What SWMBO got me for my birthday

I'm a new brewer, haven't even been at it a year yet. I've successfully executed a grand total of TWO Brooklyn Brew Shop kits, though I've got four carboys humming along at present.

So for my birthday, I asked for and received: One 50-pound bag of Briess 2-row malted barley!

Now if I could just get a fermenter emptied...

...because I think I feel a SMaSH coming on!

I'm all for getting a fermenter emptied so you can fill it back up ....
....but a smash with Briess 2row sounds a bit lack-luster. Add some small amount of character malt and you'll be good. Or toast up some of the Briess to get a victory/biscuit/amber-like character and you can still call it a smash

If I want character, I can always bump the OG, right?

Actually, I've got part of a pound of Caramel 120. I could use a bit of that to add some flavor, I think.

Buy a bunch of 1 lb packs of various crystal and kilned malts, 1-2 1lb packs of pellet hops, and one pack of US-05. Then brew and rebrew different beers but continually pitch on the same yeast cake. You'll definitely end up with something interesting.

supermutantbrewmaster said:

Buy a bunch of 1 lb packs of various crystal and kilned malts, 1-2 1lb packs of pellet hops, and one pack of US-05. Then brew and rebrew different beers but continually pitch on the same yeast cake. You'll definitely end up with something interesting.

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Something... supermutant, perhaps?

I just sent my 2 Row smash home with one of the pickiest beer drinkers I've ever met. He loves it. You can make a great SMaSH. Pick a hop, pick a style, brew a beer.

I agree that you can make a good SMaSH with 2-row, but it has to be pretty hop forward. I did an interesting one that was just 2-row, no bittering addition, just 5 oz of Summit chucked in for a 45 minute hopstand at flameout. It was a crazy (but delicious) tasting beer, like boozy pineapple juice.

ong said:

I agree that you can make a good SMaSH with 2-row, but it has to be pretty hop forward. I did an interesting one that was just 2-row, no bittering addition, just 5 oz of Summit chucked in for a 45 minute hopstand at flameout. It was a crazy (but delicious) tasting beer, like boozy pineapple juice.

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Absolutely. Mines a Cascade IPA, 5 oz total. Citrusy fresh.

Oberon67 said:

I'm a new brewer, haven't even been at it a year yet. I've successfully executed a grand total of TWO Brooklyn Brew Shop kits, though I've got four carboys humming along at present.

So for my birthday, I asked for and received: One 50-pound bag of Briess 2-row malted barley!

Now if I could just get a fermenter emptied...

Click to expand...

Only one bag? That won't last long.

Plastic bucket fermenters are pretty cheap. They can be even cheaper if you want to make smaller batches. I have some white 5 gallon buckets that I bought from Walmart. I drilled a small hole in the lid of one and taped a oiece of saran wrap over it with one side untaped to let the excess CO2 out. I do a lot of 2 1/2 gallon batches and having more fermenters means I can have lots of varieties of beer going at once.:rockin: