Beer recipe: Keys to brewing a SMASH beer at home

Before we get into it, do you know what a SMASH beer is? This name, which sounds more like a candy bar than a brewing technique, refers to a beer made with a single type of malt and a single type of hop (Single Malt And Single Hop). This way of creating recipes comes from American homebrewers, who developed the term in their online forums.

So is it easy to brew a SMASH beer? Well, we shouldn’t confuse easy with simple. The first task the brewer faces is finding a good pairing. The characteristics of the grain and the hops must harmonize, and even enhance each other.

Bear in mind, for example, that not all hops contribute the same characteristics to beer. You need an “all-round” hop that provides bitterness, aroma and flavor. The same goes for malt. You need a high-quality base malt with enough character because you won’t be adding specialty malts. This directly affects the styles you can brew.

The reality is that the SMASH technique limits the types of beer you can obtain. For example, dark beers like Stouts or Porters are incompatible with the SMASH method because they require specialty roasted malts. However, SMASH works very well for styles like Pale Ale, Amber Ale or Red Ale.

So will two beers with the same malt and the same hops offer the same sensory profile? No! And that’s part of the appeal of the SMASH technique. You’re forgetting two ingredients that have a huge influence on a beer’s properties: water and yeast. Beer is 95% water, so its pH and mineral content are decisive in the final product. The same goes for yeast. The type of yeast you use completely shapes the beer. The range of nuances offered by a Belgian yeast is diametrically different from what you’ll get with an English yeast.

In addition, the process naturally plays a major role. The final result depends on the temperature steps during the boil and mash; on how you add the hops: during the mash, in the fermenter… Whether you cold-condition the beer or not…

So what’s the appeal of a SMASH beer then? It allows you to understand in detail how the ingredients behave, what you can get from them, and you’ll also discover how they intertwine with each other. Some interesting combinations are: Vienna malt with Centennial hops, Maris Otter with Citra, or Golden Promise with Amarillo. Go ahead and try the SMASH side of beer!