SMaSH Recipes

I have been working on developing some simple SMaSH recipes to try out during my transition to BIAB brewing from extract/grains. So far, I have come up with 2 ideas that I think will pretty well. One is a Brown Porter SMaSH with Crystal 40 as the grain and Fuggles or EKG or Crystal hops. I am also considering a SMaSH pale ale with Marris Otter and Citra.

Does anyone else have any good single-ingredient recipes that they like? I am looking to keep the recipes simple (thus the SMaSH idea) while I perfect my brewing process. Once I know I can control mash temps and get a successful mash, then I will consider trying more complex recipes.

Any and all successful SMaSH recipes are greatly appreciated.

Crystal 40 is not a base grain, and a beer made with more than pound or two will be sickly sweet and nearly undrinkable.

Smash beers are tough to screw up, almost any base grain and a single hop will result in a fine end product, assuming all other variables like yeast, mash temp, ferm temp, etc. are kept within proper ranges.

You need to start with a base grain, and not a crystal malt or roasted malt. Some base grains are Munich malt, maris otter, US two-row, Vienna malt, and pilsner malt. Any of them can be a base for your SMaSH.

I had thought about the limitations of using Crystal 40 as the base of the recipe, but I was hoping that since it was not one of the darker roasted grains, that it might be workable. I have never really played with using roasted grains in large quantities. Would it simply be so unfermentable that it would never attenuate completely? I guess I was thinking that the lighter roasted malts (like Crystal 40 or Crystal 20) would not be as unfermentable as the darker varieties, and could be used in that way.

DrummerBoySeth said:

I had thought about the limitations of using Crystal 40 as the base of the recipe, but I was hoping that since it was not one of the darker roasted grains, that it might be workable. I have never really played with using roasted grains in large quantities. Would it simply be so unfermentable that it would never attenuate completely? I guess I was thinking that the lighter roasted malts (like Crystal 40 or Crystal 20) would not be as unfermentable as the darker varieties, and could be used in that way.

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Well, crystal malt is "premashed" so to speak and it's great for color and flavor. But it's not a base malt, and no conversion could happen, so it's not appropriate for 100% of the grainbill. You could use it up to 15% with no conversion problems, but you need a base malt to make beer.

Like Yooper says, Crystal malts are stewed(mashed) as a whole grain to convert starch into sugars, then kilned to create caramelized sugars within the individual grains. The enzymes are destroyed in this process, so mashing is a waste of time. You will end up with a terribly sweet beer as the process doesn't lend itself to creating fermentable sugars.

SMaSH is a great way to learn the effect of mash temps, hop schedules, ferm temps, yeast (pitch rate, strain), on the resultant beer. You really can't pick the wrong ingredients in this case, any base grain can work just fine with any hop, even the most english of malts, can make a beautiful west coast IPA with the right hop schedule.

I've found Vienna works really well in a SMaSH beer. I've done it twice with brilliant results.

I second the Vienna. I do a Vienna/Centennial SMaSH that stays in my rotation. I have also used Fuggles and Nelson Sauvin with Vienna and all turned out well. I prefer the Centennial though.

+1 for Vienna. I've made tasty SMaSHs with Vienna/Cascade and Vienna/Warrior.

Vienna is great, Munich (I have used both 7L and 10L Munich for 100% of grain bill), any good pale ale malt, even basic 2 row is nice if you are going for a Pils or helles type beer

I'm doing a 2 row smash this week, i'll let you know how it turns out in a few weeks.

jflongo said:

I'm doing a 2 row smash this week, i'll let you know how it turns out in a few weeks.

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What hops?

I did a really small batch of Maris Otter (1.75 lb) with Amarillo hops (.15 oz at 60 minutes & .15 oz at 5 minutes). This produced 1 gallon of a great, crisp Blonde Ale. I used the Mauribrew ale yeast with pretty favourable results.
OG = 1.044
FG = 1.019 (my yeast did not fully attenuate as I underpitched {?} - but it still gave me a tasty beer)

I did pretty much the same with American Pale malt (2-row) and Munich malt. The reason being I want to explore base malts as well as individual hop flavours.

I am really glad I did these 1 gallon experiments because it taught me so much about hops usage and base malts. Also, with a generic Blonde ale recipe, it is difficult to mess up (Granted, I don't know if you could ever call a Munich SMaSH a Blonde ale).

I have a about a pound of each Cascade and Centennial and would really like to see yalls hits with the Vienna malt SMaSH.

My (marris) Otter Citra SMaSH turned out very well. Fantastic head retention. Good fruity armona, biscuit notes. Did get some diacetyl flavors, but easily enough to correct for next time. Inexpensive, gret lawnmower beer. I will be making another big batch for this summer.

+1 on the Vienna. I've used it twice in a SMaSH, once with centennial and once with Sorachi Ace. Centennial was by far my favorite. Sorachi Ace had too much dill flavor.

I'm doing my first SMaSH on Saturday. Got the starter going last night. Here's my recipe:

Recipe Type: All Grain BIAB
Yeast: WLP001
Yeast Starter: Yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.014
IBU: 45
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 2

MALTS

12 lb 2-row


HOPS

1 oz Citra 60 min
.5 oz Citra 5 min
.5 oz Citra flameout
1 oz Citra Dryhop

YEAST

WLP001

CMAC said:

My (marris) Otter Citra SMaSH turned out very well. Fantastic head retention. Good fruity armona, biscuit notes. Did get some diacetyl flavors, but easily enough to correct for next time. Inexpensive, gret lawnmower beer. I will be making another big batch for this summer.

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Cmac - what temp did you mash at? I'm going to do MO with Simcoe. And what do you recommend to do for reduction of diacetyl? Thanks.


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Agreed I'm brewing a MO EK Golding on Thursday and I'm curious on a mash temp!!


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Getting ready to keg a pilsen/el Dorado smash
Smells amazing

MO and citra is another great one.

bdknuc2 said:

Agreed I'm brewing a MO EK Golding on Thursday and I'm curious on a mash temp!!

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I did a MO cascade smash recently and mashed it at 154. Turned out awesome!

I did a m/0 smash with tetnang. It was OK. But . no mouth feel. No head on the beer. Just a little fizz and died down

What base would anyone suggest for Sorachi? I've got a pack to muck with and some 2-Row, MO, and Golden Promise. Can't decide which one to put it in.

funkadelicturkey said:

+1 for Vienna. I've made tasty SMaSHs with Vienna/Cascade and Vienna/Warrior.

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I just cooked up a Vienna/Tettnanger smoosher last night. Can't wait to try it.

I have a lot of Chinook hops needing to be used and a little Vienna. I am thinking about this.

11# Vienna
1 oz chinook FWH
1 oz 0 min
1 oz hop stand

1.051 SG and ~45IBUs

Haven't decided on yeast, I have some 001 I need to use and a trappist ale yeast that would really make for an odd brew

30Bones said:

I have a lot of Chinook hops needing to be used and a little Vienna. I am thinking about this.

11# Vienna
1 oz chinook FWH
1 oz 0 min
1 oz hop stand

1.051 SG and ~45IBUs

Haven't decided on yeast, I have some 001 I need to use and a trappist ale yeast that would really make for an odd brew

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The "Why the hell not eh?" bugger in me says go with the Trappist yeast for giggles :rockin:

That's my thoughts as well. It would be for a local brew festival, so a fair amount will get served to the public

I've done three 1 gallon smooshers so far now and enjoyed them all, but one definitely stood out.

Sorachi 2-Row w/Notty
Sorachi Maris Otter w/ Notty
Vienna Tettnanger w/Windsor

Oddly the one I figured I wouldn't like as much is the one I loved. Always loved the heavier flavours and darker beers, shying away from lighter so that the 2 Row Sorachi mix was actually my favourite of the group was quite a surprise.

Refreshing, crisp, nice body and would be a great lawnmower beer. The other two were nice as well but the 2 Row really stood out. Have to do a larger batch to have on hand for summer.

2lbs 2 Row
4g Sorachi @ 60
6g Sorachi @ 10

30Bones said:

That's my thoughts as well. It would be for a local brew festival, so a fair amount will get served to the public

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Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!

Wait....*looks at date*

Did it?

No I did not do it. Maybe come springtime.

I do a Vienna SMaSH with Northern Brewer or Willamette hops and the WLP810 San Fran Lager yeast. I call it a 'Vienna Steam' beer. Very nice for the cooler weather, it's in regular rotation at my house.