Key Lime Cream Ale

[KoedBrew]

So, I am thinking of making a Cream Ale for the Summer time
Cream ale just sounds good and I love a good creamy Key Lime Pie, wanted to do something unique, perfect combination Key Lime Cream Ale!

Here is what I am thinking for the recipe...let me know if you have suggestions, tweaks, and if you would like to give it a try.

Steep
.5 lb of Crystal 10L
.5 lb of Flaked Oats

Malts
5 pounds extra light (pilsner) DME
1 pounds light wheat DME

Extras
@ 15 minutes 4 ounces of lactose
@ 15 minutes 1 Whirlfloc tab
@ 1 minute 3 ozs of Key Lime Juice

Hops
.5 oz Cascade bittering (60 minutes)
.5 oz Cascade flavor (20 minutes)

Yeast
White labs WLP080- Cream Ale Yeast Blend

Add to Secondary
Zest of 5 Key Limes
Juice from 5 Key Limes
1 Vanilla bean sliced and placed in a little vodka

Priming
1cup Lactose
1.5 cups light DME

Thoughts?

 

[Sean]

I too love Key Lime pie, and have a great recipe if you would like it.

You have a lot going on in there, I won't comment on the recipe technically as I'm sure others more knowledgeable will, but flavor wise, I think citrus is best super fresh.

I think you should omit the juice and add it when you drink the beer. That way it will taste like key lime juice, or bile as I think of it; )

 

[KoedBrew]

Omit the juice completely? hmm

 

[KAMMEE]

If you're trying to make a cream ale to style and then adding flavorings... you really shouldn't be putting lactose in there as its unfermentable and adds to the mouthfeel and some sweetness. Cream ale is really supposed to be very dry and light which would require you to lose the lactose and actually replace some of the DME with corn sugar to help dry the beer out more. If you're going to put the lime in there, don't use the juice, only the zest. It will be an interesting experiment, but from what I've heard lime tends to make beers taste like cleaning agents, so I wouldn't do it but give it a shot. Not sure if the vanilla will work well with your lime... maybe try a tasteing before adding it to your beer to see if the two flavors work well together.

 

[KoedBrew]

If you're trying to make a cream ale to style and then adding flavorings... you really shouldn't be putting lactose in there as its unfermentable and adds to the mouthfeel and some sweetness. Cream ale is really supposed to be very dry and light which would require you to lose the lactose and actually replace some of the DME with corn sugar to help dry the beer out more. If you're going to put the lime in there, don't use the juice, only the zest. It will be an interesting experiment, but from what I've heard lime tends to make beers taste like cleaning agents, so I wouldn't do it but give it a shot. Not sure if the vanilla will work well with your lime... maybe try a tasteing before adding it to your beer to see if the two flavors work well together.

Ok, I guess I might need to think of something else...if it is going to taste like a cleaning agent
Thanks for the heads up...I was originally going to try Orange Cream ale but I thought Key lime could be fun??

 

[SwampassJ]

Your oats need to be mashed.

 

[Wingnutj]

I know its been a while..... But this is the first recipe that was on here.
So how did it turn out?