Brewing the Kentucky Common

Hey there!

I finally brewed the Kentucky Common yesterday and it was fun to do. I used a separate cereal mash incorporating 2 lbs of corn grits and 1 lb of crushed 2-row malt. It added a little bit of time to the session but we'll see if it's worth it or not after we see how the beer comes out.

Ever since learning of this lost American Beer Style, I decided to learn all I could about it and attempt to brew a version of it. The Kentucky Common is also known as a Dark Cream Common Beer and is one of a couple of truly American beer styles.

I'd like to see this style listed in the BJCP beer styles guide (perhaps under catagory 7 - Amber Hybrid Beer.
It is a unique style that leaves room for interpretation. It would be a great addition to the style guidlines!

I have inquired about how to get it listed, and was advised to get more home brewers to brew it and enter it in competitions often under the "specialty" catagory. Also the brewer should include a short write up of the history and style and perhaps include a recipe with their entries. So...If you're a home brewer that is reading this, please consider learning and brewing this almost lost American beer style, and enter it as often as possible in to competitions. (The AHA Nationals are coming up soon, and would be higly recommended that you enter your example!).

Anyways, I have found some useful information about this beer style and suggestions of how you migh go about brewing one. I'm not going to re-hash this information here as it is readelly available on the net.

Here are a couple of websites that I have drawn my information from>

A bit of history of the style can be found here at the Wikipedia.

and probably the best resource is here at the O'Daniel Brewery website.

Anyways, I did brew it yesterday and also managed to take a few pics too. The recipe that I used is posted below the pics.

Here's the pics:

Here's the dry elements of the cereal mash:

And the setup I used:

After doughing in, it looked like this:

We ket it rest at a temp of 155 degF for 30 minutes before bringing it up to a boil.

Here I am bringing it up to a boil. From this point on we'll need to constantly stir the cereal mash to prevent scorching. We need to boil the cereal mash for 60 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent it from drying out too much.

Here's what it looks like after 30 minutes of boiling:

Doughing in the grains for the 30 minutes protein rest:

Holding the mash at 128 degF:

The completed cereal mash right before adding it to the mash to raise the main mash temp to around 152 degF:

After adding to the main mash, it's break time! Time for a pale ale!

Running off the wort into the kettle:

Bringing the wort up to a boil:

While waiting for the main mash to be completed, I racked off the Pale Lager into a keg. FG was 1.008.

Here's the Kentucky Common fermenting 14 hours after pitching:

Enough with the pics....Here's the recipe I used:

Recipe: HL Kentucky Common
Brewer: wottaguy
Style: Cat 23 Specialty Beer (for now-this style needs a home!)
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.00 gal     
Boil Size: 8.84 gal
Estimated OG: 1.048 SG
Estimated Color: 16.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 76.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU     
6 lbs 8.0 oz  Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        62.32 %      
2 lbs         Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) (OPTIONAL - SEE NOTES)                   Grain        19.18 %      
12.0 oz       Acid Malt (3.0 SRM)                       Grain        7.19 %       
4.0 oz        Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM)     Grain        2.40 %       
4.0 oz        Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)                Grain        2.40 %       
1.9 oz        Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)                Grain        1.15 %       
1.0 oz        Carafa II (412.0 SRM)                     Grain        0.58 %       
0.00 oz       Cluster [7.00 %]  (60 min)                Hops          -           
0.50 oz       Nugget [11.00 %]  (60 min)                Hops         20.5 IBU     
0.50 oz       Hallertauer [4.80 %]  (20 min)            Hops         3.0 IBU      
0.50 oz       Hallertauer [4.80 %]  (3 min)             Hops         1.5 IBU      
0.75 lb       Rice Hulls (Mash 60.0 min)                Misc                      
4.0 oz        Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM)               Sugar        2.40 %       
4.0 oz        Molasses (80.0 SRM)                       Sugar        2.40 %       
2 Pkgs        California Lager (Wyeast Labs #2112) [StarYeast-Lager               


Mash Schedule: Decoction Mash, Single
Total Grain Weight: 9.93 lb
----------------------------
Decoction Mash, Single
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp   

30 min        Protein Rest       Add 2.75 gal of water at 142.4 F    128.0 F      
45 min        Saccharification   Decoct 1.12 gal of mash and boil it 152.0 F      
10 min        Mash Out           Add 1.25 gal of water at 202.8 F    168.0 F      


Notes:
------
**Try performing a separate cereal mash with 1 or 2 lb polenta (corn grits) and a pound of 2-row instead of using the flaked corn.**
** Can also use Northern Brewer Hops**

Brewed on 01/17/2010 - Performed a full cereal mash with 2 lbs of grits and 1 lb milled 2 row malt. Doughed in and held at 155 for 30 minutes, then brought to boiling and boiled for 1 hour.

Dough in the main mash with 30 minutes to go on the cereal mash to get a protein rest temp of 122 - 130 degF. After 30 minute rest, add the boiling hot cereal mash to the main mash, mix well, and rest at 155 degF for 60 minutes or until conversion has completed.
Ferment @ 59 degF for 14 days.

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It was a great day! Later this week I need to flavor, prime and bottle the Strawberry Wedding Sparkling Ale in champagne bottles. I also need to keg another Pale Ale for the wedding, and bottle a Saison. It's going to be a busy week! And I need to brew the Dusseldorf Alt soon too.

My next post is going to be about the new online brewing resource I was pointed to so keep tuned in!

Well...I have to go now.....feel free to post your comments....and...

Keep Brewing!

(_)3