THUNDERHEAD (California Common)

Steam beers are best served cold 

STORY
Thunderhead is an interesting beer. Based off of Anchor Brewing's flagship Anchor Steam, this recipe is a tribute to a truly American brewing process. California Common is the only beer style that has strictly American roots. Brewers would ferment their beers with lager yeast, but, without access to ice or cooling equipment, would ferment their brews at higher 'ale' temperatures. Brewers would move their wort to large, shallow, open air containers which were cooled by the chilly night air. This cooling-process would cause steam to billow out of the town's breweries, and beers brewed this way were therefore referred to as 'steam'. 

I didn't stay totally true-to-form, and simply cooled my beer in an ice bath, but I did pitch lager yeast and fermented at a higher temp. The result is interesting, and satisfactorily patriotic.

RECIPE (PRINTABLE VERSION)
Grains (11.25lbs)
     4.5 lbs 2-Row Barley
     4.5 lbs Pale Malt
     1.0 lbs Caramel 40°L
     1.0 lbs Carapils
     .25 lbs Biscuit Malt
Hops (23.1 AAUs)
     23.1 AAUs Northern Brewer (3oz | 7.7%)
Yeast (1 Packet)
California Lager 2112 (Wyeast)

(HIgh | 67-71% | 58-68°F)

STATS

OG: 1.050

FG: 1.006
ABV: 5.8%

SRM:

IBU:

MASH SCHEDULE

Strike
17.0 qts water @ 144°F
Should settle to 135°F (131-145°F)

Infusion

6.5 qts water @ 210°F
Should settle to 154°F

(start at 154°F should not settle below 150°F)

Sparge

Prep water @ 175°F

Continue until 6.5 gallons gathered

*BG should be 1.041

BREW SCHEDULE

1 oz Northern Brewer @ :60
1 oz Northern Brewer @ :15
1 oz Northern Brewer @ :00

Let sit after flameout (5min)
Rapidly cool to 62°F (or down to 58°F)

FERMENTATION SCHEDULE

     Must ferment at 65°F to maintain lager characteristics
     Cooling methods
          Evaporation (wrap fermenter in wet t-shirts)
          Fermentation Box (insulted box, circulate ice in and out to maintain temp)
          Refrigeration (requires thermostat)
     Carbonate to 2.6 vol CO2 (~95oz/gal) 
     Transfer to secondary after 10 days
     Bottle after another 7 days
     Condition at room temp for 1wk
     Cold condition for 1wk
     DRINK!
     

SESSIONS

     Jul, 2014
     Dec, 2018