Homebrew #4. A California Common (Steam Beer) style. Simple, smooth and delicious. Not that I have any of my old brews left to compare with, but this could be my favorite so far.

Colorado Common (5 gallon, partial mash)

Fermentables:

• 7lb Light LME
• 1 lb Crystal Malt

Boil Additions:

• 2oz Northern Brewer (60 min)
• 1oz Cascade (10 min)
• 1oz Cascade (1 min)

Wyeast California Lager (2112). 5 weeks in the primary (I’m not a secondary kinda guy, not yet anyway) and then into 12oz bottles for 2 weeks.

Not as carbonated as I was expecting, though I did sneak this bottle a little early. A minty, earthy aroma - I was surprised that the NB hops come through more than the Cascade. The taste is a different story though, a nice amount of that grapefruity Cascade taste. Not too much. The real “steam beer” taste comes in at the backend, that little bit of malty sweetness.

I’m thinking of going all-grain for the next batch… it’s about time to take it to the next level (if I have enough space here). Maybe a dark and spicy Christmas ale (”All I Want For Christmas is Brew,” with a picture of Mariah Carey on the bottle). See if I can find a used mash tun, or try and make one my self. I also found these instructions for a counterflow chiller, which is something I could definitely use.