First SMaSH - need your input!

[joshstokes122]

I'm looking to do my first SMaSH and want to try a hop I haven't used yet. Looking to do something American IPA-ish. Here's what I'm thinking:

12.0 lbs Rahr 2-row

0.75 oz Sorachi Ace @ 60min
0.75 oz Sorachi Ace @ 30min
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace @ 15min

I get about 75% efficiency on my equipment so iBrewMaster is estimating my 5.25 gallon batch stats to be:
OG - 1.062
IBU - 58.41

From what I understand Sorachi Ace will give me a lemony hops. What do you guys think of this? Thanks.

 

[Madinaman]

I find Sorachi ace to be a little assertive @60 minutes.... Maybe try a FWH... I find its a little smoother and less, pungent, then.. Just my .02 cents.

 

[joshstokes122]

I find Sorachi ace to be a little assertive @60 minutes.... Maybe try a FWH... I find its a little smoother and less, pungent, then.. Just my .02 cents.

How exactly does a FWH change my hop schedule?

 

[JimTheHick]

How exactly does a FWH change my hop schedule?

I take my 60 minutes hops and use them to FWH. Its a smoother bitterness so if you want a big bite you might think about adding 20% more.

 

[joshstokes122]

I take my 60 minutes hops and use them to FWH. Its a smoother bitterness so if you want a big bite you might think about adding 20% more.

I guess I don't fully understand the FWH. When I change my 60 min addition to First Wort Hop in iBrewMaster my IBU jumps about 2 points to just over 61.

If I have a 60 min boil, why wouldn't a 60 min addition be considered a First Wort Hop?

 

[JimTheHick]

I guess I don't fully understand the FWH. When I change my 60 min addition to First Wort Hop in iBrewMaster my IBU jumps about 2 points to just over 61.

If I have a 60 min boil, why wouldn't a 60 min addition be considered a First Wort Hop?

Software treats it as a longer boil which it's not. Nobody really understands it scientifically. But when you add in the hops at 170F during the sparge they form different types of compounds than when you add them to a rolling boil. Just give it a whirl - I hear it's best with low cohumulone hops. I've had good luck with chinook, warrior, Styrian Goldings and glacier.

 

[Madinaman]

I am not sure of the science, but i find that by using FWH instead of a 60 min addition, I get a smoother, cleaner bitterness, rather then a very assertive bitterness that gets in the way of me really tasting the hops... I have done a lot of SMASHes lately with 2-row and sorachi, citra, Pacific Gem, Pacific Jade and some of the newer hops... I think the FWH takes away some of the harshness, and really lets the flavors shine...

 

[joshstokes122]

Software treats it as a longer boil which it's not. Nobody really understands it scientifically. But when you add in the hops at 170F during the sparge they form different types of compounds than when you add them to a rolling boil. Just give it a whirl - I hear it's best with low cohumulone hops. I've had good luck with chinook, warrior, Styrian Goldings and glacier.

I've read some posts where the brewer inputed the FWH as a 20 min addition in the software to get a better representation of the IBU in the software's calculations.

Here's a quick run down of my mashing process. I'm trying to see exactly where in my mash steps I should add the FWH.

1. Put strike water (about 15deg hotter than my target mash temp) in my mash tun (igloo cooler) and let sit for about 5-10 min to let the cooler come up to temp.
2. When the water in the mash tun is at the anticipated strike water temp (generally 7-10 deg above target mash temp), add grains and stir in to ensure any clumps are broken up. I use about a 1.75 qt/lb water to grain ratio for this step. Let sit for 60 min.
3. Run off about 2L of the wort and pour back into the mash tun. Repeat this until wort runs clear.
4. Run off wort into boil kettle.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 with the following changes: water temp - 168 deg; water to grain ratio - 1.5 qt/lb; duration of step - 30 min.
6. With all wort now in the boil kettle, bring to a boil and begin hop additions.

So, do I add a FWH at step 2 above for the whole mashing process, or at step 5 when I'm near the ~170 deg you mentioned?

Thanks.

 

[JimTheHick]

Adding them at step 2 would be mash hopping, a different technique.

FWH goes into the wort after the mash is over. Since I do BIAB and don't recirculate to clear, you'll have to be the judge. Offhand it seems to me you'd want to add them to the first wort coming out of the last recirculation.

 

[JimTheHick]

I've never treated them as a 20' addition for IBU calcs. Maybe this is somehow accurate but the whole flavor you get out is very different, so you have to kind of 'taste' your way through it. If a recipe calls for an ounce at 60', I add 1.25oz FWH. Best I've used was chinook followed by Syrian goldings/glacier.

 

[PJM]

Yeah, just put them in your kettle before you drain your tun into it

 

[joshstokes122]

Yeah, just put them in your kettle before you drain your tun into it

Sounds easy enough. Thanks for the help everyone!