Cream Ale

[danculwell]

I think I have an idea of what a cream ale is but I'm not certain. What are the best commercial examples of cream ales? Thanks

 

[Revvy]

BJCP- 6A. Cream Ale
Aroma: Faint malt notes. A sweet, corn-like aroma and low levels of DMS are commonly found. Hop aroma low to none. Any variety of hops may be used, but neither hops nor malt dominate. Faint esters may be present in some examples, but are not required. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Pale straw to moderate gold color, although usually on the pale side. Low to medium head with medium to high carbonation. Head retention may be no better than fair due to adjunct use. Brilliant, sparkling clarity.

Flavor: Low to medium-low hop bitterness. Low to moderate maltiness and sweetness, varying with gravity and attenuation. Usually well attenuated. Neither malt nor hops prevail in the taste. A low to moderate corny flavor from corn adjuncts is commonly found, as is some DMS. Finish can vary from somewhat dry to faintly sweet from the corn, malt, and sugar. Faint fruity esters are optional. No diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Generally light and crisp, although body can reach medium. Smooth mouthfeel with medium to high attenuation; higher attenuation levels can lend a �thirst quenching� finish. High carbonation. Higher gravity examples may exhibit a slight alcohol warmth.

Overall Impression: A clean, well-attenuated, flavorful American lawnmower beer.

Comments: Classic American (i.e., pre-prohibition) Cream Ales were slightly stronger, hoppier (including some dry hopping) and more bitter (25-30+ IBUs). These versions should be entered in the specialty/experimental category. Most commercial examples are in the 1.050–1.053 OG range, and bitterness rarely rises above 20 IBUs.

History: An ale version of the American lager style. Produced by ale brewers to compete with lager brewers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States. Originally known as sparkling or present use ales, lager strains were (and sometimes still are) used by some brewers, but were not historically mixed with ale strains. Many examples are kr�usened to achieve carbonation. Cold conditioning isn�t traditional, although modern brewers sometimes use it.

Ingredients: American ingredients most commonly used. A grain bill of six-row malt, or a combination of six-row and North American two-row, is common. Adjuncts can include up to 20% flaked maize in the mash, and up to 20% glucose or other sugars in the boil. Soft water preferred. Any variety of hops can be used for bittering and finishing.

 

[Yooper]

The only cream ale I've seem commercial is Genessee Cream Ale, but there are a couple of others. I think Genny is an east coast beer, but they sell in in Ohio and Michigan.

 

[Revvy]

I find good cream ales to indeed be quite "creamy."

And to me it comes from the corn adjunct. I use flaked maize in mine.

To me there's a big difference for example in corn adjunct lagers and rice adjunct lagers...I think rice lagers think bud are much dryer than let's say Llabats, which has more corn in it, and seems "smoother" i.e creamy...

If you've ever shucked or cooked with corn, the starch liquid that come off it when you are shucking or even just mashing corn kernels is very white and milk like....

very creamy...

To me cream ales are really smooth, yet still crisp an clean. But definitely creamy to me....

Cream Ale is an indigenous American beer style. Usually brewed with lager yeast at warmer ale temperatures, it is a light-colored, mild-flavored beer, with a base similar to an American pale lager and often a distinctive corn flavor from the use of corn adjuncts. In its heyday, cream ale was also known as Common Beer or Present Use Ale.

In the U.K., the term "Cream Ale" is sometimes used to describe nitrogen-dispensed beers, now more commonly called Smooth Ale.

History of Cream Ale

Once common in the United States, especially in the upper Midwest, Cream Ale was one of the few indigenous American beer styles to have survived Prohibition in the United States, due in part to its popularity in Canada, where Prohibition was less widespread and shorter.

Types of Cream Ale

In addition to standard cream ales, in the area around Louisville a distinct style of dark, sometimes slightly sour beer arose which was sometimes called Common Beer or Dark Cream Common; this style is now most frequently called Kentucky Common.

Brewing Cream Ale

The keys to cream ale brewing are yeast strain and temperature control. Historically, lager yeast was generally used, but because refrigeration was not generally available, fermentation temperatures were high, as was the case with Steam Beer. Some modern brewers use both ale and lager strains, usually pitched together at the beginning of the fermentation. However, there is no evidence that this was a method known before Prohibition.

To avoid excessive ester production from the lager yeast, temperature control is essential. A fermentation temperature of approximately 68 degrees F is often a good balance, especially when both ale and lager yeasts are used, but you will need to experiment based on your individual yeast and wort characteristics.

The grist for a cream ale usually includes a mixture of six-row American pale barley malt and corn adjuncts, which can give a distinctive DMS-like corn flavor and aroma that many consider characteristic of this style.

I brew my recipe quite regularly, but ut us hoppier than the style guidlines. Mine usually has a pound of flaked maize in it, but recently I was a half pound short and subbed in a half pound of tortilla chips. It made for a great beer.

 

[Pick]

Were those tortilla chips unsalted, Revvy?

I wonder if the cracked corn we feed our chickens will work?

 

[Revvy]

Were those tortilla chips unsalted, Revvy?

I wonder if the cracked corn we feed our chickens will work?

They were low salt and low oil, and neither of those things came through. I suspect the mash absorbed that stuff. I had a bjcp judge friend drink some and she loved it, and didn't detect anything from the chips.

 

[Malticulous]

I can get Little Kings here. It is listed as an example in the guidelines. It's clean and light and could easily pass as a lager.

Grits taste like Pabst. Corn meal is more like Miller High life. Popcorn is probably the best I've used. The corn meal CAP I have now is a great beer. I will use popcorn with no cereal mash for another CAP soon.