Last year, I brewed a cream ale based on 2015 NHC winner “Cream of the Crop” (used WLP080 instead of 001 and QuickGrits instead of flaked corn). This was a real nice, refreshing poolside drink for the Florida summer. Thinking of doing another cream ale next week but had a couple questions.
I know 6-row is the more traditional base malt. I’ve never used it in a recipe. If I went with 6-row, what difference(s) should I expect to experience?
I also recently enjoyed a helles recipe made with WLP029. I’m wondering if this might be a good choice to try on a cream ale. I feel like it has the character I’m looking for although the 080 was nice, too. Any input on this idea?
It will give a lot more “huskiness” and almost a tannic character than two row. You may want to do a protein rest with it as well. Between the two in a cream ale I like 2row better but YMMV.
From a BJCP stylistic standpoint, I think WLP029 would be out of place and contribute too much of an estery note. 080,001,1056 (i.e. anything neutral and malt-minimizing) would work fairly well. 6-row would be “historic” but low-kilned 2-row is perfectly fine and traditional from today’s perspective. I feel that 6-row, as mentioned, gives a bit more husk or grain quality, but not overwhelmingly so - subtle at best. You might find you get less extract/sugars from 6-row than you do 2-row so it may require an extra 1/4-1/2 lb to hit the same gravity.
From a non-stylistic standpoint, I think 029 with some 6-row and grits would be an easy no-thinker-drinker. Somewhere between a kolsch-style beer and cream ale, which basically calculates to a subtle nuance. If it’s not going into a competition, I see nothing wrong with this route at all.
34/70 at ale temps is another good choice for a cream ale, although for the price difference I’d just use US-05. I haven’t tried it, but I bet BRY-97 would be nice too paired with a long low mash.
Bry-97 is pretty estery, doesn’t tolorate cold temps very well and is super touchy and inconsistent. I would go with a chico strain at 58-60F remembering to do a d rest. Or you could mix a lager strain and clean ale as stated above. For my money us05/1056/wlp001 are the way to go.
I would imagine WLP029 would work, but might lend a bit of a German touch to the beer. I would also say 1056 would be a better choice. I know it’s not exactly the same but I have used US-05 at lager temps with a larger pitch of yeast. I fermented a 1 gal test batch for shits with US-05 right along side with a lager I was making. In the end, it fermented just fine at 50* and rivaled the lager strain. I also really like the Bohemian Lager strains at ~65*…it makes for a nice hybrid ale. Still clean and lager like, but not quite true lager. It’s a nice fit for Cream Ale, Cali Common, etc.
Sorry for the late reply! American 6-row in general has a bunch more protein than a regular two row variety which yes the corn helps dilute and will probably eliminate any haze you might get so it is pretty optional with modern malt. There are some theories floating around that it might help foam stability by breaking proteins into ones that help create foam from ones that can reduce foam (supposedly not all proteins are created equal) and maybe reduce staling etc (I am a little sketchy on the full science of it so take all of this with a big grain of salt or maybe an entire shaker). I have done both single infusion and double infusion step mashes with a protein rest and a sac rest and I liked the character from the step mashes I got better, which in all likelihood could have been do to something not related at all to the protein rest. So, totally optional YMMV etc might be BS
Enough nonsense for ya Denny?
P.S. On a kinda related note to cream ales and protein rests, which not to history “style” swapping out 25-50% of the corn for flaked barley in a cream ale creates a wonderful thing (also sorta what New Glarus does with Spotted Cow but using a way more characterful yeast). Also gives a slightly more valid reason to do a protein rest.
