Historical Beer: Kentucky Common

Relatos modernos do estilo frequentemente mencionam acidez lática ou maceração ácida (sour mashing), mas registros cervejeiros de cervejarias maiores por volta de 1900 não indicam descansos ácidos longos, maceração ácida ou maturação prolongada. Essas histórias são provavelmente invenções modernas de cervejeiros caseiros, supondo que se os destiladores locais de Bourbon usavam mash ácida, os cervejeiros também deveriam usar. Nenhum registro indica maceração ácida ou perfil ácido na cerveja; pelo contrário, era produzida como ale barata para consumo imediato. Versões acidificadas devem ser inscritas em 28B Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer.

Originalmente americana, a Kentucky Common foi produzida e vendida quase exclusivamente em torno de Louisville, Kentucky, do período pós-Guerra Civil até a Lei Seca. Era barata e produzida rapidamente, envasada em barris durante fermentação ativa e bem fechada para permitir carbonatação no porão dos bares. Antes do estilo desaparecer, representava cerca de 75% das vendas em Louisville. Há especulações de que era uma variante escura da Cream Ale, criada por imigrantes alemães que adicionavam grãos mais escuros para acidificar a água carbonatada local.

Malte de cevada de seis fileiras. Grits de milho. Maltes caramelo e black. Lúpulos americanos rústicos para amargor. Lúpulos europeus continentais para finalização. Água com alto carbonato. Levedura Ale.

Medium-low to medium with a dry finish enhanced by high carbonation

Medium-low to medium with a dry finish enhanced by high carbonation

Medium-low to medium with a dry finish enhanced by high carbonation

Medium-low to medium with a dry finish enhanced by high carbonation

Medium-low to medium with a dry finish enhanced by high carbonation

Medium-low to medium with a dry finish enhanced by high carbonation

Modern characterizations of the style often mention a lactic sourness or sour mashing, but extensive brewing records from the larger breweries at the turn of the century have no indication of long acid rests, sour mashing, or extensive conditioning. This is likely a modern homebrewer invention, based on the supposition that since indigenous Bourbon distillers used a sour mash, beer brewers must also have used this process. No contemporaneous records indicate sour mashing or that the beer had a sour profile; rather the opposite, that the beer was brewed as an inexpensive, present-use ale. Enter soured versions in American Wild Ale.

A true American original style, Kentucky Common was almost exclusively produced and sold around the Louisville Kentucky metropolitan area from some time after the Civil War up to Prohibition. Its hallmark was that it was inexpensive and quickly produced, typically 6 to 8 days from mash to delivery. The beer was racked into barrels while actively fermenting (1.020 – 1.022) and tightly bunged to allow carbonation in the saloon cellar. There is some speculation that it was a variant of the lighter common or cream ale produced throughout much of the East prior to the Civil War and that the darker grains were added by the mostly Germanic brewers to help acidify the typical carbonate water of the Louisville area, or that they had a preference for darker colored beers. Up until the late 19th century, Kentucky Common was not brewed in the summer months unless cellars, usually used for malting, were used for fermentation. With the advent of ice machines, the larger breweries were able to brew year round. In the period from 1900 to prohibition, about 75% of the beer sold in the Louisville area was Kentucky Common. With prohibition, the style died completely as the few larger breweries that survived were almost exclusively lager producers.

Six-row barley malt was used with 35% corn grits to dilute the excessive protein levels along with 1 to 2% each caramel and black malt. Native American hops, usually about .2 pounds per barrel of Western hops for bittering and a similar amount of New York hops (such as Clusters) for flavor (15 minutes prior to knock out). Imported continental Saazer-type hops (.1 pounds per barrel) were added at knock out for aroma. Water in the Louisville area was typically moderate to high in carbonates. Mash water was often pre-boiled to precipitate the carbonate and Gypsum was commonly added. Considering the time from mash in to kegging for delivery was typically 6 to 8 days, clearly aggressive top-fermenting yeasts was used.

Like a darker-colored cream ale emphasizing corn, but with some light character malt flavor. Malt flavors and balance are probably closest to modern adjunct-driven international amber or dark lagers, Irish red ales, or Belgian pale ales.