It's Friday here, and the weekend is in the air. Here's the BJCP on the steam beer:
California Common Beer
Aroma: Typically showcases the signature Northern Brewer hops
(with woody, rustic or minty qualities) in moderate to high strength.
Light fruitiness acceptable. Low to moderate caramel and/or toasty
malt aromatics support the hops. No diacetyl.
Appearance: Medium amber to light copper color. Generally clear.
Moderate off-white head with good retention.
Flavor: Moderately malty with a pronounced hop bitterness. The malt
character is usually toasty (not roasted) and caramelly. Low to
moderately high hop flavor, usually showing Northern Brewer qualities
(woody, rustic, minty). Finish fairly dry and crisp, with a lingering hop
bitterness and a firm, grainy malt flavor. Light fruity esters are
acceptable, but otherwise clean. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium to medium-high carbonation.
Overall Impression: A lightly fruity beer with firm, grainy maltiness,
interesting toasty and caramel flavors, and showcasing the signature
Northern Brewer varietal hop character.
History: American West Coast original. Large shallow open
fermenters (coolships) were traditionally used to compensate for the
absence of refrigeration and to take advantage of the cool ambient
temperatures in the San Francisco Bay area. Fermented with a lager
yeast, but one that was selected to thrive at the cool end of normal ale
fermentation temperatures.
Comments: This style is narrowly defined around the prototypical
Anchor Steam example. Superficially similar to an American pale or
amber ale, yet differs in that the hop flavor/aroma is woody/minty
rather than citrusy, malt flavors are toasty and caramelly, the hopping is
always assertive, and a warm-fermented lager yeast is used.
Ingredients: Pale ale malt, American hops (usually Northern Brewer,
rather than citrusy varieties), small amounts of toasted malt and/or
crystal malts. Lager yeast, however some strains (often with the
mention of "California" in the name) work better than others at the
warmer fermentation temperatures (55 to 60°F) used. Note that some
German yeast strains produce inappropriate sulfury character. Water
should have relatively low sulfate and low to moderate carbonate
levels.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.048 1.054
IBUs: 30 45 FG: 1.011 1.014
SRM: 10 14 ABV: 4.5 5.5%
Commercial Examples: Anchor Steam, Southampton West Coast
Steam Beer, Old Dominion Victory Amber, Flying Dog Old Scratch
Amber Lager
I hope to get my Steam soon, but I will probably be late once again.
Let the tasting begin!!