SMaSH Brewing: Recipes & How to Make at Home

Homebrewing could be one of the most rewarding hobbies that lets you play around with different flavors and methods. A great way to start is with SMaSH brewing, which I frequently use to test out new hops, yeasts, and malts.

If you are new to making your own beer at home, then try SMaSH, which is a perfect choice since it only needs one type of malt and one type of hop. Plus, it is very easy to brew and is affordable. I’ll share the brewing process and complete recipe for my SMaSH beer.

What is SMaSH Beer?

SMaSH is all about its name, which stands for "Single Malt and Single Hop." Technically, SMaSH only contains one type of malt and one type of hop, plus the water and yeast, of course. This method not only lets you focus on the unique flavors and characteristics of one malt and one hop variety, but also helps beginners get the hang of brewing without getting lost in complicated recipes.

Why Keep SMaSH Brewing Simple?

I’ve come to realize that the best SMaSH recipes actually use fewer ingredients instead of more. You can easily adjust your own recipe by changing either the malt or the hops while keeping the other the same. For example, you could start with a hop variety that has a medium alpha acid, and then for your next brew, just try higher or lower alpha hops to brew your favorite taste.

So most craft breweries usually brew a wide variety of beers with minimal ingredients. The key to SMaSH brewing is to keep it simple so that you can clearly see how your chosen malt and hops contribute to the flavor.

What Do You Need to Brew SMaSH?

Since this tutorial is aimed at beginner brewers, I’m leaving our some gear like hydrometer. If you are interested in how a hydrometer works, see: How to Use a Hydrometer for Brewing and Wine Making? While these tools can certainly improve your beer quality, grasping the techniques, processes, and getting comfortable with the brewing equipment is way more crucial when you’re just starting out.

Ingredients:

Malt of your choice - Pale malt is a common choice due to its mild, malty sweetness, but you can try out others like Vienna, Pilsner, or Maris Otter for different flavor profiles.
Hop of your choice
American Ale Yeast like Safale US-05 or Wyeast 1056
Priming sugar or corn sugar

Equipment:

Brew kettle
Fermentation vessel
Airlock
Brewing thermostat
Bottling equipment
Sanitizer

How to Brew Homemade SMaSH?

The process of brewing SMaSH beer follows the standard all-grain or extract methods, and here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Crush the malt. If you’re using whole grain, crush it to increase the surface area for brewing. But if you’re not sure how fine to crush, go for a texture similar to coarse flour.

Step 2: Heat water. Bring about 3-4 gallons (11-15 liters) of water to around 160°F (71°C).

Step 3: Mash. Add the crushed malt to the heated water, stirring to avoid clumps. Use a food thermometer to keep the temperature between 148°F and 158°F (64°C and 70°C) for about 60 minutes. Then, raise the temperature to around 170°F (77°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic processes.

Step 4: Sparge. Rinse the grains with hot water (around 170°F) to extract the sugars. Collect this liquid in your brew kettle to make your wort.

Step 5: Bring to a boil and add hops. Get the wort to a vigorous boil and add the hops according to your planned schedule. For bitterness, throw the bittering hops at the start. Midway through, add the flavor hops, and for a nice aroma, drop in the aroma hops in the last 10 to 15 minutes before you turn off the heat.

Step 6: Cool the wort. Quickly cool down the boiled wort using an immersion chiller or ice bath to a fermentation-friendly temperature, around 70°F or 21°C.

Step 7: Fermentation. Transfer the cooled wort into a sanitized fermenter. Then, add your chosen yeast, seal it up with an airlock, and set it at 68 °F (20 °C). Control the fermentation temperature using the ITC-308 brewing thermostat, and ferment it for around 1 to 2 weeks.

Step 8: Bottling. Fer fermentation is done, prepare a priming sugar solution to carbonate the beer and carefully blend it with the fermented brew. Transfer the beer to a sterilized bottling keg and fill up clean bottles, sealing them with caps.

Step 9: Conditioning. Let your bottled beer condition for 1 to 2 weeks at room temperature. After that, refrigerate your bottles, pour into a glass, and enjoy the unique flavors of your SMaSH beer.