After my recent batch of Spring Training Stout, here I'm brewing another one of my house recipes I haven't written about in ten years.
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| Look at those beautiful corn flakes. |
Like Spring Training Stout, Crackerjack Cream Ale is one of those beers I ask myself why I don't brew more often. Bearing that thought in mind, this still was not a brew I had penciled in for the summer this year. I brewed this for two reasons. Firstly, I committed to making a ten gallon batch and needed to propagate a specific yeast strain. I figured that strain would work really well in this beer. Secondly, my friends from Maine Malt House launched a direct-to-consumer website for homebrewers. Their craft malt is will be perfect in this recipe.
Looking at the 2015 post, I have streamlined the recipe for Crackerjack Cream Ale to a point where I have the grist memorized: 70% North American 2-row malt, 25% Flaked Maize, 5% Caramalt. Initially the recipe had light caramel malt to give it a sweet note; you know, like a crackerjack. I've kept it in the recipe to help with body, head retention, and depth of color, while adding a subtle flavor contribution.
When I opened the box from Maine Malt, the first thing that caught my eye was how different the Flaked Corn looked. Most flaked corn is extruded. I could tell that these flakes were rolled like cereal, the flakes were large and the corn had a darker hue from toasting and/or friction from being rolled.
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| L: extruded corn, R: rolled flaked corn |
To guard against a stuck sparge, I uses a handful of rice hulls which I probably didn't need as runoff was a breeze. The only thing that was off was my pre-boil volume. I need to err on the side of heating more hot liquor just to be safe. When I went to grab my Cluster hops I smelled them and they were a little cheesy which indicates they are old and not fresh. Luckily I still have a ton of hop samples I grabbed over the years at trade shows, and found a 2oz packet of YCH Independence Blend which appears to be discontinued.
For fermentation, the wort got six days in the primary before I racked to a secondary. I needed to harvest fresh yeast from the bottom of my primary fermenter. I also know from experience this strain clears better when racked. Both of my fermentation fridges were tied up, so cold crashing wasn't an option. After 21 days the beer was kegged and burst carbonated.
As much as I would have loved to do a side-by-side with New Glarus Spotted Cow, a cream ale the brewery is too pretentious to call a cream ale, I had to go with Genesee Cream Ale as the quintessential example on the East Coast. Maybe if I was in Chicago and was chasing a shot of Malort, I would've gone with Old Style.
Aroma
Crackerjack Cream Ale (CCA): Grainy and corny malt. Low peppery hops and floral esters
Genesee Cream Ale: Malt and grain slightly richer.
Appearance
CCA: Pale gold with thin foamy white head. Fair retention and lacing. Slight chill haze that looks worse in comparison next to the commercial beer.
Genesee: A shade or two darker than the homebrew. Clarity is brilliant. Moderate foamy white head with excellent retention and lacing.
Flavor
CCA: Grainy malt with and underlying creaminess and a hint of toast. Hop bitterness and flavor is low - maybe slightly floral. Fermentation is clean with low esters as well; not quite as clean as a Chico-fermented beer.
Genesee: Stronger base malt flavor, like Wonder Bread. Hop bitterness and flavor is low, hop flavor maybe a little more catty than the homebrew. Fermentation a bit cleaner than the homebrew, if not lager-like.
Mouthfeel:
CCA: Med light body and med carbonation. Finish is clean
Genesee: Body is a little fuller, but otherwise similar to the homebrew. Not much to add
Overall:
In comparison Genesee Cream Ale felt a little more robust, and the Crackerjack more complex and refined. Genesee was like vanilla soft serve from Dairy Queen, while the Crackerjack was vanilla ice cream scooped from your favorite local ice cream place that might also have a miniature golf course. I say this as someone who loves both. At $16.99 for a 30-bomb in New Hampshire, I have no complaints about buying Genny Cream.
As for Crackerjack Cream Ale there is nothing I would change about the recipe. Typically I use a Chico yeast, but I think the WLP008 worked well here. Other than some chill haze, it made a clear beer. Brewed at the end of May, groundwater temperatures are rising which can effect your cold break. Maybe next time I would add some tank finings and cold crash. The Independence hop blend probably worked better than the Cluster I usually use. Maybe next time I could use Crystal or Willamette if I can’t find the Independence blend again.
A week or so after the side-by-side I drank the beers back-to-back. A full pint Crackerjack, then a full 12oz can of Genny Cream. Drinking one beer after the other solidified to me that my homebrew is superior.
Recipe: Crackerjack Cream Ale Brewer: Jason Chalifour Style: Cream Ale TYPE: All Grain Recipe Specifications -------------------------- Boil Size: 6.35 gal Post Boil Volume: 5.68 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal Estimated OG: 1.050 SG Estimated Color: 4.1 SRM Estimated IBU: 18.7 IBUs Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 % Est Mash Efficiency: 77.9 % Boil Time: 60 Minutes Ingredients: ------------ Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume 7.59 gal Yellow Balanced (Under 6 SRM) Water 1 - - 0.50 gal Poland Spring (R) Water 2 - - 3.03 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) Water Agent 3 - - 0.76 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) Water Agent 4 - - 0.50 tsp Lactic Acid (Mash) Water Agent 5 - - 0.46 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent 6 - - 6 lbs 8.0 oz Mapleton Pale Malt (Maine Malt) (2.0 SRM) Grain 7 68.4 % 0.51 gal 2 lbs 8.0 oz Corn, Flaked (Maine Malt) (1.3 SRM) Grain 8 26.3 % 0.20 gal 8.0 oz Caramalt (Muntons) (15.0 SRM) Grain 9 5.3 % 0.04 gal 0.50 ml Lactic Acid (Sparge) Water Agent 10 - - 1.00 oz Independence [4.80 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 11 17.1 IBUs - 0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 12 - - 1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 13 - - 0.38 oz Independence [4.70 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 mi Hop 14 1.6 IBUs - 1.0 pkg East Coast Ale (White Labs #WLP008) [35.49 ml] Yeast 15 - - Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 8.0 oz ---------------------------- Name Description Step Temperat Step Time Mash In Add 3.07 gal of water at 166.3 F 150.0 F 75 min Sparge: Fly sparge with 4.52 gal water at 168.0 F Notes: ------ Maine Malt flaked corn was rolled and not extruded. Used a couple handfulls of rice hulls just to be safe. Cluster hops smelled a little cheese, subbed in Independence which smelled great. Topped off with 0.66 gal spring water when racking to secondary.
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