Brewing just-plain-beer beer

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Finn

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So I just got done crushing the fixin's for another batch of Wilhoit Springs IPA. It's 8 pounds of Golden Promise, 2 pounds of Crystal 10 and I've been playing around with the rest, in this case three-quarters of a pound each of Victory and Special. I got to thinking ... what does just-plain-beer taste like? Anybody tried just throwing 10 pounds of base malt in the tun and skipping all the special crystals and stuff?

I'm thinking of going with 9 pounds of Maris Otter floor malt and mashing it at 160 just to try and get it nice and thick and malty. Maybe a couple ounces of Goldings to keep it in balance without so much of the grapefruit thing. Whaddaya think?
 
I've got a brew going right now that is 100 percent MO. I did tost 2 pounds of it though so we will see how it turns out. I'll let everyone know.
 
If you keep the gravity relatively low, it's a Blonde ale. You could go all the way up to Barley wine on a single malt too. All brewers should do a smash for their 2nd or 3rd all grain batch just to realize how pleasing a beer can be stripped down. If gives you an appreciation for restraint when you do add specialties.
 
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=56412&highlight=SMaSH

Just search "SMaSH".

Orfy started it all. Check out his thread at:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=45890

It's a luvverly way to brew a fabulous beer and gain some valuable brewing knowledge and skill.

Bob

Right on! I think I'm going to try it after getting the party started in the carboy with my usual can't-live-without-it house stout. Probably kick it off with 8 pounds of Crisp MO floor malt and three or four ounces of Willamettes (solidarity, bro -- I live in the damn Willamette Valley, after all -- plus, these are basically Fuggles, which is the most neutral good-tasting hop I know) and see what happens. Unfortunately, we've just come into the dry season, so I can't put a barrel under the downspout and brew "Grain alcohol and rainwater." (I don't think Gen. Jack D. Ripper lives around here; he'd die of thirst in the summers.) Maybe this fall!

I noticed my best pale to date was brewed with the simplest recipe ... Jamil's ordinary bitter. It'll be good to see what the basis really is.

cheers!

--Finn
 
I wouldn't mash at 160°, though - that's a bit high to get any conversion. If you want to do a simple, SMaSH-type recipe, I'd go with a middle-of-the-road 154°.

Simple beer can be great beer. MO and EKG; a match made in heaven.
 
OK I just picked up my grainbill ... 8 pounds of Great Western (domestic American) 2-row, and that's all ... along with 4 oz. of Willamette and a vial of WLP-002 ... also, it rained! About halfway through I set my brewpot under the downspout. So, I'm ready to fix myself a drink with grain alcohol and rainwater. I'll keep you guys posted on how it comes together.

cheers!

--Maj. Gen. Jack D. Ripper, U.S.A., Ret.

EDIT: I plan to mash this at 154, as The Bird suggests. I'm starting with domestic 2-row, just as stripped down as you can get, and when it's done and gone I'll throw a Maris Otter-Kent Goldings brew onto the cake. This should give me a good idea of what the basic brews taste like ...
 
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