Acid malt in a SMaSH

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Ilan34

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If I'm entering a competition (non-BJCP) and the category is SMaSH, would it be frowned upon to use an ounce or two of acid malt just to control pH? I can use lactic acid, but I prefer the malt - I find it easier to calculate the effects.

I know it's a very general question and the real answer is probably to contact the organizers directly, but I'm just wondering if anyone's had a similar experience.

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Theoretically, it's no longer a "Single" Malt And Single Hop beer, even if you use a little bit of a second malt. I'm not a judge, I've never entered a competition, but I'd be pissed to find out My SMASH lost to a multiple malt beer in a SMASH competition.
 
I would consider this a legit move.

Does acid malt contribute anything other than, well, acid? It's just acidulated base 2 row right?
 
Theoretically, it's no longer a "Single" Malt And Single Hop beer, even if you use a little bit of a second malt. I'm not a judge, I've never entered a competition, but I'd be pissed to find out My SMASH lost to a multiple malt beer in a SMASH competition.

+1. If you want that route, can't you do a sour mash and feel good about not cheating?
 
I would consider this a legit move.

Does acid malt contribute anything other than, well, acid? It's just acidulated base 2 row right?


I understand what you are saying, but isn't that part of the challenge of a SMASH? Something has to separate it from 2 row or they would just call it two row. To me it's no different than saying my SMASH recipes lack a little sweetness, so I'll add a little C20.

As I said though I'm not a judge. As a purist though it still doesn't sound like a SMASH to me.


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full disclosure: I'm brewing a Grodziskie, which is a 100% oak-smoked wheat beer, but I added ½oz of acid malt (.8% of grain bill) to lower my pH.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I'm thinking I'll just go with the lactic acid and just go really easy with it. Thanks for the discussion.

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isn't crystal malt just 2-row that has been roasted before kilning? but using it, you shouldn't call it a SMaSH

Of course.

All acid malt is, is regular malt with lactic acid. It's just another means to deliver acidity, nothing more nohting less.

It's the same as using lactic acid directly as far as I'm concerned. To each his own.
 
full disclosure: I'm brewing a Grodziskie, which is a 100% oak-smoked wheat beer, but I added ½oz of acid malt (.8% of grain bill) to lower my pH.

Is a half ounce really going to lower the pH at all, though? That sounds like it will do nothing. Here's what Weyerman says:

Weyermann Acidulated Malt is perfect to adjust the pH level in mash or wort. There is a simple formula to calculate the dosage of Acidulated Malt: You have to use 1% of Acidulated malt to reduce the pH by 0.1. (Example: 3% Acidulated malt reduce the pH leve in mash by 0.3).

If you're using 8 lbs of smoked malt, then 0.5 oz would equate to ~0.4% of the grist, which would lower your pH by ~0.04, which is kind of useless imo (edit: saw that it's 0.8% of your grist). All it will do is disqualify your beer on a technicality. I'd just add some lactic acid, or 5.2, or some other pH adjuster if I were you.
 
it is a 2½ gallon batch, 4 lbs of wheat, so ½ oz acid malt is .8% of the grain bill and grains are already ground together

I use PRIMO water, from Wally World, and have had a problem with beers brewed with that water. Darker than anticipated and next to no hop aroma or flavor, only bitterness. my last batch I added acid malt to 1.3% of grain bill and it matches the color estimated in the recipe. It also has hop aroma and flavor, tho I'm kicking myself in my a$$ for not dry-hopping as I intended.

I did also follow advice to not soak caps in StarSan before capping, so the color problem might have been oxidation. either way, both problems seem to have been resolved. BREW ON!

and the competition category is "Non-BJCP: e.g. Black IPA, Honey beers, Imperial Red, etc. Any style not recognized as a style by BJCP"

so, technically it's not a true Grodziskie, but still fits the criteria for the competition
 
Of course.

All acid malt is, is regular malt with lactic acid. It's just another means to deliver acidity, nothing more nohting less.

It's the same as using lactic acid directly and a second barley malt as far as I'm concerned. To each his own.
Fixed that for you -----
 
I did also follow advice to not soak caps in StarSan before capping, so the color problem might have been oxidation.

Sorry, what's this about? Never heard of this. What would be the reasoning? And are you saying it helps or hurts?
 
sorry... it is recommended not to soak OXYGEN BARRIER caps before capping, as the barrier is activated by moisture

the caps I used were straight out of the just-opened bag (& leftover caps sealed in a ziploc). once I had a full case of filled bottles, I would cap each one, then set upside down (activating the barrier) in a FastRack until the entire case is done, then flip them back right-side up in the box
 
sorry... it is recommended not to soak OXYGEN BARRIER caps before capping, as the barrier is activated by moisture

the caps I used were straight out of the just-opened bag (& leftover caps sealed in a ziploc). once I had a full case of filled bottles, I would cap each one, then set upside down (activating the barrier) in a FastRack until the entire case is done, then flip them back right-side up in the box

Well, shoot. I've been soaking the oxygen barrier caps in StarSan while bottling.

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Well, shoot. I've been soaking the oxygen barrier caps in StarSan while bottling.

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so had I. had always dropped them into the vinator after sanitizing bottles, grabbed them out as needed.

didn't do that this last time. that batch is just about ready to start drinking, but early tastes show definite improvement in color (that could also be the pH adjustments) and taste
 
it's a brewclub monthly competition and they don't ask for brewsheets for any entry

they called my "mock" Maibock (Jamil's recipe, used WLP060 and fremented cool) an excellent example of the style, even after I told them it was an ale
 
Well, shoot. I've been soaking the oxygen barrier caps in StarSan while bottling.

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Dont' drink the no-soak kool aid just yet. Those caps take DAYS to work at sucking up the O2, not minutes.

You can soak 'em.
 
Dont' drink the no-soak kool aid just yet. Those caps take DAYS to work at sucking up the O2, not minutes.

You can soak 'em.

I think that's probably right. I don't like leaving them wet a long time, so I will typically get a cap, lay it upside down, give it a spritz with star-san, then fill my bottle, tip the star-san out of the cap, and then cap the bottle. I get maybe 30 seconds of contact time before I cap, which assuages any fears I have about contamination or about ruining the cap. It works for me.
 
I thought the whole point of SMASH brewing was to keep as simple as possible. One malt. One hop. Water. Yeast. That's it. Anything else, and it's no longer a SMASH?
 
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