Your First SMaSH Ale

Heat 1 gal. (3.8 L) water to 160°F (71°C). Add the milled malt and mash at 147-150°F (64-66°C) for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, increase the temperature of the mash to 170°F (77°C) and hold 10 minutes for mash out.

While you’re mashing out, heat 0.75 gallon of water to 170°F (77°C) in a separate pot. Set a large mesh strainer over a third pot, 12 qt. Cambro, or other large vessel and pour the mash through the strainer to separate the wort out from the spent grains. Slowly pour the sparge water over the spent grain until you’ve collected about 5.5-6 qt. (5.2-5.7 L) of wort.

Pour the wort into a pot and bring to a boil. Watch closely, as boil-overs can happen. Add the 60-minute hop addition once the wort comes to a boil. With 15 minutes remaining, add the second hop addition, and at the end of the hour-long boil, add the final hop addition.

Chill the wort down to the recommended yeast-pitching temperature by placing the entire pot into an ice bath in your sink. When the wort has reached the appropriate temperature for yeast pitching, transfer it to a clean, sanitized fermentation vessel. Make sure that anything that touches the wort from this point on is sanitized.

Add the yeast to the wort, close the fermentation vessel, and shake it vigorously on and off for about 45 seconds to create it. Run a blow-off tube from the fermenter to a jar or a small pot filled with sanitizer. This will prevent air from entering the soon-to-be beer but will all CO₂ to escape.

Within 12-24 hours there will be a decent amount of bubbling that will quiet down after about 3-4 days. Once this happens you can replace the blow-off tube with an airlock. Two weeks later, fermentation will be complete and you can package your beer in bottles or a keg.

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