cream ale, suggest some changes.

[chappedj]

I have a pretty solid, basic cream ale recipe that ive been using and its come out great every time.

8 lbs 2 row pale
1 lb honey malt
.5 lb biscuit malt
1oz cluster @60 min
Wyeast 1056

First batch came out just fine. Changed the 2nd Batch a little bit, added half oz of fuggles dry hops fir a week in secondary, and 3 oz of toasted american oak soaked in burbon for a week after the dry hopping.

That second batch came out slightly sweet and just tasting great.

Just looking for suggestions on any other basic changes that anyone might have to try.

Thanks

 

[Oldsock]

For a "to style" cream ale I would get rid of the biscuit and honey malts and add some flaked rice or corn for a drier beer (neither dry hops or oak would be a usual part of the style). Traditional cream ales are really just ale versions of American macro lagers, you are making something that would fall into a more general blonde ale category.

 

[Yooper]

For a "to style" cream ale I would get rid of the biscuit and honey malts and add some flaked rice or corn for a drier beer (neither dry hops or oak would be a usual part of the style). Traditional cream ales are really just ale versions of American macro lagers, you are making something that would fall into a more general blonde ale category.

I also like corn or rice in a cream ale. My current cream ale recipe uses corn, and it has a bit of sweetness to it from the corn, although it finished at 1.004!

 

[cadarnell]

I'm told to be careful with honey malt .. I havent used it but maybe someone else might back me up .. a pound might really be way too much ... +1 on flaked corn in the grist too ... maybe about 10% flaked corn would be good for this

 

[cbdeacon]

look up cream of 3 crops, by biermuncheer...best cream ale I've ever brewed, or tasted

 

[chappedj]

Im going to mix this recipe up a bit and experiment. Im doing 1 gallon batches and im changing it up with some flaked corn, with and without the honey malt. It'll be interesting to see the differences in how they turn out.
Hopefully I'll improve upon an already good beer.

Oh, and I know I originally called it a cream ale, and that's not what it really is now. It was a recipe that i had to improvise with the grains i had available locally. Everyone who tastes it, loves it. So, got a winner of a beer and an easy recipe. Itll be my daily drinker.

 

[greatschmaltez]

I would use .25-.5 lbs max honey malt in just about any beer. I made a Mighty Arrow clone with .5 lbs and thought it was too much. So for a cream ale, if you want that "honey lagerish" taste I'd start with .25 lbs.