Caramel cream ale?

Anyone have Partial recipe for a caramel-cream brew? I'm thinking of something with a nice caramel taste and color, but with a bit of vanilla (and maybe lactose?) thrown in there for a creamy finish.

So if you have something like this, post the recipe please. I'd like to brew one this weekend. Preferably something not too bitter.

 

Find anything you like so far?

I found this one while searching for ideals:
http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator?group=19&item=4639

 

Thanks! It's along the lines of what I've been picturing in my head. Here's a recipe the old Cheesebrain has come up with, let me get some reviews:

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel Caramel 60L (steeped for 45 minutes)

Hops
1oz Cascade for bittering (60 minutes)
.5oz Saaz for flavor (20 minutes)
.5 oz Tettnang for aroma (end of boil)

Yeast
WLP008 East Coast Ale

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (15 minutes)
A blend of:
4oz Lactose, disolved in 2 cups of boiled water
2-3 oz real vanilla extract
Added to the secondary and stirred.



What do you think? Too much hops? Too much malt? How do you think that yeast will do? I'm torn between a Wit yeast simply because I think the color will make for an impressive presentation, but I don't want the fruity flavors of a Belgian.

 

I'd avoid stirring the beer in the secondary if possible.

There is no reason that you can't add the lactose directly to the boil. Probably the same is true with the vanilla.

-walker

 

EDIT 2/20/07: Please do not PM me with questions on this recipe. Post them to this thread. I get way too many questions that are already answered within this long thread, so consider reading the entire thing (or using the Search function) prior to posting.


Here's the final recipe that I'm brewing RIGHT NOW.

Malts
3 pounds extra light DME
3 pounds light wheat DME
1 pound Caramel 60L (steeped for 45 minutes at 150'-165')

Hops
1oz Cascade for bittering (60 minutes)
.5oz Saaz for flavor (20 minutes)
.5 oz Tettnang for aroma (end of boil)

Yeast
Wyeast German Ale

Extras
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
4oz Lactose @ 15 minutes
2 oz real vanilla extract

Priming
>1cup Lactose
4oz vanilla (Be careful! This may be too much vanilla for some people.)
1.5 cups light DME

I'm adding the Lactose in the last 15 minutes of the boil. I'll add the vanilla in the primary, because I don't want to risk losing any that bonds to the trub. So far, it smells fantastic but I'm still at the bittering hops boil. I think this should end up with a nice caramel flavor and a good hint (perhaps a suggestion size amount) of vanilla. I've had vanillas with way too much flavor and they tasted too much like candy. This should have a decent balance.

Notes: 11/4/05

So good. Can't even explain it - you simply must make this beer. I let it prime for almost 2 weeks before fridging it, then cracked one tonight after only about 30 hours. Great head, good lace, nice color, good body and nose. Pictures won't do it justice, but here's one anyways

 

I have to say that I'm impressed by the yeast.

It was mfg'd on 9-15-05. Usually, I buy my ingredients, smack the pack, and brew the next day because the yeast takes a while to get going. This time, the pack looked ready to burst after just 4 hours.

I put it to rest last night around 10:30. Twelve hours later, and it's bubbling like a mad-man. This is one yeast infection I can't wait to taste. I can only imagine what's going on inside that bucket right now. I'm using the 1-2-3 strategy on aging this one.

 

This looks great, if you dont mind id like to try it too. Ive never used hops at the end of the boil, how exacly is that done? Do you put it in after you shut the heat off, in which case, how long do you leave it in?

Whats the 1-2-3 aging stratigy?

 

"at the end of the boil" can mean a lot of things.

The basic point is that you are not going to boil them long enough to extract much bitterness. In fact, you might not boil them at all. What you are getting from them instead is the actual hop flavor and aroma.

If you throw them in with less than 10 minutes left in the boil, you get the flavor and aroma. You can also throw them in after turning the heat off and just let them soak there for 10 minutes or so.

and... the 1-2-3 aging is:

1 week in primary
2 weeks in secondary
3 weeks in bottles

then you drink it.


-walker

 

For me, it means that I turn the heat off, throw in the hops, set up my primary, dump some ice in and pour the wort through a strainer. I want the hops in just long enough to convert from pellet to trub so that it quickly releases flavor and aroma, but like Walker stated, no bittering. I don't like bitter beers, I like mine more on the sweet side. That's also why I try to strain out all my hops before putting it into the primary.

Go ahead and try this with me. I'm more than happy to hear your take on it. You might want to look around at different hops or yeasts to customize the taste to your liking.

 

OK, I just bottled it today. I edited the recipe above to show my finishing touches. So far, YUM YUM!!!

Funny story:

I promised my wife I wouldn't make a mess today. I swore to her that the floor wouldn't get beer on it.

So I'm bottling, and I'm down to the bottom. I was using a 22oz bottle and trying to get the last of the beer out of the bucket. I lifted the bucket and angled it trying to get all of the beer out. Suddenly I felt warm, flat beer all over me. All over my sweater. All over my pants. All over the floor. All over the $250 table chair.

I was lucky enough to grab a chair that still had the protective plastic over the seat fabric. I ended up with a half filled 22oz bottle which, after a couple of swigs, ended up being just enough to fill a 12 ozer that was hidden behind the plant on the counter.

Anyway, it's a fantastic Caramel Vanilla Milk ale. Great mouth-feel, nice sweetness and vanilla flavor. I finally realized why I'm not getting enough head on my beer: I was previously using 3/4 cup DME instead of 1-1/4 cup. All is well now.

 

It all happened because of the promise...damn universe has a way of making liars out of us. I find the more I'm careful, the more I make a mess.

I bottled today as well. I used. 1 1/4 C of amber DME with about 1 1/2 C water. Is that what you used.

 

1.5 cups light DME + 1 cup lactose + 4oz vanilla with 4 cups water.

 

Hmmm...am I making my primer too viscous?

 

hey Cheesefood - you added the lactose @ bottling? I haven't racked mine to secondary yet, but I was planning on adding it then. What prompted the switch? Let us know how it turns out

 

I wasn't pleased with the flavor. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the taste I was going for. After being prompted from someone on this board to throw in a little more at bottling time, I decided to give it a try. I boiled my lactose and DME together, then tossed in more vanilla. The priming wort I created was good, so I tossed it in to the bottling bucket. The flavor was exactly what I was looking for! Good mouthfeel with a nice touch of vanilla at the end. Once the DME is converted to bubbles, the sweetness should be mellowed to exactly what I want.

This was the first time I truly enjoyed the warm, flat beer sampler I poured.

 

I'm tempted to make something simular, but I was wondering what else can be used to replace the lactose. I have a friend that is Lactose intolerent. So intolerent that even a few pieces of milk chocolate make her feel and look like death incarnate.

How "caramely" did it taste? Trying to come up with a nice Christmas Desert beer for friends and family.

Denny

 

See Post #4. I added notes and a picture. I can't let my friends know about this one!

I think I'm going to brew it again soon, but I might try a Wit yeast for fun. Then again, it's perfect as-is.

 

Can you clarify?you add 4 oz lactose to the last 15 minutes of the boil, and 2 oz vanilla at the end of the boil? Then, another cup of lactose at bottling, 4 more oz vanilla? Im confuzzled

 

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Yo Cheese......I am waiting to hear back

 

The cheeze man has a new baby, so he is probably breast feeding or something. I had the same question for him and he answered yes lactose and vanilla in the boil and at prime time. I am making it now it is in day 3 of primary.

 

The big cheese did start this thread back in september, and you have revived it from being dead for several weeks. With a new child, he is probably VERY busy.

The answer, I believe you will find, he has already written here. If he said he did it that way (you did quote his thread) then he has done it that way.

Search for his Caramel Cream Milk Stout (I believe I've got that right). It's his revisitation to this recipe, which he loved so much.

 

Beermaker...he describes the steps pretty nicely right here....

The link opens up the 5th or 6th post in this thread....I read your request and it seems he answered most of your concerns....

 

Sorry all! You were all correct - new kid == no time. But today, I'm finally brewing my beloved, bottling my Oatmeal stout (which is almost 5 weeks in the secondary) and resting.

Sorry I couldn't answer your question, but the recipe is pretty exact. I added lactose and vanilla at two different times. Perhaps it would work the same if it was just once, but I'm not messing (too badly) with success.

Great - kid took the first dump of the day 2 minutes after Mrs. Cheese went to take a nap. Time to take some Crapperbrau out of the primary!

 

Now that's funny!

 

I did a trade a brew thing with Cheeze and got to taste the caramel vanilla. It was good. I've been busy during the holiday season and have neglected this forum, I'm sorry. But I had a holiday Stein Hoist and my beers were a success at the party the rowdy congregation managed to drink 75% of my homebrews and 2 kegs of Yeungling thanks to a cheap 10 dollar deposit on each keg I now have a mash and lauter tun all grain brew here I come. The Caramel Vanilla is awesome.

 

So, I brewed up CV2 last night. I was in a rush, so my yeast pack hadn't fully inflated when I pitched. I checked before I went to bed: nothing. I checked this morning: nothing. I checked this afternoon: my bubbler was full of foam. 2 minutes later, BOOM. I put the top back on, and five minutes later: BOOM. So I put it out in my garage to cool it down. 30 minute later, BOOOOOM. The wife jumped! The baby cried! The dog barked! I farted (homebrew does that to me.) Went out to the garage, and the lid was on the ground. So I pulled out the bubbler and put the lid back on. Cleaned out the bubbler, put fresh water in and reinstalled. No BOOM's so far.

 

OK, I just checked on it again and it's foaming out the bubbler still. I'm wondering if I put in too much water. Ideas?

 

Its just a rager, no worries. What you need to do is get a blow-off tube going and lose those stupid airlocks.

You can use the airlock still, just take the cap and the little plastic piece that floats off. Connect a piece of hose long enough to reach into the water glass.

 

Great idea! I took out the airlock and put some hose in the hole (since it didn't fit in the airlock) then ran the remainder into a big glass with a little water.

She's a rager all right! Boom-Boom Ale is born.

 

Damn, got the stuff i ordered for the vanilla cream ale yesterday, but the nudges sent me 12 oz of LACTIC ACID instead of Lactose. Damn, now I need to go to the health food store tomorrow for Lactose. Shoulda done that the first time. Oh well, any one need 4 oz of Lactic acid? C Cheap? I have 3 4-oz bottles.

 

How many Vanilla beans would equal that much Vanilla extract?

Has anyone tried an AG version of this?

I've been wondering where to get lactose aorund here. Forgot about Health food store.. Duh!

 

I will be doing AG. I bought the grains and I am waiting for Lactose now.

 

I'd love to try your AG version. Care to do a swap? Your AG for my Boom-Boom Ale?

Taking the airlock out and putting in some hose is working great. I checked this morning and it was bubbleing furiously but there were no clogs. I got lucky that the stopper for a bubbler is the exact size needed for my racking/bottling tube.

 

Would love to do a swap test.

 

Sounds like some Berliner weisses or Belgians are in your future! I use it to treat my sparge water, as well.

 

Hey Cheese.....I made the carmal Vanilla Cream Ale according to your recipe....now...I did not see an target OG, or approx ABV. I got 1.052 @ about 5%. How close is that to your recipe/ outcome.

 

I didn't weigh it, but that sounds about right (considering the weight of the sugar). I have to transfer my Boom-Boom to a secondary soon.

 

The more this post comes back the more I am thinking about brewing this one up.