Help with my first SMaSH.

[brewkinger]

Even though I have about 20 batches under my belt I think this is the right place to put this thread, as this will be my first SMaSH.

I recently picked up 10# of TF MO
2# of CR60
1# of Biscuit (the latter two were just to have on hand)

I also have 8oz of unknown hops (he thinks cascade and columbus) that I harvested from a friend's backyard about 6 wks ago. I am not even sure if I harvested them correctly.
I picked through and seperated all the cones and then set them out for about 4-5 days on a drying rack and then packaged up in a airtight bag and stuck em in the freezer.

When I opened them and smelled them, the smell is slight but when you crush the cones between your fingers, the smell is stronger and they are loaded with the yellow sticky stuff (cohumulone or something?)

Anyhow, I have no idea about AA on these things, nor do I care to invest the time of $$ to figure it out. Lesson learned and I have my hop garden planned for next year already so that I can do it right.

In the meantime, I am thinking additions of an oz at 60, 45, 30, 15 and 0.
and then 1oz dry hop after 1wk.

This leaves me 2oz leftover and only because I think that 8oz might be too much.

Any thoughts? Other hop schedule?
Help...??

 

[Cider123]

You see, it's all up to what you like. If you like a lot of hop flavor then go for it. For me, I would do 3 additions. a small one at 60 to counter the malt with a little bitterness, then a 15min and a 0-5 min addition. I would want to taste more of the MO malt flavor and the effect of the yeast, but that's just me. I am not a hophead by far.

 

[PRE66_6TART]

My parents are growing mystery hops that I have yet to brew with. My plan though would be to use something else for the bittering hops and use the homegrown hops as flavor/aroma. I think using the homegrown hops for bittering would be kind of a waste. Plus you don't know the alpha acid amounts. And you can't really taste/smell the bittering hops anyway. Then I would just throw in lots of the mystery hop at the end of the boil.

 

[nukebrewer]

Lesson learned and I have my hop garden planned for next year already so that I can do it right.

What lesson did you learn? Growing your own hops still has the inherent downside of not knowing your AA percentage and therefore you would still have to invest $$ to find out what the AA percentage is from your homegrown hops.

 

[brewkinger]

LOL.
One of the downsides of drinking hombrew and posting on HBT is the jumbled thoughts that can occur.

What I meant is that I learned a lesson about growing hops and have done my research for next year.
How to correctly plant, LABEL, and how and when to harvest them.
Disease and insect resistance and climate specs for various varieties.
Given all that work, I will have no problem sending them off to be tested next year.
Sorry for the confusion.

 

[JohnSand]

When using untested hops, I estimate about the middle of the suspects range. If a hop is book listed as 4-7%, I call it 5.5. If you like hoppy brews, estimate low. I tested some by brewing a 1 gallon extract batch with a 30 minute boil. that brew isn't quite ready to drink. You might also make "tea" with some, and another hop of known strength. Then taste them both and compare, or add to light beer and compare. Have some fun with it.

 

[brewmcq]

There are several inexpensive ways that you can get a "ballpark" AA..

Just a quick search...

 

[brewkinger]

You see, it's all up to what you like. If you like a lot of hop flavor then go for it. For me, I would do 3 additions. a small one at 60 to counter the malt with a little bitterness, then a 15min and a 0-5 min addition. I would want to taste more of the MO malt flavor and the effect of the yeast, but that's just me. I am not a hophead by far.

I am beginning to doubt my plan to use the mystery hops in a brew, especially one with a nice MO base. I think that I will just get some known hops and make a SMaSH that I can actually characterize with some known variables.

I am not out any money for the mystery hops, and might just split a gallon off the batch and dry hop with them to get a feel for the characteristics.
You are right that it is about what I like and I would hate to have 5 gallons of a beer that I would not enjoy.

I think this SMaSH plan has officially been altered.

Thanks again HBTers.

 

[brewkinger]

Ok, so the plan has changed to a MO-Cascade SMaSH.

I have 1oz cascade (6.1%) and 3oz (4.0%)
I am thinking:
1 oz (6.1%) at 60
1 oz (4.0%) at 30
0.5oz at 15 and flameout

I have some CR60 and Biscuit on hand. How will head retention be with just the MO?

 

[JohnSand]

I've done two MO SMaSHes, one with Cascade, the other Columbus. Both were good. But I don't recall the head retention.
For what it's worth, I don't mind violating the letter of SMaSH brewing. A very small amount of something else will not interfere with your ability to judge the flavor of a grain. One of my "SMaShes" needed some light extract to reach OG. Another used only extract: maybe more than one malt, but still a single ingredient. If you want better head retention, add something to achieve it.

 

[brewkinger]

There are several inexpensive ways that you can get a "ballpark" AA..

Just a quick search...

Well played sir... well played.
First link was to a professor right here in Vermont at UVM.
Being a chemistry guy like I am, his simple titration experiment is very easy to do and if done correctly will most likely provide a "ballpark" figure that is +/- 0.5% AA.
Not too shabby actually.

 

[brewkinger]

UPDATE:
Well aerated wort was combined with rehydrated Notty and fermenting commenced about 10 hrs later.
I stuck it out in my enclosed walkway between the house and the barn wrapped in an insulated coat.
Ambient air temps in that room are keeping it at even 62 degrees on the outside of the bucket.
Even if the ferment temps are a little hotter, I am still safe.
It is bubbling away steadily in the blowoff jug, which I take to mean that the yeast are happy and working.

So my mission to make a SMaSH ale to learn flavor profiles, will hopefully ferment very clean and neutral.

 

[dlaramie08]

Well played sir... well played. First link was to a professor right here in Vermont at UVM. Being a chemistry guy like I am, his simple titration experiment is very easy to do and if done correctly will most likely provide a "ballpark" figure that is +/- 0.5% AA. Not too shabby actually.

This will only give a total for ALL acids in the plant,not alpha acids. This information is useless without a method for distinguishing between alpha and beta acids and the other potential acids that may be in solution from the plant.