Home brewing doesn’t have to be difficult – this simple recipe is one of our favorites for beginners.
One of the most interesting projects The Club decided to do this brew calendar is a SMaSH beer, with participants brewing the same recipe. One of the members developed the recipe and we are all charged with following it. The idea is that the differences will be with water and each brewer’s method — and to some extent the freshness of the hops used — and we will see just how different each beer will still taste when we convene on April 16 to compare.
There will be other slight differences; for example, I got a late start and decided I will keg my SMaSH and bring a few growlers. Others may be bottling their beers.
So far — we just racked to the secondary — this beer tastes and smells great. It is super light yellow and clear; however, I missed my target OG. I hope to learn from this experience: How does one determine the efficiency of their set up so that they better hit their targets? The short answer is maths, but my take-away is that I need to do some research on my mash efficiency.
If you are wondering about the name of this brew, it is because Sarah and I each got tattoos the morning before we brewed. My tattoo is an elaborate sleeve of hops, a flower, and two bees. Sarah’s is a bee that matches one of mine.
Surprisingly, this was the first time Sarah has joined to help with the brew day. She has always helped with racking, bottling, etc. I enjoyed her company and her assistance was greatly appreciated!
To view the recipe, continue reading.
Water
13qts (3.25gal) mash = 1.3 x grain bill
20qts (5 gal) sparge = 2 x grain bill
Grain
10 lbs American 2-row malt (Rahr)
Hops
(each 1oz pouch ~5.4 AAU)
Cascade (2 ounces) – 1 hour
Cascade (1 ounce) – 15 min
Cascade (1 ounce) – 5 min
Cascade (1 ounce) – Knockout
Yeast
American ale yeast – either Safale US 05, White Labs 001 or Wyeast 1056. I chose Safale US 05 as it is a favourite.
Target OG: 1.055-1.060
My OG: 1.070
My FG: 1.010
