Looking for feedback on Vanilla Ale Recipe

[coffeespoonman]

Hi all,

Long time lurker here who finally registered and hopes to join into the conversation. Been brewing for about four years, but I live in China, so don't have the resources that many others do.

Anyways, I've got a vision here and I'm hoping you can help me make it a reality. But, as I said, I'm in China, so sourcing anything but basic ingredients can be a challenge.

My goal is to create a golden ale, sweet with a full body, with strong notes of vanilla. Think cream soda, but beer, not soda, and not quite that sweet.

Here's the recipe.

12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM)

0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min
0.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min

11g Nottingham Yeast
3.00 Items Vanilla Beans (Secondary 0.0 mins)

I brewed this last week, and unfortunately the fermentation got stuck at 1.028 (from 1.051), so I'm going to have to brew it again anyways (could have been due to the old yeast). I'm shooting for 1.020 as per Beersmith's calculations. Hoping to get it at around 4.5% (as opposed to 3%).

I took the three vanilla beans, cut them and scraped out the seeds, then added them to 250 ml of vodka for about 10 days. Then, filtered and poured it into the keg when I transferred it from primary (no secondary).

It's really too young now to tell how it will turn out, but since I have to brew it again to get that gravity up (going to go back to my old standby British yeast, S-04), any thoughts for next time?

Thanks!

 

[Brewmegoodbeer]

Maybe adding some honey malt and some flaked corn will spice up your recipe some. This would turn your recipe into a Vanilla cream ale which I just made. You don't really need any flavoring component from the hops. I would add most at 60 minutes, then maybe a little towards the 10 minute mark to get a little bit of an aroma. at 40 minutes, it may interfere with the full vanilla flavor you want. 8 oz of flaked corn should suffice as well as maybe a pound of honey malt. You can just subtract it from the pale malt to try to keep around the same gravity. As far as yeast, nottingham is fine. make sure you hydrate it, and keep the fermenter around 65 degrees. I don't really see a reason for the lactose, unless you want to add mouth feel to increase the thickness. You could just add 8 oz of carapils and get the same result with head retention. I only use 2 vanilla beans scraped and in vodka and it gives a sufficient vanilla taste to 5 gallons of beer. I hope your next batch works well!

 

[coffeespoonman]

Thanks for the recommendations. I actually didn't rehydrate the Nottingham - maybe that was my problem. I've found that rehydrating US-05 or S-04 (my standard dry yeasts) doesn't seem to change the FG; it only affects how quickly fermentation starts. And after a period of a few too many infections, I've been nervous about adding any additional infection opportunities.

I found some Carapils, but none of my go-to websites here in China have Honey Malt, so I'm afraid that seems to be out, but I did find Melanoidin, and I've read that that's got a honey character, so I might give that a try.. Flaked corn should be easy enough (Corn Flakes?).

So, yeah, I'll try this one again using some of your recommendations. Cheers!