California Common

I brewed up a california common back in August. A california common is the proper name for what is also known as steam beer.

Steam beer was a beer originally produced in California around the turn of the century. German immigrants to the bay area setup breweries to supply beer to all the local workers. Germans have a long lagering tradition and would naturally try to apply their lager knowledge to the new beer they were producing on the west coast.

Unfortunately, there were no cool, damp caves as in Germany, nor was there any readily available source of ice to keep the beer cold. So, they did the best they could and produced lager beer at moderate temperatures (60-65°) instead of the cooler temperatures a lager would normally require (40-50°).

The result was steam beer, now known as the California Common.

My California Common turned out well. It took a long time to fully ferment, nearly a month in the primary. It has now been in a keg at cold temps for another month and is quite tasty. It has a nice creamy character and clean finish. The Northern Brewer hops that are the trademark of this style give this beer a slightly odd 'spicy' taste. So it's initially a surprising taste, but it grows on you.