Historical Beer: Kentucky Common "Kiss Yer Cousin" Rye Kentucky Common Ale

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I got some mixed feedback for my version

1.055 --> 1.012 - 5.6%

*17% flaked rye
*Chocolate instead of black malt

Interesting, odd.
Malts are good. A little sweet.
Struggling to know what to make of it.
Its quite different. Almost strawberry yoghurt.
Like it
 
Finally got this carbed up and cleared with gelatin, and I must say it's pretty refreshing. It has a nice spiciness on the finish and the subtle hop addition compliments it well. I can imagine drinking this all day long during summer, or all night long during winter :)

Thanks to Revvy for a simple, but great tasting recipe.
 
I really need to brew this. Every time it pops to the top of my list I read Revvy's writeup again and it always sounds unique and delicious.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Okay, so after reading the collective wisdom of this thread, I decided I am going to take a crack at an extract recipe, with a partial mash for the flaked maize.

Would appreciate hearing feedback on this recipe:

3.5lbs Pale Malt Extract 2-Row
2.25lbs Flaked Maize
2lbs Rye Extract
2 oz Black Patent Malt
2 oz Crystal/Caramel Malt
1lbs 2 Row Malt (To use while mashing the Flaked Maize)

.85 Cluster Hops

American Ale yeast

Revvy, I pretty well just cloned your recipe here, while trying to make it in to an extract recipe, so thank you for the inspiration.

After reading the reviews, I look forward to brewing this in the near future. Would appreciate any feedback on this recipe!

Thanks! :mug:
 
Found this by way of a thread on using 6-row, and I was really inspired. I may try this recipe first, but I'm already playing with a version I've tweaked with a nod to the land of my people: A Great Plains Common. We don't tend to grow rye out there, so I swapped out the flaked rye for flaked wheat, and the crystal for some victory. I also added some late hop additions, too. The goal is to create a recipe that could come from any farm in the area (except for the barley malts, of course, which would be easy enough to acquire and roast). The Centennial and Cascade are hops that actually grow fairly well, also.

Here's the bill on the Great Plains Common, for a 2 gallon batch:
2 lbs 6.0 oz Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 53.5 %
1 lbs Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 2 22.5 %
12.0 oz Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 3 16.9 %
4.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.6 %
1.0 oz Roasted Barley (700.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.4 %
0.20 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 15.6 IBUs
0.10 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 2.1 IBUs
0.40 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 9 4.3 IBUs
0.30 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min Hop 10 5.8 IBUs

The plan, when I do brew it, is to split it into two 1-gallon batches, and pitch the SafLager in one, and my house Kolsch yeast (WLP029) in the other.

Edit: Figured at 57% Efficiency, OG 1.045, 27.8 IBUs, 12.0 SRM, 4.8%ABV
 
I currently have this one aging with white labs american farmhouse blend as my first sour beer attempt. Racked onto some oak chips after primary fermentation about 2 weeks ago. Has anyone else played around with souring this? What should I expect as far aging time and flavor?
 
Brewing a bastardization of this now. Ran across the recipe while deciding what to brew today and couldn't get it out of my head. Adjustments had to be made for my lack of efficiency compared to Revvy as well as substitutions due to not having everything that is called for on hand. I expect it's going to make a good beer all the same. Will report back.
 
I really enjoyed the batch I made... I will revisit this again once the weather warms back up. The one thing I thought I might add to its this time around though is an ounce of saaz right at flame out, just to give it a little something extra.

also think I may raise the mash temp up to 150... with my setup the FG dropped ridiculously low.
 
Hi. I know this thread is as old as the hills but I am dying to brew a "Kentucky Common" but I am an extract brewer. Has anyone does a conversion for this for extract? I'm having problems with finding the proper rye content in a malt extract.
 
Dec 2014 update I'm going to suggest that everyone at some point try this as a steam beer...Lager yeast at room temp without lagering. I just kegged it, and even uncarbed it has an amazing flavor... steam beers, have an "off" flavor that is not as clean as a properly brewed lager...taste anchor steam and you'll get it, especially if you compare it to Anchor Lager. There's definitely a funkiness about it... something unique... Try it with this beer. It my be the permanent way I brew this beer from now on... I'll keep you posted...and if it works out, I may change the official yeast to saflager for this beer. If you try it this way, as a steam beer...especially if you've brewed it with ale yeast before and can compare it, I would love you opinion.

Which yeast option would work best for someone not using any kind of temp control and fermenting at room temp? US-05 or S-23?
 
Which yeast option would work best for someone not using any kind of temp control and fermenting at room temp? US-05 or S-23?

I can't comment on the s-23 but I've fermented with us-05 well into the 70 degree range and received no off flavors
 
I can't comment on the s-23 but I've fermented with us-05 well into the 70 degree range and received no off flavors

Thanks for the info. I'll prob end up doing it with US-05 unless I hear otherwise from Revvy.
 
Just bottled this last weekend and I cannot wait to try it! Came out fairly dry at 1.006 FG. If this is as good as everyone says, it's definitely going into rotation.
 
Just bottled this last weekend and I cannot wait to try it! Came out fairly dry at 1.006 FG. If this is as good as everyone says, it's definitely going into rotation.

Mine will be kegged soon and I ended up at the same FG as you. Even that dry there's a touch of malt sweetness (more apparent than actual, I'm sure.) Wondering if this should be carbonated a bit on the high side to enhance mouthfeel? I don't mean way high, but around 2.5 volumes or so?
 
Mine will be kegged soon and I ended up at the same FG as you. Even that dry there's a touch of malt sweetness (more apparent than actual, I'm sure.) Wondering if this should be carbonated a bit on the high side to enhance mouthfeel? I don't mean way high, but around 2.5 volumes or so?

If the calculations on brewer's friend are accurate, mine is carbed to about 2.25 volumes. It still feels a bit on the thin side, and I think would definitely benefit from a bit more carbonation at least from the bottles I have had so far, and its been 5 (6?) weeks since bottled, which should be plenty of time. The sweetness is certainly present in this beer though, even with the low gravity. I would say go for it!
 
Here in the UK it is difficult to get flaked rye. Can get crushed rye in bulk. Will there be a difference in taste or amount used in recipe? If anyone knows please let me know. Thanks!
 
Here in the UK it is difficult to get flaked rye. Can get crushed rye in bulk. Will there be a difference in taste or amount used in recipe? If anyone knows please let me know. Thanks!


I use malted rye all the time. Don't know if it makes the same flavor as flaked, but it make great flavor.
 
Here in the UK it is difficult to get flaked rye. Can get crushed rye in bulk. Will there be a difference in taste or amount used in recipe? If anyone knows please let me know. Thanks!

Do you have any health food stores nearby? First one I walked into in Edinburgh had bags of flaked rye.
 
This recipe is in my normal rotation, and I've tried different yeasts so I thought I would give my opinion on the best . I've tried:

001 / US-05 - great
1028 - fantastic
S-04 - didn't care for it, too much yeast influence
S-23 at 66F - interesting and probably my second favorite to the 1028

My favorite by far is the 1028. It is fantastic. It finishes on the dry side, but that just increases the already terrific drink-ability of this beer. I think the mineral profile of the 1028 goes really good with the rye bite. This has become my go to recipe for events. I make a cream ale like Cream of Three Crops and this with signs that say:

Cream ale - Like Budweiser? This one's is for you!
Kiss Yer Cousin - Ready for more flavor? Give this a try!
 
I am about 12 oz into my first pint pour of my Kentucky Common. What a delicious beer! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Revvy. Spicy, sweet, smooth, quaffable... I can see devoting a long session of hanging out with friends sipping this one. And I can see myself making it again and again.

I also see myself fermenting this same wort with saison yeast to see what comes of it. I think it would be stellar, if certainly not in line with any established style! Kentucky Farmhouse, coming soon to a homebrew keg near you. Or me at least. :) Thoughts, anyone?
 
Got into a discussion about this style at my favorite brewpub last night and while thinking about it this morning I did some googling. Turns out there's been some more research into this style in the last few years, so I wanted to add them to the original post, but I guess it can no longer be edited.

The BJCP had done an article on this style, looks like it's backed up some of what I discovered in my readings. The Bjcp backs up my assertion that the style wasn't intentionally soured.

There's a Wikipedia article on it. I don't remember if I used this for my explanation of the style.

Here's an article on a commercial brewery doing one, sounds a lot like my recipe, but it seems like he's bought into the sourness "myth."

Cool stuff.
 
Rev, do you still stand by the method of making it as a steam beer like in your original post or keeping it as an ale? Been hearing about this style a couple of times on brad smiths podcast and looked into it about a month ago and after listening to his last ep decided to pull the trigger.
 
I have a steam beer version of this going. It will probably hit the bottles in a week or so. I will report back in a month and let everybody know the results. I have high hopes having done the ale version 3 times already.
 
From my understanding of this style is, it's a fast fermenter, like within a week. Anyone hold to this? Without looking from what I remember rev's recipe suggest 30 days
 
From my understanding of this style is, it's a fast fermenter, like within a week. Anyone hold to this? Without looking from what I remember rev's recipe suggest 30 days

When I have used ale yeast Ive left it for 3 weeks in primary than bottled. It was done in a week but it clears up better if you leave it the full 3 weeks. this beer stays pretty cloudy though in my experience.
 
I would definatly advocate the use of lager yeast at around 64f. I have made the ale version a few times and it comes out much more clean and lets the rye flavour come through better. Dropped crystal clear also. I used saflager 23 and a 2L starter.
 
This is a good beer. Other than Graff ( a cider with a few grains and hops ) this will will be my first beer rebrew. Good stuff here.
 
I did a 10 gallon batch, used rye malt. WLP070 Bourbon yeast in a 2 step starter. Almost done at .013, samples taste great.
 
So I was going to brew this tonight. Is there any indications on the water chemistry? Since its a little dark are we ok with tap water or should I us my RO water and build this up?
 
At only 2 oz would there be any difference using roasted barley instead of Black Patent malt? I have a few ounces of 500L roasted barley already. I assume it's mainly for color.
 
Hi Chaps.

Planning to brew this tomorrow. LHBS doesn't stock flaked maize. They suggested using instant polenta - I wasted an hour in two different massive supermarkets and couldn't find instant polenta anywhere.

Maize is corn. So could I use corn flour in my mash? I can recirculate wort when mashing, so would the flour end up stuck in the rest of the grains - I don't want beer soup?

The alternative is the cook the polenta and add that.

Thoughts anyone? I brew tomorrow...
 
I would think corn flour would gum things up. Corn meal would be less likely to. Might be a good idea to add some rice hulls just in case.
 
How about corn tortilla mix. (Masa) It's already cooked, so it shouldn't need a cereal mash. And it's really cheap, in 4 or 5 pounds bags. I think it's ground a little coarser than most flour, but finer than cornmeal.
 
Anything made of corn other than flaked maize CAN be used, BUT in order to do it you have to do a cereal mash to render it fermentable... The "flaking" of the maize achieves the same thing... you CAN use unsugared cornflakes or tortilla chips (baked is preferable but I've used "fried" as well in cream ales, in the mash tun the other grain absorbs the grease from the chips) in the mash tun just like flaked maize without doing a cereal mash.

I THINK, that instant polenta doesn't require it either, I think the "instant" processing pre-gelatinizes it as well, but don't quote me on that. I know someone used popped popcorn for a cream ale as well on here years ago, but I can't recall if he did a cereal mash or if popping rendered it usable as well.

Anything else, cram corn, non instant grits, cornflower, ground popcorn kernals, non instant cornmeal can all be used, and has been, but you need to do the cereal mash first....


Cereal mashing is not hard to do, but it requires an extra step... BYO has a great article.

I just brewed this on Saturday, using Saflager again and making this a steam beer.
 

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