Frosted Flakes cream ale experiment

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Cracked open a few more bottles tonight for my father, brother, and a family friend to try. As expected, my dad and brother (macro fans you may recall) really liked it. My brother wants me to brew a bigger batch for our upcoming neighborhood Christmas party. I doubt I'll get around to it.

My impressions of the beer were mostly the same as what I reported above. I still enjoyed it, but definitely not my favorite style. If I brew it again, I may use a little less malt and try to get the OG more in line with traditional cream ale numbers. I like malty, and I like hoppy, but this is a little too malty for this color range IMO. The word I heard most from tasters was "smooth"; further evidenced by how quickly everyone drained their red Solo cups.

I still need to coax a good foamy pour in a glass for a picture, but I did notice tonight that it indeed does take some effort to wrestle a head out of it. The head didn't persist very well on the pours that didn't foam up well either. So we may still have a problem there. I hope to find out for sure in the next day or two.
 
I still need to coax a good foamy pour in a glass for a picture, but I did notice tonight that it indeed does take some effort to wrestle a head out of it. The head didn't persist very well on the pours that didn't foam up well either. So we may still have a problem there. I hope to find out for sure in the next day or two.

i'm dying for the picture...
 
Glassware…
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Here's a foam shot! Poured right down the middle. (Sorry I chickened out before it got above the rim.) The foam thinned out considerably, but a thin blanket of it persisted to the end.

This silly beer just keeps getting better. To be honest though, it's only been in the bottle about two weeks, so I probably shouldn't have even tried one till now. I'm taking back what I said earlier about it being perhaps too malty or grainy for the style. Ithink i finally understand what "green" beer is. Tonight's glass was smooth and balanced, really hitting the spot. I practically chugged this one and had to resist grabbing another (it's a small batch you know). Also, I don't know if @bracconiere has just gotten into my brain or what, but I could swear that I even detected a vanilla note for the first time. Pretty cool. I can't wait to give this to some other folks I know who just haven't been able to get into craft beer. Will definitely be brewing more.

I don't know what else I can say about it. I think we've laid the foam concerns to rest too. If anyone else wants to try making one, please let us know how it turns out.
 
View attachment 743971Here's a foam shot! Poured right down the middle. (Sorry I chickened out before it got above the rim.) The foam thinned out considerably, but a thin blanket of it persisted to the end.

This silly beer just keeps getting better. To be honest though, it's only been in the bottle about two weeks, so I probably shouldn't have even tried one till now. I'm taking back what I said earlier about it being perhaps too malty or grainy for the style. Ithink i finally understand what "green" beer is. Tonight's glass was smooth and balanced, really hitting the spot. I practically chugged this one and had to resist grabbing another (it's a small batch you know). Also, I don't know if @bracconiere has just gotten into my brain or what, but I could swear that I even detected a vanilla note for the first time. Pretty cool. I can't wait to give this to some other folks I know who just haven't been able to get into craft beer. Will definitely be brewing more.

I don't know what else I can say about it. I think we've laid the foam concerns to rest too. If anyone else wants to try making one, please let us know how it turns out.


the secret is the double pour! you gotta get a bit more foam then that, then let the protein coagulate...when it gets down to about where you want it above the rim, gently fill it back to the top...i learned that from HBT....
 
the secret is the double pour! you gotta get a bit more foam then that, then let the protein coagulate...when it gets down to about where you want it above the rim, gently fill it back to the top...i learned that from HBT....
I'll remember that.
 
well i just ordered this off ebay! $5.99 for 3.5lbs of flaked corn ain't bad!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224166880333?hash=item343163244d:g:u7kAAOSwqY5fapHN
next 10 gallon batch after it shows up, the whole container's going into the mash, lol...i'm getting tired of light beers though so i'll probably brew it about 8oz of chocolate malt too.... :mug:


edit: damn you! now i have to order cocoa puffs too! ;)
 
sounds like something for the cider forum? maybe add them to apple juice with alpha, and gluco amylases?

Hmmm. Might have to get a box and try it. Before or after te V8 Splash, though?

edit: and are cocoa puffs a collectible now? seems like all i find?
No. Boo Berry is a seasonal (i.e. Halloween) cereal. Count Chocula is as well.
 
Well my frosted flake brown ale is mashing now! :mug:


smells like hot corn flake cereal really...getting what i think will be good conversion, judging from some quick draws from mash tun....
What percentage of the grist did the frosted flakes make up in yours?
 
What percentage of the grist did the frosted flakes make up in yours?


~16.5lbs pale (damn scale!), 8ozs chocolate malt, 55oz box of corn flakes......10 gallon batch. sparging like a champ right now! thought it might be a concern. :mug:


P.S. mine had the seal of approval from tony, and they were "Gre-aa-te" ;)
 
well as an update, if you decide to use corn flakes....boil them first, made no gravity difference for me.....:( (still smells good though)
 
well as an update, if you decide to use corn flakes....boil them first, made no gravity difference for me.....:( (still smells good though)
That's crazy. I just mashed mine like normal and wound up with higher gravity than expected. I did crush them by hand in a plastic bag first and ran them through the mill with the regular malt just for kicks, but I doubted that was actually doing anything.
 
That's crazy. I just mashed mine like normal and wound up with higher gravity than expected. I did crush them by hand in a plastic bag first and ran them through the mill with the regular malt just for kicks, but I doubted that was actually doing anything.

i could have f'd up my sparge or something....first runnings were good. not like i'll cry at bed time over it, but yeah...i got a pre-boil of 1.043..11.3 gallons, which beersmith tells me will be a OG of 1.049...so i'm going to have to really frost these flakes to get my 1.060.
 
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that's what i ended up with my corn flake brew....i got some oat malt ready for the kiln, hoping to get it in the oven today, and brewing tomorrow, using my free to me mod'd dryer to deculm it.....told my boss to grab me a box of frosted flakes at costco, so this is going to be a brew with 100% oat malt as base malt, 60ozs frosted flakes, a slower sparge....

WILL the FUN never end! :mug: :D oh yeah, i plan on doing my first repitch of a $60 500g brick of apex ale yeast.....

(but i haven't had a bowl of corn flakes in, well since childhood. and had a bowl before they go into the mash, pretty good in milk! i wonder if lactose would be good for something like this? :mug:)
 
View attachment 746644

that's what i ended up with my corn flake brew....i got some oat malt ready for the kiln, hoping to get it in the oven today, and brewing tomorrow, using my free to me mod'd dryer to deculm it.....told my boss to grab me a box of frosted flakes at costco, so this is going to be a brew with 100% oat malt as base malt, 60ozs frosted flakes, a slower sparge....

WILL the FUN never end! :mug: :D oh yeah, i plan on doing my first repitch of a $60 500g brick of apex ale yeast.....

(but i haven't had a bowl of corn flakes in, well since childhood. and had a bowl before they go into the mash, pretty good in milk! i wonder if lactose would be good for something like this? :mug:)
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Awesome! How was it tastewise? It looks like I'll be brewing mine again sooner than I thought. My brother's been talking it up and has some of our non craft drinking neighbors curious about it.

PS I've never heard of a 100% oat base malt beer. Have you done that before?
 
Awesome! How was it tastewise? It looks like I'll be brewing mine again sooner than I thought. My brother's been talking it up and has some of our non craft drinking neighbors curious about it.

PS I've never heard of a 100% oat base malt beer. Have you done that before?


it's good enough for me?


yeah the feed store has been out of barley before...and YES oat malt will self convert, but although during the boil, it smells like a big pot of heavy cream, in the glass cold, it's kinda grassy... :( i'm curious if it will have enough diastatic power to convert the corn flakes though! :mug:
 
We're going for round two, with just minor changes. My brother is so in love with this beer that I'm going to go ahead and make a slightly bigger batch for his upcoming Christmas party. Going for about 4 gallons.

5.5 lbs. Rahr pale malt
1.5 lbs. Great Value Frosted Flakes
8 oz. white wheat malt
.25 oz. Loral hops at 60 minutes.
.25 oz. Loral hops at 15 minutes.
Probably going to use s05 again at 63f.

The corn flakes are 20% of the grain bill this time. After doing some more research on foam, I decided to lose the oats and replace with a little white wheat malt.

I've already milled the grains. The corn flakes like to bridge the roller feed and not go through. So I simply crushed them up as fine as I could with my bare hands, which is very satisfying. Not sure if it matters, but after bracc's bad experience, I wanted to give the barley enzymes the easiest access possible. (And it seemed to work out well for me last time.) I opted not to boil them first because it seems like it shouldn't be necessary with a flaked adjunct.

I might not update as often with this one unless something weird happens.
 
Major update!

All the brewing stuff was already moved into the kitchen for the brew tonight, but I'm stuck hauling soybeans out of the field and working late. That being the case, my wife said she would go ahead and get everything started, but hadn't anticipated how late I'll be. So it looks like this is going to be her very first solo brew! She's nervous, but she's literally helped with every batch I've done, so I'm sure she knows the process better than she thinks she does. I'm sure there will be a few phone calls along the way, but I'm pretty excited to be honest. I imagine it will be easier than trying to talk a passenger through landing a plane. (Not to insinuate that I've ever done that.)

Wish us luck!
 
Everything went great. I'm not even a little surprised. My wife is just the best. (It will be a little hard to swallow though if this winds up being the best beer to come out of our little brewery yet.)

I actually got home in time for chilling and yeast pitch. I grabbed a refractometer reading that showed 1.054 OG. The software predicted 1.048 with flaked maize entered in the place of the Frosted Flakes; so the numbers are pretty much right where I expected. This one's in the Sovereign where I can't see it. So I guess I'll just be watching the airlock for a few days.
 
Major update!

All the brewing stuff was already moved into the kitchen for the brew tonight, but I'm stuck hauling soybeans out of the field and working late. That being the case, my wife said she would go ahead and get everything started, but hadn't anticipated how late I'll be. So it looks like this is going to be her very first solo brew! She's nervous, but she's literally helped with every batch I've done, so I'm sure she knows the process better than she thinks she does. I'm sure there will be a few phone calls along the way, but I'm pretty excited to be honest. I imagine it will be easier than trying to talk a passenger through landing a plane. (Not to insinuate that I've ever done that.)

Wish us luck!
Great wife!!
 
Finally got around to bottling this tonight. FG was 1.010 for an apparent ABV of 5.8%. Sample tasted great, but I was also sipping a glass of bourbon, so I'm not going to share any tasting notes beyond saying that it was enjoyable. It was different than the first (a little wheat to replace oats from original recipe, also Loral hops this time instead of Simcoe). Looks like we had good conversion and fermentation. It's official; my wife doesn't need me around to brew. Can't wait till these carb up.
 
Finally got around to bottling this tonight. FG was 1.010 for an apparent ABV of 5.8%. Sample tasted great, but I was also sipping a glass of bourbon, so I'm not going to share any tasting notes beyond saying that it was enjoyable. It was different than the first (a little wheat to replace oats from original recipe, also Loral hops this time instead of Simcoe). Looks like we had good conversion and fermentation. It's official; my wife doesn't need me around to brew. Can't wait till these carb up.


if i ever have a bowl of corn flakes again, i am so putting a shot of bourbon in it.....to take off the chill! ;) :mug:
 
Thank you for following through with this thread!

I brew a Red Ale every football season (Chiefs fan), and this year I wanted to add a new ingredient......

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I am a bit worried about "BHT" listed as an ingredient, but think it should be okay based on info in this thread.

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Thank you for following threw with this thread!

I brew a Red Ale every football season (Chiefs fan), and this year I wanted to add a new ingredient......

View attachment 778636

I am a bit worried about "BHT" listed as an ingredient, but think it should be okay based on info in this thread.

View attachment 778637
Google says that at low levels BHT has anticancer effects like other antioxidants; not sure what effect it might have on saccharomyces cerivesiae or hop compounds, but it doesn't seem like it will inhibit fermentation.
 
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