Miel Ale - Honey themed Cream Ale

This is my first attempt at building a recipe.
I'm attempting an easy drinking ale for some of my BMC drinking buddies that view homebrew as something better left to the "West Coast Hippies" while appealing to my wife's preference for honey based beverages.

So here is the plan:

Recipe: Miel Ale
Brewer: Sleepspeaking
Style: Cream Ale
TYPE: All Grain


Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 6.92 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.92 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 4.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.1 IBUs
Est Mash Efficiency: 89.2 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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3 lbs Carafoam (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 33.3 %
3 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 33.3 %
2 lbs Wheat - White Malt (Briess) (2.3 SRM) Grain 3 22.2 %
8.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.6 %
0.60 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 5 8.9 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Boil 8.0 min Hop 6 10.0 IBUs
0.40 oz Saaz [3.75 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 7 0.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg Cream Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs #WLP08 Yeast 8 -
8.0 oz Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 9 5.6 %


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 26.63 qt of water at 161.8 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 3 steps (Drain mash tun , 2.64gal, 2.64gal) of 168.0 F water

---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
Primary: 14.00 Days at 69.0 F

Style Carb Range: 2.60-2.70 Vols
Bottling: aiming for 2.6 Volumes CO2: 14.00 Days at 69.0 F

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Is my fermentation timing unrealistic?

Well at 11 days I hit my FG. And 14 days with a few temperature wobbles, it smelled great! But tasted more like vomit than I had hoped... disappointing.

Not sure why. On day 11 my temp dropped to the 40s and when warming back to the 68-70 range, the chamber got good and hot, but the temperature probe on the side (outside) of the carboy stayed in the desired range. Maybe the bottom of the carboy that was in contact with the bottom of the chest freezer got too hot?

In any chase, smells great at first, when left to oxygen for any length of time it tastes like vomit. I've got it in a keg for secondary now. will sit longer than originally planned.

Man I hope this works out better than it is now.

Took another sample today, fg is stable. Taste is much better. Just very bland... but I suppose that was my goal. I just wanted more "honey." I guess I knew better, all the forums say honey won't leave much flavor, but will ferment out. You do get honey on the nose but the flavor isn't really there. I'll give it about a week, then bottle it.

Bottled it from the keg this weekend. Turned out very clear, and had barely anything in the bottom if the keg. Used carbonation drops, I'm a bit concerned it won't carb up, just looks too clear for me to belive it has much viable yeast in the suspension. I'll give it a few weeks, plan on trying it on Dec 12th. Taste has improved much, not far off a typical commercial beer.

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