SMaSH Advice MO & Argentinian Cascade

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Revvy

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
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I was thinking about doing a SMaSH using some of the stock of cheap Argentinian Cascade I bought up before I realized that it wasn't a substitution for true cascades.

I asked on a thread about what grain to use, and several people suggested I use Maris Otter, and toast a couple pound of it.

So I cobbled this up together...I haven't actually run it through my beersmith yet, I decided to use Beercalculus because it has a neat little icon that shows if the recipe is balanced or not, and according to BC it is balanced. I'm sure I'll have to tweak it a bit when I run it in Beersmith tonight.

I figure I'll toast one pound for an hour, and the other for an 1.5 to 2 hours...

So what do you all think?

Maris Otter/Argentinian Cascade SMaSH

Batch size: 2.5 gallons

malt and fermentables

% LB OZ Malt or Fermentable ppg °L

100% 6 0 British Pale (Maris Otter) 37 3

(2 pounds of MO toasted for 2 different times)


hops
oz variety form aa time
1.5 Argentine Cascade pellet 3.2 @60
1.0 Argentine Cascade pellet 3.2 @20
0 0.5 Argentine Cascade pellet 3.2 @Flameout


yeast
Safale S-04 Dry Yeast
ale yeast in dry form with high flocculation

Original Gravity
1.065
(1.058 to 1.067)
Final Gravity
1.017
(1.015 to 1.019)
Color
?Srms ? (Depends on color of toasted grains)
Mash Efficiency
75%
Bitterness
4.8 HBU
42.7 IBU
BU:GU
0.66
Alcohol
6.4% A.B.V.
5.0% A.B.W.
Calories
215 per 12 oz.

What temp and time would you all Mash it at?
 
Might be a tad on the hoppy side. The super duper graph of balance says:
revvy_smash.jpg


I have not used the Arg. Casc's so I can't say whether that particular hop will come across too strongly.

I can say that, with my Hersbrucker SMaSH (which I think Hersbr has a similar profile to Arg. Casc.) I wish I had toned down the hop additions just a little...... but I also had a lower gravity.

I think that it's gotta come out drinkable, though, after all it's a SMaSH! :D
 
Might be a tad on the hoppy side. The super duper graph of balance says:


I have not used the Arg. Casc's so I can't say whether that particular hop will come across too strongly.

I can say that, with my Hersbrucker SMaSH (which I think Hersbr has a similar profile to Arg. Casc.) I wish I had toned down the hop additions just a little...... but I also had a lower gravity.

I think that it's gotta come out drinkable, though, after all it's a SMaSH! :D

Well maybe Beer Calculus's balance thingy isn't that accurate...I though I got it balanced...I'll tweak it with the chart thingy I guess...

Danke'
 
If it were I --- and this is not knowing how Arg. Casc. behaves at all.....

I'd drop the bittering addition down a little bit, to get it closer to 32-35 IBUs.

Are you doing this 2.5 gal batch with top-up water, or a full boil? I can run it in BeerSmith right now for ya.

In concept, it sounds fantastic. I especially like using two different toast lengths, I'd do 20 minutes and - if you can pull it off without the malt starting to burn/smoke - 40 minutes for the two lengths.

I think it's a sound start. I'm just not sure if there will be too much bitter, not enough flavor/aroma.
 
If it were I --- and this is not knowing how Arg. Casc. behaves at all.....

I'd drop the bittering addition down a little bit, to get it closer to 32-35 IBUs.

Are you doing this 2.5 gal batch with top-up water, or a full boil? I can run it in BeerSmith right now for ya.

In concept, it sounds fantastic. I especially like using two different toast lengths, I'd do 20 minutes and - if you can pull it off without the malt starting to burn/smoke - 40 minutes for the two lengths.

I think it's a sound start. I'm just not sure if there will be too much bitter, not enough flavor/aroma.

Nah, no top off water this will be a full volume boil with whatever volume Beersmith says to....

I've been reading the stuff on toasting malts, like the chapter in how to brew and Oz Craftbrewer, they talk about wet toasting @ 350°F


1 hour Light sweet Toasty flavor.

1.5 hours Toasted Malty, slightly sweet.

2 hours Strong Toast/Roast flavor similar to Brown Malt.

SO I was thinking 1 pound an hour and the other 90 minutes...

Graham Sanders also recommeds adding a little sugar to the water you soak the grains in, this will help improve the Maillard reaction.
 
I have not played with toasting grains much. From what it would seem though you will end up with a brown ale?

I have read the Argentinian Casacades are sort of closer to a noble hop type character IIRC. Fairly mild in comparison to American Cascades.

Sound like an interesting experiment. However, I will suggest that it is perhaps not the best way to get to know these hops and the grain as you are throwing in different variables with the multiple toastings as well. Perhaps several small batches with only one different variable each?
 
I have not played with toasting grains much. From what it would seem though you will end up with a brown ale?

I have read the Argentinian Casacades are sort of closer to a noble hop type character IIRC. Fairly mild in comparison to American Cascades.

Sound like an interesting experiment. However, I will suggest that it is perhaps not the best way to get to know these hops and the grain as you are throwing in different variables with the multiple toastings as well. Perhaps several small batches with only one different variable each?

Zym is that you?


I ran some number removing 2 pounds of the MO and replacing them with IIRC crystal 20 and 40, or 40 and 60 to simulate the toasted grains, and the color was only a few degrees L darker. I may not go 60 and 90, but I do want to toast some becasue it was suggested in the other thread was that in order to get a bit of depth of flavor than straight basemalt, I should toast some of it...It seems like tere would be too singular of a profile just straight MO, and AC....

It seems like many of the smashes do it, change the character of some of the malt to add some depth.
 
I can vouch that straight Golden Promise with no toasting is plenty interesting. Have not used MO personally (price, plus I have 2-Row in bulk) in a SMaSH yet, but I would presume that it would also be at least drinkable and interesting on its own.

Re: Toasting method, I was just picturing Dude's Lake Walk method, where it's toasted dry. This research re: damp toasting is very interesting, I like where you are going with this!

Whether you use toasted grains or stick to straight MO, this has the potential to be a heckuva good beer. Kind of like a Noble Bitter.
 
Well, I have used MO in a couple of smashes and it is quite interesting all on its own. Pale, yes. Not lacking in character though, plenty of flavor.

I'm not trying to be a party pooper. Just the way I see it, the whole idea of a SMaSH is to get to know the 2 ingredients unadulterated and see how they work together. Once you get that understood, than you can make changes to see what will happen.
 
Well, I have used MO in a couple of smashes and it is quite interesting all on its own. Pale, yes. Not lacking in character though, plenty of flavor.

I'm not trying to be a party pooper. Just the way I see it, the whole idea of a SMaSH is to get to know the 2 ingredients unadulterated and see how they work together. Once you get that understood, than you can make changes to see what will happen.

Pooper....:D

Honestly, I expressed the interest in doing something with the hops, and several people suggested I smash it with the MO AND to toast some of it. I never would have thought of doing either a smash, using MO, or toasting any of the grain... I thought the one of the smash rues WAS that you got any maillard type flavoring from toasting some, not adding a different grain...

So thanks to you I'm even more confused, whoever the heck you are...:D
 
My limited experience with Ag Cascades,

I know they are compared to milder hops, but sometimes I think that is people repeating other people repeating other peopl......down to a couple sources. I used them in a Amber that is OK, but unbalanced. The bitterness is quite sharp. It was one of my first beers and my own recipe though. I'll post more info when I get home. As it ages and the hops mellow it is getting pretty good.

And Revvy, as a MI resident who has probably tried Arcadia's IPA, I humbly ask that you visit my IPA recipe thread. Search Red Coat.:D
 
My limited experience with Ag Cascades,

I know they are compared to milder hops, but sometimes I think that is people repeating other people repeating other peopl......down to a couple sources. I used them in a Amber that is OK, but unbalanced. The bitterness is quite sharp. It was one of my first beers and my own recipe though. I'll post more info when I get home. As it ages and the hops mellow it is getting pretty good.

And Revvy, as a MI resident who has probably tried Arcadia's IPA, I humbly ask that you visit my IPA recipe thread. Search Red Coat.:D

I used AC's in my lime ale this summer, and the flavor was lost in them over the lime.

I honestly can't recall If I tried the Arcadia IPA....I think I've only tried two of their beers, in don't think they were them.

:mug:
 
I agree with lowering the IBUs a bit. At current level, any maltiness from the malt will be covered up. Also, you might want to think about boiling down some of the first runnings in order to caramelize some of the sugars and build upon the complexity of the malt flavors. I did that exact thing last week in a maris otter smash and was really pleased at how it worked. I boiled 2 quarts of the first runnings down to about 2 cups. It darkened up and smelled really good. When I was pouring it into the kettle the cold air began to solidify the edges of the syrup it was so thick. I licked the pot clean it was so delicious. Anyway, it's an idea. I enjoyed the process so much, in fact, that I'll be doing a wee heavy tomorrow utilizing the technique.
 
I thought the one of the smash rues WAS that you got any maillard type flavoring from toasting some, not adding a different grain...

OK - I see where you're goin'...

One of the "SMaSH Rules" (rules? we no need no stinking rules!) is indeed that you use a single grain, and if you want to add any color, you have to suitably toast some of your malt to encourage those Malliard reactions, in order to darken the resulting beer. You're right in that aspect.

But at this point, we have to distinguish between "SMaSH as a strictly educational tool" and "SMaSH as a means to produce simple, but easy-drinking, beers".

If your purpose is to get to know Maris Otter and Argentine Cascade, then yes, I would say to leave out any toasted malt, and just use the Maris Otter as it is. If your purpose is to get to know just the Argentine Cascade, and in the process you want to use Maris Otter to get a nice, bready/toasty ale, then I say toast a pound or two up, and play with it!

For me, it's an opportunity to get to know the hop. The malt is easier to get to know, the Hop is hard to wrap my head around.

To each brewer their own though! I would love to see someone who uses EKGs in every SMaSH, and tries all the "popular" malts... a Munich + EKG, a Vienna + EKG, a Maris Otter + EKG, a Golden Promise + EKG, a Mild Ale Malt + EKG, so on, so forth.



I enjoyed the process so much, in fact, that I'll be doing a wee heavy tomorrow utilizing the technique.

+1 to this! For a Wee Heavy, I would be tempted to take between 0.5 - 1 gallon of first runnings, and boil down to a quart. Mmmm smoky caramel. Mmmm.

I'd lick the pot clean too! :D
 
I agree with lowering the IBUs a bit. At current level, any maltiness from the malt will be covered up. Also, you might want to think about boiling down some of the first runnings in order to caramelize some of the sugars and build upon the complexity of the malt flavors. I did that exact thing last week in a maris otter smash and was really pleased at how it worked. I boiled 2 quarts of the first runnings down to about 2 cups. It darkened up and smelled really good. When I was pouring it into the kettle the cold air began to solidify the edges of the syrup it was so thick. I licked the pot clean it was so delicious. Anyway, it's an idea. I enjoyed the process so much, in fact, that I'll be doing a wee heavy tomorrow utilizing the technique.

Thanks I'm definitely gonna back off on the IBU's when I get home to my beersmith, I'm going to knock it into the range on the chart for balanced beer. Which looks to be between 30 and 35 IBUS.

BUT isn't carmelizing some of the wort, sort of having the same effect as if I toasted some of the grains?

What temp did you mash at?
 
Thanks I'm definitely gonna back off on the IBU's when I get home to my beersmith, I'm going to knock it into the range on the chart for balanced beer. Which looks to be between 30 and 35 IBUS.

BUT isn't carmelizing some of the wort, sort of having the same effect as if I toasted some of the grains?

What temp did you mash at?

I mashed at 154 for an hour. I'm not sure how accurate my way of thinking is, but I tend to think that toasting the malt would lend toasty/bready malt flavors like a victory/biscuit malt would, while caramelizing the wort tends to give caramel/tofee flavors. In the scottish ale Jamil Show, he talked about how kettle caramelization was giving him really rich tofee flavors but he decided to stop using the technique in his scottish ales since judges were mistaking it for diacetyl. As a fan of caramelly/tofee-y/butterscotchy flavors in my beer I feel kettle caramelization lends unique flavors to the beer.
 
I've done two MO SMaSH beers and both were non-toasted and mashed at 154*F.

Both finished at 1010 and 1011 respectively. Nice and flavorful, biscuity. I'm working on the second 5G right now and expect it to be gone by next weekend. I've a Christmas party this weekend and the SMaSHed Blond Ale goes quick.

I'd stick to non-toasted so you can get and idea what it tastes like straight up.
 
Alright guys you convinced me not to...but if it tastes like satan's anus with the AC's I'm not going to be happy....

So you both agree 154...So MMB, do you agree with the king about mashing for an hour?
 
Alright guys you convinced me not to...but if it tastes like satan's anus with the AC's I'm not going to be happy....

So you both agree 154...So MMB, do you agree with the king about mashing for an hour?

I always mash for 60 minutes. Gives me good efficiency (78%) and my igloo cooler holds temp for that long easily. Never bothered to try anything else.

*shrug*
 
I like mashing for 75 minutes. Gives me more time to sit down for a sec, then deal with heating my sparge water. Also helps to keep those FGs down.

Tell me, Revvy... how do you want this beer to wind up, in terms of mouthfeel? Chewy? Thin?

I'd mash at 158˚ if you want this to be a nice, malty IPA... Or else I'd mash at 150˚ if you want a thinner, hoppier IPA.

But I'm a weirdo. Listen to these dudes.
 
I toasted 2 lbs of MO for my EdWort's Wounded Knee IPA and it was great. It got a nice Orange color to the brew. It had mostly MO with 9 lbs MO, 2 Toasted MO, and 1 of Crystal 20. I think most of the color came from the toasted MO. I only dry toasted mine for 30 minutes @ 350 (stirred every 10 minutes in the oven). I can't find a toasted MO for color but toasted pale lists its color at 27L.

With my limited experience, I am a big fan of this IPA, MO and especially toasted MO.

For what it's worth, my grain was already crushed when I toasted it and I used it the same day. Contrary to the books that say to let it rest a week or two after toasting. Mine turned out fine.

I'm thinking about trying your same smash recipe but with regular cascade.
 
Wanted to add this into the discussion - it's related more to Smoked malt and smoking your own base malt, but some of the chemicals and reactions are still the same:

Smoke and Food
Smoke has many component molecules, and its interaction with food has been extensively studied. Common smoked foods include fish (especially salmon), ham and bacon, sausages, cheeses, chipotle (smoked jalapeño) peppers and many others — including, of course, smoked malt used in the brewing of smoked beers and in the production of whiskey.

Smoke contains a variety of compounds that retard spoilage, including formaldehyde, acetic acid (the acid in vinegar) and various phenolic compounds. Some of these phenolics also have anti-oxidant properties. The anti-oxidant properties of smoke were a big reason it was used on fish before refrigeration. The anti-oxidants kept the fats and oils on the surface of the fish from going rancid. (Rancidification is the decomposition of fats or oils.) This — usually in combination with salting or drying — allowed fish to be stored for weeks. The pH of smoke is also very low, usually under 2.5, which makes it hostile to microorganisms.

These days, food is smoked primarily for the flavor contribution of the smoke. When wood is burned, smoke can smell of caramel, bread, fruits, flowers, vanilla, clove and many other things. It also, of course, has a smoky pungency to it. The character of the smoke depends largely on what kind of wood is being burned and under what conditions. Many of the phenolic compounds in smoke are quite reactive and thus smoke flavors can diminish in foods, sometimes in a matter of weeks.

For all the wonderful properties of smoke, it does have the potential to cause health problems. Burning wood gives off polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs). Many of these compounds have been found to be carcinogenic. Commercially produced smoked malt is made under conditions to minimize PAH content and in the sidebar on smoking malt, I’ll explain how to reduce your risk. PAHs are found in many foods — most especially foods grilled over wood — and you can never completely eliminate your exposure to them.

What’s in Wood
Wood is composed of three major materials, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Cellulose is a linear chain of glucose molecules, similar to starch, but bonded together in such a way as to be indigestible by animals. (Termites can digest the cellulose in wood due to bacteria in their guts that can degrade cellulose.) A typical chain of cellulose contains 7,000 to 15,000 sugar subunits.

Hemicellulose is similar to cellulose, but is composed of many different types of sugars beside glucose. These include xylose, and lesser amounts of mannose, galactose and arabinose. Hemicellulose usually contains around 200 sugar subunits in a branching configuration.

When cellulose or hemicellulose is burned, it gives off many compounds, including furans (which smell sweet, bready and floral), lactones (which smell like coconut or peach) acetaldehyde (green apple), acetic acid (vinegar) and diacetyl (buttery).

Lignin is a class of molecule composed of many rings of carbon atoms. The more lignin in wood, the hotter it burns. The phenolics in smoke come from the decomposition of lignin. These include guaiacol (which smells smoky or spicy), vanillin (the main aromatic compound in vanilla), phenol (pungent), isoeugenol (sweet or clove-like) and syringol (spicy, sausage-like).

One of the minor components of wood is protein, so smoke can also contain Maillard products, those “browning products” formed by the interaction of sugar and amino acids under heat. If you are an advanced homebrewer, you probably recognized many of the compounds mentioned above. If not, though, don’t worry, the point is that smoke contains a large number of molecules that can confer flavors or aromas to smoked malt.

Malt
If you’re going to brew a smoked beer at home, you first need to find a source of smoked malt. There are two commonly-available commercial smoked malts available to North American homebrewers , Weyermann rauchmalz (smoked malt) and peat-smoked malt. Peated malt is available from maltsters Hugh Baird, Thomas Fawcett and Simpsons. In addition, you can smoke your own malt — see the sidebar on page 34.

Weyermann rauchmalz is a pale, base malt (1.7–2.8 °L), smoked over beechwood. Beech is native to Europe and North America and is used frequently as firewood because it burns steadily and cleanly. (Beech is also the wood that Anheuser-Busch uses to age Budweiser on. In their conditioning tanks, it serves as a place for the yeast to settle.) Rauchmalz has a fairly mild smoke character and can be used for up to 100% of the grist.

Peat-smoked malts are also light in color — generally 2–3 °L — but have a much more intense smoke character. Peat is partially-decomposed organic matter (mostly mosses and lichens) that forms in acidic wetlands called bogs. In many countries, it is dried and burned as fuel and its smoke has a very distinctive aroma. For awhile in North American homebrewing, it was practically de rigueur to add peat-smoked malt to Scottish-style ales. These days, the pendulum has swung the other way and this practice is avoided as it never was a traditional commercial practice.

Some maltsters make peat-smoked malt with different levels of smoke character. In general, peat-smoked malt should be used in very small quantities, perhaps up to 5% maximum for the lightly-peated versions. The primary customer for peat-smoked malts is distilleries.

Brew Your Own: The How-To Homebrew Beer Magazine - Smoked Beer -

Again --- A bit removed from the topic, I know, but it's still a good ref to have on hand.

Unfortunately, I don't get the magazine, so I can't see the sidebar on minimizing PAHs.
 
I like mashing for 75 minutes. Gives me more time to sit down for a sec, then deal with heating my sparge water. Also helps to keep those FGs down.

Tell me, Revvy... how do you want this beer to wind up, in terms of mouthfeel? Chewy? Thin?

I'd mash at 158˚ if you want this to be a nice, malty IPA... Or else I'd mash at 150˚ if you want a thinner, hoppier IPA.

But I'm a weirdo. Listen to these dudes.

I really want Malty and chewy as opposed to thin, I want a balance between the hop and the grain.

I actually have 5 gallons of an all cascade IPA that I am going to dryhop this weekend so I don't necessarily need something uber hoppy on this one.

Planenut I think I read your post when I was looking up toasting malts about not bothering to wait like other's say. Thanks!

So is this still considered an IPA even though it's using such an odd hop?
 
For malty & chewy, I'd mash at 157-158˚ without hesitation... 75 minute mash should keep your FG down slightly without compromising flavor or mouthfeel. BierMuncher has mashed as high as 162˚ for heavy, malty brews.

At previous levels (43 IBU) I would call it approaching a "Noble IPA" ... using "Noble" to distinguish that it's a low-AA hop that doesn't produce the same IBUs in correlation to its flavor. Even though it's not an English hop, I'd follow the style guidelines for an English IPA, if I was worrying about which to classify it under.

Adjusting down to the 30-35 IBU range, then I call it a Strong Pale ale, to signify that it is higher-gravity than usual, but is still intended to be a Pale Ale. I guess I'd call it an Ameri-Saxon Pale Ale? IDK anything about these things. :p

Either way.... when it comes to SMaSHing, screw styles. ;) :D
 
Great reference buddy, IIRC the latest Basic Brewing podcast may be on the same subject...I glanced at the heading when it downloaded, but didn't pay too much attention.
 
I agree with lowering the IBUs a bit. At current level, any maltiness from the malt will be covered up. Also, you might want to think about boiling down some of the first runnings in order to caramelize some of the sugars and build upon the complexity of the malt flavors. I did that exact thing last week in a maris otter smash and was really pleased at how it worked. I boiled 2 quarts of the first runnings down to about 2 cups. It darkened up and smelled really good. When I was pouring it into the kettle the cold air began to solidify the edges of the syrup it was so thick. I licked the pot clean it was so delicious. Anyway, it's an idea. I enjoyed the process so much, in fact, that I'll be doing a wee heavy tomorrow utilizing the technique.

OOh, I like that idea. Yeah it will give a nice caramel flavor like you would get from a medium crystal malt.

Two forks in the road it seems:

1) The recipe as posted would make a hoppy brown-ish ale. I would roll with it.
2) Lighter toast to no toast on the malt, do the boil trick to get some carmelization, and drop the hops to the left of the scale. Then it'll be a lighter sweeter beer, between a blonde and an amber, given the gravity it'll be similar to a blonde bock with some significant toast notes.

Depends on what you want out of it.
 
3) Do neither the toast or the caramelization, and roll with a hoppy Bitter.

All three sound delicious. How much MO you got, Revvy? Feel like doing a few half batches? :D :D :D
 
3) Do neither the toast or the caramelization, and roll with a hoppy Bitter.

All three sound delicious. How much MO you got, Revvy? Feel like doing a few half batches? :D :D :D


I think right now I'm just gonna do the one.....My pipeline about to get top loaded over the holidays. AND I plan on brewing at least twice over the 15 days I'm off...maybe more.

I may try a toasting/carmalization/AC second batch then, but right now I wont toast, lower the ibus and shoot for a malty body...It'll be good, I hope.

What do you guys think of the yeast (I have other stuff, including a ton of US-05, but I thought O4 would kick ass AND I will have a yeastcake to pitch on on Sunday.)
 
Here is the amber spoke of

4.60 lb Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 53.5 %
2.00 lb Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 23.3 %
1.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 11.6 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 5.8 %
0.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.8 %
1.00 oz Argentine Cascades [3.25%] (60 min) Hops 14.5 IBU
1.50 oz Argentine Cascades [3.25%] (30 min) Hops 11.1 IBU
0.50 oz Argentine Cascades [3.25%] (5 min) Hops 1.2 IBU

1.058 and 26.8 IBUs

Now I know that doesn't sound bitter but up until it was about 6 months in the bottle, it was unbalanced, nothing to go with the sharp bitterness. Now, I guess it was the extract but it is pretty thin. I have been wanting to try this again (AG).

It is pretty good now but still leaves me looking for some more malt profile.

Edit: The more I think about it that beer was in no way 26 IBUs..I don't know if the hops had higher AA than reported (although they couldn't be that high)....I don't know
 
Well, when I SMaSHed Vanguard the first time around, I used US-05 and fermented at 65* so that I could see what the Vanguard tasted like.

That being said, S-04 has to be one of my very favorite yeasts.
 
Hey gang, will someone run this recipe through their Beersmith for me? I think I have some setting wrong, becasue when I run

2.5 gallon batch

6 pounds British Pale (MO)

1.5 ounces of 3.2 Argentinian cascade @ 60
1.0 ounces of 3.2 Argentinian cascade @ 20
0.5 ounces of 3.2 Argentinian cascade @ 5

My beersmith is saying 20.4 IBU's???

I have a feeling that beercalculus uses a different default scale for IBU's then my beersmith does...OR I've set up the parameters for Argentinian Cascade wrong in my beersmith (IIRC I had to add the hop way back when)

HELP!!!!

I'm not brewing this til tomorrow, and I have plenty of AC's if I need to bump up the recipe's hops...But I am heading out for the MO now.

But something clearly ain't right here, and I'm betting Operator Error on Beersmith.
 
Robbiex0r in chat ran it and got the same thing...WHich confirms that Beercalc runs the numbers different....So


I'm going with this for a modest 31.8 Ibu's

2.00 oz Argentine Cascade [3.20 %] (60 min) Hops
1.75 oz Argentine Cascade [3.20 %] (30 min) Hops
0.50 oz Argentine Cascade [3.20 %] (5 min) Hops
 
I did the MO/Argentinian Cascade SMaSH last weekend...

I was supposed to go to a group brew that day.

But, in the Morning, while sitting on the floor grinding my grain I blew out by back....After it happened and as I was trying to stand I upended the grain onto the garbage bag I had laid out....

Then the battery died on my drill so I had to finish up by hand. Not particularly easy when you are knotted like a pretzel.

I ended up just laying on the floor for about 45 minutes. Before trying to get up again. Then ended up sitting at the computer desk just trying to get it to normalize.

Before I could leave for the brew, I needed to bottle the beer I was going to pitch my new beer onto the US04 cake onto. I also had to spritz with rum and then wrap the 47 banana breads I baked on Sat. in plastic wrap.

By the time I was even able to get up to start that it was like 1:30 and I called Jim, the guy hosting the brew and begged off.

Trouble is didn't want to waste the grain, and could see getting another chance til the weekend of more likely after Christmas, I decided to brew anyway.

AND do everything else on the two do list...

Since it was going to be a 2.5 gallon batch I just decided to do it on my stove...I managed to get everything done, bottling, wrapping bread, and brewing even though I was in extreme agony...

Even lifting 4 gallons of my brew pot was not fun...and I couldn't even put the 3 gallon better bottle in my "swamp cooler", but left in in the closet on one of the milk crates in there....Oh AND since IU was out of O2 I had to shake my Better Bottle to aerate it...Owie...

So the next morning I wake up and look at the beer and the airlock is full of krauzen, so I had to fall on the floor and hook up a blow off tube, which was too short to reach the bottle of sanitizer SO I ended up putting the BB on the floor, which was a struggle with my back...

Let's just say it was the WORST brewing experience I've ever had...

and it was still a heck of a lot of fun.

I have to admit, that AC's are the worst smelling hops I have ever used....Hopefully it will taste better than it smelled.
 
Sounds good. This thread has inspired my next SMaSH to be split 3 ways:

1. Toasting grain
2. Boiling down volume to caramelize
3. Decoction
 
Revvy, how's your back now?
I'm doing a SMaSH this weekend too. Just 2-row and Cascades.
 
Revvy, how's your back now?
I'm doing a SMaSH this weekend too. Just 2-row and Cascades.

It's still noticeable...Meaning I can feel the stiffness/soreness...

I know I'm probably gonna end up being a candidate for surgery if I ever have a doctor look at it.

See, when I was 18 I blew a knee out...then 10 years later I did it again on the same knee...two surgeries on the same knee is not fun, especially when they say your patella is now razor thin.

And you know how they tell you to "lift with your knees and not your back?" Well having a bad knee I never trusted that my knee could take me heavy lifting.

And I was the guy who always helped his friends move or lift stuff. And usually too stuborn to wait for help, and do it all alone, and probably brutally...like rather than lift slowly I'd go "goddamit, bam lift" and carry. Just like, get it done, and pay for it later...

SO yeah it's catching up on me...

And being 6'6"+ I've also tended to stoop alot...so all those years of bad lifting, and stooping have caught up with me...

Thanks for asking.

:mug:
 
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