SMaSH thoughts.....

[JTOVERMOHLE]

1 gallon batch BIAB:

2.5 pounds of Maris Otter (60 Min boil)
.25 oz Fuggles (15 min)
.25 oz Lemon Peel (5 min)
1/2 packet of US-05 yeast

Looking for a light, refreshing drinker for the summer

Never done a SMaSH before, thought I'd give it a go...and so not a fan of hoppy/IPA beers

BF says:
OG 1.071
FG 1.014
ABV 7.57%
IBU 10.85
SRM 6.93

1st time using Maris Otter as well. Fuggles I like.

Thoughts?

 

[McKnuckle]

A "light" 7.5% ABV beer?

For that OG, the amount of hops is paltry. It's a BU:GU ratio of only 0.15. I guess my suggestion would be to pare down the gravity to 1.050 or so, and increase the IBU to 20, for a 0.4 ratio. This will not be "hoppy" in the least, but it would balance out the malt a lot better.

The other suggestion is that you have picked English ingredients, so why not ferment with a nice English yeast and make a simple best bitter? If you have liquid yeast available there are so many good choices. For dry yeast, Safale S-04 fermented cool (62ºF / 17ºC) would be reasonable.

Of course, US-05 is fine too and it attenuates quite well, so if you do keep the high ABV, it would likely approach the FG you have listed.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

A "light" 7.5% ABV beer?

For that OG, the amount of hops is paltry. It's a BU:GU ratio of only 0.15. I guess my suggestion would be to pare down the gravity to 1.050 or so, and increase the IBU to 20, for a 0.4 ratio. This will not be "hoppy" in the least, but it would balance out the malt a lot better.

The other suggestion is that you have picked English ingredients, so why not ferment with a nice English yeast and make a simple best bitter? If you have liquid yeast available there are so many good choices. For dry yeast, Safale S-04 fermented cool (62ºF / 17ºC) would be reasonable.

Of course, US-05 is fine too and it attenuates quite well, so if you do keep the high ABV, it would likely approach the FG you have listed.

Appreciate your thoughts...and in my mind when i said "light" it was more on the color spectrum? Not heavy like stout, or a brown (although i have made a pretty crushable brown ale). I take your advice and drop the MO a bit to get closer to 1.050ish and up the fuggles to near 20IBU. I will see if my LHBS has 04, which they should, but i know they don't carry much, if any, liquid yeasts. 62 degrees is about what my fermenting space is at this time of year. Thanks again for responding.

 

[McKnuckle]

Any time! Usually we would say pale to mean light in color, vs. light in alcohol or body.

If there are any liquid yeasts, look for something British and post here if you want some recommendations.

 

[Kickass]

Typically a smash beer is used to get a feel for and isolating single ingredients. The lemon peel infringes upon that concept a bit which is why I’d drop it, especially if you’re trying to understand hops, malt and yeast. Just a thought.

 

[NGD]

Appreciate your thoughts...and in my mind when i said "light" it was more on the color spectrum? Not heavy like stout, or a brown (although i have made a pretty crushable brown ale).

lol. I had the same interpretation as McKnuckle. Saw you calling 7.5% “light” and figured you must brush your teeth with whiskey.
Try dropping your amount of Maris to 2.0lbs and upping your fuggles to 0.50oz at 15min. You should come in around 1.057 and 21-22 IBUs. I think that would make it a more rounded profile. According to Brewers Friend your out of style for a British bitter but changing your hop schedule to 0.50oz at 30 min would get you closer with ~30 IBU.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

Typically a smash beer is used to get a feel for and isolating single ingredients. The lemon peel infringes upon that concept a bit which is why I’d drop it, especially if you’re trying to understand hops, malt and yeast. Just a thought.

Is there a different hop that might be readily available that would impart a slight lemon hint?

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

lol. I had the same interpretation as McKnuckle. Saw you calling 7.5% “light” and figured you must brush your teeth with whiskey.
Try dropping your amount of Maris to 2.0lbs and upping your fuggles to 0.50oz at 15min. You should come in around 1.057 and 21-22 IBUs. I think that would make it a more rounded profile. According to Brewers Friend your out of style for a British bitter but changing your hop schedule to 0.50oz at 30 min would get you closer with ~30 IBU.

These modifications seem reasonable to me. Still pondering the addition of the lemon peel......

Thanks guys! I knew I could count on you.

 

[day_trippr]

Is there a different hop that might be readily available that would impart a slight lemon hint?

Like Lemon Drop?
https://hopsdirect.com/products/lemondrop-pellets
Cheers!

 

[InspectorJon]

Lemondrop comes to mind. I vote to raise the hop contribution and leave it a 7.5%.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

Lemondrop comes to mind. I vote to raise the hop contribution and leave it a 7.5%.

2.5# MO and .5 oz Lemondrop at 10 minutes gets me 1.071/1.018, 7.01%ABV and 21 IBU.....this with switching to English S-04 from US-05 yeast