Cream Ale

Very nice light bodied light colored ale with great corny aroma and flavor a la Genessee Cream. My new standard lawnmower beer.

Brewer:	Christo		Email:	-
Beer:	Cream Ale		Style:	Cream Ale
Type:	Partial mash		Size:	5 gallons
Color:	3 HCU (~3 SRM)		Bitterness:	17 IBU
OG:	1.055		FG:	1.008
Alcohol:	6.0% v/v (4.7% w/w)
Water:	soft water best
Grain:	2.5 lb. American 6-row 5 lb. German Pilsner 1.5 lb. Flaked corn
Mash:	70% efficiency
	Batch sparge 4.0 gallons initial for 60 minutes at 150°F. Drain quickly. Add 3.0 more gallons for 10 minutes at 170°F. Drain quickly. Will collect approximately 6 gallons.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.046	6 gallons
	1 lb. Corn sugar
Hops:	.5 oz. Santiam (6.5% AA, 60 min.) .5 oz. Santiam (6.5% AA, 15 min.)
Yeast:	WY1056/WLP001 (actually used US-5)
Log:	Fermentation was fast and furious at 72-74° for first 2 days until chiller could knock down to upper 60's and gradually down to 62° as fermentation ceased by Day 7. Primary for 2 weeks and still not clear (damn that US-5) but FG already at 1.005 - a little below target, so racked to secondary and crash cooled in fridge for 3 days with gelatin since needed for a party. Probably an extra week in secondary at 62° would have accomplished same thing, but gelatin/crash made it sparkling clear.
Carbonation:	Kegged/force carbonated at 30 psi followed by rocking for 1 min. every few hours had it sufficiently carbed for party next day. Final is medium carbonation.
Tasting:	Based on comments from beer judges, hit this one right on the mark. Extremely pale and beautifully clear. Fantastic corn/DMS notes from both the flaked maize and pils malt. Many different hop varieties can be switched out - Liberty, Clusters, noble varieties but don't go over 20 IBUs. Finished with a lower FG than expected due most likely to using dry yeast (may want to mash at few degrees higher temp if go with US-5 or could switch the sugar out with malt). Still, just makes it that much more thirst quenching on a hot summer day.

Recipe posted 07/12/07.