Scientific Approach to Brewing (SMaSH)

This is really just a SMaSH question that I'm putting under a snappy(?) heading to get some posts from you experienced brewers.

I am 25 gallons and 5 batches into my hobby, I've liked em all and have done a decent variety (2 AG sessions (mild+bitter), 1 LHBS APA, 1 AHS Oatmeal Stout, 1 AHS IPA) and want to get into 1 gallon smashes to start really getting a handle on flavors and proportions.

The idea here is that I want to do 2# single malt and 1oz hops (I like hoppy-ness) for each 1 gallon batch.

The advice I'm seeking is two fold:
1) is 2# malt + 1 oz hops a good general ratio for all SMaSH combos

2) what suggestions do you guys have for some good, quintessential SMaSHes? I'm thinking about MO+fuggles/ekg, and would like to get into West Coast styles as well. And I am planning on using either pre-harvested WP001, a WYeast American Ale yeast or any dry yeast at the LHBS.

Post any combos and/or grain# modifications.

BTW thanks in advance, this forum has been crucial for my development as a brewer!

The 2# of malt seems about right. The hops? Depends on how you use them, and what kind you use. What level of IBU's are you shooting for? Are you looking for something bitter, or something flavorful and aromatic? That'll make a difference.

I think a MO + amarillo would be very tasty. Maybe .5 oz FWH, and .25 oz at 60 minutes, and another .25 oz at 10 minutes.

With a 1-gallon batch size, you can afford to experiment with any number of combinations! Let your imagination run wild!

Cool.

I am shooting for more of an aromatic hoppiness. I was thinking about .33oz at 60, 20 and 0 with some dry hopping here and there. I would like a pronounced hop flavor, but need to have some of the malt flavor shining through so as to get a handle on those flavors as well.

Also what does FWH stand for? I assume that is the time zero addition...

I'd tilt your hop additions all to the end of the boil. Early additions only contribute to bittering. Late additions contribute the flavor that your looking to analyze. End of boil additions contribute aromas. Check out this article on mr. malty about late hop additions.

I've never done one of these smash brews. I can't imagine beer without some crystal or something. Seams like the malt character will be very stripped down.

KCBrew said:

Also what does FWH stand for? I assume that is the time zero addition...

Click to expand...

First Wort Hopping. Basically means you throw the hops in the kettle first, and then rack out of your MLT onto them. The unique temperature of the just-mashed wort, and the scale as it warms up is thought by some to extract some unique flavor/aa extractions from the hops.

From the HBT Wiki:

First wort hopping is the practice of adding hops to the first runnings in the brew kettle. Unlike hops added during the boil, hops added to the warm wort appear not to lose their aroma and flavor characteristics when boiled, possibly due to chemical reactions which occur in the warm wort. The result is a beer which many tasters feel has superior hop flavor and aroma and a more pleasant bitterness than traditionally hopped beers.

For a 1 gallon batch 2 lbs of MO will give you roughly a pre-boil gravity of 1.036, post boil will depend on your boiloff and boil time. 3 lbs will give you roughly 1.049 pre-boil gravity. Plug your numbers into tastybrew or beersmith and play around with your gravities and IBUs.

2# MO and 1oz cascade (0.25oz at 60, 20, 1, dry hop) with the WLP001 should give a pretty good IPA

If you want to be scientific, I'd suggest using brewing software to get the IBU's the same on each batch. Just a thought.

by the way, Sounds like a cool plan.