BeerBorg

It has been quite awhile since I last brewed a batch of California Steamin. But I managed to brew another batch 3 weeks ago. I almost forgot how much I liked the style. The recipe has changed a little since I brewed it last. This time I used 45% 2-Row, 45% German Pilsner, and 10% Crystal 90L. Mashed at 150F for 60 minutes and followed by a 60 minute boil. White Labs -WLP810 San Francisco Lager (Pure Pitch packets) fermented cleanly in about 12 days at 65F.

This is a rewarding style of beer to brew. Similar in process to brewing a Kolsch the grain bill is simple. Its the San Francisco Lager yeast and Northern Brewer hops that provide the unique California Common flavor. Fined with gelatin this beer was sparkling clear and ready to drink one week after being kegged.

Where you been Vince? Weather got you down and messed up your brewing?

Beer-lord wrote:Where you been Vince? Weather got you down and messed up your brewing?

Hi Paul, no I've been coding and brewing a lot. I've recently brewed 10-gallon batches of Senopia [Brown] IPA, Belgian Witbier, Cali' Common and Sloop Juice Bomb NEIPA. We've managed to take a nice relaxing vacation a few weeks ago too. My work continues on ezRecipe and that's a real time magnet. Between family, work and brewing most days there's little time to it all. I have been here lurking in the shadows though, I enjoyed reading the Diacetyl Test and other posts.

Our homebrew club is competing against a nearby homebrew club for the best Cali' Common style brewed. May 15th is the final round judging at JugHandle Brewing in Tinton Falls, NJ. We chose this style because no breweries in the Monmouth and Ocean County area have it on tap. Winner gets their recie brewed on a 10 barrel system and sold in the breweries taproom.

Great that you’re keeping busy. Sure sounds like a full schedule.
Best of luck on the contest. Let us know how that works out.

Hey Vince, good to hear from you.
Good luck at the competition.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Thanks, I will. The clubs semi-final judging round is on May 1st. The top 3 beers go on to the final judging round on May 15th. Until then I keep sampling mine to make sure it's clearing up. I don't usually fine my beer with gelatin but this time I did. It'll have less than 2 weeks to clear, so far I think it'll be ok in time.

I have all the confidence your Cali-Common will advance, you've done a great job with that beer.

Dawg LB Steve wrote:I have all the confidence your Cali-Common will advance, you've done a great job with that beer.

Thanks, Steve. I will keep everyone posted as the competition progresses.

Well, unfortunately, I didn't get past the semi-final judging round last night. Seems the judges picked an uncommon California Common entry. Made with chocolate and roasted malts that tasted like a really dark brown ale. We'll get to see the scoring sheets next week for some reason. I may be taking a break from competitions for a while now. Not that I'm being a sore loser but until I find out how a brown ale managed to win in the California Common category.

ScrewyBrewer wrote:Well, unfortunately, I didn't get past the semi-final judging round last night. Seems the judges picked an uncommon California Common entry. Made with chocolate and roasted malts that tasted like a really dark brown ale. We'll get to see the scoring sheets next week for some reason. I may be taking a break from competitions for a while now. Not that I'm being a sore loser but until I find out how a brown ale managed to win in the California Common category.

HUH!!!!

That's ridiculous. Was this a BJCP sanctioned competition?

That is crazy. It has to be brought to their attention, don't you think?
Do they even give you a score at all?
I keep saying I'll enter one day but I just don't really care to.

I've had an experience where all the competition winners were extreme. It put me off entering. There is an element in homebrewing and craft beer that seeks only the exotic.

Even as someone who thinks the style categories for Belgians are just made up nonsense, I find this annoying. Made up nonsense or not, I would try to stay in the style parameters for competition purposes and expect the judges to do the same.

Maybe a whack out of style beer can still win "best of show" and that would be OK if it was awesome, but it shouldn't win the style category.

Beer-lord wrote:That is crazy. It has to be brought to their attention, don't you think?
Do they even give you a score at all?
I keep saying I'll enter one day but I just don't really care to.

The competition steward had an early flight to Chicago the next morning. I will review the score sheets next week and see what happened. It has to be addressed.