Cream Ale Recipe (All-Grain): 5 to 30 Gallons
An all-grain Cream Ale recipe you can brew at 5 to 30 gallons: 4.6% ABV and 15 IBU, with the grain bill, hop schedule, yeast and step-by-step process.
In this post
Cream Ale at a glance: 4.6% ABV, 15 IBU, OG 1.044. America’s classic lawnmower beer: pale, crisp and light, with flaked corn for a clean, slightly sweet finish. It’s an ale fermented cool, so it drinks almost like a lager.
Bräu Supply recipe · All-grain
Cream Ale
Grain · for 5 gal into the fermenter
| 7.25 lb (3.29 kg) | Pale 2-row malt | 81% |
| 1.75 lb (0.79 kg) | Flaked corn (maize) | 19% |
Hops
| 0.75 oz (21 g) | Willamette · 5% AA | 60 min |
| 0.5 oz (14 g) | Hallertau Mittelfrüh · 4% AA | 10 min |
Yeast and water
| 1 pkg | American ale or Kölsch-style yeast (US-05, WLP001 or K-97) | |
| Water | Soft water. | |
Process
- Mash: 148°F (64°C) for 60 minutes
- Boil: 60 minutes
- Ferment: 60°F (16°C) for about 2 weeks
- Condition: Cold crash and keep it cold for 1 to 2 weeks before serving
- Carbonate: 2.6 volumes of CO₂
Brew it on
Based on 72% brewhouse efficiency and about 5.5 gal after the boil for a 5 gal batch. Adjust the base malt if your system runs higher or lower. Hops scale in a straight line; larger kettles extract a little more bitterness.
How to brew it
- Mash at 148°F (64°C) for 60 minutes for a dry finish.
- Boil 60 minutes, adding the hops on schedule.
- Chill to 64°F (18°C), oxygenate and pitch the yeast.
- Ferment at 60°F (16°C) until the gravity is stable.
- Cold crash, then keep it cold for 1 to 2 weeks.
- Package at about 2.6 volumes of CO₂.
Tips
- Ferment at 60°F (16°C). Cool and clean is the whole point.
- A couple of weeks cold before serving makes it noticeably crisper.
Frequently asked questions
Is cream ale made with cream?
No. The name describes its smooth, easy character; there’s no dairy in it.
Can I use lager yeast?
Yes. Many brewers do; ferment it like a lager. See our Mexican lager for a similar lager.
Related guides
ale vs lager fermentation, Kölsch recipe, blonde ale recipe.