Striking it rich with the California Common
October 14, 2024
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The California Gold Rush uncovered solid gold, yes, but it also brought us liquid gold in the form of what we now call the California Common.
Today, in the 21st century, there are almost 10,000 craft breweries in the U.S. And while we pride ourselves on innovation and unique aspirations when it comes to beer and its history, we are rarely the instigators of a style itself.
But the U.S. does come close when it comes to the cream ale, the Kentucky Common, and the California Common.
This is the California Common story.
History of the California Common or rather the Steam Beer
You might call it a gold rush lager. It was, after all, the gold that brought the people to California. Thirsty for riches, they were also thirsty for a refreshing beer. Trying to strike it rich is hard work.
The gold rush lager name never caught on, but what did catch on was Steam Beer.
Picture this:
Mid-1800s San Francisco, bustling streets, swinging tavern doors, all alongside the Pacific Ocean. Dreams of striking it rich were palpable.
And the beer was made to match the dreams. Brewed locally and cooled on San Francisco’s rooftops (or so it has been said), the heat of the just-boiled brew commingled with the breeze coming off of the Pacific, resulting in a magical mist of steam.
Steam Beer was born.
More than likely, though, the name came simply from the pressure that was released when barrels were tapped and bottles were opened. Or maybe it had something to do with warm temperatures during fermentation.
Whatever the etymology of the name, Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco sure struck gold when they called this new style Steam Beer.
Anchor was one of the first breweries in the 1800s to fully capitalize on the steam beer style. So much so, that decades later, in 1981, they trademarked Steam Beer as their own.
What exactly is a California Common?
Still well known as Steam Beer, the style continues on today, just with a different name. Being the common beer of the California Gold Rush days, the BJCP renamed this California born beer, the California Common.
Now that we’ve gotten the name straightened out, what exactly is a Steam Beer, er…California Common?
According to the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program), a California Common is “a toasty and caramelly, fairly bitter, standard-strength beer with an interesting fruitiness and rustic, woody hop character. Smooth and well carbonated.”
The style is somewhat similar to an amber, although the California Common uses traditional American hops alongside toastier malts and more flavorful hops than in a traditional amber. What makes it stand out even more is the fact that lager yeast is used at ale fermenting temperatures.
Why do it that way?
You use what you got and brew for what the people want.
People wanted lagers. Many of the Americans streaming into California during the mid-1800s looking for gold were either from northern Europe or had family ties there, with a flavor palate that matched, meaning lagers.
But in California, with warmer temperatures, mechanical refrigeration yet to be mainstream, and ice hard to come by, lagers were difficult to brew. So brewers took matters into their own hands.
They used lager yeast, but at ale-fermenting temperatures. And with no easy access to malted barley, brewers instead used a combination of grits and other cereal grains. Add in some American hops, boil it all together, cool it off on a San Francisco rooftop, and Voilà! A new beer style was born!
Innovation at its finest. You might even say that brewers had struck it rich…with beer!
MMC knows malts for today’s California Common
Today, the grains, along with the name, have changed. The Steam Beer of yesteryear had to rely on alternative grains. Thankfully, today’s malts aren’t only acceptable for food, they’re also widely appreciated and used in our beloved craft beers. California Common included.
So when it comes to the malts for your recipes, there’s nothing common about Malteurop’s malts. They are all exceptional, giving you the exact malts you need for your California Common. Which, by the way, is also nothing common!
“Malt should not be something that somebody has to worry about. That’s our job as maltsters. We produce something consistent and to specification every time and take that off of your plate.” (Joel Grosser, Director of Operations for North America)
Premium grains from field to flavor.
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About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)
Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America – specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries.
With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop’s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet.
Visit www.malteuropmaltingco.com to learn how we can support your malting needs.
Contact us at customersuccess@malteurop.com or (844) 546-MALT (6258) for questions or to place your order.
Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.
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https://www.bayareamashers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2012-SOQ-1-CA-Common.pdf
https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/california-common
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/swvSTBiKhC/
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/svEe9SyWji/
https://www.eater.com/beer/2017/10/10/16434064/anchor-steam-beer-history-san-francisco