Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

[Schlenkerla]

"No bubbles" Is this normal or is the mash temp to high? Just wondering because I am going to move it to the secondary this weekend and if its not going to go down any farther I may emzyme it.

Thanks

It will probably drop some more. The lower mash temp would have converted more sugars. The enzyme will certainly do the trick. It will definitely make it dry and crisp. I've made this w/ s-05 with and without enzyme. Both were very good beers.

The enzyme will remove all subtle aspects of corn flavor. Even with it mashed at 147F its very minimal in corn flavor. I'd say that I didn't taste it in every mouth full. I believe a cream ale is expected to have some sweet corn taste.

Enzyme will bump the ABV which is good! :rockin:

 

[BierMuncher]

...I mashed at 154...and it is still at 1.015. ...Is this normal or is the mash temp to high?
Thanks

Equally important is the mash rest time. My cream ales and other light beers that I want to be bright and crisp get a full 90 minute rest before fly sparging.

 

[Jbt]

Equally important is the mash rest time. My cream ales and other light beers that I want to be bright and crisp get a full 90 minute rest before fly sparging.

hmm I made 2 others since then.. I will have to check my notes I think that is the one I was running out of the time "The Wife" and cut the rest down to 70 minutes.. Also I batch sparge too.

Thanks for the replies I am going to transfer it too a seconary Sunday, cuz I need the fermenter for the next batch I will see if it drop any more. If not Ill Enzyme it then. Then I will try the recipe again at a lower mash and the right rest time.
Still learning!!

Jim

 

[GateTwelve]

This was my first AG brew (well, first brew period, actually), and it went disastrously. Without getting into embarrassing specifics, I ended up having to make a completely new wort with fresh mash to add into the first wort I made, so as to get the IBUs a little more balanced.

With the best estimates I can provide it, Beersmith is putting my concoction at 20.9-22 IBU. Does anyone think that extra bittering from the hops will put my brew over the edge for an average BMC drinker (making this for a SuperBowl party), or even over the edge for this style?

 

[BierMuncher]

This was my first AG brew (well, first brew period, actually), and it went disastrously. Without getting into embarrassing specifics, I ended up having to make a completely new wort with fresh mash to add into the first wort I made, so as to get the IBUs a little more balanced.

With the best estimates I can provide it, Beersmith is putting my concoction at 20.9-22 IBU. Does anyone think that extra bittering from the hops will put my brew over the edge for an average BMC drinker (making this for a SuperBowl party), or even over the edge for this style?

21-22 IBU's is not going to kill this beer. Let it ferment out completely and cold crash this beer as long as you can before serving.

 

[GateTwelve]

Cool, thank you for the reply. I'll cold crash it for the majority of its time in the secondary after FG is reached. I wouldn't be so concerned if I had more time to let it age so the hoppiness could come into range, but I already started this so late that it may be a bit green as is. Thanks again.

 

[nealf]

Mine is pushing about 21IBU as well... I decided to up them after I got 90+% efficiency and an OG of 1.052. Hopefully the ratios are close to intact. I am going to attempt to enter this beer as either a cream ale or a standard american lager depending on how clean the flavors is, I tried to keep it fermenting cool.

 

[Shamrock28]

Ive let it sit in the primary for two weeks now. Ready to bottle condition it and drink. Ive only got 3 gallons.. How much corn sugar should I add..What temp? How long? Is that all......Can i FINALLY drink this stuff

 

[BierMuncher]

Ive let it sit in the primary for two weeks now. Ready to bottle condition it and drink. Ive only got 3 gallons.. How much corn sugar should I add..What temp? How long? Is that all......Can i FINALLY drink this stuff

Use 3/5ths of half a cup...what ever that is.

I would let this beer condition at 70 degrees for 3 weeks minimum and then crack one every day or so to test.

 

[bendavanza]

or 3 oz (weight), as 5oz is a normal priming amount for 5 gallons.

 

[Shamrock28]

Stupid Question but why did you have it sit two weeks in a prim if fermentation (in the original instructions) for an Ale usually takes 5 days only. Thanks for the bottling advice

 

[IrregularPulse]

The yeast still does alot of work after FG is hit. It goes back in and cleans up after itself scrubbing out of flavors and clearing itself. I leave all my beers in primary for ~1 month from pitching then rack to keg.

 

[waldoar15]

Stupid Question but why did you have it sit two weeks in a prim if fermentation (in the original instructions) for an Ale usually takes 5 days only. Thanks for the bottling advice

Give it some time. I know the short turn around time is what it's known for, but it's even better with a few weeks on it.

 

[EO74]

BM thanks for the recipe!!I made it exact except as a 5 gal batch.My question to u is would u force carb this or prime it in a keg????

 

[BierMuncher]

BM thanks for the recipe!!I made it exact except as a 5 gal batch.My question to u is would u force carb this or prime it in a keg????

I force carb everything. For a light grain bill beer especially, you'll get a cleaner tasting product without the additional yeast production you get with priming.

 

[Bdogg]

Been in primary for 10 days so I figured I'd take a gravity reading- my second AG batch so I'm eager to see what's going on in there. 1.008 from 1.048. It will go down more especially when some more of the solids settle out. Smells nice, can smell the corn and just a bit from the hops. Doesn't taste too bad considering it's been in primary for 10 days and is uncarbonated - I finished off the hydrometer tube. It tastes better flat at 10 days than budweiser does straight out of the can, I think it will turn out nicely. I have to leave town for a couple weeks, so it will have an extra long primary and I will secondary with gelatin and bottle.

 

[impatient]

How does this 5 gallon batch look?

I witnessed the most insane hot break. It was like melted marshmellows 4 inches thick.
And check out the cold break material. I could not even filter it out as usual.

6 2Row
1 Maize
1 Flaked Rice

Mashed in @ 153 w/12 qts (went to town, was "suppose" to take 1 hour, took 3 hours, It was still 151 on the return)
Mashed out w/16 qts, Fly sparged very slow, took over an hour

90 minute boil
1 oz Mt Hood 6.7 @ 60
tsp Irish Moss @ 15

OG 1.053 (90% eff)
immersion chilled to 58 and pitched Nottingham

 

[BierMuncher]

That will be one very dry...very crisp and very clear beer.

 

[impatient]

That will be one very dry...very crisp and very clear beer.

Is it normal for to be this clear already. It is quite clear during active fermentation.

 

[Toivo]

Just finished bottling my first batch of this brew. It was also my first all grain batch. Only issue I had was SG was 1.052 and FG ended up at 1.018. I put gelatin in it and let it sit for a week before bottling it. The tast is pretty good for a uncarbonated beer. Carbonated with 4.8 oz of corn sugar. If early indications hold up I will brew this again as a house brew for the friends.

 

[bdaddy]

Just finished brewing this recipe...it was my first 10 gallon batch. Long story as I accidentally ordered the recipe for the 11.5 gallon batch and wasn't meaning too Anyways, decided to bite the bullet and do it anyways and split it across 2 fermenters (my 6.5 gal bucket and 5 gallon better bottle) Brew day went surprisingly well...the first batch I've done where I've maintained my temps, hit my OG, and actually chilled it under 70 fairly quickly (had better luck chilling with the larger batch than I had with my 5 gallon batches!). Only issue is I only have room for 1 fermenter in my SOF chiller so I'm swamp coolering the better bottle, but fermentation has kicked off on both and things look good right now...maybe a little high (70-ish), but otherwise I'm happy.

I'm excited about how this one will turn out as it's going to also be my first kegged batch as well (currently building kegerator), so want opinions on which option I should pursue for cleanest beer

Should I just leave in primary for 3 weeks (since i have no secondary to rack to?) Or leave in primary for 10-14 days and use my empty kegs as secondary...rack and put in gelatin in the kegs themselves? Or try to cold crash the primaries in my kegerator for a couple of days prior to racking to the kegs? Can I use gelatin in the kegs to clear things up? (even if I'm going to be serving out of these things?)

 

[Shamrock28]

Ok tommorrow is the big brew day and I know this post is not necessary but just for reassurance and going over my procedure.......

Going to bring my water on the stove up to 212 degrees and add in my muntons golden light dry extract/flaked corn/rice hulls in the amounts pertaining to the recipe and then add in my .25 magnum flower hops and stir and leave be for an hour. Oh and add in 1 teaspoon of irish moss last 15min of the boil.

After which im going to pour it into my 5 gallon water jug add 2 packets of US 05 Ale yeast and shake vigorously to aerate. Walk away for a week and leave at a constant temp at 68-70.

Come back add 3/4 cup of table sugar to 2 cups water and pour my beer over that mixture and bottle.

Bottle at 70 for 3 weeks and then CONSUME

 

[GateTwelve]

After which im going to pour it into my 5 gallon water jug add 2 packets of US 05 Ale yeast and shake vigorously to aerate. Walk away for a week and leave at a constant temp at 68-70.

Come back add 3/4 cup of table sugar to 2 cups water and pour my beer over that mixture and bottle.

Bottle at 70 for 3 weeks and then CONSUME

1.) Make sure you let your wort cool to room temperature, then shake (or, after it has cooled in the pot, pour it into into the fermenter and cause some splashing), then add the yeast. You want to make sure that you let the wort cool before splashing/shaking, so as to reduce oxidization. It also needs to be cooled before pitching - for the health of the yeast.

Also, I would think that 1 packet of yeast would be more than sufficient for a 5 gallon batch.

2.) 68-70* sounds a little warm for fermentation.

 

[bendavanza]

Shamrock:
You can't put the flaked corn and rice and hulls directly in the kettle, they need to be mashed at ~150 for an hour (Or 90 min) and then drain that mash of it's liquid. Whether you do this with a grain bag or a mash tun, you don't want corn/rice etc in your boil. Then you can take that wort to a boil and add your extract and hops.

 

[Shamrock28]

Intersting even flake corn? I will do a single mash with a grain bag at 154 for 90 minutes and then boil my dry malt extractand and .25 magnum hops for 60min... Sound right?

Also I read that rice hulls add nothing to beer. Shold I x that from my initial recipe and use minute rice instead...

BierMuncher....Can you post an updated 5 gallon version of this recipe. I know youve talked about taking 50% of the corn and rice and adding table sugar. Tried doing the conversion on my own but my hopville beer calculator gives me way off numbers

 

[philrose]

Intersting even flake corn? I will do a single mash with a grain bag at 154 for 90 minutes and then boil my dry malt extractand and .25 magnum hops for 60min... Sound right?

It might be too late for this advice, but I don't think you can mash corn and rice on its own with no base malt. Shamrock have you brewed this yet?

Rice hulls are 100% unnecessary for extract brewing. you should be using rice syrups or mashing minute rice in your case.

Here's a pic of the final product for inspiration. Its good stuff. Take your time, read the thread and learn the process of this brew. It will pay you back.

By the way, BierMuncher (if you're still reading the thread)-

Thanks for such a crisp recipe. This blows the local brewpub's cream ale away!

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 some rice syrup, or get some flaked rice and corn and some 2-row and do a partial mash. It's really not very hard to do!

Rice hulls are a filter medium that's used in a mash to keep things from gooing up and restricting the flow of liquid through the grain bed. They add nothing to the brew in the way of fermentables or flavor or anything.

 

[BierMuncher]

...By the way, BierMuncher (if you're still reading the thread)-

Thanks for such a crisp recipe. This blows the local brewpub's cream ale away!

Oh...I stop by now and again.

Thanks.

 

[Shamrock28]

Brewed this today....

90 Minute Mash of 1lb 5 oz of Flaked Corn + 1lb 5oz of Minute Rice at 160. Then i did a 90 boil of my 2.5 Dry Malt Extract and then added in .25 of magnums at 60 min. The beer calculator i used said it would be a 4 SRM, 1.035 OG and 3.5% abv. Its cooling now and im going to pitch two packets of US-05 at 68 and leave it at that temp for two weeks-three weeks. Geletain it for 48 hrs and then bottle it...Im hoping the gelatin will get me that .5 i need to hit 4.0%

 

[philrose]

Brewed this today....

90 Minute Mash of 1lb 5 oz of Flaked Corn + 1lb 5oz of Minute Rice at 160. Then i did a 90 boil of my 2.5 Dry Malt Extract and then added in .25 of magnums at 60 min. The beer calculator i used said it would be a 4 SRM, 1.035 OG and 3.5% abv. Its cooling now and im going to pitch two packets of US-05 at 68 and leave it at that temp for two weeks-three weeks. Geletain it for 48 hrs and then bottle it...Im hoping the gelatin will get me that .5 i need to hit 4.0%

Gelatin is not sugar and cannot be fermented.