CA Common AG Recipe - Comments?

I just couldn't find a "try this" recipe for a nice California Common. So by looking at a variety of recipes out there I came up with this below: What do ya think? It's close to one I saw out on the 'net with a bit less hops and choc malt to not be quite so dark. I also added a bit of Rye per what I read on BYO. The Name is my idea
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Nothing Common 'bout Cali

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
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07-B Amber Hybrid Beer, California Common Ale

Min OG: 1.048 Max OG: 1.054
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 45
Min Clr: 10 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 6.00 Wort Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 12.60
Anticipated OG: 1.057 Plato: 13.93
Anticipated SRM: 12.4
Anticipated IBU: 40.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America
0.50 lbs. Victory Malt America
2.00 lbs. Munich Malt Germany
1.00 lbs. Crystal 40L America
0.10 lbs. Chocolate Malt Great Britain
0.20 lbs. Rye Malt America


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
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1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.00 35.8 60 min.
0.50 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.00 4.8 15 min.
0.50 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.00 0.0 0 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
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1.00 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


Yeast
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White Labs WLP810 San Fransisco Lager

Mash Schedule
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Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 12.60
Water Qts: 16.42 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 4.11 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.30 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 154 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 168 Time: 5
Sparge Temp : 168 Time: 45

Looks tasty to me. I'd be tempted to use whole hops for the last addition, but this should be quite fine.

Posted kind of late for feedback since I was heading to the HBS on the way home. Ingredients are in my possesion. Kind of suprised that the whole bill was only $24 with the yeast. Owner said expect a slow ferment. Shooting for 60 degrees for that... I'll probably now have two slow moving ferments going on at once

I've yet to use whole hops. There not a hot seller at my hbs so I don't trust them. Some day, with some recipe that is part of my rotation from freshops.

Looks good to me. I fermented mine at 65°, and was just a bit on the slow side. I imagine at 60° it would be a tad slower. Then again, I was using wyeast's strain, so it'll be interesting to see if there's much difference between the two.

LupusUmbrus said:

Looks good to me. I fermented mine at 65°, and was just a bit on the slow side. I imagine at 60° it would be a tad slower. Then again, I was using wyeast's strain, so it'll be interesting to see if there's much difference between the two.

Click to expand...

I figured this one is going to take a while and I try and shoot for the low side of the yeast strain. From WL's site:
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This yeast is used to produce the "California Common" style beer. A unique lager strain which has the ability to ferment up to 65 degrees while retaining lager characteristics. Can also be fermented down to 50 degrees for production of marzens, pilsners.

Attenuation: 65-70; Flocculation: High; Optimum Ferm. Temp: 58-65
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Should be fun.

That yeast will be really sulphury too--so be aware. If you are an airlock sniffer, might want to resist this batch.

I love CA commons. This should be a good one!!!!!

Definitely ferment this on the lower end too!!!!!!!

I've never used this strain, but have been seriously toying with the idea of doing a Cali Common myself. Let us know how it turns out; I may end up stealing your recipe.

I've only done one lager twice now - a bock. I have one fermenting now and would like to do another lager with the same yeast I'm using now - WLP830 German Lager. I also have a vial of WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast, maybe for a Vienna Style Lager - maybe a Negro Modelo clone (?).

With the garage hovering in the 40-45oF range, it's a good time for lagers!

ORRELSE said:

That yeast will be really sulphury too--so be aware. If you are an airlock sniffer, might want to resist this batch.

I love CA commons. This should be a good one!!!!!

Click to expand...

Hi, my name is Jeff and I am an airlock sniffer. I read this on the sulphur as well. That'll be two batches not advised to sniff. I got going WLP400 Belgium that absolutely smells horrid. You'd think you got an infected batch taking a wiff of this stuff. 2nd time using it though so I know it's ok.

The 1st time I had a Anchor Steam was just last week. That was the selling point on making this batch next along with the cooler weather out here now.

looks good me me too! the brewpub in Houston that i frequent has a steam on tap that's good. been giving me the hanker'n to do one too.

desertBrew said:

Hi, my name is Jeff and I am an airlock sniffer. I read this on the sulphur as well. That'll be two batches not advised to sniff. I got going WLP400 Belgium that absolutely smells horrid. You'd think you got an infected batch taking a wiff of this stuff. 2nd time using it though so I know it's ok.

The 1st time I had a Anchor Steam was just last week. That was the selling point on making this batch next along with the cooler weather out here now.

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Hi, I'm Brandon and even if it smells like sulphur, I'm an airlock sniffer. I can't get enough of that.

My mum lives in Milwaukee and her apartment is a mile from "THE" brewery. I think it is heaven.

ORRELSE said:

My mum lives in Milwaukee and her apartment is a mile from "THE" brewery. I think it is heaven.

Click to expand...

Ahh... Been a while since I've been back but does that one yeast factory still dish out the aroma on I-94 and 27th when heading downtown? That there was the smell of Milwaukee.

desertBrew said:

Ahh... Been a while since I've been back but does that one yeast factory still dish out the aroma on I-94 and 27th when heading downtown? That there was the smell of Milwaukee.

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You bet.

I was wrong! I looked in my fridge and it turns out I didn't buy the WLP838 - I actually bought White Labs WLP810 San Fransisco Lager! So, it looks like a Cali Common is in my future!

And I sniff the airlock, even if it is very sulphury!

Rhoobarb said:

I was wrong! I looked in my fridge and it turns out I didn't buy the WLP838 - I actually bought White Labs WLP810 San Fransisco Lager! So, it looks like a Cali Common is in my future!

And I sniff the airlock, even if it is very sulphury!

Click to expand...

Ayup. This is one stanky batch of brew. I have it in my ferm chiller and when I open the top it is a definite sulphur odor... Burping steadily 1 per 5 sec or so at about 58 degrees and got a nice krausen.

Question for whomever on a CA common; you rack this type of batch ~1 week per usual or would you wait til krausen falls/do a hydro check no matter how long she takes? I'd expect it to be in the secondary for a while though...

I'd wait a little longer for the krausen to fall. Mine had the thickest (as in most dense) looking krausen I've had so far almost right until it stopped bubbling.

Hey guys. I'm not too anal with the old hydro but wanted an opinion on if you think this thing is ready for the keg. OG 1.056 and am currently at 1.015. 9 days in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary. Not sure if it's going to get lower. never used this SF Lager yeast so not sure if this is as low as she'll go. Since going AG I usually seem to end up at .006 - .010 range

Guess I could wait and test in 3 more days but heck it's Brew Day! I'm doing two batches today and figured with the down time during mashes I might keg this puppy. Man, it is a nice orange hue and crystal clear!

desertBrew said:

Hey guys. I'm not too anal with the old hydro but wanted an opinion on if you think this thing is ready for the keg. OG 1.056 and am currently at 1.015. 9 days in the primary, 2 weeks in the secondary. Not sure if it's going to get lower. never used this SF Lager yeast so not sure if this is as low as she'll go. Since going AG I usually seem to end up at .006 - .010 range

Guess I could wait and test in 3 more days but heck it's Brew Day! I'm doing two batches today and figured with the down time during mashes I might keg this puppy. Man, it is a nice orange hue and crystal clear!

Click to expand...

I'm not a mathmetician by any means, but isn't that like right around 70% attenuation? <insert image of monkey doing math problem here>

I doubt it will get much lower. If you need the space, rack it/bottle it, otherwise I'd swirl every 2-3 days and let it sit another 2 weeks. You might get it to drop another 2-3 points, but not much more than that.

ORRELSE said:

I'm not a mathmetician by any means, but isn't that like right around 70% attenuation? <insert image of monkey doing math problem here>

I doubt it will get much lower. If you need the space, rack it/bottle it, otherwise I'd swirl every 2-3 days and let it sit another 2 weeks. You might get it to drop another 2-3 points, but not much more than that.

Click to expand...

I've actually never read up on the whole attenuation thing. What's the equation for calcing that (or does Promash do that?) Don't need the room, but if it may go down 5 more I'd wait. 1-2 more, screw it and get it on the kegger as I want to partake in the taste test.

promash does do it, just plug in the numbers. if it where me, like orresle said, i'd let it sit another week or two. it'll help the flavor too!

Yea, I'm going to let it sit for another week. Staring at the airlock, I'm probably getting a light burp every 30 secs. 58 Degree ferments just take a while...

yea, they take a bit. badthing about those lager/ ale hybrid yeast strains. IT'S TUFF WAITING!!!!!

DeRoux's Broux said:

promash does do it, just plug in the numbers. if it where me, like orresle said, i'd let it sit another week or two. it'll help the flavor too!

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It'll definitely help the flavor. I did a steam beer last summer and drank the whole thing green. It was the first one I kegged, so I was excited to have one on tap.

ORRELSE said:

It'll definitely help the flavor. I did a steam beer last summer and drank the whole thing green. It was the first one I kegged, so I was excited to have one on tap.

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Well, this batch isn't tasting so hot. I kegged it about 10 days ago and it has a bit of a sweet taste (more hops if I make it ever again) with a very slight sour aftertaste. Not sure if I screwed something up or if this puppy needs to just sit in the keg under pressure for a longer period of time. Orrelse, what was your green taste like if you can recall? FYI OG = 1.056, FG = 1.013

To recall the grain bill:

9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America
0.50 lbs. Victory Malt America
2.00 lbs. Munich Malt Germany
1.00 lbs. Crystal 40L America
0.10 lbs. Chocolate Malt Great Britain
0.20 lbs. Rye Malt America

1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.00 35.8 60 min.
0.50 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.00 4.8 15 min.
0.50 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 9.00 0.0 0 min.

White Labs WLP810 San Fransisco Lager

desertBrew said:

Well, this batch isn't tasting so hot. I kegged it about 10 days ago and it has a bit of a sweet taste (more hops if I make it ever again) with a very slight sour aftertaste. Not sure if I screwed something up or if this puppy needs to just sit in the keg under pressure for a longer period of time. Orrelse, what was your green taste like if you can recall? FYI OG = 1.056, FG = 1.013

Click to expand...

Could be lots of thing giving that sour taste--it might just be green still. I don't know how to describe green either, really.

I'd bank on it being the Northern Brewer hops. One of my batches of LWPA was bittered with NB and it had that really harsh bitterness. The beer got drank up but it wasn't one of my best.
Don't know about the sweetness either--I've been reading upon cloying but there isn't much out there.

One suggestion--try dry hopping and see if it wil "hide" that sweet taste a little bit. Dry hops can sometimes mask some deficiencies.

EDIT: I found this product at hoptech that might help the low bitterness problem...VERY interesting....

Dumped this batch on Saturday. 1st one I ever had to kill .

2 ounces of hops for this beer seems way under hopped...my ca common recipe calls for 1 oz. n. brewer (60 min.) 1 oz. spalt (60 min.) 1/2 oz. n. brewer (30 min) 1/2 oz. n. brewer (10 min.) 1 oz. cascade (0 min.) 1 oz. n. brewer (dry-hop) 1 oz. perle (dry hop) thats 6 oz. total (i.b.u. 45/ o.g. 1.052) needless to say i like my beers hoppy...

40 IBU's for a 1.057 beer sounds like plenty to me if that's what it works out to, although it may not have if it wound up sweet....I'd lean towards some type of infection given the sour taste.

BeeGee said:

40 IBU's for a 1.057 beer sounds like plenty to me if that's what it works out to, although it may not have if it wound up sweet....I'd lean towards some type of infection given the sour taste.

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Yea, the sour was the thing I couldn't get past. The sweet mellowed out but the tart remained. The garbage disposal loved it though...

I once had a batch of brown ale that I managed to contaminate part of during bottling. About 4-5 bottles from the entire batch tasted like someone had squirted a wedge of lemon into them, the rest tasted like a decent brown. Only time it's happened, so I'm not sure what I did.