Cali common recipes?

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jstringer1983

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Just wondering what recipes are your favorites for this style. Ive never brewed this style of beer before, but its on my list of things to try out. I dont have access to a lagering fridge, so the idea of this hybrid at ale ferment temps is appealing. Gonna do some ordering this week so i think ill add what i need to make this beer. I do have a controlled chamber that will hit 50f if i push it.
 
5 gallon recipe - all grain

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 92.0 %
10.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.7 %
4.0 oz Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 3 2.3 %
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 26.2 IBUs
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 11.1 IBUs
0.25 oz Northern Brewer [7.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 5.0 IBUs
2.4 pkg California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) [124.21 ml] Yeast 7 -


Est Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %
Bitterness: 42.4 IBUs
Est Color: 8.6 SRM

This is my tried and true Anchor Steam clone recipe I brew about three times a year. Always a winner. I ferment in the low 60's to get the fruity profile you'd expect from A Cali Common.
 
The SRM's may look a little low, but I do a 90 minute boil to get a little extra color out of it. It comes in right about 11 SRM.
 
I got this one from Catdaddy66, since then I've brewed it 4 times.

8# 2-Row
1.5# Munich
1# Crystal 60L

Wyeast 2112 or WL810

Northern Brewer .75oz at 60 min
Northern Brewer 1.25oz at 10 min
Northern Brewer 1.00oz at 0 min

Mash 152-154 for 60 min

One of my favorites.
 
5 gallon recipe - all grain

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 92.0 %
10.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.7 %
4.0 oz Toasted Malt (27.0 SRM) Grain 3 2.3 %
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 26.2 IBUs
0.75 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 11.1 IBUs
0.25 oz Northern Brewer [7.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 6 5.0 IBUs
2.4 pkg California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) [124.21 ml] Yeast 7 -


Est Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %
Bitterness: 42.4 IBUs
Est Color: 8.6 SRM

This is my tried and true Anchor Steam clone recipe I brew about three times a year. Always a winner. I ferment in the low 60's to get the fruity profile you'd expect from A Cali Common.

Nice^^^^! I got one going as we speak. Some go all NB hops, while some add a dash of this compatible hop or a splash of that such as cascade.

I'm using 2112 from a 1L starter and running it at 62F. I pitched on Sat at 1.055 and its 1.017 on Th afternoon. Slowing down so should finish in a day or two.

OP, I'm saying this so you may get a feel for what to expect if you use 2112 which is a very popular strain for this beer.

EDIT: I just saw Mongoose33 posted his recipe which is what I used. I think he credits Catdaddy66.
 
Awesome thanks guys. Also, im not too comfortable with liquid yeasts and starters etc, as ive always used dry yeast, specifically US 05. Is there a dry yeast that youd reccomend for this beer?
 
Nevermind, i saw starter and assumed you meant liquid. Read the recipe closer and saw wyeast lager dry packs. Oops
 
I did a california common SMaSH:
11 lbs of vienna
1 oz. Northern Brewer @ 90 min.
1 oz. Northern Brewer @ 30 min.
1 oz. Northern Brewer @ 5 min.
1 oz. Northern Brewer dry hop

I bottled it the Saturday before last. I hope it's good. I'm going to try one tomorrow.

I'm plan to use the slurry I harvested from that batch in some other brews: Cream of Three crops, and then I might try some other lager style and see how it comes out with this yeast.
 
Also burquebrewer-when you say toasted malt, is there a specific kind? My brew supply doesnt show toasted malt
 
Nevermind, i saw starter and assumed you meant liquid. Read the recipe closer and saw wyeast lager dry packs. Oops

i'm not aware of a dry yeast that will produce a good California Common. The thing with this beer, is it is a lager fermented at the lower end of ale temps.

For an real California Common, you will need to use Wyeast 2112 or Wl 810, both of which are liquid. If you are not ready to make a starter yet, just use two Smack packs.
 
Also burquebrewer-when you say toasted malt, is there a specific kind? My brew supply doesnt show toasted malt

To make toasted malt, take regular 2 row, spread thin on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Viola! Toasted malt. Let it cool to room temp before milling it.

If that sound like a bigger step than you are ready to take on, substitute the toasted malt with Vienna Malt or Victory Malt. It'll be close...

Victory malt would be closer to toasted malt in flavor and color than Vienna though
 
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Awesome thanks guys. Also, im not too comfortable with liquid yeasts and starters etc, as ive always used dry yeast, specifically US 05. Is there a dry yeast that youd reccomend for this beer?

Wyeast smack packs are easy to use. WL vials are even easier.

For Wyeast smack packs, all you need to do is pull them out of the fridge before you start to heat your strike water for your mash. Place the packet on the palm of one hand, and smack it with the other. You do not need to smack it too hard, only as hard as you'd smack your sweethearts backside :) The goal is bust the smaller packet inside open to let the yeast mix with the yeast nutrients inside.

DO NOT OPEN THE PACKAGE BEFORE SMACKING! Then place the unopened package on the counter to warm to room temp until you are ready to brew.

For WL vials, simply pull from the fridge and let warm to room temp, open, and dump into the wort in the fermenter.

Easy Peasy!
 
Cool, ive been really wanting to get into using liquid yeasts because its an area i havent explored yet, and it would be a new challenge for me. Ill do some reading and maybe attempt this beer and using a liquid yeast at the same time
 
I had to wait until I could consult my notes, but this year's crop of many hops have much lower alpha acids than last year.

Last year's Northern Brewer hops, from my LHBS, were 9.6%; this years's are half that at only 4.9%.

To get comparable bittering you need to account for that. In my recipe above, I used last year's hops (of which I had a couple in the freezer) for bittering, then went w/ the newer crop for aroma/flavor.

I just bought six ounces from Ritebrew, whose crop is different than Ych brand; they're 8.7%.

So, just account for that. Enjoying a pint of my CaliCommon right now.
 
Okay thanks for all the info everyone. Mongoose33- im not too concerned with a bit of a loss of bittering, i tend to water down my early hop additions on most beers, i do love hops, just not the bitterness that some like. Looking forward to doing some shopping and getting a crack at a new style 😀 cheers
 
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