tips for brewing a cream ale

[tootmaster2000]

hey guys/gals,
Just brewed a cream ale. I was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks particularly regarding fermentation. I do have temp control and have had the beer sitting at 66 f for 3 days now. My Plan is to let it finish out over a total of 7 days (while periodically checking the gravity). My main question I suppose is if I should lager the beer or do somewhat of a slow temp increase or decrease over x amount of time before bottling. It's my 1st time trying the style and i have limited knowledge about it.

thanks

toot

[BrewerJ]

Need a little bit more info, what yeast are you using? I personally like to do a warmer lager fermentation with my cream ales.

[BDawg]

Which yeast are you using?

7 days is too fast, regardless of which yeast you are using, IMO.

Here's what I'd do if i were in your shoes-
Assuming you used WLP001/WY1056, 66F is ok for this style, but cooler (58-62F) would be better (do that next time, not now). You want the current gravity reading to be around 75% of the way to your target gravity at which point you warm it up for week or so up to around 70F. This will help the yeast clean up the beer even further and eat up any residual diacetyl, which may be there in small amounts after cool fermentation. It's important to do it when the yeast is mostly done but not quite so that warming them up will reinvigorate them and they'll get their second wind and go nuts on the residuals. Overall, a minimum of 2 weeks in the primary is about right, or longer if that's what it takes.

Then, I'd rack to a secondary (really a bright tank, nothing should be left to ferment at this point). Cold crash it down to 32F and hit it with gelatin to clear it up. Lager it at least a week or 2, but until you think its ready, and then keg and carbonate up to around 2.75 volumes.

my .02

[tootmaster2000]

so some more info on the beer:
my OG was 1.055
7.5 lbs 2 row
0.25 lb flaked barley
0.25 lb flaked maize
0.5 lb carapils
0.5 oz (60 min) cluster
0.25 oz (15 min) cluster
Im using White lab's cream ale blend WLP 080


Bdawg would you still do the same lagering method you described if I was bottle conditioning? Should I simply follow your method and then repitch a measured bottle conditioning yeast and priming sugar when bottling?

thanks for the help

[3 Dogs]

White Labs says 68 F - 73 F for WLP001.

[BDawg]

White Labs says 68 F - 73 F for WLP001.

Even though the White labs site says 68-72, I can say from experience that WLP001 works GREAT low. I've had it all the way down to 58F, and it worked fantastic. You need a big pitch, good aeration (I use 90 secs pure O2), and a bit of yeast nutrient. Very clean, lager-ish character. You'll love it.

so some more info on the beer:
my OG was 1.055
7.5 lbs 2 row
0.25 lb flaked barley
0.25 lb flaked maize
0.5 lb carapils
0.5 oz (60 min) cluster
0.25 oz (15 min) cluster
Im using White lab's cream ale blend WLP 080


Bdawg would you still do the same lagering method you described if I was bottle conditioning? Should I simply follow your method and then repitch a measured bottle conditioning yeast and priming sugar when bottling?

thanks for the help

With that yeast, I'd go even lower, like 62F.
Don't stress about having to repitch yeast at bottling time. Unless you filter or go for an extended lagering period (I'm talking many MONTHS here), you will have
plenty of cells available to condition the beer.
RDWHAHB

[Ozwald]

White Labs says 68 F - 73 F for WLP001.

Even though the White labs site says 68-72, I can say from experience that WLP001 works GREAT low. I've had it all the way down to 58F, and it worked fantastic. You need a big pitch, good aeration (I use 90 secs pure O2), and a bit of yeast nutrient. Very clean, lager-ish character. You'll love it.

Ditto. I like 62-64 with 001.