Brew Dudes

Mike is diving back into a beer style that’s a bit off the beaten path: the Kentucky Common. You may remember he brewed this one a while ago, and then he brewed it again. Now, we’re giving it another go.

Kentucky Common is one of those lesser-known beer styles that may not get the same attention as others, but it’s perfect for keeping things fresh as a homebrewer. With Fall coming around, it’s a great time to revisit this dark and easy-drinking brew. Let’s talk through the recipe and our tasting notes.

Third Try Kentucky Common Recipe

Here’s the latest version of Mike’s Kentucky Common beer. This recipe is for a 3.5 US Gallon batch.

Ingredients:

Grain Bill:

• 4.75 lbs American Two-Row Malt (Base Malt)
• 1.5 lbs Flaked Corn
• 5 oz Crystal 40 Malt (Note: We suspect this might be a darker malt, potentially Crystal 60 or even 80)
• 3 oz Midnight Wheat (for color adjustment)

Hops:

• 1 oz Liberty Hops (5% AA) – at 60 minutes (Bittering)
• 0.5 oz Liberty Hops – at 10 minutes (Flavor)

Yeast:

• NovaLager yeast (or any clean fermenting lager yeast)

Process:

Mash the grains at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes. Boil for 60 minutes. Ferment at around 68°F (20°C) for 18-20 days.

Outcomes:

Starting Gravity (SG): 1.057
Final Gravity (FG): 1.016
ABV: around 5.5%

The Third Try Tasting

Appearance-wise, this Kentucky Common has a deep brown color with red highlights and a slightly off-white head. The aroma offers a nice mix of caramel from the malt and a hint of corn, but the hops are more muted, hidden behind the darker malts. Flavor-wise, the beer starts with a caramel malt backbone, and the corn helps to dry it out, creating a nice interplay of grainy flavors. The Liberty hops are subtle, with just a light herbal note that adds a bit of complexity. Overall, it’s smooth, easy to drink, and the higher final gravity gives it a bit more body, making it perfect for the cooler weather ahead.

This version of the Kentucky Common really hit the spot. It’s a style that not many people brew, but if you’re looking for something different to try this fall, this one is worth it. With its balanced malt profile and clean finish, it’s an easy-drinker that pairs well with the season. If you haven’t brewed a Kentucky Common yet, give it a shot!

BREW ON!

We’re back at it with another entry in the Jar of Destiny Challenge, and this time, we brewed a Belgian Pale Ale from the 2015 BJCP guidelines, specifically category 24B. This is the second beer from the 11th of our random picks, and we’re excited to share how it turned out. Belgian Pale Ales are a unique style, balancing some of the expected fruity esters and spicy phenolics of Belgian yeast with more restrained hop bitterness and malt sweetness. In this video, we’ll dive into the recipe, talk about the brewing process, and share our thoughts on the final beer.

Recipe

Batch Size: 3.5 gallons
Style: Belgian Pale Ale (Category 24B)
Original Gravity (OG): 1.052
Final Gravity (FG): 1.009
ABV: ~6%
IBU: Medium (unspecified exact value)
Color: Amber (darker than typical Belgian Pale Ale)

Grains:
Dingemans Pale Ale Malt: 83% (approximately 5.6 lbs or 2.54 kg)
Caravienne Malt: 17% (approximately 1.1 lbs or 0.50 kg)

Hops:
Styrian Goldings (60 minutes): 21 grams
Styrian Goldings (5 minutes): 14 grams

Yeast:
Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes (liquid yeast)

Process:
Mash Temperature: 152°F (66°C) for 60 minutes

Fermentation Temperature: 68°F (20°C)
The beer started fermenting within 8 hours, and the yeast produced a clean profile with balanced esters and phenols. If looking to reduce yeast character slightly, fermenting cooler or under slight pressure might be beneficial.

Starting Gravity (OG): 1.052
Final Gravity (FG): 1.009
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): ~6%

Belgian Pale Ale Tasting Notes

On tasting, this Belgian Pale Ale delivers what we were hoping for: a beautiful amber color, subtle yeast esters, and a balanced blend of malt and hop character. The nose has hints of yeast and floral hop aromas, but the real star here is the malt bill. Caravienne brings a nice brown bread and biscuit quality, with just a touch of brown sugar sweetness. The yeast esters are there, but they’re not overwhelming—everything is in harmony. There’s a touch of sulfur on the aroma, likely due to the beer being a little young.

As the beer warmed up, the flavors continued to meld together, and the balance between malt, hops, and yeast became even more apparent. The beer has a smooth finish and medium body, and at 6% ABV, it’s drinkable but still has enough heft to be satisfying. I think this one will only improve with a little more conditioning time. In a couple of weeks, as the yeast drops out, it should clear up and become even more refined. Overall, this is another strong addition to the Jar of Destiny series.

Brew ON!

Hey – we are back with more result videos of our Jar of Destiny series. The Pale Kellerbier is the first from our 11th picks. From the 2015 BJCP category 7c, this lager is more of a serving technique than a beer style but it doesn’t matter. We brew in accordance to that year’s guidelines. Check out how we fared this time around in our ongoing homebrew challenge series.

Pale Kellerbier Recipe

According to the guidelines, this beer is a “very common seasonal summer beer brewed by many of the Munich area breweries and served in the beer gardens…” Reading and researching more, I came up with this recipe.

Yield – 5 gallon batch

Grains:
11 pounds (4.99 kg) of Dingemans Pilsner Malt – 88% of the bill
1 pound (454 g) of Weyermann Vienna Malt – 8% of the bill
8 ounces (227 g) of Dingemans Biscuit Malt – 4% of the bill

Hops:
2 ounces (57 g) of Homegrown Magnum hops (2023 harvest)

Yeast:
1 packet of Saflager W-34/70 Lager yeast
(1 liter starter the day before brew session)

Water:
Spring water with 4 grams of gypsum added to the boil

Instructions:
Mashed grains at 150°F (66°C) for 60 minutes
Boiled for 75 minutes

Hops added with 60 minutes to go in boil
Chilled to 60°F (16°C) and pitched yeast

Fermented in keg for 2 weeks in fridge at 60°F (16°C)
Cold crashed over 3 days – 33°F (1°C)
Closed transfer to clean and sanitized keg.
Forced carbonated to 2 volumes of CO2

Outcomes:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV: 5.25%

The Results

This Pale Kellerbier hit all the right notes. On the nose, we got a pleasant mix of graininess, reminiscent of cereal grains with a touch of floral and herbal hops. The taste followed through with a rounded malt sweetness that was balanced by a moderate hop bitterness, giving it just enough bite to keep things interesting. The malt profile brought hints of bread and a subtle nuttiness from the biscuit malt. The beer was crisp and drinkable, with just enough carbonation to make it feel lively on the palate.

One of the standout features was the use of our homegrown Magnum hops. They provided a unique bittering experience that wasn’t overly aggressive but still noticeable, adding a spicy herbal note that lingered pleasantly after each sip. The slight mineral character from the gypsum addition worked harmoniously with the hop profile, enhancing the beer’s overall crispness. Despite its quick turnaround, this Kellerbier showcased the freshness and unfiltered charm that defines the style. It was easy to drink with a refreshing finish.

Overall, we were really pleased with how this Pale Kellerbier turned out. Thanks, Jar of Destiny, for another great brewing adventure. Stay tuned for the next beer in our series!

BREW ON!

Links To The Jar of Destiny Series Results
Check out the British Strong Ale post
Check out the Black IPA post
Check out the International Amber Lager post
Check out the Belgian Tripel post
Check out the Double IPA post
Check out the Kölsch post
Check out the English IPA post
Check out the Wood-Aged Beer post
Check out the Belgian Golden Strong Ale post
Check out the American Amber Ale post
Check out the German Pils post
Check out the Brett Beer post
Check out the Munich Helles post
Check out the Imperial Stout post
Check out the Foreign Extra Stout post
Check out the Belgian IPA post
Check out the Eisbock post
Check out the Czech Dark Lager post
Check out the California Common post
Check out the American Light Lager post
Check out the Pale Kellerbier post
Check out the Belgian Pale Ale post
Check out the Trappist Single post
Check out the Classic Style Smoked Beer post
Check out the Czech Amber Lager post
Check out the Gueuze post
Check out the Irish Stout post
Check out the Tropical Stout post
Check out the Schwarzbier post
Check out the American Wheat Beer post