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

[jdub44]

I just plugged this recipe in iBrewmaster and am only getting an OG of 1.037 @ 70% efficiency. Did anyone else have this issue or getting an OG of 1.046 when brewing. Normally this software is pretty damn close to actual when calculating OG. I am going to adjust the grain bill up to get it around 1.046.

 

[Revvy]

Anyone done this with Nottingham yet? I'm brewing it on Monday, and am toying with the idea.

 

[Rdallas]

I just cracked a bottle open from my first batch of this...HOLY S**T. This is awesome. Even my prego SWMBO took a sip and started to cry because she can't drink a whole glass. It still needs another week or so for a little more carbination but other wise a great beer. I did a 5 gallon batch using table sugar for priming. I think the next batch i'll double the rye. Can't wait to drink the rest of these bad boys. Good job Revvy, another great brew!

 

[Revvy]

How far along is she? Do you think they'll be any left after she delivers?

 

[tieflyer]

I just cracked a bottle open from my first batch of this...HOLY S**T. This is awesome. Even my prego SWMBO took a sip and started to cry because she can't drink a whole glass. It still needs another week or so for a little more carbination but other wise a great beer. I did a 5 gallon batch using table sugar for priming. I think the next batch i'll double the rye. Can't wait to drink the rest of these bad boys. Good job Revvy, another great brew!

Sounds great! Did you tweak the recipe or follow as is except for the table sugar?

 

[Rdallas]

Sounds great! Did you tweak the recipe or follow as is except for the table sugar?

Followed as is. The table sugar is also to recipe, it's what the op used to prime. I figured it was more true to the style of this beer. I'm not sure how readily available corn sugar was pre-prohibition.
This is a nice drinkin beer. Smooth and a nice rye spice to it. Like i said before ill add more rye next time. We'll see how it improves with age.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Revvy, I want to thank you for posting this recipe! I tweaked it a little, but not much, and it turned out fantastic. I've gotten LOTS of compliments on it, too many to list here. It's well balanced, has wonderful aroma (I was skeptical that it would be a bit bland on the nose), and the flavor/mouthfeel is perfect for a refreshing drink or even a session beer. I got better efficiency than I planned, so I overshot the OG by a tad. My specifics are as follows:

11 gallon batch

Water:
Ca - 60 ppm
Mg - 9 ppm
Na - 20 ppm
Cl - 60 ppm
SO4 - 66 ppm
Bicarbonate - 166 ppm
Cl/SO4 = .91

Grain:
10 lb 2-row pale
4.5 lb flaked maize
1 lb rye malt
.25 lb roast barley (did not have black patent on hand)
.25 lb C-120
.25 lb acid malt

mash @ 148 for 90 minutes

Boil:
90 minute boil total
1.1 oz. Magnum (12.5%aa) for 60 minutes (~25 IBU)
Irish Moss @ 15 min

OG: 1.047

Split into two fermenters and two yeasts; fermenter A: WLP001 2L starter, fermenter B: WLP008 (East Coast Ale) 2L starter
FG(A): 1.007
FG(B): 1.008

I will definitely be brewing this one again. I'm not sure I'd change anything. Really.
I am particularly impressed with the way that the East Coast ale batch turned out. I think I'll stick to this yeast strain for this recipe from now on.


Tiber

 

[mrklueber]

As a Louisville native and an ex-pat living in Ohio, I was excited to see this recipe. I was struggling to find a beer to brew this coming weekend and after reading this extensive post, I think this is the beer my son and I will brew. My thanks to Revvy for his research into this beer and to all who contributed to the thread. I will post my results.

 

[cluckk]

I know this is an old thread, but I found it while researching sour mash and beer so I thought I would respond. I love the recipe given. I am making it this weekend, but I decided to try it with a sour mash addition. For the addition I started with two pounds of pale 2 row and reserved one cup of it from the mash. After mashing, heating to denature amylase and then cooling I soaked the reserved grain in the wort (around 100-110 degrees). I put this in a small cooler with plastic wrap pressed down on top of the wort to keep out oxygen. I plan to let this set for two days before the main mash and boil. I then plan to add this to the boil kettle after the mash. I didn't check gravity on this, but will add it to the kettle before checking OG on the full mash. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[cluckk]

I brewed it yesterday and it is going strong right now with a nice head of Kraeusen (beautiful Ivory color) and a very steady bubble from the blow-off tube. I was a bit dismayed that I didn't hit the quoted OG. I only got 1.043. However, some of my research shows this within the range of the original style so we'll simply enjoy what happens and see if I can bump it up a bit next time. The color was lighter than the picture shows and lighter than my brew app predicted. I am wondering if the lady grinding the grain forgot the black malt. It could also be that the small amount just didn't do much. It actually has a beautiful dark rich mahogany color that I think will be nice. The sourmashing was very interesting. I had seen other videos where they had some monstrously god-awful concoction after souring. I let mine go for two days--three would have probably been better now. It smelled pretty bad. When I tasted it though, "Oh my gosh! That is wonderful!" To me it was delicious (perhaps it is the years of eating strong cheeses). It left a clean, pucker in the mouth that was very refreshing--no slime. I was tempted to just see if I could ferment out the sour part and drink that. Pouring it into the batch the flavor was really lost, but I hope that when the yeast has fermented out much of the sugar the twang will come back to the foreground. I am thinking of adding oak chips soaked in sourmash whiskey in the secondary. I may even split the batch and try one with the oak and one without so I know what features come from the oak and which ones from the sourmash addition. From the taste before fermentation, I will definitely be making this again. Next time I will make a much bigger (probably triple) sourmash culture and let it sour for three days. I have dedicated a small 2 gallon cooler as a souring tun.

 

[Mumbly]

Almost a month ago we did a Kentucky common, don't have the recipe hAndy (it's all the way downstairs), but I know it was pale 2-row, acid malt, chocolate rye, rye, and flaked corn mashed low. We did a single hop addition at 60. And added some whiskey chips for a week. It's been in bottles for a week, but at bottling we were sipping on warm flat beer and really enjoying it. The beer is named after a very famous Porsche 550 as the beer tried to kill me several times on brewday.

 

[mrklueber]

Brewed my version of this beer on Saturday. Recipe as follows:

11 Gallon Batch

13# Weyermann Pilsner Malt
4.25# Flaked Corn
2.5# Rye Malt
0.25# Crystal 120L
0.25# Midnight Wheat (550L)
2# of rice hulls
1.5 Tbsp of pH 5.2

1oz Cascade 5.8 AAU at 60 min
1.5 oz Cascade 6.9 AAU at 35 min, total IBU ~ 23

yeast: Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II), made a 1.5 liter starter on Thursday night. Yeast cake in bottom of Erlenmeyer flask of ~ 3/4".

Xenia, OH water - very hard, not sure how this will affect the taste. May have to use RO water next time add some salts back.

Mashed in at 148F for 1 hr. Hit the temp right on. Due to sticky mash, left in mash tun an extra 15 min while mixing in an additional lb of rice hulls (2# total). Gravity before boil - 13.5 gal in boil kettle was 1.040 by refractometer.

Boiled for an hour. Ended with 11 gallons at 1.047 SG.

Fermenting at 60F. Signs of active fermentation within 6 hours. Krausen head is ~ 1" in both fermenters.

 

[sinisterkid]

I brewed this recipe about a month or so. I brewed 11 gallons and split the batch with 2 different yeast, US-05 and WLP 080 Cream ale blend. Both 2 very different beers, loved both. The US-05 seemed more crisper, more rye pronounced. and the WLP080 had more body more balanced. The us-05 is gone, and the other is maybe a few pulls from being empty. I will be doing this recipe again, probably try a another yeast. Thanks for a great recipe.
Here is my glass full.. Thought the glass to be quite fitting. :rockin:

 

[Revvy]

I've never heard of the cream ale blend. I'd be interested to try this recipe with it. Thanks for the idea!

 

[cluckk]

Kraeusen fell during the night. Very little bubbler activity. I am going to let it go a few more days (1 full week) in primary then move into a secondary. I used the thief to draw out a sample. Gravity was higher than I wanted (1.016). I'll recheck in a few days. The taste was pretty good, and yes, some of the sour came through after the yeast brought down the sugar. However, the sour is still way too hidden. Next time I'm going to at least double the sour mash portion. There is a bit of weird, but hard to discern, nose. I'll wait to see if it is an infection or a feature of the sour mash. I plan to secondary on wood soaked in sour mash whiskey, but I'll definitely taste it first.

I have part of today's sample cold crashing in the fridge to see what happens with the lower temperature and the yeast out of suspension.

 

[cluckk]

So, this morning I transferred this beer to secondary. I added some oak chips that had soaked in Sour Mash Whiskey all week. I'm planning on leaving it in secondary for two weeks before bottling. The fermented flat beer was very drinkable. The sourmash comes through only slightly so next time I'll bump it up. It has a very nice clean finish--my wife's two cents worth. I can't wait until it finishes and carbonates.

 

[Revvy]

Here is my glass full.. Thought the glass to be quite fitting. :rockin:

Where the heck did you find that???? I want. It's redneck sophistication at it's best!!!

It's what the guys from Duck Dynasty should be sipping out of while wearing cammo tuxes.

 

[sinisterkid]

Where else..Wal-mart

Where the heck did you find that???? I want. It's redneck sophistication at it's best!!!

It's what the guys from Duck Dynasty should be sipping out of while wearing cammo tuxes.

 

[biestie]

Getting ready to brew this, and quite frankly, pretty excited about it. I've had a couple commercial/brewpub examples of Kentucky Commons over the years and really liked them. Unfortunately the one that I liked the most I can't remember where I had it (I travel a lot for work). Like yours it wasn't soured, and might be the only one that I've had that wasn't.

A question on the vitals though, 1.010 with a mash temp of 148, that FG seems a bit high for a mash temp of 148? Beersmith predicts 1.006. I don't blindly follow software, but my system pretty much tracks dead nuts on with what Beersmith says will happen, so I'm going to up the temp a bit to hit 1.010 unless I hear otherwise.

 

[cluckk]

My version of the Kiss Yer Cousin has only been in secondary for two days and I discovered yesterday when we got back from church, that my wife had left the closet door open on the fermentation chamber (walk-in closet). The door is fronted by a large very sunny window. So, needles to say I imagined everything in fermenters being skunked. Rather than panic (or rather than panicking a lot) I decided to relax (after I finished the final nuclear meltdown) and see what happens. The window is a bathroom window so it is fogged to block view and has UV protection. This morning I decided to sniff the carboy opening to see if there was any skunk aroma. The smell of this beer is awesome. I added bourbon soaked oak chips to the beer two days ago (along with a sour mash infusion in the boil) and can't wait to see what this will become. I will probably sample with the thief this next Saturday. I plan on letting it sit for two weeks but may find the discipline to let it sit for three (especially if I notice the oak doing good things to the flavor).

 

[cluckk]

Last night was the end of day three in secondary and I couldn't resist having a taste with the thief. It's still murky (I forgot to add my usual Irish Moss in the boil so may add isinglass later). The taste was great (malty but not overpowering), the finish smooth. The mouth feel is just right for a smooth easy drinker. The souring is coming back. The nose has a bit of mustiness reminiscent of the soured portion of the mash. The finish is extremely clean. I can't wait until this is done and carbonated. This is such a mild beer it will be hard to keep in the glass.

Since this is pretty different from the original posted by Revvy (Both sour mashed and oaked), I've put some thought into what I'll name it. Sour mash technique is common in Kentucky and Tennessee. The sour mash whiskey I soaked the oak in was from Tennessee. I live in Alamo city (San Antonio, TX) and one of the heroes of the Alamo was Davey Crockett from Tennessee. I thought of naming it Crockett's Common Ale or Crockett's Fiddle Sour Mash Ale.

 

[jonmohno]

I brewed this recipe about a month or so. I brewed 11 gallons and split the batch with 2 different yeast, US-05 and WLP 080 Cream ale blend. Both 2 very different beers, loved both. The US-05 seemed more crisper, more rye pronounced. and the WLP080 had more body more balanced. The us-05 is gone, and the other is maybe a few pulls from being empty. I will be doing this recipe again, probably try a another yeast. Thanks for a great recipe.
Here is my glass full.. Thought the glass to be quite fitting. :rockin:

Thats a brilliant glass. Very comical.With some delicious beer as well.

 

[FlyDoctor]

Looking to make this recipe- sounds great. Anyone know how it compares with the new Summit unchained old 152? It's listed as a Kentucky common, and had a sour mash. Tastes great

 

[cluckk]

I bottled my version of this today. It tasted excellent. The sourmash was just enough. More would have been too much. We'll see how it does with carbonation. One major lesson learned: always use a bag for the woodchips in secondary. What a pain cleaning those out. When I tasted it after the boil the sugar really masked the sourness. With most of the sugar gone it really came forward. The slight tart finish is really clean.

 

[cluckk]

I put part of this in a tap-a-draft keg and force carbonated. We have been tugging at it for a few days and thought I'd post a pic of it in a glass. Excuse the big chubby hand in the picture.

 

[jonmohno]

Since Im trying this out tonight after making it 6 mo bottled with a 1.054-1.007 05 yeast slurry from a juniper/or ginger? beer. Used half MO/2 Row base flaked rye black patent,crystal 60-carawheat-sub,Galena hops.A bit more hopped with Galena,though.
Very creamy,and heady-very creamy heady as well.Clear darkish amber, mine was slightly overcarbed/oxidized.But very smooth clean and tastey. I think this beer would win over alot of light beer drinkers as well. Its just super tastey and happens to be darker than a beer that would normally taste like this.Has some dark toffee/slight roast that gives it just enough flavor. Love this beer,over and over.Ageing pretty well also.

 

[cluckk]

I agree with you about how light it is for a beer of its color and profile. I had a friend sample it and his response was exactly what I had thought, "This would make a great summer thirst-quencher." I will be making this again, and again, and again. It will be in my regular brew rotation for many years to come.

 

[user 19629]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Single Infusion, LIGHT body, batch sparge.

Mash Temp 148 degrees
Sparge Temp 168 degrees
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have seen this in other posted recipes.
What is a "Light body" mash ?
Does it just relate to the mash temp. , or does it refer to something else (mash thickness, or water chemistry) ?

 

[Revvy]

I have seen this in other posted recipes.
What is a "Light body" mash ?
Does it just relate to the mash temp. , or does it refer to something else (mash thickness, or water chemistry) ?

It means to mash the grain at such a temp that it produces a wort that doesn't have a lot of unfermentables that contribute to a heavier, fuller feeling when you drink it. The mash temp determines the body of the beer; 156-158 full body, 152-154 medium body, 148-150 light body.

Typically we split the difference in most beers and aim for the middle of medium. But since this beer is supposed to be an easy sipper, I mashed low.

 

[user 19629]

It means to mash the grain at such a temp that it produces a wort that doesn't have a lot of unfermentables that contribute to a heavier, fuller feeling when you drink it. The mash temp determines the body of the beer; 156-158 full body, 152-154 medium body, 148-150 light body.

Typically we split the difference in most beers and aim for the middle of medium. But since this beer is supposed to be an easy sipper, I mashed low.

Thanks, I understand how mash temps. effect the beer. I just thought there might be more to it (mash thickness, etc.)
I don't have the Cluster hops.
What would you recommend?
I have:
cascade
centennial
magnum
simcoe
EKG
Mt. Hood
Polaris
I am leaning toward the Mt. Hood, or the Magnum.