This beer was designed to emulate the caramel cream “bulls eye” candies that I used to eat as a kid, and I think I hit it dead on. The beer is sweet, creamy, a hint of vanilla… It is delicious.
2015 (18Jan)
Unfortunately, OG and FG was not measured with this beer. The flavor is spot on though. This won 2nd place at the 2015 Brewfest.
2015 (18Oct)
I’m giving this beer another try. It was perfect the first time around, hopefully it holds true this time as well.
One issue that I had was that I did not record the mash schedule the first time around. This time, I could not keep the mash temperature up. It hovered around 140-150*F the entire time. I added boiling water, I just couldn’t keep the temp up. So, we’ll see how this turns out.
OG: 1.043
FG: (Oops… didn’t measure)
2016 (4Jun)
This has now become an annual brew.
I had an issues with this brew. I was using an old turkey fryer thermometer to measure strike temp of the water, then using the candy thermometer to measure the resulting mash temp. This is the second brew where my mash temp has missed the mark considerable to the low temp side. I realized that my turkey fryer thermometer was off by almost 15*F. So, this beer spent the first 30 minutes or so at a mash temp of around 140*F, before it was finally brought up to temp through additions of boiling water.
Another unique aspect of this brew is that I substituted the 2-Row with Maris Otter. This is my first brew with MO. It seems to have a more caramel, malty flavor, so I’m hoping it complements this beer.
Tasting notes:
The Maris Otter does seem to have produced a little more of a biscuit-like, dough-like characteristic. I’m not sure I would miss it if I had used 2-row instead, but it’s a nice touch. I would expect that the higher FG is due to my missed mash temps. The beer is a little sweeter than I would have expected. It is also much more bitter than I remember. I might look at adjusting the hops next time I brew.
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.012
ABV: 4.7%
Style Information
Grains & Extracts
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2-Row (US) (Grain) | 6 lb |
| Flaked Wheat (Grain) | 1 lb |
| Flaked Corn (Grain) | 1 lb |
| Caramel/Crystal 40L (US) (Grain) | 1.5 lb |
| Lactose (Milk Sugar) (Sugar) | 0.5 lb |
| Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (US) (Grain) | 0.25 lb |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Alpha Acid% | AAU | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade (US) | 0.75 oz | 7% | 5.25 | 60 |
| Very successful and well-established American aroma hop developed by Oregon State University's breeding program in 1956 from Fuggle and Serebrianker (a Russian variety), but not released for cultivation until 1972. Gives the distinct citrus/grapefruit aroma to the Pale Ale produced by California's Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the best-selling American pale ale in the country. One of the "Three Cs" along with Centennial and Columbus. Named for the Cascade Range. Substitutes: Centennial and Columbus (but they have a higher Alpha Acid content). | ||||
| Fuggle (UK) | 0.5 oz | 4.75% | 2.375 | 30 |
| Fuggle (UK) | 0.5 oz | 4.75% | 2.375 | 15 |
Adjuncts
| Name | Type | Use | Amount | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Moss | Fining | Boil | 1 oz | 30 |
| Vanilla Extract | Flavor | Secondary | 4 fl oz | 10 days |
| Add when you rack beer to secondary. | ||||
Yeasts
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| White Labs WLP080 Cream Ale Yeast Blend |
Mash Steps
| Name | Step Type | Step Time | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mash 3.5g @ 169*F | Infusion | 169 |
Boil
Profile
