California common

[Ciaran12s]

Got this one planned for this week some time. Probably the weekend.

25litre
4.5k pale
500g crystal 40l
100g chocolate
500gflaked barley
500g carapils (cos I ordered too much a while back)

30g northern brewer 60min and 0min

Going to use the crossmyloof cali common yeast. After getting in my head that it's more or less an ale yeast that just likes it a few degrees cooler, I'm now beginning to worry I've been a bit blasè.

I plan to get it chilled to 15, pitch the Yeast and keep it below 20 (as best possible in a cool cupboard) for 4 weeks. Is it as easy as that or does it take more of the effort required for a propa lager? Proper temp control and malarkey as such.

Depending on the temperature February I'll crash cool it anyway. That's sticking it outside on the concrete for a couple of days.

 

[Oneflewover]

Hi. Can't claim to be very knowledgeable about this style, but have brewed a cali common using that yeast and those hops recently. I didn't find it particularly lager like, more like a clean British ale to my (inexperienced) pallette. Good drop though, enjoyed the northern brewer hops.

Just a comment, but do you need as much flaked barley, and do you need the choc at all?

Best of luck!

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I'm planning a Cali Common, but understood that it was fermented at ale temperatures, ie 20°C.
I'm also surprised at the chocolate malt, and would use only 100g of flaked barley, myself.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Got one on now. The CMS yeast is like.a rocket! On the yeast packet it suggests 18-27C, so mine is at 19C.

 

[Ciaran12s]

My pack says 15-22, lower for crisper cleaner brew. That's what got me worried. But I did always think it was fine at ale temps which I suppose it is but at the lower end just.

If it's off like a rocket at 19 and I can keep it down that region myself, hopefully it'll work it fine.

I believe small amounts of chocolate are used for colour mainly. That comes in at 1.6% so I'm hoping it'll be fine.

I'm going in with 500g flaked barley (7-10%ish) for a few brews to see how head retention improves. Thought I'd start high and lower if needs be rather than start with say 100g and find it contributes next to nothing.

 

[terrym]

100g of chocolate malt will bring some flavour as well as colour to your beer. But you will get some colour from your crystal malt so you may not need it, unless you like the taste of chocolate malt.
And you have a lot of crystal malt in there so your end product will turn out quite sweet, although you may want that. And not having used carapils I am not sure whether that too will add to the sweetness, but if it does....

 

[Thumper]

After getting in my head that it's more or less an ale yeast that just likes it a few degrees cooler, I'm now beginning to worry I've been a bit blasè.

I think it's the other way round. Cali common is traditionally a steam beer, meaning it uses lager yeasts at warmer temperatures.

 

[terrym]

https://bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
Page 34, section 19b California Common; sub section Characteristic Ingredients

 

[Ciaran12s]

The 100g of chocolate contributes the same colour as an extra kilo of crystal. That amount of crystal would be far too sweet hence the chocolate substitution. It does seem to fit with the style from different recipes I've looked at.

From my experience carapils doesn't really do much more than base malt. It apparently aids head and retention but not when I've used it.

 

[Ciaran12s]

https://bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
Page 34, section 19b California Common; sub section Characteristic Ingredients

Thanks Terry! I seem to be pretty much on the money. Maybe a bit off with the carapils and flaked barley but I'll not worry about that.

 

[Ciaran12s]

I think it's the other way round. Cali common is traditionally a steam beer, meaning it uses lager yeasts at warmer temperatures.

Aye, from Terry's link they've said along the lines of lager yeasts selected for warmer temperatures.

 

[MickDundee]

100g of chocolate malt will bring some flavour as well as colour to your beer. But you will get some colour from your crystal malt so you may not need it, unless you like the taste of chocolate malt.
And you have a lot of crystal malt in there so your end product will turn out quite sweet, although you may want that. And not having used carapils I am not sure whether that too will add to the sweetness, but if it does....

California Common is generally quite high in crystal (Anchor use around 13% IIRC) so that’s not an issue really. Also, the yeast (well, both the MJ and CML that I’ve used) is a high attenuator and all 3 versions of my steam beer have finished at 1.011 despite having a high % of crystal.

I’m not a big fan of using chocolate malt in a traditional style like this, even for colour - it’s easy enough to hit a nice amber colour with just crystal and maybe some Munich without using chocolate unnecessarily.

I’d also leave out the flaked barley, it’s supposed to be a crisp easy drinking refreshing beer, you don’t want a creamy mouthfeel.

 

[Ciaran12s]

California Common is generally quite high in crystal (Anchor use around 13% IIRC) so that’s not an issue really. Also, the yeast (well, both the MJ and CML that I’ve used) is a high attenuator and all 3 versions of my steam beer have finished at 1.011 despite having a high % of crystal.

I’m not a big fan of using chocolate malt in a traditional style like this, even for colour - it’s easy enough to hit a nice amber colour with just crystal and maybe some Munich without using chocolate unnecessarily.

I’d also leave out the flaked barley, it’s supposed to be a crisp easy drinking refreshing beer, you don’t want a creamy mouthfeel.

Most recipes I see use a very small amount of chocolate. I have no idea what that's going to contribute tbh. I do know it bumps the colour right up on the calculator.

Good point with the flaked barley! Had the blinkers up with that one there, all I'm thinking is head retention. I did consider flavour and couldn't see it contributing much but yeah the mouthfeel factor! Thanks for that.

Have yours been done with any temp control and stepped ferment temperatures or left alone much like an ale?

 

[MickDundee]

Most recipes I see use a very small amount of chocolate. I have no idea what that's going to contribute tbh. I do know it bumps the colour right up on the calculator.

Good point with the flaked barley! Had the blinkers up with that one there, all I'm thinking is head retention. I did consider flavour and couldn't see it contributing much but yeah the mouthfeel factor! Thanks for that.

Have yours been done with any temp control and stepped ferment temperatures or left alone much like an ale?

I just kept it at a constant temperature and it turned out well every time. If it helps, I found the CML yeast much crisper/cleaner than the MJ equivalent. Once I’ve cracked the recipe (I reckon I’ll be happy with it within the next 2 or 3 attempts), I’ll give one of the liquid Cali Common yeasts a go.

 

[Ciaran12s]

I've got the Yeast (cml) and everything else ready to go but thanks for the heads up!

Let me know if it's a small amount of chocolate that makes the final recipe haha!