boiling. It's easier, and uses less liquor, to step your mash up with boiling liquor. You could use the electric kettle from the kitchen, but you may need more than that amount of boiling liquor. When I did the recipe to which I linked, that's how I did it, but I was only mashing 5 pounds.

"Lagering" in the sense you're thinking would work fine. Heck, you could just wait for it to drop bright and keg it, and store the keg for a while. That would work just as well.

Irish moss will work fine.

1056 is a fine yeast. The reason I'd use Notty over 1056 in this beer - given equal pitch rates - is flocculation. 1056 never really drops bright for me, no matter how cold I rest it or how long I leave it. The appearance of my beer is important to me, especially a light, crisp beer like Cream Ale. I want it to be star-bright in the glass. To my palate, Notty and 1056 are equally flavor-neutral, so it's a battle of flocks. And you're right - it's one packet of Notty in 5 gallons as opposed to 2 smack-packs or a starter for 1056. KISS is another area where Notty wins.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[gregdech]

I brew cream ale regularly. Two yeasts that I have had good luck with, particularly at low-ish temps, are Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) and Wyeast 1450 (Denny's Fav 50). They both work well at lower temps and are very neutral. In fact, the 1450 has become my standard yeast for most american styles. Unfortunately, these yeasts are counter to Bob's argument about flocculation as both of these yeasts seem very fine and do not settle out without some help. I've had good luck with a good cold crash (2-3 days), followed by a secondary on some Gelatin (3-4 days) and I can get nice clear beer.

As for hops, you could also consider Mt. Hood and/or Sterling. Mt. Hood is my standard for this style since I grow them at home. Both of these are north-american hybrids and so although they are not as "classic" as Cluster, they do fit with the "north american" heritage of this style. I have also tried Cluster, saaz, and tettnanger and they all work well. Realistically, this style is not really hop forward and so any of these will work well.

Cheers,

Greg

 

[Bob]

I think you understand me when I say "fine". Any clean-fermenting yeast will work "fine" - meaning "perfectly well" - in Cream Ale. If you want a beer that's star-bright without help, as you put it, a yeast that does "not settle out without some help" is not without difficulty and complication. Notty will generally drop star-bright in a short time all by itself. That's all I was saying.

I agree wholeheartedly about Mt Hood and other North American "noble" cultivars/crosses. They work quite well in this context.

Bob

 

[JayMac]

Thanks again everyone for all this input.

I think I'm going to pitch a pack of notty, and stick to my hop schedule. I'll switch up the hops for my next cream ales until I come out with a winning duo.

Cheers!
Jay