British Cream Ales

[AndrewDK]

Hi all, looking to do a Boddingtons style english cream ale. Done some hunting around and fuggles, goldings, and EKG of various combinations and times seems to be the hop side. However the only recipes are all grain brewing, and well time constraints put me out of that extent for a bit.

 

I'm thinking a Coopers (of course) australian pale ale or OS real ale for the base. Then probably around a kilo or LDME, 200g crystal grains steeped, and 150g dex. I did find a recipe that quoted Boddingtons themselves as being some 70% pale malt, 25% crystlal and 5% sugar.

 

Any suggestions? Oh and I know I won't get the thick creamy head, at least properly anyway. Almost thinking of maybe using the English Bitter kit as I've done this recently and got a pretty good creamy head, not the same as draught or widget cans but pretty close.

 

Also having some thoughts about using a portion of wheat malt, maybe swap 200g of pale malt for wheat malt.

 

Any suggestions?

[Canadian Eh!L]

Hi Andrew,

 

I've been wondering the same thing for a while, now![smile] I looked up a recipe that sounds like a good start. Check it out here.

 

If I were looking to make this recipe with Cooper's stuff I might start with something like OS Draught can, 1Kg LDM recipe add the grains the crystal grains made to 23L. But! You must omit the 60mins (bittering) additions of hops (these are added with the Kit). Make sure to add the other hops adds. The trick to the creamy head is to under carbonate the brew (say 100g dex or less) then using a syringe give the beer (in the glass) a pump or two and this will give the "widgit" style head.

 

If none of this made sense make sure to ask and I will try to expand.[innocent]

[Guest]

Sorry I can't add anything regarding Boddingtons style english cream ale as I have never tried it. However, to get a creamy head I just push back on the taps. [joyful] If I didn't have Obelix then the Syringe trick Chad mentions above works a treat.