Continuing on my lager quest I saw it fitting to brew a classic American Cream Ale, BJCP category 6A. This recipe is as standard as an American Cream Ale can get, except for the 1 oz charge of cryo-Cascade at the end. Despite the dry hop, this beer has all the lawnmower feels I love about American beer: it is plebeian, boring, and crushable. I would recommend you try this beer if you too appreciate thirst quenching lagers.
Notes
Nice straw color. Clarity good but not great.
Slight malt aroma, but really not much there.
Very little hop aroma. This fits the BJCP guidelines but doesn’t pair well with the dry-hop.
Persistent white head that sticks around for a long time.
Dry finish.
A specific hop characteristic doesn’t jump out in the taste. Maybe more grassy and herbal than the hoped for floral characteristic.
Kind of just a slightly hoppier lawnmower beer.
Style:
Cream ale
Batch Size:
6.0 gal
Boil Time:
60 min
Mash Efficiency:
75%
OG
FG
ABV
IBU
SRM
1.054
1.008
6.4
33.8
3.4
Yeast
Lalbrew Novalager
1.0 pkg
Fermentables
Canadian Pilsner
2.0 kg
(38.1%)
Canadian 2-row
2.0 kg
(38.1%)
Flaked Corn
1.0 kg
(19.0%)
Carapils
0.25 kg
(4.8%)
Hops
Northern Brewer
28 g
60 min
Cascade
14 g
15 min
Cascade
14 g
5 min
Cascade (Cryo)
28 g
4 days
Extras
Whirlfloc
0.5 each
Water
Ca
75
Mg
75
CaCO
40
SO
80
Cl
50
Na
<100
Mash at 62C for 30 minutes. Raise to 70C for 20 minutes. Mash out at 76C for 10 minutes. 60 minute boil. Ferment at 60F for 2 weeks. Cold condition in keg at 36F for a week.
Changes
Get more hop character out of it while staying soft & subdued. Either different hops or a combination of hops. I’d like to keep searching for that floral character. Maybe try Sasquatch paired with Cascade?
Consider a 20 minute whirlpool instead of the 15 and 5 minute additions.
Continuing on my lager quest I saw it fitting to brew a classic American Cream Ale, BJCP category 6A. This recipe is as standard as an American Cream Ale can get, except for the 1 oz charge of cryo-Cascade at the end. Despite the dry hop, this beer has all the lawnmower feels I love about American beer: it is plebeian, boring, and crushable. I would recommend you try this beer if you too appreciate thirst quenching lagers.