Steam Beer

[Rubbery]

Back in the 1980s I remember drinking Newquay Steam Beer from a flip top bottle. After a little googling, I find that Steam Beer is produced by brewing with larger yeast at ale temperatures. This leads me to look at Anchor Steam Beer and plan a brew.

... a few moths later I am ready to go. But, a little more googling reveals that Newquay Steam Beer was not brewed with larger yeast at all, but steam was used somehow in the brewing process. The brewery that produced it was bought out long ago and the beer went out of production. I also find that the brewers of Anchor Steam Beer have copyrighted "Steam Beer", so no one else can use the name. The generic name appears to now be California Common Ale.

Anyway, I seem to be stuck with the idea of a steam beer, so I am going to have a go at producing a California Common Ale. I have bought some Wyeast 2112 (California Lager) and have Northern Brewer hops in stock. The Norther Brewer hops are the German variety instead of the US, but I guess that will be ok. I will ferment at 18C and bottle it to get the correct level of carbonation.

I am going to save some of the yeast to produce another steam beer afterwards, using english hops - Challenger, Fuggles and Goldings. I am hoping this will produce something clean and drinkable - maybe a little like the Newquay Steam Beer I started with.

Brewday tomorrow...

[Rubbery]

California Steam Beer

2900g Pale Malt
200g Crystal Malt
200g Munich Malt
80g Torrefied Wheat

23g Northern Brewer 8.2%@ 90 mins
8g Northern Brewer 8.2% @ 15 mins
10g Northern Brewer 8.2% @ 0 mins (20 steep)

Final Volume: 19 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.041
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 4% ABV
Total Liquor: 29 Litres
Mash Liquor: 8.5 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 77.5%
Bitterness: 31 EBU
Colour: 18 EBC

Wyeast 2112 (california larger) @ 18C

[math]

Good luck! I'm currently conditioning a Steam Beer Made Easy (by which i mean, I used a Bitter kit as a base, with Saflager 23 and then went off-piste a bit with 50g Citra dry hopping.. ) - I must say it tasted just incredible when I bottled it...

[Rubbery]

Bitter with Citra and Saflager 23 sounds good! I hope your kept the temperature down during the recent hot weather (I assume you are UK based).

I am looking forward to my Steam Bitter (next brew) more than the California Steam Ale (in the FV).

[Fido97]

You are right its copyrighted so one has to use the term California Common as the beer type. I did one of these with a mate a few months back - as I recall there is a protein break 2 stage mash and you need a lager yeast but ferment under ale conditions so its quite a spectacular aggresive ferment! End result is smooth malty beer, not that hoppy. We loosely used the recipe from the 'Clone Brews' book. Good luck with it.

[Invalid Stout]

I remember Newquay Steam Beer too and as far as I can recall it was just a marketing name. No connection with the American Steam Beer style.

[Rubbery]

Wood97, I only brew for my own consumption, so I will call it Steam Beer and worry about the copyright when Anchor Brewery come knocking on my door Do you brew commercially?

It did not occur to me to do a protein rest, so maybe I will get a bit of protein haze

I am using Wyeast 2112 (California larger) @ 18C and, yes, it is quite aggressive

[Rubbery]

Yes, Newquay Steam Beer has no connection to the American Steam Beer style. However, my next brew, after this one, is going to be an English Steam Beer - inspired by the, false, assumption that it was a steam beer I think I have invented a new beer style by accident

[math]

Thanks Rubbery, I think it should have been maybe 18C at the most, but I figured lax temperature control was fairly authentic

Funnily enough I saw a 'Cornish Steam Lager' when I was down there last year, but I don't think that's got anything to do with lager-yeast-at-ale-temperatures either. Here is it http://www.woodenhand.co.uk/products.htm#1

[coatesg]

The history is slightly more complex, but it's loosely (I believe) it's German emmigrants brewing beer in California, using lager yeast without the ability to ferment cool like lager brewers in the homeland.

Re: recipe, I think you want a bit more munich and crystals, but otherwise on the right lines. Northern Brewer hop schedule is absolutely the right way to go

[Barley Water]

You might consider bumping you O.G. up to around 1.050 or so. I know that Anchor Steam is at least in that ballpark. Just recently I had a bottle and it is a very good beer. The reason I never brew that style is because I compete alot and that particular style is a contest to see who can come closest to Anchor Steam, I personally like to brew styles where I get a bit more latitude. Anyhow, it's a nice tasting beer, go for it.

[Rubbery]

Thanks guys. I can't do much about the grain bill now as it is ready to bottle this afternoon. I must go and soak some bottles...

[EoinMag]

http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Dampfbier.html

A Steamy Brew for the Common Folk
The Dampfbier (steam beer) style got its name from the common folk. As a warm-fermented ale, the brew produces copious amounts of foam and bubbles on the surface in the vat. As these surface bubbles burst, they give the appearance — at least to the non-brewer — that the ferment is boiling, even "steaming."

[Rubbery]

I had a sneaky taste of the California Steam Beer last night, to make sure the yeast is performing, before my next brewday today. It has only been in the bottle for 3 days, but nearly clear and a small amount of carbonation. The taste is good: a little sweet at first (not conditioned yet); then a woody bitterness; dry and minty aftertaste. This is going to be a good drink

So, I am reusing the Wyeast 2112 (California Larger) to brew an English Steam Bitter today. The idea is to produce a refreshing beer for the summer using english hops, to be served from a keg kept at about 17C.

English Steam Bitter

3500g Pale Malt
250g Munich Malt
250g Crystal Malt, Medium
25g Chocolate Malt

11g Fuggle @ First Wort
22g Challenger @ 90min
11g Fuggle @ 5min

Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 3.9% ABV
Total Liquor: 34.4 Litres
Mash Liquor: 10.1 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 77.5 %
Bitterness: 27 EBU
Colour: 27 EBC

[Deebee]

I had a sneaky taste of the California Steam Beer last night, to make sure the yeast is performing, before my next brewday today. It has only been in the bottle for 3 days, but nearly clear and a small amount of carbonation. The taste is good: a little sweet at first (not conditioned yet); then a woody bitterness; dry and minty aftertaste. This is going to be a good drink

So, I am reusing the Wyeast 2112 (California Larger) to brew an English Steam Bitter today. The idea is to produce a refreshing beer for the summer using english hops, to be served from a keg kept at about 17C.

English Steam Bitter

3500g Pale Malt
250g Munich Malt
250g Crystal Malt, Medium
25g Chocolate Malt

11g Fuggle @ First Wort
22g Challenger @ 90min
11g Fuggle @ 5min

Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 3.9% ABV
Total Liquor: 34.4 Litres
Mash Liquor: 10.1 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 77.5 %
Bitterness: 27 EBU
Colour: 27 EBC

Which yeast you use?
Bet this is great served through a creamflow sparkler!
One for this list if i can get a larger yeast.