California Common Recipe with only Northern Brewer

Edit: This was supposed to go in the recipe forum. Any chance a mod can move it? My apologies!

Wanted to do a very traditional California Common. My major concern here is yeast.

Recipe:
6.6lb Amber LME
1lb Crystal 20

Boil Schedule:
1oz Northern Brewer @ 60
1oz Northern Brewer @ 30
1tb Whirlfloc @ 15
1oz Northern Brewer @ 5

Pitch 2 vials of Wyeast 2112 California Lager

the yeast is pretty much the defining characteristic of this style of beer

additionally I don't think you need the sugar in there, esp a 1lb

What kind of yeast is recommended? I picked the California Ale due to the BJCP description and unable to find a California Lager at my homebrew store. Any good alternatives?

And the sugar was just to get it better into the BJCP range for alcohol content; I can surely cut that back.

Edit: Changed the yeast to packets of Wyeast california lager

i'd either add some more extract or add some 2row and do a partial mash - sugar will just thin the body out which isn't to style

Cal Lager yeast is what the style is based off of either wyeast 2112 or wlp810 SF Lager - they aren't quite as clean/nuetral as Cal Ale but you'll still produce a nice tasting amber/pale ale which is pretty much what a Cal Common is with a slightly fruity/crisp yeast

WLP001 won't make a steam beer. You need Cali Lager (Wyeast makes one; White Labs call theirs San Francisco) or perhaps a lager yeast brewed at a warmer temp. Not sure which would work. Possibly Wyeast's Kolsch yeast (1007), but I don't know. It's ideal to use one of the true strains.

But your recipe would make good beer. I think a pound of sugar is OK with 6 lbs extract, and I personally like NB hops a lot in a amber ale.

I'd definitely not use amber lme- it has crystal malt in it as well, so you're doubling the crystal malt in this recipe.

One of the defining flavors of this beer is the "toasty" flavors. I'd cut the crystal and add some victory malt for the depth of flavor and less sweetness.

I'd also move the 30 minute hop addition to 15 minutes. I love my California common recipe, but I think Jamil Zainasheff's is excellent as well. I'd take a look and consider one of those.

And without a starter, you need THREE packages of yeast, not two.

Thanks, I will definitely look at those. The yeast has been changed in the original post (forgot to check Wyeast); will check out some other options based on other recipes. I was getting this very much in the BJCP range, so I'm a bit surprised at the oddity of my design. Then again, that's the craft in craft beer!

How about this as a revised recipe?

3.3lb Amber LME
3.3lb Wheat LME
2lb Victory Malt

60, 15, and 5 minute additions of 1oz Northern Brewer

2 vials California Lager yeast from Wyeast

NO- that's WAY too much victory malt, and you still have amber LME in there. Wheat is completely out of place. It's not a very good recipe if you want to come anywhere near BJCP guidelines.

You need three vials of yeast if not making a starter.

Here's a good recipe:

7 pounds LIGHT or PALE LME
1 pound Munich LME (or add 2 pounds to steeping grains of Munich malt)

1 pound crystal 40L
.5 pound victory malt

1 ounce NB 60 minutes
1.5 oz NB 15 mins
1.5 oz NB 1 min

3 packages Wyeast 2112 (or use 1 package and make a starter)

Ferment at 60-63 degrees.

Okay. I thought from your post the amber was only an issue due to the crystal. What you've written out makes a lot of sense. Thanks buddy.

taylja06 said:

Okay. I thought from your post the amber was only an issue due to the crystal. What you've written out makes a lot of sense. Thanks buddy.

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You're welcome!

And you're the first person who's ever called me "buddy". I like it!

Hey, we're all in this together...

I'm due for a cali common, it will be all NB and san fran lager yeast.

brewingmeister said:

Hey, we're all in this together...

.

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Hey- you've never called me buddy, either, come to think of it.

but I forgive you due to the Red Green reference. That earns serious brownie points.



Anyway, northern brewer hops are THE signature characteristic for California common, besides the "toasty". I love California common, and it's one of my go-to beers for my tap at my house. The minty/hoppy flavor and aroma with the toasty malt notes along with the slight fruity notes from the yeast make this an awesome beer.

Yeah, I love Anchor's Steam and Appalachian's California Common, and really wanted to try my hand at it. This should be a fun and simple recipe to try out after the IPA finishes in primary!

Yooper said:

Hey- you've never called me buddy, either, come to think of it.

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Well, I'm pulling for ya anyway and terribly sorry for not calling you buddy earlier.

Been holding off on brewing a cali common up because it doesn't meet my other halfs hop head requirement. Think a hop head would go for it if I said it was a pale ale?

brewingmeister said:

Well, I'm pulling for ya anyway and terribly sorry for not calling you buddy earlier.

Been holding off on brewing a cali common up because it doesn't meet my other halfs hop head requirement. Think a hop head would go for it if I said it was a pale ale?

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Nope. It's not even close to a pale ale! Sorry to disappoint. It's more like an amber, but not really. I just like the style- it's probably one of my favorites. If it's possible to be a steam beer Nazi, that would me me.

Yeah I know, I'm very much the same way. One of my favs but often pass up brewing just so when I ask 'how do you like it?' I don't get an answer of; 'yeah...it's good but the Ipa was better.'

The ingredients for the steam are already on hand or I'd make an oatmeal stout next so the steam would be a welcome change.

Oh well, there's wine and mead in the house.

For me it's between this and an IPA next, and I will have the ingredients for the IPA after work today. Ah well, good to wait probably.

Thanks to this thread for the motivation to prep everything for a cali common that was brewed today...all NB and San Fran yeasites.

brewingmeister said:

Thanks to this thread for the motivation to prep everything for a cali common that was brewed today...all NB and San Fran yeasites.

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Glad you're doing it man! Mine just went into secondary yesterday I think.

That yeast is great for a number of styles too - be sure to plan ahead and reuse the yeast!