SMASH Test Progression

[Gax]

Yellow. I'm new! My plan is to make a series of 3 SMASH beers as my first 3 beer brews ever. I've spoken to some friends and I've been given a malt and a hop and a yeast but I've otherwise used my own research and honestly, just guess work, to write a progression of 3 recipes wherein the only variable I'm going to be messing with is the Hops.

This is simply so I can isolate the malt and track my consistancy in the mashing step over the 3 batches. This feels like the more important variable to work on developing consistency with. Let me know what you think. I wont actually be starting to brew until next week, because I'm going to Germany for a Holiday this week.

I know I'm working in small volumes here, don't tell me. I don't care. I dont have to space to store a big batch, for now. I'm also using a 30 minute boil time, the research I've done indicates this should be fine, but I'm willing to entertain input and advice. I am curious about a couple of bits that Brewfather spits out, like will this actually have a fermentation time of 2 weeks? I'm obviously going to do my best to check it regularly and track but I'd like to know if the timings this spits out can be relied upon.

All I'm trying to acomplish here is make sure that I can hit consistent numbers for og , and find out for myself what happens when you play around with hop additions.

Let me know what we think. Cheers.

 

[MashBag]

I am struggling to read the recipes... Its goes blurry when I zoom it in. Is it possible to post them as 3 single pics?

 

[Gax]

SMASH A​

3.9% / 10.1 °P
Recipe by
Gax
All Grain

BIAB (No sparge)​

67% efficiency
Batch Volume: 5 L
Boil Time: 30 min
Mash Water: 7.21 L
Total Water: 7.21 L
Boil Volume: 6.73 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.034

Vitals​

Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU (Tinseth): 22
BU/GU: 0.54
Colour: 8.5 EBC

Mash​

Temperature — 65 °C — 60 min

Malts (1 kg)​

1 kg (100%) — Warminster Maris Otter — Grain — 6 EBC

Hops (10 g)​

10 g (22 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) (Whole) 5.8% — Boil — 30 min

Miscs​

1.17 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
1.1 g — Epsom Salt (MgSO4) — Mash
1.17 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash

Yeast​

5 g — Lallemand (LalBrew) Nottingham Yeast 75%

Fermentation​

Primary — 20 °C — 14 days

 

[Gax]

SMASH B​

British Golden Ale
3.9% / 10.1 °P
Recipe by
Gax
All Grain

BIAB (No sparge)​

67% efficiency
Batch Volume: 5 L
Boil Time: 30 min
Mash Water: 7.21 L
Total Water: 7.21 L
Boil Volume: 6.73 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.034

Vitals​

Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU (Tinseth): 33
BU/GU: 0.81
Colour: 8.5 EBC

Mash​

Temperature — 65 °C — 60 min

Malts (1 kg)​

1 kg (100%) — Warminster Maris Otter — Grain — 6 EBC

Hops (22.9 g)​

12.9 g (30 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) (Whole) 5.8% — Boil — 30 min
10 g (3 IBU) — (Whole) 5.8% — Aroma — 15 min hopstand

Hopstand at 80 °C

Miscs​

1.17 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
1.1 g — Epsom Salt (MgSO4) — Mash
1.17 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash

Yeast​

5 g — Lallemand (LalBrew) Nottingham Yeast 75%

Fermentation​

Primary — 20 °C — 14 days

 

[Gax]

SMASH C​

British Golden Ale
3.9% / 10.1 °P
Recipe by
Gax
All Grain

BIAB (No sparge)​

67% efficiency
Batch Volume: 5 L
Boil Time: 30 min
Mash Water: 7.21 L
Total Water: 7.21 L
Boil Volume: 6.73 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.034

Vitals​

Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU (Tinseth): 36
BU/GU: 0.88
Colour: 8.5 EBC

Mash​

Temperature — 65 °C — 60 min

Malts (1 kg)​

1 kg (100%) — Warminster Maris Otter — Grain — 6 EBC

Hops (24.4 g)​

12.9 g (30 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) (Whole) 5.8% — Boil — 30 min
1.5 g (3 IBU) — East Kent Goldings (EKG) 5.8% — Boil — 15 min
10 g (3 IBU) — (Whole) 5.8% — Aroma — 15 min hopstand

Hopstand at 80 °C

Miscs​

1.17 g — Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) — Mash
1.1 g — Epsom Salt (MgSO4) — Mash
1.17 g — Gypsum (CaSO4) — Mash

Yeast​

5 g — Lallemand (LalBrew) Nottingham Yeast 75%

Fermentation​

Primary — 20 °C — 14 days

 

[matt76]

Hey @Gax

Don't apologise for brewing small batches, and don't feel like you have to brew 20L or 40L batches because that's what many others do.

I've done more than 125 all grain batches now, almost all of which have been around the 12L mark. Typically my standard grist is about 2kg, maybe a touch more. What I have found is that 10-12L is the same effort as 5L for double the yield.

(You could argue the same for 20L I suppose but the laws of gravity and thermodynamics start to work against you eventually).

For me, small batches mean more frequent brewing which means more opportunity to experiment.

Brewing is about doing what you enjoy - and if that means being analytical and hitting your numbers then do that, but don't feel like you have to obsess over it (I do, but that's me! )

Also, almost all of my batches since about no.30 have been 30min boils - it works just fine. People can and will argue about boil length (oh lordy, let's not go there again!) but you can make great beer this way.

I'm not sure about just doing a 30min addition of EKG in your first recipe, I'd be inclined to also add a 15min addition like the 3rd one. But it's subjective, either way you'll make beer and either way you'll learn something.

Enjoy

 

[MashBag]

Brewing is about doing what you enjoy

Absolutely.

Batch C will be nice. Good hop profile.
I get the being consistent thing.
Good luck

 

[jof]

Also, if your on a 10-12l batch, you can move stuff about & pour directly if you are forced to, even when hot.

At 20l, it's too heavy & too dangerous to move if hot.
You need to plan heights if gravity fed ir use a pump/jug

 

[Gax]

Hey @Gax

Don't apologise for brewing small batches, and don't feel like you have to brew 20L or 40L batches because that's what many others do.

I've done more than 125 all grain batches now, almost all of which have been around the 12L mark. Typically my standard grist is about 2kg, maybe a touch more. What I have found is that 10-12L is the same effort as 5L for double the yield.

(You could argue the same for 20L I suppose but the laws of gravity and thermodynamics start to work against you eventually).

For me, small batches mean more frequent brewing which means more opportunity to experiment.

Brewing is about doing what you enjoy - and if that means being analytical and hitting your numbers then do that, but don't feel like you have to obsess over it (I do, but that's me! )

Also, almost all of my batches since about no.30 have been 30min boils - it works just fine. People can and will argue about boil length (oh lordy, let's not go there again!) but you can make great beer this way.

I'm not sure about just doing a 30min addition of EKG in your first recipe, I'd be inclined to also add a 15min addition like the 3rd one. But it's subjective, either way you'll make beer and either way you'll learn something.

Enjoy

Thank you so much friend. Very positive. I chose the 5l size because I don't have to buy anything but a bag, some water chemistry stuff, and ingredients. My wife and I are getting ready to move from our apartment into our first home and I'll have a detached garage to go larger scale if I want.

As far as the recipe comments. Bearing in mind I'm going for a total boil time of 30 minutes, are you saying I should wait 15 minutes into the boil before adding my first hop addition? Is ekg not typically used as a base/bittering hop? Happy to hear thoughts.

 

[Gax]

Absolutely.

Batch C will be nice. Good hop profile.
I get the being consistent thing.
Good luck

Thanks bud. I get that some people might see what I'm doing as "wasteful" and I could just use recipes instead of iterative design/experimentation. My background as a chef really likes experimenting though and getting to know new ingredients and processes in steps.
Thanks for the feedback :)

 

[matt76]

Thank you so much friend. Very positive. I chose the 5l size because I don't have to buy anything but a bag, some water chemistry stuff, and ingredients. My wife and I are getting ready to move from our apartment into our first home and I'll have a detached garage to go larger scale if I want.

As far as the recipe comments. Bearing in mind I'm going for a total boil time of 30 minutes, are you saying I should wait 15 minutes into the boil before adding my first hop addition? Is ekg not typically used as a base/bittering hop? Happy to hear thoughts.

EKG is very versatile and can be used throughout the boil.

Useful resource:
https://www.hopslist.com/hops/
What I meant was, keep your 30min bittering addition, but also have a flavour addition at 15mins. However...

As you get into it you'll find that these traditional rules and dogma are very much optional these days so actually just adding some hops at 15min is arguably equally valid...

Not very "traditional English" but perfectly valid. The trick is to balance bitterness, flavour and aroma in keeping with the style.

 

[MashBag]

Thanks bud. I get that some people might see what I'm doing as "wasteful" and I could just use recipes instead of iterative design/experimentation. My background as a chef really likes experimenting though and getting to know new ingredients and processes in steps.
Thanks for the feedback :)

It's not wasteful it's learning. I too like an iterative process to be able to drill into the detail. Be aware that this will change when you scale up.

Boil over is a real issue, don't undersize pans.

I thought Matt was referring to hot break. You will see it. Also referred to as "Snot" break adding hops before this will makes it much worse. It is not always 15 mins but thereabouts.

 

[chthon]

• In my first brews (which were even smaller) I used nothing but EKG. A packet of 100g went a long way then
• A 10l cooking pan should be enough for your boil (I used a steam cooking pan, without the lid of course)
• Add your first hops when lautering your mash: first wort hopping helps decreasing the foam formed at the start of the boil

 

[Gax]

EKG is very versatile and can be used throughout the boil.

Useful resource:
https://www.hopslist.com/hops/
What I meant was, keep your 30min bittering addition, but also have a flavour addition at 15mins. However...

As you get into it you'll find that these traditional rules and dogma are very much optional these days so actually just adding some hops at 15min is arguably equally valid...

Not very "traditional English" but perfectly valid. The trick is to balance bitterness, flavour and aroma in keeping with the style.

OHHH Thank you. I see what you mean. Thanks for the advice :) I'll look at that hoplist. Woo.

 

[Gax]

Back from Germany, ordered all my stuff. First brew day is gonna be sundayyyyy! Woooo.