[Megary]

Looking to put together a back porch beer for the summer, even though the dog days might be here and gone by the time its ready to drink!

American Cream Ale
BIAB
Boil size of 3.25gal for 2.5gal in the fermenter.

OG around 1.050-1.055, depending on the crush!
Trying to finish around 1.010.
IBU: 17-18ish

4# 6-Row
.5# Flaked Maize
.25# Flaked Barley

Mash above for 60 @ 150-152.

.125# Corn Sugar (Boil)

.5oz Crystal @ 45min
.5oz Crystal at the end

US-05

Ferment in the coldest part of my basement (66-68) for 2 weeks. 

I haven't used the adjuncts before so I'm wondering if anyone sees a problem with the additions of the maize, barley or dextrose.  I'm considering leaving the sugar out.  Thanks in advance.

[Robert]

Looks pretty solid to me.  I like corn (maize) in my beer.  I might replace the flaked barley with more maize to keep the body light and the recipe simple but that's me.  Dextrose will be fine in there.  I'll have a mug!

[Megary]

Thanks.  My thought on the flaked barley is to help with a little head retention but I'm not sure if a .25# will do much.  Still, if its not out of line, using it will give me a little experience with it for next time. 
And if I have to buy a full pound, I'll have some extra on hand for the fall when it gets time for a stout!

[Robert]

One other thing.  There's really no reason to use 6 row.  It used to be (decades ago) preferred with adjuncts for its enzyme content.  But American 2 row, which used to be more like European 2 row, is equal or higher in enzymes now, and is easier to mill and gives more extract.  In fact, very little 6 row is grown and malted now, and many experts believe it will completely disappear in a few years.

[Megary]

One other thing.  There's really no reason to use 6 row.  It used to be (decades ago) preferred with adjuncts for its enzyme content.  But American 2 row, which used to be more like European 2 row, is equal or higher in enzymes now, and is easier to mill and gives more extract.  In fact, very little 6 row is grown and malted now, and many experts believe it will completely disappear in a few years.

You are talking diastatic power, correct?  If so, that's really interesting because everywhere I look it appears that 6 row has a higher diastatic rating than 2 row.  I don't doubt you, it just makes this a bit of a guessing game. Not sure that I could tell the difference anyway.

However, if 6 row is really on the way out then I better brew with it now before it's too late. This way, in the future, I can tell all the young punks how I used to brew with 6 row back in the "old days", in the snow, up a hill, both ways...

What say you to me splitting that 4#'s in half?
2# 6-Row
2# 2-Row
Just making the recipe more of a mess I suppose.

Though I can buy the 2 row in bulk and use some in an IPA I'm dreaming up.

[Robert]

I'd just go with a good American 2 row base malt, all purpose stuff.  There's no advantage to 6 row, it's just skinnier grains with less starch to make sugar out of and more husk.  Even if you wanted it for "historical authenticity," it's not the same stuff the old timers had.  Buy the bulk 2 row and use it in everything.  As for diastatic power, 2 row and 6 row will both have at least 140 Lintner.  Your corn and barley flakes have 0.  All you really need to convert the mash is a total average of 30-40.  So you'll have more than double that.  Even a lower enzyme European malt would.  So don't worry about diastatic power.

[mabrungard]

The flaked barley will certainly enhance the heading for that beer, but I find that it does add a grainy flavor that I don't appreciate. I prefer using flaked wheat for enhancing heading. It seems more neutral tasting to me. A 1/4 pound is more than sufficient.

[hopfenundmalz]

i have seen some NA 2 row at 150 L almost 6 Row territory from a few years ago. Of course the malt breeders have been at it with 6 row, saw on at 180L.

That is enough to convert dirt - I am kidding.

[Robert]

i have seen some NA 2 row at 150 L almost 6 Row territory from a few years ago. Of course the malt breeders have been at it with 6 row, saw on at 180L.

That is enough to convert dirt - I am kidding.

Sounds like distillers' malt.  They need all the enzymes in maybe 10% of the mash bill.  Bet the breeders can get even that out of 2 row.  The arrangement of corns on the stalk really has nothing fundamentally to do with enzyme potential, just makes for more useless (from our point  of view) material.  The only reason 6 row ever took hold in America is that some particular landrace variety or other happened to grow well in somebody's field, centuries before breeding programs were conceived of.

[hopfenundmalz]

i have seen some NA 2 row at 150 L almost 6 Row territory from a few years ago. Of course the malt breeders have been at it with 6 row, saw on at 180L.

That is enough to convert dirt - I am kidding.

Sounds like distillers' malt.  They need all the enzymes in maybe 10% of the mash bill.  Bet the breeders can get even that out of 2 row.  The arrangement of corns on the stalk really has nothing fundamentally to do with enzyme potential, just makes for more useless (from our point  of view) material.  The only reason 6 row ever took hold in America is that some particular landrace variety or other happened to grow well in somebody's field, centuries before breeding programs were conceived of.

There are distillers that use a lot of commercial enzymes, no malt required.

[Robert]

i have seen some NA 2 row at 150 L almost 6 Row territory from a few years ago. Of course the malt breeders have been at it with 6 row, saw on at 180L.

That is enough to convert dirt - I am kidding.

Sounds like distillers' malt.  They need all the enzymes in maybe 10% of the mash bill.  Bet the breeders can get even that out of 2 row.  The arrangement of corns on the stalk really has nothing fundamentally to do with enzyme potential, just makes for more useless (from our point  of view) material.  The only reason 6 row ever took hold in America is that some particular landrace variety or other happened to grow well in somebody's field, centuries before breeding programs were conceived of.

There are distillers that use a lot of commercial enzymes, no malt required.

Brewers have played with that that too.  But we probably wouldn't care for the results. 

[MNWayne]

I find 6-row to be very thin and flavorless. I'd use 2-row to maintain the flavor, and like Robert mentioned, there is plenty of enzymes to convert the corn.

[Megary]

I'm convinced...2 row it is.  Considering this is going to be very pale in color, I'm also now considering Carapils instead of the Flaked Barley (or flaked wheat, as Martin suggested) in order to keep the haze down.  So then it would look like:

3.75# 2-Row
.75# Flaked Maize
.25# Carapils (about 5% of the bill)

.125# Corn Sugar (Boil)

.5oz Crystal @ 45min
.5oz Crystal at the end

US-05


I think I'm getting warmer.  Thanks for all the input.  Much appreciated.

[denny]

One other thing.  There's really no reason to use 6 row.  It used to be (decades ago) preferred with adjuncts for its enzyme content.  But American 2 row, which used to be more like European 2 row, is equal or higher in enzymes now, and is easier to mill and gives more extract.  In fact, very little 6 row is grown and malted now, and many experts believe it will completely disappear in a few years.

You are talking diastatic power, correct?  If so, that's really interesting because everywhere I look it appears that 6 row has a higher diastatic rating than 2 row.  I don't doubt you, it just makes this a bit of a guessing game. Not sure that I could tell the difference anyway.

However, if 6 row is really on the way out then I better brew with it now before it's too late. This way, in the future, I can tell all the young punks how I used to brew with 6 row back in the "old days", in the snow, up a hill, both ways...

What say you to me splitting that 4#'s in half?
2# 6-Row
2# 2-Row
Just making the recipe more of a mess I suppose.

Though I can buy the 2 row in bulk and use some in an IPA I'm dreaming up.

These days 2 row has pretty much as much diastatic power as 6 row.  And there's nothi g in your recipe that would require increased diastatic power anyway.

[Kevin]

My go-to cream ale recipe is based on an interview with a guy named Curt Stock that I heard in a podcast. Off the top of my head he recommended 70 - 80% 2-row or pilsner malt. And the remaining being flaked corn... or a mix of flaked corn and flaked rice with a 2:1 ratio of corn to rice. The OG should end up around 1.050 to 1.055 with the ABV in the neighborhood of 5%

Curt says use a mild, crisp hop like Hallertauer or Saaz. I've used both of those and they work well but my favorite is Lemondrop hops and I've pretty much locked it in as the only variety I use in my cream ales. The IBU should be fairly low in the mid to upper teens but not much higher than 20 - 22 IBU. Your choice of Crystal should work well.

I forget how many batches Curt says he has made with a variety of yeasts but the one he swears by is Wyeast 1056. However the one yeast he says he has used often also is US-05 so you have chosen another winner.

Curt's recipe is 73% pilsner malt, 18% flaked corn and 9% flaked rice with Hallertauer to reach the IBU target. Usually two thirds of the hops for bittering and the remaining toward the end of the boil.

My recipe varies slightly using about 78% 2-row, 15% flaked corn and 7% flaked rice. I like the little extra body the higher percentage of base malt gives. Like you though, I have been kicking around the idea of using a touch of flaked barley for extra body. I use Lemondrop hops and target 20 IBU in each batch and I use the WYeast 1056 every time.

Cream ales are a little too thin in body for me but my wife and friends love it so I probably make more of this than anything else.