First time AG brewer has questions on a SMaSH recipe.

I'm trying to piece together a recipe for my first AG batch. I have an 8gal kettle, a 10 gal rubbermaid cooler, a 50ft X 3/8" SS chiller, a submersible pump and I'll be getting all of the proper tubing before I begin. However, since this is my first AG batch I want to make a simple recipe. I'm going for a SMaSH. I have beersmith, so I'm able to plug in my ingredients there, but I want some feedback from some of the more experienced AG brewers in this section.

Here is a recipe that I found. Most people in the thread it was posted in seem to agree it would make a good beer. I'm looking to do an IPA.

15lbs Maris Otter
1oz Centennial 75 minutes (FWH)
.5oz Centennial 60 minutes
.5oz Centennial 30 minutes
.5oz Centennial 15 minutes
.5oz Centennial 5 minutes
1oz Centennial Dry Hop

From what I've read Maris Otter is a maltier grain, so am I correct to assume I should mash at a lower temperature? I was thinking 152°F.

Also, does anyone have any tips for a first time AG brewer? Any and all help/critique will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I know you are wanting to do a SMaSH, but IMO, I would use 50/50--Maris Otter/Domestic 2-row.

Beyond that if you choose to use the 100% MO, then I would say mash at 153-154°F. You will likely lose 1-2°F over the hour long mash. It is a nuttier/toastier grain, if maltier is the chosen perception then I wouldn't mash too low since you aren't adding any crystal malt in a SMaSH.

Otherwise your hopping schedule looks good.

Should turn out well.

Cheers!

Bump.


Hopefully I can get more than one person to reply.

Go with the the recipe you have and put a six pack a side. Then do the same recipe but try the domestic 2 row instead or use the MO and try a different hop. Now you can take the six pack you saved and compare it with the new batch. This is the best way I know of to teach yourself the differences in the taste of malts, hops, and yeast.

And no you do not need to use a lower temperature. So do this recipe again but with 2 row so you know what they mean by maltier grain.

Recipe looks good...advice i would give is pre heat your mash tun and itll hold your temp better, and make sure you stir the mash every 20 mins or so

Take lots of notes so that you can look back and fix what was missed

My first few AG brews were 2.5gal recipes. Makes the brew day shorter, the ingredients more manageable, and expense (especially given the likelihood of a mistake) much lower.

Awesome. Thanks for the replies, guys.

My first AG was a Vienna/Northern Brewer SMaSH and I love it and am sad I only have about a 6-pack left that I'm trying to save. I have heard good things about Marris Otter but haven't brewed with it yet so I can't comment on that particular grain. I love Centennial, especially in a dry-hop. As stated above, pre-heating the mash tun is a must. After you dough in, the temps will read a little high for a while until the grains absorb all the heat. Stir like mad when you dough in and also when you sparge. With a large grain bill like that, you may experience lower efficiency than you are expecting so take a pre-boil gravity reading so you can boil down if you are concerned about hitting your expected OG. We are fairly close and if you wanted to do a bottle swap of your SMaSH when it's done for one of mine shoot me a PM.

OClairBrew said:

My first AG was a Vienna/Northern Brewer SMaSH and I love it and am sad I only have about a 6-pack left that I'm trying to save. I have heard good things about Marris Otter but haven't brewed with it yet so I can't comment on that particular grain. I love Centennial, especially in a dry-hop. As stated above, pre-heating the mash tun is a must. After you dough in, the temps will read a little high for a while until the grains absorb all the heat. Stir like mad when you dough in and also when you sparge. With a large grain bill like that, you may experience lower efficiency than you are expecting so take a pre-boil gravity reading so you can boil down if you are concerned about hitting your expected OG. We are fairly close and if you wanted to do a bottle swap of your SMaSH when it's done for one of mine shoot me a PM.

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Definitely. I don't know when I'm going to brew this though. At the moment I'm busy mixing a full record, so we'll see when it'll be.

No worries, I will make sure to save at least one for when yours is ready.

I made a M.O./Centennial SMaSH IPA but didn't find the focal Centennial hops to be pleasing. Very harsh at times. I couldn't decide if I needed to make it the bittering hop, or if it's bitterness profile was the problem itself. Guess my palate isn't diverse enough, yet.

tre9er said:

I made a M.O./Centennial SMaSH IPA but didn't find the focal Centennial hops to be pleasing. Very harsh at times. I couldn't decide if I needed to make it the bittering hop, or if it's bitterness profile was the problem itself. Guess my palate isn't diverse enough, yet.

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If you're interested to see if it was the hops that you dislike, try to find some Bell's Two Hearted Ale - Its all centennial I think. Its a lovely beer - I suspect you'll like it.

I just couldn't figure out WHAT it was about the hops that I didn't like. I've made other beers with Centennial but the MO SMaSH wasn't my favorite. I probably had a bad hop schedule.

OClair, I've sent you a PM.

I've discovered Maris Otter to be an interesting malt. It has more dimension than 2-row, but remember that the degree of "maltiness" depends a lot on mash temp. Lower mash temp results in higher percentage of fermentables, which will leave a "thinner" bodied beer. Higher mash temp will get you more unfermentables, leaving stuff for more mouthfeel, fuller bodied beer. Some people interpret this effect as "malty." Also remember that higher fermentation temperatures, depending on your yeast (check with the manufacturer) will result in diacetyl production, which in moderate amounts can also contribute a "malty" character with its butteriness and sweetness. Some beers benefit from a little diacetyl (e.g. EPA), while others don't (IPA or APA). So if you're going for "malty," I would pay more attention to mash temp and ferment temp, rather than malt. After all, it's these things that you need to focus on as a new AG homebrewer; expertise in ingredients will come later. If your techniques vary, you'll never be able to distinguish malt and hop and yeast characteristics.

Oh and, if it was me, I'd either do the smash with 2-Row/Centennial, or MO/Kent Goldings.

The beer has been completed and is very drinkable now. I mashed at 152° which is my target temp until I get completely comfortable with AG brewing. I've done 4-5 AG batches now and am loving it. As for the SMaSH; I can definitely see why people say MO has a biscuity or bready flavor. It's interesting, but I don't dislike it.