Kentucky Common and Sourness

ODaniel · 07-05-2009, 11:45 PM

So upon discovering a beer style originated in my hometown, and apparently 1 of 2 styles originated in America, and hardly anyone brewing it anymore, I decided I am going to brew one.

Here is the info on it on this Wiki, which seems to be the most common info, although there isn't much out there:

Quote:

In the area around Louisville, Kentucky, in the years before Prohibition, a distinctive style of dark ale was popular. Referred to at the time as Common Beer, a term which was also used in other areas to refer to Cream Ale and other beers, or sometimes as Dark Cream Common, it is now generally called Kentucky Common, the term used in the Wahl-Henius Handy Book.

Kentucky Common was made with was usually made with about 75% malt and 25% corn grits or sugar. The grist included 1 to 2% black malt and sometimes also 1 to 2% crystal malt per barrel. Also, , and a small amount of brewers caramel was sometimes used. There is some evidence that partial sour mashes were used to lighten the body - 2% lactobacillus to the yeast. Like cream ale, it was consumed fresh, usually as draft beer. In 1913 it was estimated that 80% of the beer consumed in Louisville was of this type.

Although now largely a defunct and forgotten beer style, it is occassionally brewed by American microbreweries, including the New Albanian Brewing Company in New Albany, Indiana.

* OG: 1.040-1.050
* FG: 1.010-1.015
* IBU: 20-30
* SRM: 10-23

Now I'm pretty clueless when it comes to sour beers. I'm looking for just a hint of sourness, not much. Now, could someone provide me with some info on sour mashes? Should I do one? Full or partial? I read somewhere you could mash but leave it for a couple days or so and it will sour, but also read about mashing part of it and adding some raw grain or yogurt to sour, then add to the main mash.

It also says 2% lactobacillus yeast. Should I use the Wyeast Lactobacillus yeast? Or just a normal yeast and add Lactic Acid?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Austin_ · 07-07-2009, 06:02 AM

I'm bumping this for purely selfish reasons because I have never heard about this style, but I'd sure as hell like to try it.

ODaniel · 07-07-2009, 07:03 AM

Yea I just discovered it a few days ago. I've read the only true American beer styles that originated here are the California Common ("Steam Beer") and the Kentucky Common. People that have tried the New Albanian Kentucky Komon say it's very unique, but gets pretty good reviews. They don't brew it quite to style though. I'm uncovered some other info on the style, history in particular, but I also found that full sour mash was common with these, which I think I am going to do. I think I am satisfied with this recipe for the first time around.

Recipe: O'Daniel's Kentucky Common
Brewer: O'Daniel
Asst Brewer:
Style: Specialty Beer
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.41 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 14.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 27.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 70.59 %
2.00 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 23.53 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2.94 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.94 %
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 13.4 IBU
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00 %] (25 min) Hops 9.3 IBU
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00 %] (10 min) Hops 4.8 IBU
1 Pkgs Safale (DCL Yeast #US-05) Yeast-Ale

Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 8.50 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 12.75 qt of water at 170.3 F 156.0 F

Notes:
------
After the Mash, let it cool and sit for 2 days to sour.

We'll see how it turns out. Hopefully decent.

**944play** · 07-07-2009, 07:09 AM

Never done a sour mash, but if I was to do one, I'd start with this article:
Brew Your Own: The How-To Homebrew Beer Magazine - Techniques - Sour Mashing: Techniques

I had a schwarzbier go lacto in the keg once. I should have said it was a Kommon.

ODaniel · 07-07-2009, 07:14 AM

Yea I found that article earlier tonight and it talked about the full sour mash for a Kentucky Common. Thanks though

dreadnatty08 · 07-07-2009, 11:15 AM

SeanyWonton has some info and recipe on his blog:
Seanywonton's Brewing Blog: Deliverance Kentucky Sour
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Tonedef131 · 07-07-2009, 11:54 AM

I made one of these last November and the recipe I came up with worked out pretty well, everyone who had it liked it quite a bit. The one thing I would change is the souring method, I pitched exactly 2% lacto and it never got distinctly sour. Since then I have been experimenting with sour mashes in my Wits and if I ever do this Kentucky common again I will probably do like a 50% sour mash for 2 days. The difference in the level of sourness between a 2 day sour mash and a 3 day is night and day. So if you are doing over 25% of your mash I would try to keep it at 2 days or it could quickly become far too sour.

Randy Moser also has a small section in Radical Brewing where he talks about it. According to this you want to keep it between 1.040 and 1.044 OG and shoot for 27IBUs.

ODaniel · 07-07-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonedef131

I made one of these last November and the recipe I came up with worked out pretty well, everyone who had it liked it quite a bit. The one thing I would change is the souring method, I pitched exactly 2% lacto and it never got distinctly sour. Since then I have been experimenting with sour mashes in my Wits and if I ever do this Kentucky common again I will probably do like a 50% sour mash for 2 days. The difference in the level of sourness between a 2 day sour mash and a 3 day is night and day. So if you are doing over 25% of your mash I would try to keep it at 2 days or it could quickly become far too sour.

Randy Moser also has a small section in Radical Brewing where he talks about it. According to this you want to keep it between 1.040 and 1.044 OG and shoot for 27IBUs.

Cool, thanks. I read for some sour mashes you put bacteria in which sours it, but for the full mash like in a Kentucky Common, you just let it cool and sit for 2 days without adding bacteria. Care to share your recipe?

Tonedef131 · 07-08-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ODaniel

Cool, thanks. I read for some sour mashes you put bacteria in which sours it, but for the full mash like in a Kentucky Common, you just let it cool and sit for 2 days without adding bacteria. Care to share your recipe?

The trick with sour mashes is not letting them cool fully, but not letting them get too warm either. For mine I do them in a large thick sauce pan and once they dropped below 120F I sprinkle a handful of grain on them and push some plastic wrap right down onto the grains. This is because you do not want a lot of oxygen exposure because you will grow the wrong kind of bugs, a sour mash can go "bad". Another way to control this is to keep it in the 110 range for the entire length of the sour mash. This will keep a lot of undesirable bugs out and will also speed up the souring process. If you just left it at room temp it would take several times longer to reach the same level of sourness. In order to keep it in that range I stick the pot right on a hot plate or electric skillet and hook that up to a ranco, if the grain gets too cool it will kick the heating device on and warm it back up within the lactos ideal range. If you don't have a temp controller I bet leaving a heating pad wrapped around the pot and left on the whole time would be pretty effective as well.

The recipe I came up with for a 10 gal batch was

10.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM)Grain56.34 %
5.00 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM)Grain28.17 %
2.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM)Grain11.27 %
0.75 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)Grain4.23 %
2.00 oz Cluster [7.90 %] (60 min)Hops27.8 IBU

I used Wyeast 1272 and mashed at 152F. As I said before the only thing I would change is that I would do a sour mash instead of adding lacto to the cooled wort. I plan to do a 2 day 50% sour mash next time I do this.

Daddymem · 12-04-2009, 09:41 PM

O'Daniel, you inspired me and my homebrew group. We did a modified partigyle with three beers in two mash tuns. Then I remembered your 24 hour sour for the Kentucky common and thought...why not? Each mash tun was soured for 24 hours and a fourth and fifth beer were born. I love the hint of sour I got. I was thinking this might be a nice touch to put on a dry stout, whatcha think?