Kentucky common beer is a once-popular style of ale from the area in and around Louisville, Kentucky from the 1850s until Prohibition. This style is rarely brewed commercially today. It was also locally known as dark cream common beer, cream beer or common beer. The beer was top-fermented and was krausened up to 10% making it quite highly carbonated. Like cream ale, it was consumed fresh, usually as draught beer. In 1913 it was estimated that 80% of the beer consumed in Louisville was of this type. Many local breweries made only this style of beer.
This particular beer was brewed as part of the local beer brewing competition hosted by Hopping Grape Homebrew Supply and Vallenson’s Brewery. The beer scored a 32/50, 36/50, 39/50, and a 42/50. It ranked very high in the competition which was eventually won by Kevin Sitta of Sitta Beerworks.
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.042
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.010
ABV: 5.25%
Fermentables: 13 lbs. - American Six Row 6 lbs. - Flaked Corn ½ lb. - Crystal 120 ½ lb. - Black Malt 1 bag - Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn "Naturals" - Simply Salted ½ lb. - Pale Chocolate Boil (hops in pellet form): 0.5 oz. - Centennial (10%) @60 1.0 oz. - Warrior (17.7%) @15 Yeast – USE STARTER: WLP001 California Ale Yeast
Special Instructions:
Pop the bag of popcorn and quickly pour onto a pan of paper towels. You do not want the oils to transfer to the beer. In an oven set to ~225 degrees, let the popcorn dry/cook for 45 minutes. Using a food processor, grind the popcorn to small bead-like size. On a new pan of paper towels, spread out the popcorn mix and let dry/cook for an additional 45 minutes. Again, the purpose of this is to try and prevent the popcorn oils from getting into the beer. Upon mashing in, add this popcorn mixture to the top of the mash.
