If you add the honey to your fermenter after fermentation starts it may retain some of the honey flavors, but in the boil all you'll get are the 100% fermentable sugars.
I have never brewed a cream ale but I think part of their characteristic flavor comes from a corn addition, maybe a pound of flaked maize instead of the wheat extract in your original recipe.
Would I have to do a mini mash with that maize or would I just steep it with the gambrinus and biscuit?
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"Nothing matters
but flopping on a mattress
with cheap dreams and a beer."
-Butowski
Bottled: Maiden Voyage Imperial Stout, Dumpster Fire Cherry Ale & Belgian Dubbel
Primary: Nothing-YIKES!
On Deck: American Chauvinist Ale & Demon Concubine Black IPA
Take a look at the recipe I posted in the wheat beers thread here called "Orange Blossom Special". It uses 3lbs of Orange Blossom honey and is a true "Woman pleaser", if you know what I mean
(Seriously, it's a 6.9% beer that drinks like its 4.5%. One of my buddies nicknamed it the "Panty Melter".)
The first batch I ever brewed was an APA, and I loved it. The flavor was great, bitterness nice, but I think I can do it better the 2nd time around. Here was the recipe I brewed the first time:
6.6#golden light LME
1# Crystal 40L
1oz centenial 60min
1oz cascades 15min
1oz cascade 5 min
1oz cascade dry hop
US-05 ale yeast
OG: 1.042
FG: 1.010
The beer was a little on the thin side, so I think I will up the amount of extract to 7 pounds or so to try to bring both the OG and FG up a bit. But my biggest problem was that the beer was very "one-note" tasting, probably due to the fact that I used exclusively cascades for the flavor. To me, it seemed a bit heavy on the grapefruit and lacked any other complexity. To add this complex flavor profile I am looking for, should I use combinations of different hops? What times, maybe more mid boil? Does anyone have any suggestions for what hops would compliment this and add more than just the citrus/bitter flavors I got the first time?
+1 on Amarillo & Columbus. I find Simcoe "catty".
Try a bit of Chinook for a flavor addition for some piney notes to add complexity.
Also, i'd consider throwing in about 3/4 cup of maltodextrin powder in addtion to moving up to 7 lbs of extract.
HTH-
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-B'Dawg
Give a man a beer and he'll waste an hour. Teach him to brew and he'll waste a lifetime. - Nuco Gordo
maltodextrin just makes it thicker, right? I am a little unsure of what it is/does exactly. Also, along with changing the hop types, would you change the time schedule of additions at all?
maltodextrin just makes it thicker, right? I am a little unsure of what it is/does exactly. Also, along with changing the hop types, would you change the time schedule of additions at all?
It increases body.
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The mind is like a beer, it does the most good when it is opened.
I think the time schedule is fine. Also, I personally like Simcoe. It's another citrusy hop, but not like Cascade. It's got more of a tropical flavor. You could try that mid-boil and some Chinook to break up all the citrus.
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Primary: Nothing
Secondary: Mead... still
Conditioning: Nuttin'
On tap: English Bitter, Moose Drool clone
In bottle: Ganny's Apple Sauce(d) Cider... still
With all your suggestions, I have come up with a new recipe that I think I will try out, although it has turned into more of an American IPA than APA.
Palindromic IPA
8 # LME
1 # Caramel 40L
.5 oz Columbus 60 min
.5 oz Simcoe 20 min
.5 oz Chinook 10 min
.5 oz Cascade 10 min
.5 oz Cascade 5 min
.5 oz Chinook 5 min
.5 oz Simcoe dry hop
.5 oz Columbus dry hop
1 pk. nottingham yeast
I entertained my humor by dry hopping with the bittering hops to make the hop schedule palindromic. Would there be any problem with this, or what flavors could I expect. I really don't want to overdo the grapefruit of cascades like I did last time, so I was thinking of dry hopping with something different, but still citrusy.
With all your suggestions, I have come up with a new recipe that I think I will try out, although it has turned into more of an American IPA than APA.
Palindromic IPA
8 # LME
1 # Caramel 40L
.5 oz Columbus 60 min
.5 oz Simcoe 20 min
.5 oz Chinook 10 min
.5 oz Cascade 10 min
.5 oz Cascade 5 min
.5 oz Chinook 5 min
.5 oz Simcoe dry hop
.5 oz Columbus dry hop
1 pk. nottingham yeast
I entertained my humor by dry hopping with the bittering hops to make the hop schedule palindromic. Would there be any problem with this, or what flavors could I expect. I really don't want to overdo the grapefruit of cascades like I did last time, so I was thinking of dry hopping with something different, but still citrusy.
Looks great, If you want to keep it out of the IPA range, you can always Hop Burst it, which basically means you add all of your hop editions at 30 mins or less left in the boil, it produces an insane amount of hop flavor and can help keep the bitterness from being to over the top.
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The mind is like a beer, it does the most good when it is opened.
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