Classic Cream Ale 6 row adjunct brew

[jcorn]

Looking for help on this recipe. I have not brewed with alot of adjuncts together and am curious if it all will ferment out right and not create off flavors. I am mostly concered with all of these different adjuncts just giving trouble fermenting correctly because of the simple sugars. I am looking for a very light bodied easy drinker that has a nice grainy/cornish LITTLE KINGS sort of flavor.Here is the recipe:

15.75 gallon all grain BIAB single infusion mash at 148
- 6 row 20lbs. 66.7%
- Flaked Corn 6 20%
- White wheat 2 lbs. 6.7%
- Flaked Wheat 1 lb. 3.3%
- Flaked rice 1 lb. 3.3%

Water treated with campden tab.
Cluster hopped to 20 ibu.
Safale 05 @ 69 degrees for 3 weeks

 

[jcorn]

Anyone?

 

[Yooper]

Sure, that looks fine for a cream ale.

 

[giraffe]

Is that wheat malt? Personally Id skip the wheat and just use corn and rice, wheat will add body, and hurt clarity. 33% adjunct is high, but it should ferment out fine. Make sure to have a nice long mash.

 

[jcorn]

How long is long enough? 90 mins? I put the wheat in to try and boost the abv so I could brew it as a 15 gallon. I do have pilsner dme so maybe sub it in for the wheat dme

 

[giraffe]

Till conversion is complete. Should take 40 min, but you may wish to go 90-120 for safety (The more fermentable wort from an extended mash, isnt really an issue here) . Test with iodine or taste test at least.

 

[jcorn]

Ok cool thank you! I had never brewed with such high percentages of adjuncts. I did not want to end up with a cidery turd brew. Im guessing corn sugar would be out of the question too since it is an adjunct?

 

[JKaranka]

Consider a protein rest if you can. 20m is enough.

 

[jfr1111]

As said before me, lose the flaked wheat and wheat malt. I have brewed a few cream ales using corn and rice before and I found I prefer rice. Corn tends to be sweeter and more assertive in taste. Rice just lightens the body and boost the abv and tastes like nothing. If you have a good malt base, it isn't obtrusive like corn is.

I have always cooked rice before using it though, altough I can't guarantee it is necessary.

 

[Yooper]

As said before me, lose the flaked wheat and wheat malt. I have brewed a few cream ales using corn and rice before and I found I prefer rice. Corn tends to be sweeter and more assertive in taste. Rice just lightens the body and boost the abv and tastes like nothing. If you have a good malt base, it isn't obtrusive like corn is.

I have always cooked rice before using it though, altough I can't guarantee it is necessary.

No, using flaked rice or something like Minute Rice means no cooking is necessary. It's ready to use like that.

i like a combo of corn and rice in my cream ales- not too much rice, and not too much corn. But up to 25% of either or both is very nice.

I like the flaked wheat, for head retention and some body (very little) but some brewers don't I guess!

 

[estricklin]

Ok cool thank you! I had never brewed with such high percentages of adjuncts. I did not want to end up with a cidery turd brew. Im guessing corn sugar would be out of the question too since it is an adjunct?

Your not going to create any simple sugars from using corn, rice or wheat. It's the enzymes that convert the starches that determine what sugars you end up with. To put it simple, your going to end up with maltose...maltose..and some more maltose; no matter if you use all barley malt or 50% corn and 50% barley. These adjuncts that you speak of, (adjuncts are technically ONLY things that cannot convert there self), add less flavor because they don't have any husks on them. Wheat does, so of coarse it is known to improve head retention and leave a lot of haze in the finished beer.

I do a lot of 30% adjunct brews and I find I get really good results with 90 min mashes, I don't mash ANYTHING else that long, there's just no need in my opinion. I prefer rice over corn, but I can understand your wanting to use a combination.

You may wish to do a cereal mash if your using regular store bought long grain rice, I always add .5-1 lb of barley malt in with it, (for 5 gallons) and bring it to 158-160 and let it sit 15 min, then slowly bring it to a boil, then add that to the mash to start my 90 min. Use parboiled rice as Yoopers suggested and you can throw it right in the mash, note that rice does have a slightly higher gelatinization temperature than 148F though, but you should still be fine. I've done it and had no problems, I just usually don't because I'm particular about my specific high adjunct brew that I do. (It's a clone of something that will remain unnamed.).

Good luck with your brew and let us know how it turns out, a lot of others don't care for high adjunct brews but I personally find them to be refreshing and easy drinking on a hot Arkansas day.

 

[jcorn]

I am definitely going to try the minute rice and maybe use more of it next time to this batch. I decided to ditch all of the wheat and only do the 6row corn and rice. Added 2 pounds of pilsner dme at the end of the boil to boost my gravity to 1.045 and then I plan on adding amylase enzyme whenever my yeast stops workingg to try and pull this beer down to around 1.005

Estricklin, thank you for the information! Very very informative and helpful. I do like that nice subtle corn flavor in my cream ale but thd crispness and nothingness that rice adds as well. I imagine rice with wouls change ph quite a bit too. It seems very acid? We really enjoy our light adjunct cream ales for Kentucky Wildcat football and basketball games!

 

[Yooper]

I am definitely going to try the minute rice and maybe use more of it next time to this batch. I decided to ditch all of the wheat and only do the 6row corn and rice. Added 2 pounds of pilsner dme at the end of the boil to boost my gravity to 1.045 and then I plan on adding amylase enzyme whenever my yeast stops workingg to try and pull this beer down to around 1.005

Estricklin, thank you for the information! Very very informative and helpful. I do like that nice subtle corn flavor in my cream ale but thd crispness and nothingness that rice adds as well. I imagine rice with wouls change ph quite a bit too. It seems very acid? We really enjoy our light adjunct cream ales for Kentucky Wildcat football and basketball games!

Rice doesn't lower the pH in the mash in any meaningful way. The mash pH should be checked, of course, but the rice would not be "very acid".

 

[jcorn]

Sorry I am sort of in a rush to type everything here at work. I use calcium chloride to lower my ph typically. I couldnt drop it past 5.5 with this mash lastnight by adding 3 tsp of calcium chloride to 13 gallons. I did get it from 5.9 to 5.5 though.

 

[jcorn]

I actually read that phosphoric acid is a better method nowadays for lowering mash ph. There are also no worries about flavor changes or over doing it so to speak with it vs. mineral. I may start using it instead of calcium chloride since it reacts quicker as well.

 

[jfr1111]

No, using flaked rice or something like Minute Rice means no cooking is necessary. It's ready to use like that.

i like a combo of corn and rice in my cream ales- not too much rice, and not too much corn. But up to 25% of either or both is very nice.

I like the flaked wheat, for head retention and some body (very little) but some brewers don't I guess!

Good to know. I have always used regular plain jane rice though, not flaked or minute.

I'm feeling next brew will be some kind of pseudo lager...