Wouldn't add any corn. If you need more sugar content, just up the grains, maybe some caramunich.
Don't forget the lactose

 

My Cream Ale has about 13% flaked corn. Not sure how much you want to up the corn % to, but I'd guess anywhere from 0 ---> 20% seems reasonable, though I've never used 20% myself.

And my thoughts on the additions are no, no and no.

 

Why not? I bet it'll be great. Only one way to find out!

 

I put about 5% honey in a cream ale I recently brewed, mostly to dry it out and up the OG some. I don't think I actually picked up any honey flavor/aroma in the final beer

 

Cream Ale is the 19th-century American version of German Lagers. There's no reason to add fruit or flavor adjuncts to it. You wouldn't think of adulterating a German Helles that way. If one wanted a fruited beer, there's always witbiers and American Wheat beer or basic Blonde Ale to experiment with. It's just the unfortunate misnomer that makes people think it's supposed to have milkshake qualities. Novelty beers called Cream Ales are pretty revolting, IMO.
Cream ale should be about 20 percent grain adjunct unless using 6-row base malt, in which case it could be up to 30 or maybe more.Keep it simple.

 

No. That's just my vote though. Otherwise seems solid.

 

Hmmm. Creamsickle comes to mind. Orange creamsickle.

 

Part of the conflict is yeast choice...A Cream Ale done with a lager yeast at ale temps gets closer to the lager character, being malt-forward with some esters and some sulfur-y notes. Some folks contend that Chico strain yeasts will make a Cream Ale but I find at that point it's just a Blonde Ale; one that's hop-forward with a preponderance of fruity esters. To my way of thinking, that's the "neutral base" one would use for adding interesting fruit flavors.
In short, I'd brew that beer and just not bother calling it a Cream Ale.

 

So you are just having some fun, in which case I say absolutely go for it. What's in a name anyways?

You obviously have enough experience to know what might work and what might not. One word of caution though: I have always been a fan of Genny Cream as a nice summer pounder, but their Lemon Strawberry Cream Ale is a colossal failure, in my opinion. And I'm not against fruit in beer, it's just that it tasted like perfume to me. Undrinkable.

 

Brian, the base looks good, about 25% corn and six-row is about right. Some have said skip the corn but I believe that feed-corn flavor is what distinguishes cream ale from blondes. You might consider Cluster in place of the Magnum but that's not critical. As to add-ins, I kind of like the maple syrup option, some good grade B syrup (darker, a little more flavor) should work nicely but not enough to color the beer significantly. Honey should work as well, you might want to add some dextrine in either case to make up for the lost body. Let us know how it comes out.

 

We shouldn't forget that beer producers are competing with the popularity of adult beverage juice-boxes now so they have to make a beer that's not really beer at all but more like White Claw in disguise.

 

Forgot to mention yeast.... Kölsch would work, I'd stick with cream ale blend, just personal preference.

 

My friends across the road at Bent Barley advertise "Beer Flavored Beer." We've been riding them mercilessly over their first (and likely last) hard seltzer.

 

Corn and maple syrup. Brew for a bit of diacetyl and you have grits-flavored beer.... Actually, skipping the diacetyl thing, it doesn't sound bad, add some dextrine for sweetness, the sugars in the syrup will ferment out, might have to consider this one myself!

 

My Opinion Only ---> If I were to add something to a Cream Ale it would be a very subtle flavor, because I don't think the base beer could balance or stand up to anything bold.

Cucumber, Vanilla, Lemongrass, Kiwi, Thai Basil, Hibiscus...but not all at once.

Just spitballing here, I honestly haven't thought this through.

Good luck with whatever you choose! And keep us posted.