Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

[wtaylor3]

Not sure I needed the blowoff tube for this batch...very little if anything ever made it to the glass of water. I also wasn't very happy with the way the racking cane fit the bung hopefully no wild yeast took a foothold on my beer.

On another note I installed the airlock and I simply can't believe how much this beer has lightened up in just one day. I'm fermenting a bit on the warm side the ambient temperature in the cabinet is 75*. I may try the cold wet t-shirt idea and maybe place some ice bottles in there. I really don't have the means/space for a swamp cooler.

 

[brew_ny]

I'm fermenting a bit on the warm side the ambient temperature in the cabinet is 75*.

you wort maybe as hot as 80 and if you are using 05 it might not be good




I am just finishing drinking my last keg of this so I will be brewing another 10 gallons next week for sure

a great drinking beer

all the best

S_M

 

[wtaylor3]

you wort maybe as hot as 80 and if you are using 05 it might not be good

I'll definitely get a cool wet towel or something on it in the morning in that case.

I don't know if frozen water bottles in there will cool the ambient temperature or not I guess its worth a shot though.

 

[wtaylor3]

Well my house must've cooled down, because the ambient temp around fermenter is now 70* even

 

[wtaylor3]

Just had a response to another thread about DMS and boiling with the lid on...I hope I didn't ruin my cream ale because I did boil with the lid on (had never heard this before):banghead::thumbdown:

 

[brew_ny]

just bought the corn and the rice to brew another 20 gallons

I love this cream ale

 

[wtaylor3]

Anybody run a secondary with this? With hunting season and such its going to be another couple weeks before I get the kegerator converted over to ball lock and pocess a corny keg so I'm thinking the beer has been in primary in the better bottle for 3 weeks on the 23rd of this month.

I'm thinking I could rack it to my fermentation bucket for the final two weeks of clearing...I'm already planning on adding gelatin to the keg but I want it to be crystal clear like some of the pints I seen pictured on here. For the intended audience it needs to have a "bmc clear" look

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Anybody run a secondary with this? With hunting season and such its going to be another couple weeks before I get the kegerator converted over to ball lock and pocess a corny keg so I'm thinking the beer has been in primary in the better bottle for 3 weeks on the 23rd of this month.

I'm thinking I could rack it to my fermentation bucket for the final two weeks of clearing...I'm already planning on adding gelatin to the keg but I want it to be crystal clear like some of the pints I seen pictured on here. For the intended audience it needs to have a "bmc clear" look

Why not jus set it somewhere cool or cold, leave it in the primary, and leave it? Put a black tshirt or a jacket over it to keep it dark. Have fun hunting!!

 

[wtaylor3]

Well, I work third shift and like my bedroom cold and that's where I ferment...its cool and dark all day in the cabinet where the better bottle is.

I'm really fighting the temptation to bottle it because if I were to bottle it I could try it in a week. But it's my thought that it won't be as clear. Not to mention this just seems like it is SUPPOSED to be a draft beer.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Anybody run a secondary with this?

Just racked a 5 gal. fermeneter into secondary tonight. No empty kegs and the keezer is full. Put the secondary in a cool, dark closet to set and wait until I have room for it or get around to bottling.

The one thing we have come to around here is that this is an excellent hot weather beer. But with the onset of cooler temps the demand for it has dropped considerably. We're drinking stouts, porters and red wine around here a lot more these days. Thinking we may just end up bottling this batch up and storing it someplace cool and dark until springtime.

 

[wtaylor3]

As a craft beer drinker I agree its the season for stouts and porters and iPas are always a good idea...

However this is for my dad who is currently drinking Busch because its hunting season and they're in the orange cans. So the seasonal thing shouldnt matter lol

 

[Puddlethumper]

However this is for my dad who is currently drinking Busch because its hunting season and they're in the orange cans. So the seasonal thing shouldnt matter lol

LOL! Heck yes! Anything it takes to get him away from that panther p##s!

 

[wtaylor3]

Yeah, may be hard to keep up with his and my consumption put together though lol

He did enjoy my pumpkin ale a lot though and he's excited about the co3c so hopefully well get a keg and convert his kegerator from sanke to ball lock soon

 

[Rev2010]

Here's mine. I just opened the tap for it on my kegerator. I'm pretty sure it will be even clearer once more yeast is purged. Lightest beer I've made yet. I tweaked it a little since I used hops on hand and reduced the corn by a half pound since I've read BierMuncher say in a later post that he reduced the corn amount. Kinda wish I'd kept the extra half pound in. Came out pretty good, just feel mine came out too light and kinda watery even though it's 5% abv. However, at the time I'd not yet had a pH meter and now do and know that my pH is too high for lighter ales. I'm guessing the mash pH for this one was probably in the 5.8-5.9 range. I'm now correcting the pH going forward starting with my next brew. Could a high pH make the taste a bit more watery? I'm guessing since it's probably more alkaline and not acidic enough the tartness that would typically be in such a beer just isn't there? Anyhow, it's still a nice beer, a total thirst question that I think any non-beer drinker could enjoy. Mine tastes just ever so slightly sweet with a slight citrus taste, could 1/4oz of Cascade give that? Here's the recipe I brewed:

5 Gallon batch
5 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 68.8 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 2 18.8 %
1 lbs Rice, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 12.5 %
1.00 oz Saaz [3.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 11.8 IBUs
0.25 oz Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 5.2 IBUs
1 pkg Safale US05
Mash was 150.8. Fermented around 68 simply due to the warmer temps where I ferment in the house at that time of year.

The only other aspect is the grains were sitting in the fridge for something like 6-8 months (uncrushed). Would that long a time be too long for flaked corn/rice?

 

[wtaylor3]

20 day hydrometer reading...1.010 not as dry as it was supposed to but I had a taste...resembled a "fuller" bmc albeit flat.

Am really starting to think I just use some pbw and sanitizer on the 1/2bbl sanke i have...I could be drinking it Thanksgiving day...

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[shadows69]

I find even at 1.010 it will dry out in the keg the more you tap it as the days go by. Keg it now if you want any chance of having it for Thanksgiving, unless you plan on force kegging it.

 

[wtaylor3]

Was planning on a 1-2 day force carb

 

[Puddlethumper]

20 day hydrometer reading...1.010 not as dry as it was supposed to but I had a taste...resembled a "fuller" bmc albeit flat.

Am really starting to think I just use some pbw and sanitizer on the 1/2bbl sanke i have...I could be drinking it Thanksgiving day...

Looks spot-on to me. Mine typically have bottomed out at ~1.012 so yours should be fine. And the description of a "fuller" bmc also fits. I describe this beer as a craft brew version of a bmc.

Cheers!

 

[Rev2010]

Mine also ended at 1.010. OG was 1.048 and efficiency was 83%. Worked out to 5.0% ABV.


Rev.

 

[1van]

I kegged a my second batch of this about a week ago. It has been sitting with gelatin finings and forced CO2 and should be ready to tap tonight. My first run of this was just about exactly to recipe. I did add a bit of honey to it and it came out great. This batch I am using wlp090 in it. FG 1.006. Ill try to remember to post pics and notes later. So far that san diego yeast seems to be a beast, ive used it in place of wlp001 and wlp002 with good results. even with OG of 1.075 in a spiced beer....chewed down to almost fg in about three days and drops super clear

 

[wtaylor3]

Well, it was a hit with all the BMC drinkers. My dad loves it so much I may have to teach him to brew. It wasn't very clear but I suppose with a 24 hour force carb I couldn't expect much...I'm glad everyone likes it next time ill try to have it in the keg awhile longer

 

[wtaylor3]

After 5-6 days in keg it cleared up nicely...now its gone though...going to need to brew bigger batches

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[Black Island Brewer]

I forget if I've already mentioned it, but this made a great base for an apricot cream ale.

 

[CGish]

I forget if I've already mentioned it, but this made a great base for an apricot cream ale.

What alterations / additions do you make for the apricot recipe?

Thank You,
Cody

 

[Black Island Brewer]

What alterations / additions do you make for the apricot recipe?

Thank You,
Cody

I used a commercial apricot extract, and followed the BM recipe except for subbing 3% acidulated malt for 3% of the base malt, for mash pH control.

 

[CGish]

I used a commercial apricot extract, and followed the BM recipe except for subbing 3% acidulated malt for 3% of the base malt, for mash pH control.

Thank You!

 

[wtaylor3]

Was a bigger hit than I could've imagined after the kegged kicked and he polished off the last one of my pumpkin ales he had my bmc drinking dad told me he wants to learn to brew because for 40 years he never realized how little body bmc beers had and they're not the same now...great success

 

[Semo]

BierMuncher...Ive read up to page 45 on this thread. I'm new to all grain and plan on this possibly this weekend if I get my goodies put together by then. Looks like a good one to start out all grain with and if turns out its here for super-bowl party. My question is...are we still following the original recipe? I'm planning on following it as you state on page 1 just checking in to see since I lost focus before getting through all the pages. Thx for sharing the recipe.

 

[wtaylor3]

BierMuncher...Ive read up to page 45 on this thread. I'm new to all grain and plan on this possibly this weekend if I get my goodies put together by then. Looks like a good one to start out all grain with and if turns out its here for super-bowl party. My question is...are we still following the original recipe? I'm planning on following it as you state on page 1 just checking in to see since I lost focus before getting through all the pages. Thx for sharing the recipe.

I recently brewed according to original all except for corn, flaked I used instant grits....came out great

 

[shadows69]

Here's my experience so far:
Corn flaked - sweet at first (young), dry very good
Instant grits - used 5 min grits. Not so sweet in the beginning (young), dry very good
Indian head corn meal - nutty flavor when young. Dry but good when completed.
All were used at 1.50lbs. Per 5.5 gallons of wort.