BIAB cream ale experiment

[nixhaz]

Ok so it's time for BIAB experiment number 2.
How about this idea for a light pseudo lager/cream ale?
Could add something for head retention maybe a bit of flaked barley or wheat?

12L
OG 1.037; 4.0 EBC; 14 IBU (.38 BU:GU ratio)

1.5 kg extra pale malt (Crisp clear choice - it's the only light malt I have at the mo)
300g cane sugar
10g Hallertauer Mittlefruh 3.9% @ 60 mins
10g Saaz 6.42% @ 10 mins
Ferment with S05 at 18C

60 mins mash @ 64C

I'm just getting into designing my own recipes so any feedback would be appreciated! I've also got S04 yeast available..

 

[MyQul]

Looks good. That's exactly the grist I would use for cream ale. Stick to US-05 as it's more to style than S04. The only yeast that might be 'better' is one of the Calicommon yeasts like the MJ one. 60mins mash is fine but if you want to dry it out a bit more you could do 1 1/2 or 2 hours if you can be a*sed. 10g isnt much late hopping (its fine for a light lager/cream ale of this OG though) but for my tastes I'd double it for a bit more flavour

 

[nixhaz]

Brilliant advice, thanks @MyQul
I'm not used to small batches yet so getting my head around the amounts of hops still.

 

[MyQul]

Remember to adjust your bittering hops to account for the extra late hops

 

[nixhaz]

Is there any point mashing the sugar? Does it convert in the tun, or can I just bung it in the boil?

 

[MickDundee]

I’d substitute some of the sugar for flaked corn because it’s a characteristic of the style (corn sugar would probably do but will leave less flavour) but otherwise it looks fine.

As MyQul says a Cali Common yeast is probably the only type I would use other than a West Coast yeast but a WC yeast like US05 will be absolutely fine.

 

[nixhaz]

Flaked corn I don't have... would cornflakes cereal work? Never mashed anything like that...

 

[MyQul]

Is there any point mashing the sugar? Does it convert in the tun, or can I just bung it in the boil?

No need to mash sugar. Just bung it in the boil at 10 min

 

[MyQul]

Flaked corn I don't have... would cornflakes cereal work? Never mashed anything like that...

Corn flakes work. I've used them. The cheaper the better as the more expensive ones like kellogs are fortified with more vitamins and minerals. I've read recipe how to's for cream ale that say dont bother with the CF (I wont be) but if you want to stick to style as much as possible use the CF as they give the beer a certain flavour. However if you want to make it more of a pseudo lager leave them out

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I went to the 7 Brothers brewery in Eccles last year and they get broken corn flakes from Kellogs down the road for their beers.

 

[nixhaz]

In the interest of avoiding supermarkets I think I will leave them out this time around then! Thanks guys.

 

[nixhaz]

I ended up having to go to Tesco to get water anyway, so threw a box of tesco value cornflakes into the mix instead of some of the sugar. It smelt weird mashing, but good boiling. Hopefully it'll work out!

 

[nixhaz]

Oh yeah and I did a 2 hour mash and a 90 min boil as I had time.