Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

[G_Brew]

I just kegged mine 3 days ago... crash cooled, gelatin for 2 days, gave her 40psi for 2 days... nice clear and fresh tasting brew speacialy for under 2.5 weeks from grain to glass...

it does have a bit of an odd ricy aftertaste though... not much of it, but you can tell it's there... not sure if it was the minute rice i used... curious to see if anyone else gets this...

 

[D_Nyholm]

In didn't notice a rice aftertaste and I used minute rice too. Though I did let mine age for a few more weeks than you. Popped the first bottle at 5 weeks.

 

[G_Brew]

Well, i made 10 gallons, i kegged 5 gallons, and sent the remaining 5 into a carboy to age longer to free up my fermentor... so we'll see perhaps the second half of the batch will be much better.... i'm still surprised at how clean it does taste for 2.5 weeks... I don't really know what came over me to keg and chill this soon, I'm a firm beleiver of aging my beers...

 

[Jayhem]

So I brewed my second AG/full boil batch on Saturday, a modified version of this Cream of 3 Crops recipe! Huge success, hit my temps and gravity just about perfect:

5.5 gal batch

6 lbs 2-row
2 lbs flaked corn
1 lb flaked rice

0.6oz Williamette 6.0AA @ 70 min
0.25oz Williamette 6.0AA @ 20 min

IBUs 16.3

OG measured: 1.045 (my efficiency was a bit higher than expected)

Mashed at 150-154F for 70 min

The wort smelled great! I love Williamette hops.

I pitched dry US-05 yeast at 70F, stirred it hard into the fermenter and put in my temp controlled fridge at 62F ambient. Fermentation started within 12 hours and by 24 hours I had a 1" thick layer of krausen and a LOT of activity!
Looking forward to this one!

 

[winvarin]

So I brewed my second AG/full boil batch on Saturday, a modified version of this Cream of 3 Crops recipe! Huge success, hit my temps and gravity just about perfect:

5.5 gal batch

6 lbs 2-row
2 lbs flaked corn
1 lb flaked rice

0.6oz Williamette 6.0AA @ 70 min
0.25oz Williamette 6.0AA @ 20 min

IBUs 16.3

OG measured: 1.045 (my efficiency was a bit higher than expected)

Mashed at 150-154F for 70 min

The wort smelled great! I love Williamette hops.

I pitched dry US-05 yeast at 70F, stirred it hard into the fermenter and put in my temp controlled fridge at 62F ambient. Fermentation started within 12 hours and by 24 hours I had a 1" thick layer of krausen and a LOT of activity!
Looking forward to this one!

This is rapidly disappearing from my keezer. I may add a touch more aroma hops the next time I do this

My results mirror yours in that I got about 5% better efficiency on this recipe. The only real issue I've had with it is that mine did not clear like others are reporting. I even used a pack of the super kleer or quick kleer or whatever it is called.

I have brewed with flaked corn twice now and realize I am not overly fond of the flavor. I pick up jus a hint of sweetness despite this thing finishing dry (1.004) and a 90 min mash plus a 90 min uncovered boil. I am thinking about reversing the corn/Rice ratio next time or just eliminating the corn completely

 

[Dhack61]

I have brewed with flaked corn twice now and realize I am not overly fond of the flavor. I pick up jus a hint of sweetness despite this thing finishing dry (1.004) and a 90 min mash plus a 90 min uncovered boil. I am thinking about reversing the corn/Rice ratio next time or just eliminating the corn completely

I have brewed this several times with several variations. The 2# of corn is by far my personal favorite. I have found that in about 4 weeks after kegging the corn flavor is all but gone. I have also used 1# of table sugar in place of 1# of the corn and didnt notice any of the corn flavor after 2 weeks in the keg. I would recommend a bit more aging ..But being a great recipe its hard to leave it alone that long.

 

[jtmwhyte]

Anyone brewing this with Marris Otter for the Base Malt? I'm thinking of running one this weekend with MO.

 

[Jayhem]

This is rapidly disappearing from my keezer. I may add a touch more aroma hops the next time I do this

My results mirror yours in that I got about 5% better efficiency on this recipe. The only real issue I've had with it is that mine did not clear like others are reporting. I even used a pack of the super kleer or quick kleer or whatever it is called.

I have brewed with flaked corn twice now and realize I am not overly fond of the flavor. I pick up jus a hint of sweetness despite this thing finishing dry (1.004) and a 90 min mash plus a 90 min uncovered boil. I am thinking about reversing the corn/Rice ratio next time or just eliminating the corn completely

Nice! What hops? How much and when are you adding them? I did use 1/2tsp irish moss in the boil and plan to cold crash before bottling to help with clearing

 

[kapbrew13]

Thoughts? Does warrior @60 & warrior and Willamette @1 = citrusy hints?

 

[winvarin]

Nice! What hops? How much and when are you adding them? I did use 1/2tsp irish moss in the boil and plan to cold crash before bottling to help with clearing

Hallertauer (4.3) and Tettnang (3.7). Half ounce of each at 45 min. Another half ounce of each at 5 min.

Used a hop sock and pulled all hops at flameout and before chiller was started. This beer was made primarily for consumption by my wife and a neighbor who think hop is a 4-letter word

 

[emprbasist]

BM, or anybody who has brewed this recipe with success, I'm looking for a little advice. I am brewing a 6 gallon batch this weekend for my wedding rehearsal dinner (hope it turns out well!) and it seems like it being about 8 weeks away, this beer should be just about at its prime at that time.

Anyway, my question is about how long everyone fermented for. My fermentation room sticks around 67-68 degrees. I have the option to keg it or bottle it. But if I keg it, I may not be able to chill it while aging in the keg for very long. (My kegerator only holds 2 corny's, so i kind of have to depend on one not being used, but I guess that's what you get when you make sacrifices, right?) Which of these options would you recommend?

1) Prime in a keg with sugar and leave in storage room ~75F for 3-4 weeks.
2) Keg it up and throw it in the kegerator, to leave untouched for 4 weeks (if no other beers need a spot in the kegerator by then)
3) Botle this batch.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[kapbrew13]

1) Prime in a keg with sugar and leave in storage room ~75F for 3-4 weeks.
2) Keg it up and throw it in the kegerator, to leave untouched for 4 weeks (if no other beers need a spot in the kegerator by then)
3) Botle this batch.

Any help is appreciated!

You have plenty of time, I ferment for 3 weeks but you can probably keg/bottle this in 2.
I like options, 2, 1, and 3 in that order.

 

[Jayhem]

Anyway, my question is about how long everyone fermented for. My fermentation room sticks around 67-68 degrees.

67-68 degrees ambient is too warm for the active part of primary fermentation. The beer temp will rise to 6-9F HIGHER than ambient which means you may be fermenting at 74-77F which is way too warm and could contribute off flavors and that is NOT something you want in a lighter beer like this.

Can you lower the temp to about 62F for the first 4-5 days of primary?

I have this cream ale in my primary right now at 61F and after 5 days it's just about ready to drop the krausen. I'll let it go a total of 21 days in primary, then bottle.

 

[Willie3]

RDWHAHB....

Depends on your tastes. If you keg it you could force carb it if you do not want to introdcue additional sugars or you could naturally carb using dextrose. Presentation is cool too at weddings if you bottle and lable your beer. It all depends on what you prefer... afterall this is your wedding.

I would try to keep the temp range more in the range of ~65*F +/- 3*. At 75* you will impart a fruitier beer. You could do that with a wet towel draped over the carboy.

Again RDWHAHB and choose what you desire. Good luck!!

 

[winvarin]

+1. I fermented at 65 on the nose and this came out super clean

 

[RyboFlav]

I just served up 5G of this at a work potluck and it was a huge smash. People who weren't beer drinkers were raving about it

The only changes I made were using popcorn in place of the flaked corn, and I changed the hop schedule to:

10g Amarillo (10.7%) whole hops @ 60mins
10g Amarillo (10.7%) @ 5mins

Delicious!

 

[Jayhem]

I just served up 5G of this at a work potluck and it was a huge smash. People who weren't beer drinkers were raving about it

The only changes I made were using popcorn in place of the flaked corn, and I changed the hop schedule to:

10g Amarillo (10.7%) whole hops @ 60mins
10g Amarillo (10.7%) @ 5mins

Delicious!

Popcorn? Interesting. Just crushed it in your mill with the barley?

 

[emprbasist]

RDWHAHB....

Depends on your tastes. If you keg it you could force carb it if you do not want to introdcue additional sugars or you could naturally carb using dextrose. Presentation is cool too at weddings if you bottle and lable your beer. It all depends on what you prefer... afterall this is your wedding.

I would try to keep the temp range more in the range of ~65*F +/- 3*. At 75* you will impart a fruitier beer. You could do that with a wet towel draped over the carboy.

Again RDWHAHB and choose what you desire. Good luck!!

Thanks everybody for the input. Willie, are you referring to 65 ambient temp or 65 wort temp (accounting for the fermentation reaction)?

I just bought a temp controller so I'll have to try and figure out an easy way to use it without investing a lot in a chest freezer.

 

[Jayhem]

Thanks everybody for the input. Willie, are you referring to 65 ambient temp or 65 wort temp (accounting for the fermentation reaction)?

I just bought a temp controller so I'll have to try and figure out an easy way to use it without investing a lot in a chest freezer.

When homebrewers speak of "Fermentation temperature" they are referring to the actual fermenting beer liquid temp.

One option if you don't have an extra fridge or freezer is to put a small window AC unit in a room you don't use much, put the fermenter in a large cardboard box and then use additional cardboard to route the A/C blower outlet directly into the box (but don't make it air tight!). Plug your temp control into the A/C power cord and put the temp probe in the box, you are in business! The temp will fluctuate less if you wrap blankets around the box and on top for insulation and keep the room dark. I would then set the temp control on a 6-7 degree swing before it kicks back on again and try not to short cycle the compressor (1 min minimum). If your house is normally 70-80F in the summer then the A/C unit won't have to run much to keep your fermenter in the low 60's.

 

[RyboFlav]

Popcorn? Interesting. Just crushed it in your mill with the barley?

Nope, just popped it and added it to the mash. It disintegrated once it got wet. It was literally a garbage bag full of popped corn

One note though is to weigh it out AFTER popping since you lose moisture when it pops.

 

[taintedplay]

I am starting 15 gallon batches, but i live far from a LHBS and dont have a mill so I want to buy a 50lb bag and use it all quickly, then sit back and enjoy the beer over a few months. So im planning on doing two batches and putting them in a 55gallon plastic barrel, then using the rest for a different recipe (the reason for the 55gallon barrel is I dont have many carboys).
For a 15gal batch, does this recipe work?
I plan BIAB with dunk sparge
16.5lb pale
4lb corn
2lb rice
2oz williamette
1oz Crystal

 

[Dgonza9]

I am starting 15 gallon batches, but i live far from a LHBS and dont have a mill so I want to buy a 50lb bag and use it all quickly, then sit back and enjoy the beer over a few months. So im planning on doing two batches and putting them in a 55gallon plastic barrel, then using the rest for a different recipe (the reason for the 55gallon barrel is I dont have many carboys).
For a 15gal batch, does this recipe work?
I plan BIAB with dunk sparge
16.5lb pale
4lb corn
2lb rice
2oz williamette
1oz Crystal

I scaled mine up in Beersmith for ya. Mine does have some rye and wheat in it, though. I also had a 60 minute boil.


Cream of Three Crops 15 gallon rye
Cream Ale
Type: All Grain Date: 5/20/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 15.00 gal
Boil Size: 17.32 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Volume 16.12 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 15.00 gal
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
17 lbs 12.1 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 62.0 %
5 lbs 7.4 oz Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 2 19.1 %
2 lbs 10.7 oz Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 3 9.3 %
1 lbs 5.9 oz Rice, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.8 %
1 lbs 5.9 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 5 4.8 %

1.36 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 6.1 IBUs
1.36 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 9.7 IBUs

1.4 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 8 -
Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.049 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.009 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.2 %
Bitterness: 15.8 IBUs
Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 3.8 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out Total Grain Weight: 28 lbs 10.0 oz
Sparge Water: 11.81 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 36.78 qt of water at 163.5 F 150.0 F 75 min
Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 11.81 gal water at 168.0 F

Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
Notes

Created with BeerSmith

 

[taintedplay]

on this the after boil volume is 16.12, and the batch size is 15. do you lose that much during fermentation?

 

[Dgonza9]

on this the after boil volume is 16.12, and the batch size is 15. do you lose that much during fermentation?

I think part of it is that I ferment under pressure. So my beer is fermenting and carbing at the same time. After two weeks I crash cool and put it on gas to carb... and tend to drink a lot of samples.

Might be off, too. I've been spending too much time building up my system and not enough brewing.

 

[Rexorotten]

I'm making this recipe this weekend (5.5 gallon batch). My ingredients were shipped today, and realized I didn't order any crystal hops, only 1 oz. of Willamette. Should I boil 1/2 oz. for 60 minutes and the other 1/2 for 15? Or should I boil them all for 60 minutes?

 

[D_Nyholm]

I'm making this recipe this weekend (5.5 gallon batch). My ingredients were shipped today, and realized I didn't order any crystal hops, only 1 oz. of Willamette. Should I boil 1/2 oz. for 60 minutes and the other 1/2 for 15? Or should I boil them all for 60 minutes?

I wouldn't use the whole ounce for the 60 minute boil. You can calculate how much of the williamette you need by calculating the alpha acids of your hops and getting the amount of IBU you need. I think beersmith will do it for you but there is most likely a free calculator online if you search Google. Or one of these lovely people can hopefully calculate it for you I bet it will be about .75 of them.

 

[Jayhem]

I'm making this recipe this weekend (5.5 gallon batch). My ingredients were shipped today, and realized I didn't order any crystal hops, only 1 oz. of Willamette. Should I boil 1/2 oz. for 60 minutes and the other 1/2 for 15? Or should I boil them all for 60 minutes?

I did this recipe last batch. My OG was 1.046. I used 0.6oz of Williamette @ 60 min and .25oz of Williamette @ 15 min and my IBU calculation was about 18 IBU's doing a full boil; 6.7 gallons boiled down to 5.5 gal batch.

 

[Riffraff3055]

67-68 degrees ambient is too warm for the active part of primary fermentation. The beer temp will rise to 6-9F HIGHER than ambient which means you may be fermenting at 74-77F which is way too warm and could contribute off flavors and that is NOT something you want in a lighter beer like this.

Can you lower the temp to about 62F for the first 4-5 days of primary?

I have this cream ale in my primary right now at 61F and after 5 days it's just about ready to drop the krausen. I'll let it go a total of 21 days in primary, then bottle.

I can attest to this. I fermented way too warm and this beer tastes very cidery. My friend was scolding me for using plastic to ferment (micro scratches!). He thought this beer was infected. I disagree and I'm convinced it was a temp control issue. I have since started fermenting in my old kegerator with a temp controller. P.S. I graduated to a keezer.

 

[Rdallas]

Doing this today as my first AG. So far so good. Gona sparge soon. I think im really gona like AG brewing. Seems way easier. Lots of other first for me today too. Broke out the brinkman..not sure why I havnt used it sooner..that thing rocks! My cooler MLT seems to be working well too. Time to sparge...wish me luck..

 

[winvarin]

Doing this today as my first AG. So far so good. Gona sparge soon. I think im really gona like AG brewing. Seems way easier. Lots of other first for me today too. Broke out the brinkman..not sure why I havnt used it sooner..that thing rocks! My cooler MLT seems to be working well too. Time to sparge...wish me luck..

Good luck on your first AG. If this one sticks on you, try some rice hulls next time. My MLT is prone to sticking on high adjunct beers. I used 1# of hulls with this grain bill and it went smoothly