Brewing Up a Zesty Twist: A Lemon Forward Cream Ale

March 1, 2024

The first beer of the season packs a lot of flavor with a lemony taste that lingers on your tongue. Like a burst of sunshine, lemon-forward flavors are made using the Lemondrop and Hallertau Blanc hops. Perfect for the lawn mowing season, this beer may inspire you to get out and trim your lawn so that you can reward yourself with a refreshing afternoon drink.

Zesting Things Up: Enter Lemondrop and Hallertau Blanc

Now, let’s zest things up a bit! Our mission is to infuse this traditional brew with a strong lemon presence, and having used both in recent brews, we went with Lemondrop and Hallertau Blanc. With its bright citrus notes reminiscent of the candy that shares its name, Lemondrop brings a sunny, lemony zing to the mix. On the other hand, Hallertau Blanc adds layers of fruit and lemongrass aromas with a hint of white wine grapes.

Brewing the Sunshine: The Lemon-Infused Cream Ale Recipe

Crafting this lemony Cream Ale is like painting with flavors; each ingredient adds a stroke of genius. We start with a simple selection of American pale malts and a touch of Vienna malt to add to the structure, flaked corn to introduce that signature sweet undertone, and flaked rice to keep this beer crisp and dry. Then, come our star hops—Lemondrop for that punchy lemon flavor appropriate to its name, and Hallertau Blanc for a touch of elegance.

A Look Through Time

Historically, Cream Ales were fermented with top-fermenting ale yeast and cold-loving bottom-fermenting lager yeasts brewed at warmer temperatures. For this beer, we ferment at the sweet spot of 65° F with Wyeast 2112 yeast, ensuring a clean and crisp base that lets our lemony hops shine without tight temperature controls. The result? It’s a refreshing and complex beer with layers of flavors that unfold with each sip.

We pitched half of the 10-gallon batch for a variation with the Philly Sour Strain from Llalemand. This strain creates lactic acid without contaminating your gear like many lactic-producing bacteria. The first taste at racking tasted like a Lemon Shandy.

The Final Pour

Imagine cracking open a bottle of this lemon-inspired cream ale after the chore of spring mowing season. The aroma of lemon zest greets you with a refreshing and intriguing taste. This beer is light yet flavorful, with a crisp finish that begs for another sip. This is not just a beer; it’s a celebration of the return of the Sun.
So there you have it, folks—a Cream Ale with a lemony twist that’s as fun to brew as it is to drink. Whether you’re a seasoned brewer or a curious newbie, “This recipe is a tribute to the pleasure of creating something different.” So why wait? Gather your hops, fire up the kettle, and let’s brew a batch of sunshine! Cheers to creativity and spring and to a Cream Ale that’s anything but ordinary.

Get the recipe at https://www.nwbrewers.com/seasonal-beer-kits/.

Available as a kit for a limited time. All-Grain $36.99 and Extract $49.99

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