My first SMaSH recipe. Opinions appreciated

[rkhanso]

I have some leftover grain after buying a 55 lb bag for a Tripel. Thought of trying a SMASH.
I don't like overly bitter or hoppy beer.

10 gallon batch in the fermenter.
I BIAB. I pressure ferment in corny kegs without temp control, but in a basement in the mid to high 60s.

22 lb Swaen Pilsner (I hope I have 22 lb left. Need to weigh it to be sure).
2 oz Citra Hops (1oz at 30 min. .5oz at 20 min. .5 oz at 10 min)
Wyeast California Lager 2112

Mash at 152 for 90 minutes
Boil for 60 minutes
1 oz Citra at 30 minutes
.5 oz Citra at 20 minutes
.5 oz Citra at 10 minutes.

I saw some interesting hops at my local brew store's website and wondered if anyone has tried it, or what you might think - NZ Nectaron hops.
Another yeast option might be S-23 dry yeast.

Thanks for any opinions.

 

[AlexKay]

Nectaron is a lovely hop, and plays very well with Citra. I get apricot from it in a unique way. Use twice as much Nectaron as Citra to keep it from being overpowered.

 

[rkhanso]

How about Nectaron on its own (keeping to the Single Malt and Single Hop theme)?
Are you saying I'd need 2x the amount of Nectaron as I would Citra?

I don't like hoppy beers. Brew Target is saying that my recipe with either Citra or Nectaron will be 26 IBU since both are about 12% AA.

 

[fluketamer]

i like your recipe i brewed a very similar beer not too long ago.
9 lbs pilsner
1 oz citra

i split the batch with cellar science baja vs s23. the s 23 was not my favorite .

for me smash brews are not as easy as they seem. my single malt beers seem to lack something. i enjoy the brews i make with vienna or munich better. - 80/20 or even 90/10. a little bit of another malt imo adds complexity that improves the beer.

 

[DBhomebrew]

for me smash brews are not as easy as they seem. my single malt beers seem to lack something. i enjoy the brews i make with vienna or munich better. - 80/20 or even 90/10. a little bit of another malt imo adds complexity that improves the beer.

This is where premium base malts shine. Premium 'craft' domestic maltsters or malts from across the pond where their brewing cultures highlight more interesting base malts with simple recipes.

 

[rkhanso]

I've not made a smash before and would like to try it. I hear you about the potential for lacking something.
I'd like to brew something that I like, not just something I'll drink. Some thing really awesome would be even better.

What about if I roast 3-4 lb of the malt it in the oven first? I've never done this, either. It could still stay a SMaSH.

Or I suppose adding some Vienna would be OK, though a "smashing failure"

 

[DBhomebrew]

Or, 100% Vienna

 

[fluketamer]

decoct some maybe. although i recently read that decoction doesnt really do much for us lowly homebrewers especially with the malts and volumes we are dealing with.

as an aside - similarly , step mashing i have recenlty read isnt really necessary as it also doenst do much for homebrewers making 5- 10 gallon batches. especially with the malts we have access to.

 

[Genuine]

I just used Nectaron in a NEIPA and I thought it would have been more prominent. I paired it with Citra and El Dorado so I may just use all Nectaron next time to see how it's flavor actual is by itself. Your recipe looks good. You could add more citra towards the end of the boil to flame out and/or whirlpool and dry hop.