Cream Ale Cream of Three Crops (Cream Ale)

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KeyWestBrewing said:
This was my plan I was just hoping someone may have done it and have some insight. At the moment I'm leaning toward .5-1oz of lemon zest at the end of the boil.
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If you are looking for a slight hint of lemon, you might try hopping with Sorachi Ace. It's supposed to have a lemon zest quality to it. I've never used it, but I'm planning on trying it in a Blonde for summer. Just thought I'd toss that out there in case it was helpful. :)
 
chemdoc said:
If you are looking for a slight hint of lemon, you might try hopping with Sorachi Ace. It's supposed to have a lemon zest quality to it. I've never used it, but I'm planning on trying it in a Blonde for summer. Just thought I'd toss that out there in case it was helpful. :)
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Only thing is that stuff has some serious AA, around 12 or 14%, I think it could easily overwhelm the beer. I'm actually making a Sorachi Ace/Motueka IPA next brew day.
 
KeyWestBrewing said:
Bumping this hoping for an answer.
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I think something without corn and rice, like Centennial Blonde, would be better suited for adding things like lemon and other spices. A cream ale like this is so subtle the way it is that I think it would be real easy to throw it out of balance. But that's just me. YMMV.
 
Few quick-fire questions I'm hoping some of you can answer. I got this in primary for a week and its done fermenting. I have it in my glass carboy because I was just planning on doing a three week primary instead of transferring over to secondary. So here's my questions.

Will clear up much more if I leave it in primary for another two weeks? (There is a lot of floating globs of yeast at the top and still a fairly substantial krausen even thought it's done.)

Can I use my food grade 7 gallon bucket as a secondary?

Can I use gelatin in primary or secondary without a crash chill or does that defeat the point? (I live in michigan so i've just been using my porch as cooler for crash chilling.)
 
2.5 weeks

20130409_143756_Hagrid.jpg


It's actually reading 1.014 at eye level, but I'm more interested showing the color/clarity hence the angle.
 
OK have to ask advice.. Due to the heat wave, I am considering spiking mine with WLP001 California Ale Yeast. It can handle the temps and ABV better than the Oktoberfest WLP820 I was using. My other batch in the secondary is using the lagering fridge now and won't be done for.. you two weeks, you know when temps get back to seasonal.. :mad:

This is for 2 reasons..

1) The 4 lbs of honey has stuck the fermentation.. I can't seem to get lower than 1.024. Seems the WLP820 can only go so far..

2) With the heat (which I wasn't anticipating.. BTW who anticipates mid-80s in mid April.. a week after we had sleet), I don't want the Oktoberfest yeast to start putting off funky flavors.

Right now I can barely hold high 50s (Top for the WLP820).. But can sustain Low 70s.. (WLP001 optimum is 68-73)

I figure if I add the ale yeast and slowly let the temps rise from lagering temps to ale temps and finish off as an ale. The California Yeast should take over, since the Oktoberfest yeast seems stuck anyway.

Good idea..? Bad idea..? Try it what the heck idea (As I can't hold Lager temps for 2 weeks now) ??

OR

Should I just let it right and let the WLP820 get a little hotter than Optimum and see what happens..?
 
jwalker1140 said:
I think something without corn and rice, like Centennial Blonde, would be better suited for adding things like lemon and other spices. A cream ale like this is so subtle the way it is that I think it would be real easy to throw it out of balance. But that's just me. YMMV.
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I appreciate the input.
 
CDGoin said:
I got 1oz of dried lemon zest, and put it in a cup of boiling water and turned off the heat.

Then mixed in 2 lbs of honey and added to secondary.. added a nice flavor (and a bit of ABV).
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I'll consider that if I give it a go. Thanks.
 
Anyone try this recipe with Nelson Sauv? Think it might be interestly good! Any thoughts? Maybe a small 5 minute addition or just dry hop it for 3-4 days with a small amount as not to overdue it.
 
So I am thinking of making this for SWMBO. Gonna change it up a little though and use this recipe as a base. My goal is something a little like Heineken but an ale. How does this sound? (I scaled it back for 3.5gals into the fermenter and 3gals bottled)

The Kristina

Style: Cream Ale OG: 1.040
Type: All Grain FG: 1.010
Rating: 0.0 ABV: 3.93 %
Calories: 131 IBU's: 19.82
Efficiency: 72 % Boil Size: 6.42 Gal
Color: 4.6 SRM Batch Size: 3.50 Gal
Preboil OG: 1.025 Boil Time: 90 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Primary 14 days @ 67.0°F
Cold Crash 5 days @ 35.0°F
Bottle/Keg 14 days @ 74.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
4.50 lbs 72.00 % Vienna Malt 60 mins 1.036
1.25 lbs 20.00 % Corn, Flaked 90 mins 1.037
0.50 lbs 8.00 % Rice, Flaked 90 mins 1.032

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
0.50 ozs 12.34 Saaz 60 mins 4.00
0.50 ozs 7.48 Saaz 20 mins 4.00

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
1.00 pkg Safale US-05 Fermentis US-05

Additions
Amount Name Time Stage
1.00 each Whirlfloc Tablet 15 mins Boil
1.00 each Immersion Chiller 15 mins Boil

Mash Profile
BIAB No Sparge 90 min @ 152.0°F
Add 26.92 qt water @ 157.6°F
Mashout 10 min @ 170.0°F
Heat to 170.0°F over 2 mins
Sparge
Sparge 0.00 qt ( 0.00 qt/lb ) of 170.0°F water over 60 mins

Carbonation
Amount Type Beer Temp CO2 Vols
3.41 oz Table Sugar - Bottle Carbonation 74.0°F 2.70

Notes

www.iBrewMaster.com Version: 2.834



Sent from my iPhone
 
Is a lower ferment temp of 62 going to kill my attenuation. I increased the 2 row by 3 lbs and lowered the corn to three pounds. I also used 3 lbs of rice. Just wanted this really clean. I actually am having a blowoff right now at 62 so I lowerd the temp to 61. I plan on raising to 68 once fermentation slows down. I want this to be real clean and clear. I hope my assumptions are correct. Mashed two hours. Oh I used 05.
 
Has anyone else still had a 1" -1 1/2" krausen 10 days after going to primary (Safale US-05)? OG hit the target at 1.047 and adjusted SG today is 1.004 and it's not bubbling any more. I am tempted to rack to secondary and cold crash. Anyone have any comment?
 
bigtex52 said:
Has anyone else still had a 1" -1 1/2" krausen 10 days after going to primary (Safale US-05)? OG hit the target at 1.047 and adjusted SG today is 1.004 and it's not bubbling any more. I am tempted to rack to secondary and cold crash. Anyone have any comment?
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Had that with a kolsch. I'd leave it......just me. You could lower the temp in primary too.
 
KeyWestBrewing said:
Only thing is that stuff has some serious AA, around 12 or 14%, I think it could easily overwhelm the beer. I'm actually making a Sorachi Ace/Motueka IPA next brew day.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Hadn't thought of that. Even with a late addition, the amount you would have to add to get any appreciable flavor would probably over-bitter this beer. Just better off adding the zest. Certainly cheaper, too.
 
reinstone said:
Is a lower ferment temp of 62 going to kill my attenuation. I increased the 2 row by 3 lbs and lowered the corn to three pounds. I also used 3 lbs of rice. Just wanted this really clean. I actually am having a blowoff right now at 62 so I lowerd the temp to 61. I plan on raising to 68 once fermentation slows down. I want this to be real clean and clear. I hope my assumptions are correct. Mashed two hours. Oh I used 05.
Click to expand...

It didn't help me at all! I fermented at 62 and checked after 14 days in and was at 1.020 :(.

I potentially may have mashed in slightly higher so some of my attenuation issues may result from that.
 
CDGoin said:
I got 1oz of dried lemon zest, and put it in a cup of boiling water and turned off the heat.

Then mixed in 2 lbs of honey and added to secondary.. added a nice flavor (and a bit of ABV).
Click to expand...

Very nice idea I think . have you tried any specialty honey like Tupela or orange blossom ? The flavor left in by the honey will go away after a couple months so drink up.
 
bigtex52 said:
Has anyone else still had a 1" -1 1/2" krausen 10 days after going to primary (Safale US-05)? OG hit the target at 1.047 and adjusted SG today is 1.004 and it's not bubbling any more. I am tempted to rack to secondary and cold crash. Anyone have any comment?
Click to expand...

I know when using rice in recipes I always have a pure white foam . If stirring up the wort for oxygen it gets real bad and does not go down for a very long time and even lasts into the finished product . Seems to hang around in the fermenter . I think it is just from the rice and maybe the corn also.
 
MarcusKillion said:
Very nice idea I think . have you tried any specialty honey like Tupela or orange blossom ? The flavor left in by the honey will go away after a couple months so drink up.
Click to expand...

No on specialty, but I do use fresh local honey and not processed clover like in the store.

I rarely have had a batch last a month.. much less months :)
 
Boy that bry-97 is sure a different beast than the 05 or notty that I'm used to..it took about 24hrs to show any signs of life then hit pretty hard for another day and a half or so then the krausen fell to about 1/2 inch or so of pretty thick looking topper and its already dropping out like a rock...I figure at this rate, it'll be pretty clear in 2 weeks tops.
 
Pulled a hydro sample today and krausen cap started falling apart and streaming toward the bottom like white rain. SG still at 1.004 so we are done! Racking to keg tonight.
 
I can't seem to get this to get below 1.014.. That said I added the 2 lbs of honey, and its also real cloudy.. so thinking I'm done ??
 
CDGoin said:
I can't seem to get this to get below 1.014.. That said I added the 2 lbs of honey, and its also real cloudy.. so thinking I'm done ??
Click to expand...

Mine finished at 1.014 but crystal clear. I used a big Belgian yeast and may have mashed too high. Still tasty!
 
Good to know I won't have bottle bombs..

I was going to dry hop a little New Kent while lagering.. :)
 
wyoast said:
Boy that bry-97 is sure a different beast than the 05 or notty that I'm used to..it took about 24hrs to show any signs of life then hit pretty hard for another day and a half or so then the krausen fell to about 1/2 inch or so of pretty thick looking topper and its already dropping out like a rock...I figure at this rate, it'll be pretty clear in 2 weeks tops.
Click to expand...

Well today the topper and all of the Krausen has fallen through leaving nothing but rafts on top..This ferment started so slow and didnt last very long so thats got me thinking maybe a stuck fermentation. I really want to take a gravity reading but I'm afraid to pop the top until I think I'll be ready to bottle because I fermented a 3g batch in a 6g carboy.. What do you guys think? will the time it takes to take a sample and recap let enough o2 in to be detrimental??
 
wyoast said:
Well today the topper and all of the Krausen has fallen through leaving nothing but rafts on top..This ferment started so slow and didnt last very long so thats got me thinking maybe a stuck fermentation. I really want to take a gravity reading but I'm afraid to pop the top until I think I'll be ready to bottle because I fermented a 3g batch in a 6g carboy.. What do you guys think? will the time it takes to take a sample and recap let enough o2 in to be detrimental??
Click to expand...

Probably not so long as you aren't shaking the thing up. I do 3gal batches in 6.5gal buckets, and I check my gravity about one day before I think fermentation should be done by. then if my FG is low enough I check it again the next day to see if I'm stable and then the next. So you should be fine...
 
Thanks man, surely if you don't have a problem opening the top on a bucket then a carboy won't be a problem.. lemme check this out and I'll post what I come up with..
 
wyoast said:
Thanks man, surely if you don't have a problem opening the top on a bucket then a carboy won't be a problem.. lemme check this out and I'll post what I come up with..
Click to expand...

She's sittin at 1.012 right now.. Looks like I was wrong again:drunk:
Makes me feel better knowing that its at least down that far..I'll let er' sit a few more days to clear and check again. (I really need to get one of those better bottles with the racking port)
Oh by the way, the beer tastes pretty good!! its definately got that commercial feel to it..lol
 
I have just finished cooling and racking this to a 6 gallon carboy. I followed the recipe almost to T. My starting boil was 7.25 gallons for a 5 gallon batch. I boiled hard for 90 min. Now, I have a bit less than 4 gallons in the carboy, and a 1.076 gravity.

Did I boil away too much liquid? Should I ad some water back?

I should mention that his is my very first AG brew. I am a bit confused. Can someone pplease help?
 
I would definitely add water to at least get back up to 5 gallons, which would bring your OG down to around 1.060. In order to bring your OG down to 1.040, you'd need to add about 3.6 gallons of water. A third option, assuming you are starting with 4 gallons of wort at 1.076, you could remove (pour down the drain) 0.75 gallons of wort and add 1.75 gallons of water, which should get you 5 gallons of wort at 1.040. Decisions, decisions...
 
No, you'd be fixing the body. You need to get that OG down closer to the recipe target of 1.040 if you want it to have anything close to the intended body. And at this point, adding water is the only way to do that. Leaving it at 1.076 is going to give you way more body and alcohol than is appropriate for the style - something funky like an Imperial Cream Ale.

If it were my beer, I'd probably add as much water as you can comfortably fit into your 6 gal carboy and call it a day. Good luck!
 

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