To SMaSH or not to SMaSH, what hop is the question...

So I made a cascade, Columbus,and centennial IPA which turned out very tasty. I want to make a SMaSH beer with one of these but which should I use? I was leaning towards cascade but which do you think would be the best?

 

For an IPA, Centennial would be my choice. But I'm too old to get in line with the IPA generation, and I'm more in line with the idea of making a nice Pilsner SMaSH using Saaz.

 

Pilsner, Saaz. Lager yeast or a clean ale yeast. Something clean like Nottingham or 029. Ferment it cold. It's a truly wonderful, simple, and refreshing thing.

 

I like Centennial as a good, all-around hop. Bittering, late-addition, whirlpool, dry-hopping, it's excellent in all of those.

 

I’m starting to think that centennial might be the way to go.

 

I have done single hopped Cascade and Centennial (2 Hearted Clone). My preference is Cascade because I get a bit of a soapy flavour from Centennial.

 

Take the wort and split it into 3 separate smaller boils using each hop individually.
Then do a side by side taste comparison when they are done.

 

Also, use a small enough quantity of hops that you may notice the malt. Any old malt will work.

 

Sounds like a smashing idea.

 

My favorite is Mosaic. 3oz spread out from FWH to WP. Used with Maris Otter malt and WLP007 yeast. This is my house ale and I always have this one on tap.

 

Cascade or something more noble, as you have already more American hops covered. Maybe perle or hallertauer mittelfrüh or saaz. I really like the idea to split the batch and to use multiple hops for side by side tasting.

 

I really need to get my hands on some mosaic. I’ve had a couple of beers that use it and they were great.

I wish I could but my wife hates the smell and I’d have to use the kitchen stove. I could try and brew a couple of SMaSH beers over a The next week though...

 

Single malt, single hop ?
Not sure about your taste in hops, but the safest, fastest converting malts to use will be Pilsner, Vienna, pale ale or light Munich. I prefer noble hops as they can allow the malt flavors to come through well. To get the malt without overt bitterness be conservative with the hops and keep the bitterness-to-gravity ratio moderately low, somewhere near .3 -.4.
This can get you a slight sweetness that isn't too noticeable compared to the hops.

As a kid, I loved the smell of Cream of Wheat. Still do. I'd hazard a guess most beer drinkers would, too.

 

columbus and pilsner would be my choice. I did a american wheat with all columbus and I got a lemon peel character outta it. It was very nice.

 

Do you get a soapy flavour from coriander/cilantro? Around 1 in 6 people do, and there seems to be a genetic component to that that probably involves the OR6A2 gene among others. Given the chemicals involved and the way only some people get the soapy thing from Centennial, I wonder if there's a connection.

Of the three, another vote for Centennial - but of course nothing beats EKG....

 

I'm almost ready to serve a Vienna Cascade smash after drawing inspiration from other threads on this topic.

1.059 OG
.5 oz at 60
1 oz at 10
1 oz at 5
1 oz at FO
2 oz dryhop


Fermented out with 1272 to 1.011. It's still carbing up but from what I can tell its absolutely delicious. I should have DH'd more given that these Cascade are getting to be on the old end.

 

I’ve decided to go with centennial. I have almost a pound of the stuff and really like Bell’s two hearted Ale. I’m probably gonna try a Pekko SMaSH at some point too.

I’ve already doughed in but here’s the plan.

2.5 gallon batch
15 minute boil (I lack adequate time to do longer boils)

5lb 2-row

.5 Oz centennial at:
15
10
5
Flame out.

US-05

 

Sounds good to me!

 

I wish I had done what papz recommends...Next time I will.

I made a Vienna/Cascade SMaSH that turned out awesome. One of the better beers I've made. I cold crashed and fined with gelatin and it came out crystal clear.

A friend of mine, who prefers heavy, hi octane beers, even liked it enough to go back for seconds. It could turn out to be my standard issue house beer.