SMaSH IPA recipe help

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walcotteric

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I'm looking to do a SMaSH IPA, probably using Victory Malt, or maybe just going with 2-row. Does anyone have suggestions on which to use (with reasons for why), and also what might be good hop combinations with either malt.

I'm leaning towards using Victory Malt and Centennial or Cascade hops. Let me know if that seems like a good combo and I'll put together a recipe for some more feedback.

Thanks!
 
I've done all my SMaSH beers with Maris Otter. I chose that when reading up because I saw comments that 2 row by itself can be kind of plain and uninspiring in a SMaSH. Some people roast a portion to make your own crystal malt to help with that and still stay within the smash rules. Victory would be a nice choice and will probably give you better flavor than just 2 row.

For hops, I haven't gone wrong yet. I've done Amarillo, Centennial, Cascade, Mosaic, and I've got a Nelson Sauvin carbing up now. For most of mine I've done more of a pale ale strength or a low end IPA. I've been pleased with the results every time so far.
 
Don't use Victory! It's not a base malt, and has a very powerful flavor that will certainly ruin the beer if too much is used. Most people talk about 0.5 to 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch, and the product description says to use at 2-25%. And I think 25% would be a whole lot. I don't think it has any diastatic power either.
 
Don't use Victory! It's not a base malt, and has a very powerful flavor that will certainly ruin the beer if too much is used. Most people talk about 0.5 to 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch, and the product description says to use at 2-25%. And I think 25% would be a whole lot. I don't think it has any diastatic power either.

Lol, thanks for pointing that out. I had completely forgotten looking at the % for use. Good catch.
 
Any base grain would really work. Maris otter is "breadier", while Munich malt is "maltier" than US two-row. But even among US two-row brands, the flavors vary between pale malt, and brewer's two-row in with different maltsters. Vienna malt is also a great base malt for a SMaSH beer, and would mix quite well with centennial or cascade.
 
So here's what I have so far:

8 lbs Vienna Malt
0.5 oz Centennial (FWH)
0.5 oz Centennial (20 min)
0.5 oz Centennial (5 min)

Est. OG 1.064
IBUs 52.3
Color 6.3 SRM
Est ABV 6.9%

Any suggested changes?
Also, suggestions for yeast?
 
Btw, that's for a 2.9 gallon batch. Forgot to scale it, not sure why Beersmith did 2.9. I'll be scaling it to a 2.5 gallon batch.
 
walcotteric said:
Btw, that's for a 2.9 gallon batch. Forgot to scale it, not sure why Beersmith did 2.9. I'll be scaling it to a 2.5 gallon batch.

Any yeast suggestions? Right now I'm thinking S-04
 
If your using dry yeast I would using something clean like US-05, you dont want to many flavors getting in the way of what your trying to do. Also, I would up the hops! I would at least double the late hop additions.
 
Agree on the US05. I use it for pretty much everything unless I'm doing a Saison or a hefe. It's nice and clean and just does it job and let's the malt and hops shine.
 
Ended up brewing this a little over a month ago. Took a taste, as I always do, when bottling and HATED it. Usually beer doesn't taste great before conditioning, but most of my beers have tasted at least ok before bottling. Still, I was patient and bottled it and let it sit for a month.

Now, IT'S AMAZING! One of my favorite IPAs that I've brewed. Looking forward to doing it again and making minor modifications to the grain bill to add some new flavors.
 
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