SMaSH then Centennial Blonde

[JDL]

Wanted to run an idea by everyone and get there ideas before I screw everything up.

going to make a small SMaSH of 2 row and cascade hops and then use the yeast cake to be a starter for bier munchers centennial blonde.

SMaSH will be 7lbs of 2 row mashed at 154 degrees for 60 minutes and .25 oz of cascade at 60, 45, 30, and 15 minutes. Going to get 3 gallons in the fermenter, then let it ferment for 10 days and rack beer off and use slurry for a 5 gallon batch of centennial blonde as soon as I pull SMaSH off.

Any suggestions welcome, learn from others mistakes is always better then ruining good beer.

 

[HalfPint]

Well if I were you, I'd just do a 5 gallon batch with a 60 minute boil rather than a 3 gallon batch. With the 5 gallon batch, you'd have a nice session ale @ around 3% or so.

In regards to using the yeast cake for your batch after the smash, I wouldn't pitch on the entire cake. I'd use the calculator here to figure out how much slurry you need http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html.

 

[JDL]

The SMaSH is currently in the fermenter. I brewed a 5 gallon batch and hit 1.046 but Nottingham and 13 days only got it down to 1.020 so I shook it up a little and giving it another week or so. The one thing I am going to check is thermometer and pick up a lab one to check. Mashed at 154 so thinking thermometer was off and got to many unfermentables.

The taste is a little sharp and major citrus taste but that is why I made it to learn the taste of the hops.

For the centennial ale I am going to rack this beer out then swirl the bottom and make a slurry and pull all but 2 cups out and dump blonde on top of it. Any suggestions or lessons learned to that idea?

Also, went with .5 oz of cascade at each addition to up ibu's.

Anyone make this SMaSH before? If so does taste change much with a little conditioning in a keg or is this like a wheat drinkable and done changing after a month or so?

Jeff

 

[JDL]

Was wondering for anyone who made a 2 row / cascade smash how long it took to mature before it hit it's final taste? I had it in the carboy for 3 weeks and kegged it this weekend. Because I wanted to see the kegging process as it is my first one I have pulled a little off each day. Doing 8psi and set it and forget it.

The taste has changed a lot just in the three days.

Thanks
Jeff