Maris Otter in a cream ale?

[Kwitty]

I brewed Northern Brewer cream ale 7/8 months ago. It turned out great as a lawnmower beer. It uses 2row Pale malt as the base. I just bought 55# bags of Pilsen malt and Maris Otter. I was thinking of making the cream ale again substituting the Maris for the Pale. I know it would be a bit more malty/ biscuit flavor, but would it be good? Not concerned about style points, I just don't want to waste time and ingredients. Any thoughts?

Thanks for any input!

 

[lowtones84]

I haven't done a cream ale with MO, but my bet is that it would be just fine, if not better to some people's tastes than 2-row.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I would prefer to use the Pilsner malt myself, but I could see MO doing well too. I use MO as a base for pretty much everything anyway.

 

[Kwitty]

OK. I'm starting to feel better about the maris otter. I might do a second with the pilsner down the road this summer. Thanks guys! I'm still open to more ideas if anyone has any input.

 

[d3track]

Love MO, I say go for it.

 

[sumbrewindude]

Have used MO in a cream ale and it was very good - and interesting change with the maltiness vs the crisp of the adjunct.

Like others above, though, Pilsner malt is my usual goto in a cream ale.

 

[Kwitty]

Guess I'll just try both! One now. One later. I have a party in a few months. May not be bad to have some extra around. Thanks!

 

[Qhrumphf]

For my Cream Ale, I usually use maybe 40% Pils Malt, 40% flaked corn, and 20% 6 row. As MO has much lower diastatic power than Pilsner malt usually does, I'd go 30% MO, 30% 6 row, and 40% corn. However, if you're not using a high corn percentage like I do, you may not need the diastatic bump.

 

[lowtones84]

Interesting, I didn't know that MO's diastatic power was significantly less. I just threw together a Mexican style Vienna lager (not Vienna because I used MO as my base malt instead and not a lager because I'm using a Kolsch yeast do to not having good enough temp control for lagers ) with 20% corn, but that was the only adjunct. Think I'll be good?

 

[Qhrumphf]

Interesting, I didn't know that MO's diastatic power was significantly less. I just threw together a Mexican style Vienna lager (not Vienna because I used MO as my base malt instead and not a lager because I'm using a Kolsch yeast do to not having good enough temp control for lagers ) with 20% corn, but that was the only adjunct. Think I'll be good?

It'll depend on the specific malt and maltster. I toss in 6-row basically as insurance although with my Cream Ale grain bill with Pils malt it's not necessary. But generally 6 row, Pils, and wheat malts are highest, followed by US 2 row, followed by English pale ale malts (and other pale ale malts), with darker bases like Munich and Vienna having the power to self-convert but not much more than that. Easiest way to do it is to figure 35-40° Lintner average across the whole grain bill as being able to fully convert, with adjuncts like corn or non-diastatic malts being 0° Lintner

I use Thomas Fawcett MO which I usually see listed as 40-50° Lintner. Crisp is usually listed at about 50° Lintner. So if you've got 20% corn, you're probably right around 40° cutting it close. But toss in a pound of 180° Briess 6-row, and you're covered.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Also, I would add that that "grainy" 6-row flavor I think works well in a Cream Ale.

 

[lowtones84]

It'll depend on the specific malt and maltster. I toss in 6-row basically as insurance although with my Cream Ale grain bill with Pils malt it's not necessary. But generally 6 row, Pils, and wheat malts are highest, followed by US 2 row, followed by English pale ale malts (and other pale ale malts), with darker bases like Munich and Vienna having the power to self-convert but not much more than that. Easiest way to do it is to figure 35-40° Lintner average across the whole grain bill as being able to fully convert, with adjuncts like corn or non-diastatic malts being 0° Lintner

I use Thomas Fawcett MO which I usually see listed as 40-50° Lintner. Crisp is usually listed at about 50° Lintner. So if you've got 20% corn, you're probably right around 40° cutting it close. But toss in a pound of 180° Briess 6-row, and you're covered.

Interesting, I will definitely do that next time. It's already done this time, but I use Crisp MO so I'll take "cutting it close" for now, haha.

Thanks for the great advice as always!

 

[Kwitty]

The Northern Brewer recipe was 7lbs. pale malt, 0.75lbs honey malt, & 0.25 lbs. biscuit malt. I liked how it came out even without the corn. I was thinking I'd try 7/8 lbs of MO with 0.75 honey malt. Figured the MO has a biscuit profile so I could skip the biscuit malt and up the MO a bit. Any thoughts?

 

[wtaylor3]

I just did a cream ale with MO base, flaked maze, instant rice and instant oats and I love it

View attachment 1427352139094.jpg

 

[estricklin]

I've brewed similar beers with pale ale malt, regular 2 row and pilsner, I definitely would prefer the MO in a cream ale. For me, pilsner has a very distinctive flavor and on certain days I'm ok with it, but more often than not I avoid it.

You'll be happy with the MO, but you should definitely brew one with the pilsner at a later date as an experiment.

 

[Kwitty]

What does everyone think if I did a pils / MO mix? 50/50? 40/60? Anyone try a beer with this mix of base malts?

 

[tsever00]

I just did a cream ale with MO base, flaked maze, instant rice and instant oats and I love it

Sounds good. Would you mind sharing your hop schedule for this beer?

 

[wtaylor3]

Sounds good. Would you mind sharing your hop schedule for this beer?

5 gal batch

6 lbs MO
2 lbs flaked maze
8oz instant rice
4oz instant oats

.5 oz willamette (60 min)
.5oz crystal (60 min)

Us-05

90 min mash at 148*
90 min overall boil time

I also posted it in the recipe database, if you search "clotted cream" you should find it. If you decide to brew it it'd be appreciated to get some feedback on that thread.

 

[Kwitty]

OK. So here is the recipe I came up with after reading, studying, and pulling my hair out! Any help, critique, thoughts are greatly appreciated!

My Cream Ale

8lbs. Maris Otter
1lb. Flaked Corn
.5lb. Flaked Rice

Mash for 90min. at 154F.

Boil for 90min.

.75oz. Of Cluster at 60min.

Yeast is us05

Ferment 2-3 weeks at 62F.

Cold crash.

Keg and carb to 2.4vol.

Drink!

Adjust!

Repeat!

Again! Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[Kwitty]

Nobody? I was really hoping for some sort of input. Just a little? Anybody?

 

[Qhrumphf]

Recipe looks good. I don't think you need to mash or boil for 90 minutes (60 each would be fine), but no harm in doing it. I would lean on the side of pitching more (definitely rehydrate your yeast), and I don't like US-05 that cold, and I know a lot of others don't either. I'd probably spend the extra few bucks, get 1056 or 001, and make a pretty good sized starter with it.

And then on the occasion when I do a Cream Ale, I also ferment 60-62 with 1056, and after 2-3 weeks, I'll rack and "lager" at about 40 for another 3 weeks, the last week of which I'd hit it with gelatin or isinglass to make it nice and super clear.