Formulating a SMaSH

So I quickly came up with this last night:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.57 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 6.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 57.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
12.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 100.00 %
0.75 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.50 %] (60 min) Hops 27.7 IBU
0.63 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.50 %] (35 min) Hops 19.2 IBU
0.25 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.50 %] (15 min) Hops 4.6 IBU
0.75 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.50 %] (5 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
0.25 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.50 %] (0 min) Hops -
0.50 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.50 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops - 1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale

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I'm just wondering if it's acceptable to use Vienna in a SMaSH. Beersmith says yes, but I've also read that it should only be 80% or 90% of a grain bill. Is this true?
Also, would Vienna be a good choice if I wanted to do a little of my own toasting? Not too much, but just a little (around 12-15 SRM for the brew).
Lastly, would toasting the Vienna disqualify it as a SMaSH? Or not because it's all the same malt (more or less).

Thanks, guys.

Vienna is a lovely base malt and can be used for 100% of the grist. Toasting some of the malt is a little like adding two different malts, but I am sure the SMaSH police won't come knocking on your door.

Had to change the recipe to use only 1.75 oz of hops because my LHBS gave me 50 grams of them from a HBS owner from Australia that stopped by a few days before I did.

11 lbs Vienna
0.75 oz Nelson Sauvin (11.1%) 60 min
1.00 oz Nelson Sauvin (11.1%) 0 min
Nottingham Yeast with a 1L starter (just cause I've never made one before and would like to try it out).

Estimated OG: 1.047
Estimated FG: 1.011
SRM: 5.7
IBU's: 25.5

Has anyone brewed with these hops before?
Does the amount of bittering and aroma (at 11.1%) seem alright to balance the maltiness of the 11 lbs of Vienna?

I'm giving a bottle or two the LHBS in return for them giving me the hops, so I'd really like it to turn out nice.

If nothing else, I think you'd want some hops between 60 and 0. You need flavor hop in there somewhere. But I really wouldn't go lower than that on IBUs, so maybe shift half the knockout hops to 10 minutes or something.

And some people argue that a starter is actually counter-productive for dry yeast (at the least, it's unnecessary).

11 lbs Vienna
0.75 oz Nelson Sauvin (11.1%) 60 min
0.50 oz Nelson Sauvin (11.1%) 15 min
0.50 oz Nelson Sauvin (11.1%) 0 min (or would five be better?)

Should I rehydrate it first, or simply pitch it dry?

Edit: Nice avatar.

Another twist on a SMaSH recipe is to caramelize a gallon of the first runnings and put it back into the boil with 10 minutes left. Will add color and body and still be a SMaSH

I always re-hydrate dry yeast first. I think having some zero minute hops is good...gives you hop aroma.

surferdrew said:

Another twist on a SMaSH recipe is to caramelize a gallon of the first runnings and put it back into the boil with 10 minutes left. Will add color and body and still be a SMaSH

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How would I go about doing that?

McGarnigle said:

I always re-hydrate dry yeast first. I think having some zero minute hops is good...gives you hop aroma.

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Just throw the yeast into a cup of warm water for about 30 minutes or so?
Thanks, I'm definitely going to keep the flameout addition.

PaulTheGhost said:

How would I go about doing that?

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Couple ways to go about it but I boil 1 gallon of higher gravity first runnings down to 1 quart of darker, thicker, syrupy caramelized wort.

It will take about as long as from the time of collecting the first runnings all the way towards the end of your boil.

Keep an eye on it and stir so it won't boil over...right at the very end, things happen quickly and it starts to caramelize.

I will add this caramelized wort back in towards the end of the boil...adds a darker color and caramelized flavor.

surferdrew said:

Couple ways to go about it but I boil 1 gallon of higher gravity first runnings down to 1 quart of darker, thicker, syrupy caramelized wort.

It will take about as long as from the time of collecting the first runnings all the way towards the end of your boil.

Keep an eye on it and stir so it won't boil over...right at the very end, things happen quickly and it starts to caramelize.

I will add this caramelized wort back in towards the end of the boil...adds a darker color and caramelized flavor.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, sounds interesting. I might have to try that out.
Thanks for the advice!