Steamin' Mad California Lager Recipe Critique

Steamin' Mad Lager
April 29, 2009

Category Amber Hybrid Beer
Subcategory California Common Beer
Recipe Type All Grain
Batch Size 5 gal.
Volume Boiled 6 gal.
Mash Efficiency 72 %
Total Grain/Extract 10.25 lbs.
Total Hops 2.0 oz.
Calories (12 fl. oz.) 195.8
Cost to Brew $24.38 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.) $0.46 (USD)

3 lbs. Weyermann CaraHell® info
7 lbs. American 2-row info
0.25 lbs. American Caramel 40°L info
1.5 oz. Willamette (Pellets, 4 %AA) boiled 60 min. info
0.5 oz. Willamette (Pellets, 4 %AA) boiled 30 min. info
Yeast : WYeast 2112 California Lager info

Predicted California Common Beer Compliance
Original Gravity 1.050 1.048 - 1.054 100 %
Terminal Gravity 1.012 1.011 - 1.014 100 %
Color 10.80 °SRM 10.00 - 14.00 °SRM 100 %
Bitterness 32.6 IBU 30.00 - 45.00 IBU 100 %
Alcohol (%volume) 4.9 % 4.50 - 5.50 % 100 %
100 % overall


The only thing I can see is that, even though I've hit IBUs for the style, Northern Brewer hops may still be the way to go. 1 oz at 60 mins of northern brewer pellets would fit in well instead of the willamette. I shouldn't have any problems with head retention due to the carahell. Color is spot on. I'll keep primary at or around 60*F, no diacetyl rest because, well, that's where a diacetyl rest would happen.

Now I need something to make it special. Some adjunct, additive, special ingredient. I have no ideas. This appears to be a very simple CA lager, let's make it something cool (forget about commenting on that pun).

Not sure about the williamette, since Northern Brewer defines the Cali Common style. Bu then, I am brewing a CC this weekend with some hop substitutions as well. I do like the 3lbs of Carahell idea - I wonder though if it will 'thicken' the mouthfeel too much.

To make it special - why not a little orange or lemon zest. Though - a good cali common is supposed to be clean and simple without adjuncts.

I've never used carahell, but using 3+ lbs of any crystal malt in any 5 gal recipe seems far too much.

I always add a couple ounces of chocolate to my cal commons (for color and to round out flavor), and I far prefer the woody/spicy northern brewer over any other hop. German Tradition is the only decent substitute.

You're at almost 30% of the grist. Weyermann recommends 10-15% for pale ales (which is basically what a cal common is, aside from the yeast.)

Weyermann®

I've got a CC on tap that I used Perle as a Northern Brewer sub and it turned out quite nice...I used JZ's grain bill:

Pale Malt(2-row) 72.4%
Victory Malt 3.8
Munich Malt 15.2
Crystal 40L 7.6
Pale Chocolate 1.0