| Amount | Fermentable | % |
|---|---|---|
| 6.50 pounds | LME - Light | 83.9% |
| 0.75 pounds | Crystal Malt 40L | 9.7% |
| 0.50 pounds | British Carastan Malt | 6.5% |
| 7.75 pounds | Total Fermentable Weight | 100% |
| Amount | Hop | Time | Use | Form | AA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75 ounces | Northern Brewer | 60 minutes | Boil | Pellets | 8.2% | |
| 0.75 ounces | Northern Brewer | 15 minutes | Boil | Pellets | 8.2% | |
| 0.50 ounces | Northern Brewer | 3 minutes | Aroma | Pellets | 8.2% | |
| 2.00 ounces | Total Hop Weight | |||||
| Name | Lab/Manufacturer | Product ID | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Ale | White Labs | WLP001 | Liquid |
I’ve been brewing some pretty dark beers lately, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I decided to try out a brew on the pale side. As I was searching around, looking at the various pale ale styles, I decided that I wanted to do something with a bit more malty flavor that most pale ales call for. California Common ales are just what I was looking for: a pale ale favoring the malty flavor but with a definite hop presence. California Commons utilize Northern Brewer hops, a relatively high alpha acid variety, cultivated in America, which have a "woody, rustic, minty" quality.
I wasn’t trying to replicate Anchor Steam here, although it is a very good beer. I was more interested in trying to get a great tasting beer that fits into this very narrow style. To help me along with this, I used beertools.com’s Recipe Generator and Recipe Calculator. Excellent to help you get started with brewing to style. My California Common is just a bit "under-hopped" due to personal taste.