Cream Ale Color?

[Cpt_Kirks]

What color should a cream ale be? I thought they were pale colored.

I brewed an AHS cream ale kit (mini-mash) Sunday and it came out pretty brown. I added the LME about 40 minutes into the boil to cut down on carmelization.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yellow. think BMC.

what was your recipe?

if you are looking at the carboy or bucket, it will be much lighter in the glass.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

2.5 lb 2-row
.75 lb Carapils
.25 lb Crystal 40L
5 lb extra pale LME
.5 lb Malto Dextrin

It will probably lighten up, but I was expecting yellow.

The color came from the grain, it did not get darker after I added the LME.

The spoiled-milk smelling Nottingham is working, I am seeing three or four bubbles a second.

 

[tom777]

I'm glad that you asked this question -- I have a similar problem with an MW Liberty Cream Ale extract kit that also turned out a LOT darker than I expected. And this is looking at it in the glass. One major thing to blame is that this was my last batch before picking up on the late extract addition process. It looks like an amber ale.

I kind of question the choice of "gold" LME rather than a light or extra light extract for this, but that's what the kit comes with.

I currently have an NB Cream Ale in primary which ready to bottle any day. That kit came with Pilsen Light extract so I'm eager to see what the color is like on this one.

 

[Jared36]

I have a Liberty Cream Ale in the primary right now brewed it last Thursday. Got the kit from MW it was a little dark going into the ferm. ,but the smell that is coming out of the airlock is very pleasing.

So regardless of what color it turns out to be I am excited to get to taste it.

 

[The Pol]

Cream Ale should be about 2.5-5 SRM... pale straw to a golden straw color

 

[dontman]

The color came from the grain, it did not get darker after I added the LME.

With due respect, but yes it did. The only color you are getting other than the LME is from the 40l crystal but this is only 1/4 lb so figure you got maybe 1 Lovibond from that.

LME, even "Extra Pale", is usually at least 10l and this represents, what, 70% of your fermentables. That is going to give you a 7 or 8 % SRM. This is before caramelization.

 

[Coastarine]

Here is how the Northern Brewer AG kit comes out: