First Small Batch Smash

[CoFlyGuy]

Ok folks, brew attempt 2 coming. Here is a recipe I found for a SMaSH. I am curious to try this idea as I am hoping that it might keep things a bit smoother. Let me know what you all think. Any and all suggestions are welcome. BTW, this was entered at the original production total of 5.5 Gallons and then converted to my Small Batch needs at 3 Gallons post boil.

I can't wait to see what you all have to share with me on this. Thanks in advance.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1316635/yellow-rose-smash-sb

 

[Megary]

Ok folks, brew attempt 2 coming. Here is a recipe I found for a SMaSH. I am curious to try this idea as I am hoping that it might keep things a bit smoother. Let me know what you all think. Any and all suggestions are welcome. BTW, this was entered at the original production total of 5.5 Gallons and then converted to my Small Batch needs at 3 Gallons post boil.

I can't wait to see what you all have to share with me on this. Thanks in advance.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1316635/yellow-rose-smash-sb

-Permission Error-

In Edit, you have to slide the "share recipe" button over to green.

 

[CoFlyGuy]

-Permission Error-

In Edit, you have to slide the "share recipe" button over to green.

Sorry give me about 20 minutes.

 

[Megary]

Looks fine to me. I like the idea of a SMaSH. Great way to learn no matter the level of your brewing experience.

Mosaic is a nice choice. I'm a bit confused on the hopping schedule, but as long as you have your head wrapped around it, all is good. And WLP001 is a fine choice.

I forget your source water, but you might consider adding a bit of Gypsum to help accentuate the hops. Or not.

My only question is...have you addressed the gravity issue that you had last time?

Cheers!

 

[CoFlyGuy]

Looks fine to me. I like the idea of a SMaSH. Great way to learn no matter the level of your brewing experience.

Mosaic is a nice choice. I'm a bit confused on the hopping schedule, but as long as you have your head wrapped around it, all is good. And WLP001 is a fine choice.

I forget your source water, but you might consider adding a bit of Gypsum to help accentuate the hops. Or not.

My only question is...have you addressed the gravity issue that you had last time?

Cheers!

Yes, instead of Steeping I accidentally boiled everything.

The timing might be different based on the weight of the grain I am using. Checking with a friend on the time.

 

[Megary]

Yes, instead of Steeping I accidentally boiled everything.

The timing might be different based on the weight of the grain I am using. Checking with a friend on the time.

Well, that'll do it.

Apologies for getting lost in the different threads, but what type of set up are you using? BIAB, Mashing in a cooler, Electric all-in-one....

 

[CoFlyGuy]

Well, that'll do it.

Apologies for getting lost in the different threads, but what type of set up are you using? BIAB, Mashing in a cooler, Electric all-in-one....

Running a BIAB is my current plan right now.

 

[Sunfire96]

Ok folks, brew attempt 2 coming. Here is a recipe I found for a SMaSH. I am curious to try this idea as I am hoping that it might keep things a bit smoother. Let me know what you all think. Any and all suggestions are welcome. BTW, this was entered at the original production total of 5.5 Gallons and then converted to my Small Batch needs at 3 Gallons post boil.

I can't wait to see what you all have to share with me on this. Thanks in advance.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1316635/yellow-rose-smash-sb

There's a lot going on here. For instance, the hop additions are set to 168F. That's not the temperature that water boils, at least not at my altitude. Changing that might adjust your IBU predictions.

Do you have a small accurate scale for weighing out hop additions? There's a $20 gram scale on amazon that works great, highly recommend getting one if you don't have one already.

Smash beers are supposed to be simple but you've found one with some complicated hop stuff going on. I would recommend a smash blonde or pale ale with 1 or 2 hop additions instead. If you need help with finding a recipe just let us know

Or do a couple extract batches to learn the fundamentals of the boil and fermentation. I started with all grain batches on the stove top and wish that I had started with extract. There's just so much to learn (i.e. get wrong). Extract batches simplify the process enough to get your feet under you before you move up to all grain

 

[CoFlyGuy]

There's a lot going on here. For instance, the hop additions are set to 168F. That's not the temperature that water boils, at least not at my altitude. Changing that might adjust your IBU predictions.

Do you have a small accurate scale for weighing out hop additions? There's a $20 gram scale on amazon that works great, highly recommend getting one if you don't have one already.

Smash beers are supposed to be simple but you've found one with some complicated hop stuff going on. I would recommend a smash blonde or pale ale with 1 or 2 hop additions instead. If you need help with finding a recipe just let us know

Or do a couple extract batches to learn the fundamentals of the boil and fermentation. I started with all grain batches on the stove top and wish that I had started with extract. There's just so much to learn (i.e. get wrong). Extract batches simplify the process enough to get your feet under you before you move up to all grain

I have a "coke" scale yes. This was a recipe I got from a friend of mine so kind of wanting to try it. But yes I agree on the boil temp being off

 

[Sunfire96]

Here's a simple extract SMaSH. You need 1 jug of LME, 1 ounce of Cascade hops, and 1 packet of US05 yeast. I can make you an all grain version too if you insist
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1317150/simple-smash

 

[Sunfire96]

I have a "coke" scale yes. This was a recipe I got from a friend of mine so kind of wanting to try it. But yes I agree on the boil temp being off

Can't blame you for trying what you want to try that's exactly what I did when I started brewing. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that

 

[CoFlyGuy]

Can't blame you for trying what you want to try that's exactly what I did when I started brewing. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that

Just for fun if you wouldn't mind doing a full grain so I can look at the differences.

 

[Megary]

Running a BIAB is my current plan right now.

BIAB is a great way to brew!

The next question that comes to mind is...how do you plan on crushing your grains? BIAB benefits from a fine crush, maybe (probably) finer than what you will get if you order your grains pre-crushed. Because of this, you may want to base your recipe on an efficiency less than 73%, which feels very optimistic to me at this point. Maybe 65%?? But again, this all depends on what your grains look like. Don't be afraid of some flour in the bag. Crush til you're scared.

Another question...are you going to "Full-volume" mash in your kettle, or will you need a sparge (rinse) step to reach your pre-boil volume?

Finally...how long do you plan to boil? You have a pre-boil volume of 4.9gal, and an ending kettle of 3gal. Everybody's losses are different of course, but that seems like a lot, even if you factor in leaving behind some volume of trub/sludge in the kettle.

 

[Sunfire96]

Just for fun if you wouldn't mind doing a full grain so I can look at the differences.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1317157/simple-smash-all-grain

Have your LHBS double mill the grain for BIAB.

I don't know your equipment boil info, so double check the water amounts using your equipment profile. And I just used RO water because I remembered your tap water is pretty clean.

 

[CoFlyGuy]

I crush at the Homebrew Shop where I get my grain. Full volume is likely. I do know from my last batch I lost a ton of water to the grain bag so went on the high side. 60 minute boil is my current plan. But that might change.

 

[Megary]

I crush at the Homebrew Shop where I get my grain. Full volume is likely. I do know from my last batch I lost a ton of water to the grain bag so went on the high side. 60 minute boil is my current plan. But that might change.

Don't be afraid to squeeze the bag and get all that great wort out. Squeeze as much as you need to hit your "Pre boil volume".

-------------------------

The volume numbers I have settled on have come from jotting down what happens during every brew. Eventually, once I got my crush where I wanted, all the numbers kind of fell in line and became easily repeatable.

Here's a recent beer I brewed and how it all adds up:

Goal is to fill my 2.5gallon keg.

6.5 # Grain for a 1.047 OG beer

Grain absorption = .11 gallons/lb
Boil Off Rate - .67 gallons/hour
Kettle Loss - .625 gallons
Fermenter Loss - .5 gallon

Count backwards...
2.5 gallons packaged
+ .5 gallon Fermenter Loss (yeast, hops, whatever that gets left in the fermenter)
+ .625 gallon Kettle Loss (gunk that gets left behind in the kettle during transfer to fermenter, a completely fungible number)
+ .67 gallon boil off (assuming a lazy, 1 hour boil)
+ .715 gallon grain absorption
--------------------------------
Total Mash water = 5.01 gallons or 5 gallons for homebrewing purposes.

Grain absorption is going to be greatly influenced by exactly how long and how hard you decide to squeeze the bag after mashing. I squeeze only enough to hit my "Pre-Boil" volume and stop there. My "Pre-Boil" volume is ALWAYS 4.3 gallons (2.5 + .5 + .625 + .67).
Which leads to another point if you are using a standard kettle: Try and find a reliable way to measure your kettle volumes. There are a lot of ways to do this, but I ended up filling my kettle to different levels and measuring with a stainless steel ruler. So as an example, my typical strike volume of 5 gallons in my kettle = 7-1/4" on the ruler. My "Pre-Boil" volume (the volume to which I squeeze the bag) of 4.3 gallons = 6-1/4".

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[Sunfire96]

Don't be afraid to squeeze the bag and get all that great wort out. Squeeze as much as you need to hit your "Pre boil volume".

-------------------------

The volume numbers I have settled on have come from jotting down what happens during every brew. Eventually, once I got my crush where I wanted, all the numbers kind of fell in line and became easily repeatable.

Here's a recent beer I brewed and how it all adds up:

Goal is to fill my 2.5gallon keg.

6.5 # Grain for a 1.047 OG beer

Grain absorption = .11 gallons/lb
Boil Off Rate - .67 gallons/hour
Kettle Loss - .625 gallons
Fermenter Loss - .5 gallon

Count backwards...
2.5 gallons packaged
+ .5 gallon Fermenter Loss (yeast, hops, whatever that gets left in the fermenter)
+ .625 gallon Kettle Loss (gunk that gets left behind in the kettle during transfer to fermenter, a completely fungible number)
+ .67 gallon boil off (assuming a lazy, 1 hour boil)
+ .715 gallon grain absorption
--------------------------------
Total Mash water = 5.01 gallons or 5 gallons for homebrewing purposes.

Grain absorption is going to be greatly influenced by exactly how long and how hard you decide to squeeze the bag after mashing. I squeeze only enough to hit my "Pre-Boil" volume and stop there. My "Pre-Boil" volume is ALWAYS 4.3 gallons (2.5 + .5 + .625 + .67).
Which leads to another point if you are using a standard kettle: Try and find a reliable way to measure your kettle volumes. There are a lot of ways to do this, but I ended up filling my kettle to different levels and measuring with a stainless steel ruler. So as an example, my typical strike volume of 5 gallons in my kettle = 7-1/4" on the ruler. My "Pre-Boil" volume (the volume to which I squeeze the bag) of 4.3 gallons = 6-1/4".

Hope this helps. Good luck.

I wrote in sharpie on a wooden spoon every 2 quarts for my kettle

Great advice here Megary!

 

[CoFlyGuy]

Don't be afraid to squeeze the bag and get all that great wort out. Squeeze as much as you need to hit your "Pre boil volume".

-------------------------

The volume numbers I have settled on have come from jotting down what happens during every brew. Eventually, once I got my crush where I wanted, all the numbers kind of fell in line and became easily repeatable.

Here's a recent beer I brewed and how it all adds up:

Goal is to fill my 2.5gallon keg.

6.5 # Grain for a 1.047 OG beer

Grain absorption = .11 gallons/lb
Boil Off Rate - .67 gallons/hour
Kettle Loss - .625 gallons
Fermenter Loss - .5 gallon

Count backwards...
2.5 gallons packaged
+ .5 gallon Fermenter Loss (yeast, hops, whatever that gets left in the fermenter)
+ .625 gallon Kettle Loss (gunk that gets left behind in the kettle during transfer to fermenter, a completely fungible number)
+ .67 gallon boil off (assuming a lazy, 1 hour boil)
+ .715 gallon grain absorption
--------------------------------
Total Mash water = 5.01 gallons or 5 gallons for homebrewing purposes.

Grain absorption is going to be greatly influenced by exactly how long and how hard you decide to squeeze the bag after mashing. I squeeze only enough to hit my "Pre-Boil" volume and stop there. My "Pre-Boil" volume is ALWAYS 4.3 gallons (2.5 + .5 + .625 + .67).
Which leads to another point if you are using a standard kettle: Try and find a reliable way to measure your kettle volumes. There are a lot of ways to do this, but I ended up filling my kettle to different levels and measuring with a stainless steel ruler. So as an example, my typical strike volume of 5 gallons in my kettle = 7-1/4" on the ruler. My "Pre-Boil" volume (the volume to which I squeeze the bag) of 4.3 gallons = 6-1/4".

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Very interesting way of looking at things honestly. I am going to try to study this a bit more. I really need to work on those numbers you have listed to figure out my losses and other numbers. I like the steel ruler idea as well.

I am curious as to how you figured out your loss numbers.

 

[Sunfire96]

Very interesting way of looking at things honestly. I am going to try to study this a bit more. I really need to work on those numbers you have listed to figure out my losses and other numbers. I like the steel ruler idea as well.

I am curious as to how you figured out your loss numbers.

Measure everything on brew day and write it down! The Brew session log on this website is super helpful for this too!

 

[CoFlyGuy]

I wrote in sharpie on a wooden spoon every 2 quarts for my kettle

Great advice here Megary!

I like the wooden spoon idea as well.