Are SMaSH recipes worth it?

[El Nino]

To anybody who has experience with this? I know by now it'll be hard to make a beer that's undrinkable, but are SMaSH beers actually good? I've had single hop beers that were really good (chinook), but it wasn't single grain.

Thinking of trying a SMaSH soon, but I want an actual good beer. Leaning toward a Chinook, and I do have a bunch of Mosaic, Nugget, and Citra hops on hand as well. Would those be good candidates for a good SMaSH IPA?

 

[Miraculix]

To anybody who has experience with this? I know by now it'll be hard to make a beer that's undrinkable, but are SMaSH beers actually good? I've had single hop beers that were really good (chinook), but it wasn't single grain.

Thinking of trying a SMaSH soon, but I want an actual good beer. Leaning toward a Chinook, and I do have a bunch of Mosaic, Nugget, and Citra hops on hand as well. Would those be good candidates for a good SMaSH IPA?

My first beer was a citra pilsener smash brewed with safale 04 I think. It was a really good beer.

I really love smash beers. In fact I am brewing two at the very moment right now

I love Vienna smash and Maris otter smash. If I would need to choose one, I would go for a Maris otter smash.

 

[ong]

Yeah, I’ve made a number of SMaSH beers that were really fantastic. It’s a great way to break out from all the muck and noise of crystal malt and focus on brewing a basic, delicious beer. I’ve stopped using crystal in almost every style now, and most of my light colored beers are 100% base malt. Any of those hops would be a fine candidate for a SMaSH, and a good way to figure out what hops you like most (not a fan of Nugget, myself, but each to their own).

(I’ve even done a tasty SMaSH traditional bock, just 100% Munich.)

 

[Miraculix]

Yeah, I’ve made a number of SMaSH beers that were really fantastic. It’s a great way to break out from all the muck and noise of crystal malt and focus on brewing a basic, delicious beer. I’ve stopped using crystal in almost every style now, and most of my light colored beers are 100% base malt. Any of those hops would be a fine candidate for a SMaSH, and a good way to figure out what hops you like most (not a fan of Nugget, myself, but each to their own).

(I’ve even done a tasty SMaSH traditional bock, just 100% Munich.)

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[El Nino]

Ok thanks guys! What I needed to hear, I got into the hobby to make good beer, and if it's good, I'm all about it

ong - Yeah honestly out of those hops I have on hand, the nugget hops are my least favorite (aroma wise). I bought them to do a deschutes fresh squeezed IPA clone which required them. But the final product was spot on and pretty awesome

 

[AZBeer]

Just to add on to what has already been said...I've done a MO/ Galaxy SMaSH that was really good. So good, I ended up brew 2 batches almost back to back. They make great summertime, poolside beers.

 

[MaxStout]

I've brewed a bunch of them. Each one turned out excellent, which is something I can't say about all the styles I've brewed. The simplicity is what makes it. Just a good malt and a hop that pairs well with it. Maris Otter with EKG or Fuggles makes a nice English bitter.

For the OP, any of the hops you mentioned would be a good candidate for a SMaSH IPA. And you still have latitude in using the hops--you can do some whirlpool and/or dry-hopping. It's still a SMaSH.

 

[jlinz]

Just to add on to what has already been said...I've done a MO/ Galaxy SMaSH that was really good. So good, I ended up brew 2 batches almost back to back. They make great summertime, poolside beers.

What yeast did you use for this out of curiosity?

 

[TallDan]

Pretty sure Todd the Axeman used to be a smash beer (GP/Mosaic) but now has two hops:

http://surlybrewing.com/beer/todd-the-axe-man/

Generally, speaking, people think it's pretty good:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/138735/

I think the real question here is what are you trying to accomplish and can/should it be accomplished with a SMaSH? I've made some nice SMaSH APA's. Are you making a SMaSH just so you can say you made one? Or to try to understand the flavor of the base malt? An IPA is going to be dominated by the hops, so your grain choices aren't really going to stand out.

 

[EDF713]

Like Miraculix said, Vienna and Maris Otter are your friends for a SMASH. I’ve done a lager with Vienna and saaz, and pale ales with a US Pale Ale malt (similar to MO) and Sorachi Ace. They made me wonder why I would mess with complicated recipes for simple lagers and pale ales. Before this fall I plan to do a Munich Oktoberfest SMASH.

 

[shellsbells]

You can definitely make great SMASH beers. One of my faves was Pilsner malt & Sorachi Ace hops, but have also done fantastic versions with 2-row & mosaic, and 2-row & Citra. MO probably would have been a bit more flavourful though

 

[AZBeer]

What yeast did you use for this out of curiosity?

WLP001

 

[Miraculix]

Like Miraculix said, Vienna and Maris Otter are your friends for a SMASH. I’ve done a lager with Vienna and saaz, and pale ales with a US Pale Ale malt (similar to MO) and Sorachi Ace. They made me wonder why I would mess with complicated recipes for simple lagers and pale ales. Before this fall I plan to do a Munich Oktoberfest SMASH.

I once did a red-x Sorachi ace smash, that was also very good! And very red....

 

[mongoose33]

I brew a Maris Otter/Syrian Celeia SMASH that has found its way into my rotation. It's an ale that actually drinks refreshingly like a lager.

 

[z-bob]

I brewed a 100% Belgian pilsner malt ale with Sterling hops recently, and it turned out very nice; one of my best beers ever. I also did a cream ale last yeast with pilsner malt, rice, and Sorachi Ace that was good, but I don't know if that counts because of the rice.

 

[MX1]

MO and simco SMaSH IPA

To this day one of the best I have ever brewed

Correction it was Munich.... amazing malt

 

[AZBeer]

Anybody ever do a SMaSH with Golden Promise? Someone recommended it to me, but I have not tried it. Thinking about do an GP and Citra SMaSH...

 

[MaxStout]

Anybody ever do a SMaSH with Golden Promise? Someone recommended it to me, but I have not tried it. Thinking about do an GP and Citra SMaSH...

I did a version of the English bitter SMaSH that usually used MO. The GP gave it a similar biscuity malt flavor. I bittered with EKG, and used S-04. Very nice.

I think GP/Citra would be a good combination.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

GP and Citra would be good. I've done a Maris Otter and Mosaic which is great for summer.

 

[Saunassa]

This sounds like the way for someone new to brewing like me to learn about hops and how they taste to me and not someone else.

 

[ong]

This sounds like the way for someone new to brewing like me to learn about hops and how they taste to me and not someone else.

It’s great for that. I had always heard Summit was a pretty rough hop that tasted of onion and garlic, but when I made a SMaSH with a huge Summit whirlpool and dry hop addition, it was pure golden pineapple. Became an immediate favorite.

 

[Saunassa]

It’s great for that. I had always heard Summit was a pretty rough hop that tasted of onion and garlic, but when I made a SMaSH with a huge Summit whirlpool and dry hop addition, it was pure golden pineapple. Became an immediate favorite.

What did you use for the malt? Sounds like i and my wife might like.

 

[El Nino]

Wow great info everyone, thanks! I'm looking forward to trying some of these out.

 

[Redtab78]

one of my best beers ever was 100% Vienna with only Motueka hops (1oz) @ 60,15,5 Used Wyeast 2565 Kolsch yeast fermented at about 62° and another 1oz dry hop in secondary for 8 days at 45°

 

[bernardsmith]

I tend to think of SMaSH as a technique to a) help you best understand what a specific hop can bring and b) to help you focus on your brewing technique by forcing you to brew a naked beer. All you have is one variety of grain and one variety of hop. It's much like the mead maker learning to make a great mead by making traditional meads - meads that use only water, honey, yeast and nutrients. There's nothing to hide behind AND you work to master the protocol that works for you in your make room AND you learn what different varietals of honey bring to the table. Master a SMaSH and you can call yourself a brewer. There's nothing to hide behind; nothing to mask faults. It's a beer in all its nakedness. .

 

[jturman35]

I am likely going to try my first SMaSH with link to Vienna/Citra recipe below.


http://www.thepourreport.com/citra-hop-vienna-malt-smash-homebrew/

 

[Redtab78]

I am likely going to try my first SMaSH with link to Vienna/Citra recipe below.


http://www.thepourreport.com/citra-hop-vienna-malt-smash-homebrew/

That seems like an awful waste of a good hop....4oz in the mash??? seriously?

 

[jturman35]

No, I wasn’t planning on mashing with hops. I’m doing a 2.5 gal batch anyway.

 

[El Nino]

That seems like an awful waste of a good hop....4oz in the mash??? seriously?

Off topic but I can't stop staring at your avatar lol.

 

[Rodent]

just completing a MO/Mosaic SMaSH that has exceeded my expectations, even more so as it's also my first recipe hack attempt from the ground up. Perfect for early summer consumption IMO

60 min boil, 5 gallon batch
Brui'n Water profile: well water adjusted to 140, 18, 26, 255, 48, 87 for 425 hardness and 72 Alkalinity
152F mash with an adjusted 5.2 pH

13.5# Maris Otter
0.5oz Mosaic (12.7%) in first wort
0.5oz Mosaic at 15 min
1.5oz after FO at 180F for 30 min whirlpool
Flagship Imperial yeast
ferment 4 days at 64F, then 11 days at 68F
rack to secondary
1.5oz Mosaic dry hop 4 days
cold crash to 35F for 3 days, keg, and force CO2

1.070 OG
1.013 FG
6.3% ABV

Juicy, hazy, and light mouth feel for the amount of grain used. Originally intended to clarify further with gelatin, but it's such a spot-on NEIPA that I can't bring myself to do it.