Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

[judsonp]

Cornell?

Nope, just the area.

 

[brew_ny]

Nope, just the area.

nice

 

[jmward21]

I made this some time back and tried it for the first time last weekend. Mine came out tasting like a mixture of Miller Lite and Heineken. Slight skunky taste. I'm not sure how this happened since my ferm chamber allows no light. Straight to the keg to carb.

Is this the normal flavor you guys are getting? It's not bad, but not what I was expecting. I made the recipe per the original recipe. I help my temps throughout the brewday. Mash water was 1.25 gal per # and sparge was to get to boil volume. I didn't check pH, but the refractometer was reading pretty low at the end of the sparge. Could this have caused a high pH and this off flavor?

 

[Puddlethumper]

I made this some time back and tried it for the first time last weekend. Mine came out tasting like a mixture of Miller Lite and Heineken. Slight skunky taste.

I've made several 5 gal. batches of this recipe and all turned out really well except for the last one. Previous batches were so well received that I found myself brewing a batch every 3-4 weeks in order to avoid running out. The slight "skunkiness" you are describing is close to what I got out of this last batch. Since all previous batches were great I know it can't be the recipe. My thinking is that the water I'm using now may have changed slightly in either chemistry or taste since my earlier brews.

I just bought a couple ounces of whole leaf Cascade hops and will try to dry-hop in the keg to see if I can save this batch. For the next batch I'll use straight RO water with some minor additions or buy spring water.

 

[wtaylor3]

Moved my 10 gallon batch of this to cold crash tonight goes to the keg on Sunday night for a 24 hour force carb

 

[actech]

Hope this hasnt been asked, in the few pages I haven't read. Can you use instant brown rice? Will it do anything different?

 

[jmward21]

I've made several 5 gal. batches of this recipe and all turned out really well except for the last one. Previous batches were so well received that I found myself brewing a batch every 3-4 weeks in order to avoid running out. The slight "skunkiness" you are describing is close to what I got out of this last batch. Since all previous batches were great I know it can't be the recipe. My thinking is that the water I'm using now may have changed slightly in either chemistry or taste since my earlier brews.

I just bought a couple ounces of whole leaf Cascade hops and will try to dry-hop in the keg to see if I can save this batch. For the next batch I'll use straight RO water with some minor additions or buy spring water.

It's not bad enough for me to add hops. It's just a slight taste. Most people have liked the beer. It's not a bad thing to compare it to Heineken. The flavor is crisp and clean, no after or lingering flavors. Just that slight skunk taste. One of my friends said it tasted like a version Stella but with a not as strong flavor profile. I'll take, especially since this was my first AG batch.

 

[wtaylor3]

Houston we have a problem I managed to brew 11 gallons of water and I'm not exaggerating it looks like water and tastes like water. Not sure where I went wrong I mean I did a partial boil and topped off with a lot of water but I've done this before without a problem and my fermentation was very vigorous.
I'm going to post my whole process in the beginners forum and see if someone can tell where it all went bad, it's not good because the party is Friday so obviously we're not drinking co3c

 

[ericbw]

Houston we have a problem I managed to brew 11 gallons of water and I'm not exaggerating it looks like water and tastes like water. Not sure where I went wrong I mean I did a partial boil and topped off with a lot of water but I've done this before without a problem and my fermentation was very vigorous.
I'm going to post my whole process in the beginners forum and see if someone can tell where it all went bad, it's not good because the party is Friday so obviously we're not drinking co3c

Did it look like water when you put it in the fermenter?

 

[Puddlethumper]

It's not bad enough for me to add hops. It's just a slight taste. Most people have liked the beer. It's not a bad thing to compare it to Heineken. The flavor is crisp and clean, no after or lingering flavors. Just that slight skunk taste. One of my friends said it tasted like a version Stella but with a not as strong flavor profile. I'll take, especially since this was my first AG batch.

If it turned out close and its your first AG I'd say it was a success! Try it again when you have room in the keg or bottles available.

I like to make this beer because everyone likes it (even a few beer snob buddies), it finishes fast and is very refreshing as a summer beer. I think it is a bit sensitive to initial fermentation temps. Get it down to around 65-68F before pitching the yeast and then hold it there. It should turn out great.

Cheers!

 

[wtaylor3]

Did it look like water when you put it in the fermenter?

No but it did seem lighter than usualView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1435889864.007391.jpg

 

[branman]

All those UV rays might have something to do with it maybe...?

 

[wtaylor3]

It's not skunky its water

 

[dcrog]

No but it did seem lighter than usual

Why because it floated higher?

 

[soundguy]

Kegged my batch of this today. 1.007, very delicious. There was a typo in my last post. I flavored with a half *ounce* at ten minutes, not a half gram.

 

[brew_ny]

kickin' my last keg of this will be brewing two batches back to back

just can't get enough of this recipe

 

[Puddlethumper]

Probably 3 1/2 - 4 gal. left in the keg of the slightly skunky batch. I dry-hopped it in the keg with 2 oz. of whole leaf Cascade at room temp for a couple of days. Then chilled it back down. That worked pretty well. The beer tastes much better, the off flavor is gone (probably just covered up with the Cascade hops). Turned it into a very refreshing and quite drinkable beer.

I used this technique to rescue an IPA batch a while back with good success. It is a great 9-1-1 move to try before dumping a marginal batch of beer.

 

[wtaylor3]

Why because it floated higher?

Lol that earned a chuckle, but it's usually a much darker golden color in the fermenter

 

[dcrog]

From the pic I thought it looked like they were floating in the creek, kind of like a hydrometer.

If I can think of it in a while I'll post a pic of the last batch I made. Of course it will be in a glass, not a carboy.

 

[dcrog]

Here you go. I subbed 20% flaked barley to try for more head retention.


Still has some chill haze going on. Kegged last Sunday.

 

[CGish]

Played with this recipe a little, just for the fun of seeing how it would come out.

Cream of Six Crops Ale:
5 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (6 Row) 36.7 %
3 lbs Corn, Flaked 20.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Oats, Flaked 10.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Rice 10.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Rye, Flaked 10.0 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat Malt 10.0 %
8.0 oz Acidulated 3.3 %
0.65 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min 8.7 IBUs
0.60 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min 5.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American - Slurry Repitch (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)

This is creamier and fuller in flavor than the original. Can't say I prefer one or the other - both are good.

If I did this six crop variation again, I would increase the IBU's.

 

[jmward21]

If it turned out close and its your first AG I'd say it was a success! Try it again when you have room in the keg or bottles available.

I like to make this beer because everyone likes it (even a few beer snob buddies), it finishes fast and is very refreshing as a summer beer. I think it is a bit sensitive to initial fermentation temps. Get it down to around 65-68F before pitching the yeast and then hold it there. It should turn out great.

Cheers!

Well, that taste has almost gone away and my father in-law (who hates craft beer and anything without bud light written on it) said it wasn't bad. That is a win in my book. Everyone else has loved it. I also made centennial blonde so it will replace the 3 crops when its gone. I think one of the two beers will always be on rotation for my friends who don't care for IPA's or stouts.

 

[AJStank]

I brewed this Last Friday. Hit 80% mash efficiency for the first time and I was pumped. Mashed a little lower than I wanted. I ended up with 5 gallons in the fermenter at 1.052. I used 1056 and it is a vigorous fermentation (more aggressive than usual for 1056 in my experience). This is going to be my first batch that I keg, so I'm excited to get it into the glass. Anyone have a particular carbonation level they like for this style? I was going to shoot for 2.7 vols.

 

[brew_ny]

I just bought enough flaked rice and maze to do 50 gallons of this recipe

all the best

S_M

 

[damlamb]

Anyone done this with lager yeast at 60F steam beer style? I have a batch of american light lager going and kentucky common ale (Saflager23) thinking about reusing the yeast from one of these brews to make the 3 crops.

 

[dcrog]

I just bought enough flaked rice and maze to do 50 gallons of this recipe

all the best

S_M

You go bny. I like this one too and will likely keep it on tap for myself and friends since I'm in the process of a 6 tap keezer.

What am I saying. I've pretty much kept it on tap with my two tap kegorator, one tap fridge, and one picnic tap fermentor when nothing is fermenting.

 

[brew_ny]

You go bny. I like this one too and will likely keep it on tap for myself and friends since I'm in the process of a 6 tap keezer.

What am I saying. I've pretty much kept it on tap with my two tap kegorator, one tap fridge, and one picnic tap fermentor when nothing is fermenting.

I am going to do five batches to build back up my yeast I just used up what I have been pitching for a very long time

so this recipe is not only great to drink it is a great gravity to build it back up with

all the best

S_M

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

I just bought enough flaked rice and maze to do 50 gallons of this recipe

all the best

S_M

You need any help drinking it, just give the forum a holler.

 

[casualbrewer]

I'm pretty excited about my C3C brew as well. Just tasted it after a week in the bottle and it is already very good. Can't wait for a week or two from now.

 

[thelastleroy]

Second batch of this and very happy....

My first true to recipie batch was split with my Father-in-law who came to help on brew day. I enjoyed the beer, but got through my "half" way too quickly, with the customary one and two week bottling "samples"..... I found the finish a little short and craved a bit more bitterness.

So 6 gallon batch two is coming of age now with a total of 6oz of hops.

1oz hallertauer, 1oz cascade 60 mins
1oz hallertauer, 1oz cascade 15 mins
1oz hallertauer, 1oz cascade flameout/whirlpool 10 minutes.

While this might be a little hoppy for the style, it is quite refreshing to drink in July.... I suggest try it for a change-up. The hallertauer and cascade are low in AA's, but quite flavorful. This isn't too bitter imo.

Interested to try a sample of the father-in-law's remainder of the first batch to see if time has done it any favors, we brewed it May 16, bottled May 30!