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Going to brew my first cream ale this weekend.  Would like a critique of my planned recipe.

6.5 lb us 2-row
1lb us 6-row
1.5 lb flaked maize
1.5 lb minute rice
4 oz biscuit
4 oz honey
1oz Tettnang @ 60 min
1 pack US-05 yeast

90 min mash at 152
90 min boil

[euge]

Double the maize and ditch the rice. Is that honey malt or honey?

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Its Honey Malt.  I only have 2 lbs of flaked maize in stock right now and am trying to avoid going back to the LHBS, so I'll bump it up to 2 lbs and ditch the rice.

[Malticulous]

The one I have ready now is 33.3% German pils, 33.3% 6-row and 33.4% white rice cereal mashed. 16 IBU from a Mt. Hood FWH I doubt anyone could tell it's not corn.

[gail3logan]

The recipe seems to be very good but is there any alternative for honey because I hate it?

[gordonstrong]

The recipe seems to be very good but is there any alternative for honey because I hate it?

Table sugar

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Its honey malt not honey that i'm using in my recipe.  I'm not a big fan of using honey in my beers.  Brewing this beer right now, ended up using 2 lbs flaked maize and a half pound of rice, and will be using perle hops instead of tettnang, but adjusted the amount to keep the ibus around 17.  Its my first cream ale, so hopefully it turns out good.  I'll will post the results.

[gordonstrong]

Sugar is still traditional.  Sub for honey malt?  Maybe Caravienne?

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Overshot my expected original gravity. Had 84.7% efficency which was higher than what I was expecting, normally my system gets between 75% to 80%.  Ended up with 5.75 gallons at 1.052 and 19 ibus.  Currently bubbling away at 60 F. 

[gordonstrong]

That's still fine. Should be good.

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Gordon, do you think 60 F is a good temp for this style using US-05?  I've read about people using it at even lower temps to get even more of a cleaner fermentation. But from the spec's I've seen on the yeast 60 F was about the min temp.

Cheers,

[gordonstrong]

Never used it, sorry.  If it's going fine at 60, just let it finish.  Cold condition it later.  That will help smooth it out as well.  I'm usually more concerned about a healthy, vigorous fermentation than obsessing about a couple degrees difference in fermentation temperature.  That will give you a clean beer just about all the time unless you're intentionally trying to drive it way above the recommended range.

Let us know where it finishes and how it tastes after fermentation is done and the beer has dropped bright.  That's when I'd be looking to rack it and lager it.

[Malticulous]

Starting US-05 at 55-60F is fine, it will chug along. letting it raise the temp a degree (or two) a day will help it finish faster and it will still be every bit as clean. Do that and get the carbonation right it will be as crisp and clean as any lager-minus the sulfur.

[weazletoe]

I'm the self proclaimed king of US-05 and use it in most all my beers. I've used it in a wheat in the low 50's. Took an extra day or two, but turned out wonderful. I really love the crap outta 05!! 

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Racked today (Day 9). Gravity down to 1.016.  Is still sweet and will need 2 or 3  more weeks in secondary.  Was fruitier than what I was expecting, still alot of yeast in suspension doing its thing. I defiantly like the taste of it, will make a great summer beer, but am hoping the fruit flavors mellow out a bit.