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Author Topic: CA Common or not?  (Read 2195 times)

Offline brewthru

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CA Common or not?
« on: November 22, 2021, 01:47:08 pm »
One of my favorite brews to make is a California Common. I recall the days when Anchor made a very fine version (IMO, no so much nowadays).

Recently brewed another CA Common only to discover my saved WL 810 from a prior brew session was dead. For various life-event reasons I waited too long between brews.

To save my brew day I pitched S-04 dry yeast into 5.5 gallons and M44 day yeast into the other 5.5 gallons and fermented both within the recommended fermentation ranges.

Kegged the S-04 version on November 21, 2021. Having a glass now. Tastes, to me, similar to a nice ESB or somewhat similar to a CA Common.

Thoughts?
« Last Edit: November 22, 2021, 01:55:03 pm by brewthru »

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2021, 02:19:00 pm »
If it tastes like a California Common, then it *is* a California Common.

I'll admit, I almost ranted about how it would need to be a lager yeast fermented warm in order to be a true California Common.  But then I thought... well, S-04 tastes like a lager to me, and BRY-97 (M44) is quite clean as well, so.... it will probably still fit the bill.  I mean, if you tasted Anchor Steam and your two beers next to each other side by side, blindfolded... would you be able to tell us for certain which one fit the style best, which one worst?  If not, then they can all pass for the same style.  But if one or two of them are WAY out of whack, then you would have to decide whether it fits another style better.  IF that even really matters to you, which, by your question, I would suppose that it does.

Call it what you like.  If it's reasonably close, you can call it the style you intended to brew.  If not, then you can read up on style guidelines to see where else it might fit.  Closest other style might be American Amber Ale.  Or maybe Altbier.  Something like that.  Pull out the guidelines and see which one it resembles most closely.
Dave

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Offline brewthru

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2021, 02:56:36 pm »
I am really having trouble discerning the difference of a CA Common fermented with WL 810 and one fermented with dry yeast S-04.

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2021, 04:09:28 pm »
I am really having trouble discerning the difference of a CA Common fermented with WL 810 and one fermented with dry yeast S-04.

This does not surprise me at all.  I've made some really great tasty beers with both yeasts.  Both are pretty darn clean.
Dave

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Offline brewthru

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2021, 04:21:44 pm »
This surprises me as I thought S-04 was a British ale yeast.

Offline Richard

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2021, 05:51:46 pm »
For future reference, Mangrove Jack's M54 California Lager Yeast (https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/californian-lager-m54-yeast-10g) is a dry yeast for making California Common. I haven't used it, but if you make that style a lot and have an unpredictable brewing schedule it might be good to get some of this to have on hand. I love California Common myself and brew it several times a year.
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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2021, 06:27:42 pm »
This surprises me as I thought S-04 was a British ale yeast.

It is indeed British.  Just not a fruity one at all.

For future reference, Mangrove Jack's M54 California Lager Yeast (https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/californian-lager-m54-yeast-10g) is a dry yeast for making California Common. I haven't used it, but if you make that style a lot and have an unpredictable brewing schedule it might be good to get some of this to have on hand. I love California Common myself and brew it several times a year.

I would steer clear of the M54 yeast, as I believe it's a repack of K-97, which... gets very mixed reviews.  Personally I don't like it at all.  Tart hazy mess.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2021, 06:29:13 pm by dmtaylor »
Dave

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Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2021, 09:58:59 am »
This surprises me as I thought S-04 was a British ale yeast.

It is indeed British.  Just not a fruity one at all.

For future reference, Mangrove Jack's M54 California Lager Yeast (https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/californian-lager-m54-yeast-10g) is a dry yeast for making California Common. I haven't used it, but if you make that style a lot and have an unpredictable brewing schedule it might be good to get some of this to have on hand. I love California Common myself and brew it several times a year.

I would steer clear of the M54 yeast, as I believe it's a repack of K-97, which... gets very mixed reviews.  Personally I don't like it at all.  Tart hazy mess.
That would make sense. I didn't care for M54 or K97
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Offline Richard

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2021, 10:00:36 am »
I would steer clear of the M54 yeast, as I believe it's a repack of K-97, which... gets very mixed reviews.  Personally I don't like it at all.  Tart hazy mess.

That's....downright dishonest if it's correct. I don't want to do business with a company that does that.
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Offline brewthru

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2021, 02:11:35 pm »
As I wrote the other 5.5 gallons was fermented with Mangrove Jack's M44 and NOT M45 as other, apparantely, mistakenly wrote.

I had some M44 on hand and wanted to give it a try. Especially considering the following
https://www.homebrewinguk.com/post/us05-v-bry97-v-m44-v-wlp001-8497746

Unfortunately, the rebel brewer link noted in the review no longer works. Time for the Way Back machine.

Offline tommymorris

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2021, 05:22:44 pm »
I would steer clear of the M54 yeast, as I believe it's a repack of K-97, which... gets very mixed reviews.  Personally I don't like it at all.  Tart hazy mess.

That's....downright dishonest if it's correct. I don't want to do business with a company that does that.
That’s speculation on dmtaylor’s part. I wouldn’t write off Mangrove Jack’s based on speculation.

Offline BrewBama

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2021, 06:01:09 pm »
I would steer clear of the M54 yeast, as I believe it's a repack of K-97, which... gets very mixed reviews.  Personally I don't like it at all.  Tart hazy mess.

That's....downright dishonest if it's correct. I don't want to do business with a company that does that.
That’s speculation on dmtaylor’s part. I wouldn’t write off Mangrove Jack’s based on speculation.
+1. No telling what MJ really is. They won’t directly answer the question both times I asked.

Besides, it doesn’t really matter *what* yeast you use as long as you like the beer it gives you.





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Offline Richard

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2021, 10:21:13 pm »
I would steer clear of the M54 yeast, as I believe it's a repack of K-97, which... gets very mixed reviews.  Personally I don't like it at all.  Tart hazy mess.

That's....downright dishonest if it's correct. I don't want to do business with a company that does that.
That’s speculation on dmtaylor’s part. I wouldn’t write off Mangrove Jack’s based on speculation.
+1. No telling what MJ really is. They won’t directly answer the question both times I asked.

Besides, it doesn’t really matter *what* yeast you use as long as you like the beer it gives you.


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Well, in a shallow sense it doesn't matter what yeast you use, but in a deeper sense it does matter where it came from and who profits from selling it to you. I seem to remember people on this forum saying that they weren't going to purchase anything from Northern Brewer anymore after they were purchased (temporarily) by AB Inbev.

I know there are numerous resellers who purchase items in bulk and repackage them. I don't mind that if they are honest about the fact and give descriptions that are faithful to the original. If someone is repackaging and selling something with a different description then I don't approve. At this point I only have Dave's statement about M54 so I am withholding judgement. I don't plan on buying any of that yeast anyway, so the argument is theoretical for me.
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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #13 on: November 24, 2021, 06:06:21 am »
If someone is repackaging and selling something with a different description then I don't approve. At this point I only have Dave's statement about M54 so I am withholding judgement. I don't plan on buying any of that yeast anyway, so the argument is theoretical for me.

There are a multitude of sources for the claim on the interwebs.  Unfortunately I am leaving town momentarily and don't have time to dig up a half dozen for you right now.  Remind me tomorrow or on Saturday, I promise this was not my own idea but has been spread around all over the place, from very credible sources.

Personally, I wouldn't mind using Mangrove Jack if it were available in my area.  I mean, sure, they don't know much about yeast and slap their own descriptions on it, etc., but if it makes good beer and/or if I can figure out which yeast it really is, then I'm game to trying it in my own brews.  It just... isn't sold at all around here, and hardly any of the big online stores in the USA either.
Dave

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Offline denny

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Re: CA Common or not?
« Reply #14 on: November 24, 2021, 08:02:33 am »
Well, if it's on the internet, it must be true!
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