What is a cream ale anyway? Well apparently it’s a beer made with corn. Nebraska would be proud.

A quick pictorial recap of the brew day:

Beer Specifications Beer Name: OBK Cream Ale Beer Style: Cream Ale Recipe Type: All Grain Batch Size: 5.25 gallons / 19.9 litres Estimated SRM: 3° Estimated IBU: 16 Estimated OG: 1.047 Estimated FG: 1.012 Estimated ABV: 4.6% Grain Bill/Fermentables LBS FERMENTABLES 7 2-Row Malt 2 Flaked Corn Hops OZ MIN HOPS 1 60 Styrian Goldings Yeast # YEAST 1 SafAle S-05 Fermentation Schedule 21 days Primary 7-14 days Bottle Conditioning Optimal Fermentation Temperature:64-82°F / 18-28°C

Place fermenter in stable temperature, out of the light. Directions Mash Temperature: 150°F / 65.5°C Mash Time: 60 min Strike Water Volume: 3.5 gallons / 15.9 litres Sparge Water Volume: 2.75 gallons / 10.4 litres Boil Duration: 60 min Being relatively early in my home brewing journey I’ve never made a cream ale before so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. To that end I’m both a bit surprised with the taste and thankful for how well it turned out.

This particular cream ale is a lot sweeter than I was anticipating… but in a refreshing sort of way. Not quite as sweet as, say, a cider but also not completely far off either. The smell almost has… hints of lemon? Again not quite what I was expecting but the combination somehow works. I could see this definitely being an easy drinking summer beer for those so inclined.

If this all sounds like it suits your tastes I’d recommend trying this recipe out for yourself.

P.S. – we called this brew “Cream of the Crop”