All-Grain - California Common- HBT Comp winner 1st place

**YooperBrew** · 10-12-2009, 12:42 AM

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: california lager
Yeast Starter: definitely!
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.056
Final Gravity: 1.015
IBU: 39
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 11 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days at 62 degrees
Additional Fermentation: "Lagered" for 4 weeks
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days at 56 degrees
Tasting Notes: This is a "rip off" of Jamil's recipe. It's slightly toasty, and slightly hoppy.

This scored a 38 in the HBT BJCP competition, winning first place in hybrids.

8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1 lbs 4.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L
8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)

0.75 oz Northern Brewer [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops 20.7 IBU
1.50 oz Northern Brewer [8.00 %] (15 min) Hops 18.5 IBU

1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.00 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -

1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) Yeast-Lager

This is basically Jamil's recipe, different from my other recipe in that I wanted the "toasty" notes in it that Jamil talked about in his California Common podcast.

Mash at 152 for 60 minutes. Ferment in the low 60s, using a huge yeast starter. You may need a diacetyl rest, so check for diacetyl. Then, "lager" in the 50s for a couple of weeks and then in the keg for two more weeks before serving.

This is a clear amber beer, with toasty notes and a pleasing nose.

homebrewer_99 · 10-12-2009, 12:59 AM

Congrats!!!

I guess since it's a hybrid it's really a "Michigan Common", huh?

**YooperBrew** · 10-12-2009, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebrewer_99

Congrats!!!

I guess since it's a hybrid it's really a "Michigan Common", huh?

Ooooh, I like that!

Or, even better- Yooper Common.

Wait- Yooper Common sounds like it has steeped squirrels in it. Never mind. Michigan Common it is!

homebrewer_99 · 10-12-2009, 02:14 AM

New slogan: "There's nothing common about a Yooper Common"

(I almost left it as: "There's nothing common about a Yooper")

"YooGander Common"...

"Troll Topper Common"...

**Saccharomyces** · 10-13-2009, 03:21 PM

"May" need a diacetyl rest... Curious, did you actually need one?

**YooperBrew** · 10-13-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccharomyces

"May" need a diacetyl rest... Curious, did you actually need one?

Not this last time, but the last time I brewed it I did. It wasn't bad, but definitely detectable. I usually do a long primary, so that does help. I think because I do a pretty cool primary, that it needs more time to "clean up".

**torque2k** · 10-14-2009, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YooperBrew

Ooooh, I like that!

Or, even better- Yooper Common.

Wait- Yooper Common sounds like it has steeped squirrels in it. Never mind. Michigan Common it is!

I just brewed an extract modification of your original. You'll laugh at this...

I found I didn't have to work all day Saturday as planned, so I came home a bit tipsy from the bar Friday night and decided to get a starter going for the WLP810, which I'd never brewed with before (I'm an all-ale kinda guy).

Of course, I had to crack open a nice St. Bernardus ABT 12 I had saved for brewday. A little tipsy became a lot tipsy quickly.

I cooled the wort on ice in my sink, and went outside to have a smoke. Opened the slider to my deck, and in flew a WREN which had been hanging out in a small crack above my door casing!

It took me 30 minutes to get that damn bird out of the house, and to clean up the **** it left in the kitchen and living room. I then remembered the wort cooling in the sink, which was now 50ºF, too cold to pitch with! Grrr...

So I set it on the counter to warm up, sat down on the couch to watch a show, and "fell asleep" within two minutes.

Three hours later...

4:00AM, and I'm hung over and pitching yeast. What a battle, to make beer fer crissake!!! So, I've named it... wait for it...

"Wren & Steampy California Common"! Of course, now I'll have to change it to Michigan Common.

Anyway, thanks for this recipe, and the original. This will most likely be one of my first recipes when I go all-grain in the spring.

**YooperBrew** · 10-14-2009, 12:50 AM

LOL! I guess I'll make it again in two weeks, and make my starter while picturing your adventure. I am pretty sure I'll be birdless, but I might be drunk. We will see.

homebrewer_99 · 10-14-2009, 02:44 AM

Common Debird Yooper...nah!

Common Emu...OK, getting stupid silly...too much Apple Pie...

Helms · 10-26-2009, 07:29 PM

I just cracked my first bottle of this and it's fantastic. I pulled the recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, and did it as a partial mash. Here's what I ended up with:

1kg Two Row
500g Munich
500g Crystal 60l
250g Caraamber
2.6kg Pale LME
1oz Northern Brewer @ 60
1.5oz. Northern Brewer @ 15
1.5oz Northern Brewer @ 1

OG 1.059
FG 1.014

I can't get Victory malt anywhere around here, but had Caraamber recommended as a substitute. I also ended up using Nottingham fermented in the low 60's instead of California lager yeast. Jamil says that using the right yeast is key to this style, but meh.....I had Notty on hand and the beer is still pretty damned tasty.

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