Imperial Cream Ale

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Collaboration with a friend that is a beer enthusiast also. Cream ale is one of his favorite styles and I didn't know much about them until he told me he wanted to make one. When I think cream ale, I think a lot of body and well...creamy. The style really isn't that at all. We are looking for a dry, somewhat strong cream ale. We are going to use a German yeast to get a little more character and less of a lager bite. Almost a 30% corn bill and we ended up having to substitute distillers malt and 2 row for 6 row, which I have never used. The goal is a drinkable, clear and bright cream ale without a lot of bite but a little more body than a lower ABV cream ale.

Target OG 1.076

Actual OG 1.074

Target FG 1.017

Actual FG 1.019

Target ABV 8.0%

Actual ABV 7.3%

IBU 21

SRM N/A

Ingredients

Malts

5 lbs Distillers Malt (6 row)

5 lbs 2 Row Malt

3 lb Flaked Corn

1 lb Corn Sugar

Hops

1 oz Eroica Hops (8.7% AA) - 30 minutes

1 oz Eroica Hops (8.7% AA) - 60 minutes

1 oz Mt. Hood Hops (8.0% AA) - 60 minutes

1 oz Mt. Hood Hops (8.0% AA) - dry hop

Yeast

1 package WLP029 German Ale Yeast

Brewing Instructions

1. Heat 5 gallons of strike water to 161°F

2. Add 5 gallons of water to the mash tun

3. Add all grains to mash tun and confirm temperature of 148°F

4. Steep grains for 60 minutes

5. While steeping, heat 3.0 gallons of water to 170°F for lautering

6. Extract first runnings into boil kettle

7. Add 3.0 gallons water and wait 15 minutes

8. Extract second runnings into boil kettle

9. Total wort volume should be 6.5 gallons (6.25 actual)

10. Bring water to a boil and wait for the hot break

11. Begin boil

12. At 0 minutes add 15 drops FermCap to reduce foaming

13. At 30 minutes, add 1 oz Eroica hops

14. At 45 minutes, add 1 lb corn sugar

15. At 50 minutes, add one tablet Whirlfloc

16. At 60 minutes, add 1 oz Eroica hops

17. At 60 minutes, add 1 oz Mt. Hood hops

18. At 60 minutes, chill the wort to approx. 65°F

19. Aerate with pure oxygen for 1 minute

20. Move to the primary fermenter

21. Pitch yeast from yeast starter

22. Ferment at 67°F

23. At 6 days, raise fermentation temperature to 71°F

24. At 10 days, rack to secondary at 67°F

25. At 10 days, dry hop with 1 oz of Mt. Hood hops

26. At 13 days, cold crash to 35°F

27. At 15 days, keg beer

Starter & Notes

Boil 7 oz DME in 2 L of water for 10 minutes

Let cool to 68°F

Pitch 1 package WLP029

Start stir plate

OSTENTATIOUS BREWING