Kentucky Common

[Gax]

I've developed an obsession.
I've come across this sort of really interesting beer style that's designed to be mashed, fermented very quickly, and drank very young. Around like 8 days after mashing.
Reading up about the history it presents a really interesting glimpse into the past of brewing in the southern Midwest of America. A 33% corn by weight in the grain bill, being racked into the serving vessels -while actively fermenting- and sealed to finish fermenting and carbonating. Drank young, often immediately after fermentation, highly carbonated almost like a dark version of cream ale. Very excited. There's also a pretty interesting combination to me of American cluster hops for bittering and an end of boil addition of an imported European hop for aroma. I'm gonna be using cluster and saaz respectively.

Recipe

This called for American 6row malt as a base grain and I know how people feel about it. I can get it but I can't get it pre-crushed and I don't owe or have the desire to buy a grain mill at the minute. I also don't seem to know anyone with a grain mill near me, so I'll be subbing that out this time.

Gonna use flaked corn this first go just for easy of use, there shouldn't be a huge issue. So we end up with something that looks like this.

The info I've seen also seems to imply to my reading that there were no hops added at the beginning of the boil. It seems that the first hop addition would be added about halfway through the boil and then a last minute larger addition of the non native hop. Interesting.

( 5 litre batch size )
Grain Bill
635g Europils
420g Flaked Corn
150g Light Crystal
65g Red Rye
-about 5%abv and 30ish ebc

Mash@63/64 for 90 minutes (this style should be quite dry so I'm dropping the temp the maximize fermentable sugars and going longer because I don't have the dp that would be expected from 6row malt, I don't know if this makes a difference so I'm open to input)

Hop Schedule (60 min boil time)
8g Cluster@30 min
10g Saaz @5 min
-23 ibu total / .46bu-gu

Yeast
Nottingham

This isn't the most historically accurate thing but I think it's a fun approximation.

Id like a bit on input about this as a concept but I will be hardcore ignoring any comments about the small volumes I'm working in. I just don't be have the space for bigger. Everything else I'd love to theory craft about.

 

[foxy]

To brew this beer properly you have to be able to clog dance and play the Banjar.
Seriously I would like to know how this turns out, I have read a fair bit about Kentucky Common and have brewed and enjoyed Cali Common but Kentucky Common seems to have its roots in Scottish and Irish immigrants. Could be wrong, and maybe a wild yeast ferment.

 

[YeastFace]

Off on a tangent but you saying you didn't know anyone with a grain crusher, reminded there are 3 or 4 homebrew clubs in Manchester. Can dig out the details if that's something you're interested in? (Appreciate they're not for everyone).

 

[Caramel Ox]

From what I can see there are no diastatic malts in the grain bill so it won’t mash? The 6 row should be subbed for any pale ale malt not caramalt?

 

[Bosch]

I haved brewed a couple of Kentucky Commons, I based my recipes on the BYO.com profile. Will try and dig it up. Recipe looks pretty spot on.

 

[Gax]

From what I can see there are no diastatic malts in the grain bill so it won’t mash? The 6 row should be subbed for any pale ale malt not caramalt?

Oh dude! Great catch. Sometimes I get really over excited and miss stuff like this. It's probably an artifact from the many revisions and rewrites that I just completely overlooked. You're a star.

Off on a tangent but you saying you didn't know anyone with a grain crusher, reminded there are 3 or 4 homebrew clubs in Manchester. Can dig out the details if that's something you're interested in? (Appreciate they're not for everyone).

Oh that's a good shout. I forgot there are other Manchester homebrew clubs, noone in the one my friends and I just started has one, I should have said. I'd feel a bit awkward sticking my head into a new group though and pleading for someone to crush some grain for me though. I'll look them up though, good shout. I do want to get a mill eventually now just isn't the right time. Cheers all!

 

[Scrattajack]

Following this one with interest.

Just wondering - where have you managed to find 6-row?

 

[dmtaylor]

Wyeast 2565 takes about 6 weeks to clear. That's not fast! Try any other yeast instead.

Kentucky Common is a great style. To me it tastes sort of like an English style bitter. It's one of the only styles from the USA where there's not a buttload of hops so it tastes like a "normal beer".

 

[JockyBrewer]

( 5 litre batch size )
Grain Bill
775g Caramalt
450g Flaked Corn
80g Light Crystal
40g Dark Crystal
-about 5%abv and 35ish ebc

I'm assuming your Caramalt should actually just be a base malt? You mention 6-row, but that's not malted in the UK, the next closest thing you can get in terms of colour and flavour is Crisp Europils (Lager) malt, although it's a touch lighter. If you can't get that then any UK pale malt would be fine.

The other thing I notice is that as a proportion of malt there's actually quite a lot of crystal in there. You've got about 6% light and 3% dark when you really only need 3% of a light crystal in there and can bump up the colour with some roasted malt - I'd suggest some roasted/chocolate rye malt for the spicy and dry notes you'll get.

Good luck!

 

[Gax]

I'm assuming your Caramalt should actually just be a base malt? You mention 6-row, but that's not malted in the UK, the next closest thing you can get in terms of colour and flavour is Crisp Europils (Lager) malt, although it's a touch lighter. If you can't get that then any UK pale malt would be fine.

The other thing I notice is that as a proportion of malt there's actually quite a lot of crystal in there. You've got about 6% light and 3% dark when you really only need 3% of a light crystal in there and can bump up the colour with some roasted malt - I'd suggest some roasted/chocolate rye malt for the spicy and dry notes you'll get.

Good luck!

Yeah buddy, Some else mentioned the Caramalt thing. I'm gonna correct that after work. That's a good shout on the crystal varieties. I think I just got a bit hyper focused while I was working on this. I always love slipping some rye into beers so I think I'm gonna take that advice. :)

Wyeast 2565 takes about 6 weeks to clear. That's not fast! Try any other yeast instead.

Kentucky Common is a great style. To me it tastes sort of like an English style bitter. It's one of the only styles from the USA where there's not a buttload of hops so it tastes like a "normal beer".

That's some great insight on 2565. Can you recommend a high flocculating yeast as a substitute? I had also considering dropping one of the kveiks, but that seems wayyyy out of style.
I've seen a lot of people using us05, but I'd like to go with a lager/kolsch.

 

[Caramel Ox]

CML Kentucky when they reopen?

 

[JockyBrewer]

I would suggest either Novalager (super clean and fast), or Nottingham (fast, and will give you just a touch of yeast character).

 

[Gax]

I would suggest either Novalager (super clean and fast), or Nottingham (fast, and will give you just a touch of yeast character).

I have a packet of Nottingham on hand so that's a good should. I found another recipe recommending wyeast 1007, but that seems like it's probably gonna have the same sort of issues. I dunno. I'll probably brew this a few times and try a few different yeasts. I have the Nottingham on hand, so I think I'll go that route.

 

[Gax]

I've edited the recipe now. Wooo.

 

[dmtaylor]

That's some great insight on 2565. Can you recommend a high flocculating yeast as a substitute? I had also considering dropping one of the kveiks, but that seems wayyyy out of style.
I've seen a lot of people using us05, but I'd like to go with a lager/kolsch.

You can ferment with any lager yeast at 16 or 17 C or even a little higher. In my experience, lager yeasts don't turn out as fruity or estery as people who haven't tried it will claim. And you'll get a result faster warm than if you fermented at cold temperatures.

Also, S-04 is an ale yeast that I think is rather lager-like. That too would be a great option. Nottingham is similar and also great.

 

[JockyBrewer]

If you want to drink fast then some of the lager yeasts can be problematic as they produce sulphur, which needs time to dissipate. Maybe if you ferment it warmer as @dmtaylor says that won't be a problem?

Neutral ale yeasts are going to be faster.

 

[Twostage]

This is an interesting thread.

I'm thinking about the end stages - packaging and serving. What are your thoughts ? As this is first time you won't know when it has a few points left for carbonating - too early and its a glass of foam, too late and its like the earth in another thread . So I'm guessing let it finish and then secondary ferment ?

Also the speed, is that a goal/part of the attraction ? If so, even though it will probably be out of style, I used MJ Empire Ale yeast recently and it fermented out in 22 hours. It also carbonated in two days (there was a gap between these two for diacetyl rest etc. which maybe could be skipped ). I used two packs in 23 litres.

 

[Gax]

If you want to drink fast then some of the lager yeasts can be problematic as they produce sulphur, which needs time to dissipate. Maybe if you ferment it warmer as @dmtaylor says that won't be a problem?

Neutral ale yeasts are going to be faster.

This is an excellent point, but its also what was done with the style traditionally as best as i can tell, so there's gotta be a reason right? Or were people just into sulphur beer before prohibition? Its all a fun little thought experiment.

This is an interesting thread.

I'm thinking about the end stages - packaging and serving. What are your thoughts ? As this is first time you won't know when it has a few points left for carbonating - too early and its a glass of foam, too late and its like the earth in another thread . So I'm guessing let it finish and then secondary ferment ?

Also the speed, is that a goal/part of the attraction ? If so, even though it will probably be out of style, I used MJ Empire Ale yeast recently and it fermented out in 22 hours. It also carbonated in two days (there was a gap between these two for diacetyl rest etc. which maybe could be skipped ). I used two packs in 23 litres.

The speed is just me trying to adhear to the literature, do it like they say it should have been done and all. Everything I've read implies that this was made and served very quickly with very minimal resting or conditioning. The packaging and serving is tied to the fermentation. My thoughts were as follows.

-25-36 hours@ upper end of nottingham's temp range
-rack into a keg - This was done historically DURING fermentation. Not my idea.
-set a spunding valve on the keg at 15 psi - Historically the barrels of this would be tightly sealed to self carbonate - im using the spunding valve because i ahve plastic kegs and im a scaredy cat.
-store keg at lower end of nottingham's temp range - The barrels historically would be left in a cellar at the place it was served to finish fermenting/carbonating.
-wait another 7-9 days
-profit...maybe.

This is the best way I can think of in my little brain to replicate what the accepted method for making the beer is, safely with my equipment. I get that this is probably going to yeild a very rough product, but i think thats probably in keeping with the times. I'm open to theorycrafting though. Hit me with your best shots.

 

[Twostage]

This is an excellent point, but its also what was done with the style traditionally as best as i can tell, so there's gotta be a reason right? Or were people just into sulphur beer before prohibition? Its all a fun little thought experiment.

The speed is just me trying to adhear to the literature, do it like they say it should have been done and all. Everything I've read implies that this was made and served very quickly with very minimal resting or conditioning. The packaging and serving is tied to the fermentation. My thoughts were as follows.

-25-36 hours@ upper end of nottingham's temp range
-rack into a keg - This was done historically DURING fermentation. Not my idea.
-set a spunding valve on the keg at 15 psi - Historically the barrels of this would be tightly sealed to self carbonate - im using the spunding valve because i ahve plastic kegs and im a scaredy cat.
-store keg at lower end of nottingham's temp range - The barrels historically would be left in a cellar at the place it was served to finish fermenting/carbonating.
-wait another 7-9 days
-profit...maybe.

This is the best way I can think of in my little brain to replicate what the accepted method for making the beer is, safely with my equipment. I get that this is probably going to yeild a very rough product, but i think thats probably in keeping with the times. I'm open to theorycrafting though. Hit me with your best shots.

Spunding valve , wasn't sure what the packaging was going to be. Are you putting it on straight away ?

FWIW I've made a cider in a PB relying on the standard 15psi rubber band thing and it went OK.

When you think about it the 'Kentucky method' has merit - brew it, part ferment it, ship it and let it finish at the destination.

I wouldn't have thought it would be rough, young maybe. Might be an acquired taste, I didn't like my first taste of beer.

 

[Gax]

I'm gonna try it after 7 days. We'll uh...see if I let it sit longer. Traditionally it wouldn't though. It would be drank very young. It's an interesting method I think, quite casky except they wanted high carbonation.