For mash, get SMaSH - 'Le Transatlantique'

[floydmeddler]

I have to say it was the most dough-ball laden mash and took an age to whip into a good clean slurry.

I've been using a paint stirrer attached to a power drill. Tip all the grain in in one go, give it a 10 second blast and you have a perfect dough ball free mash.

[bellebouche]

Tasted a couple. No harm, no foul.

Close one that.

The Amarillo is all prominent grapefruit, as is a richly complex malt background. Bit of a result!

[Gricey]

Absolutely love the photos, bellebouche.

[bellebouche]

Dispatches from the trenches.

This beer + Food = Epic.

Set a small pan of linguine on to boil, cook until al-dente. Drain, dress with teaspoon of butter and black pepper, reserve.
Warm a little olive oil in a pan, add two cloves of garlic you've pounded to a paste, a couple of red chillis, deseeded and finely chopped.
When the aromas start to rise, lob in 400g of cooked, peeled prawns and a few halved cherry toms.
Toss in another teaspoon of butter and the reserved linguine. Season to taste, toss and serve with a little rocket salad.

Now, the important bit. This beer (the Amarillo in particular) was a great combination with the potent garlic, chilli, seafood combo. What a combination - the pungent citrus edge, the astringent bitter and the spice.

I've found few beers that work tremendously well in combination but if this kind of things floats your boat... go large on an Amarillo pale ale!

[Spud395]

Wasn't sure about the beer (jk!), but I'm liking that chilli prawn dish

[bellebouche]

Final pic.

I've only got a few litres left now. I'll miss it when it's gone.


Amarillo Smash

It never quite cleared.... not quite a chill haze but something else. I think it was all related to the overlong dry hopping. Does it make any sense if I say it's an emulsion in the beer... I think the hop oils in suspension? I'm not an experienced enough brewer to understand. Still , looks aside what's it like?

If you blended SNPA and Brewdogs Punk, this is it. It's neither fish nor fowl. Not overly malty or full bodied, not thin and astringent. The hop aroma and flavour is stunning. Aromatic, bitter grapefruit pith dominates. A serious 'bite' on the finish and good mouthfeel. Pours a good head with good retention which turns rocky and then slips back to a thin 1mm band atop the beer. That stays all the way down and leaves a pretty lacing.

A few years ago I'd never have appreciated a beer like this but beers like Punk are pushing the envelope a little and a helping me develop my tastes.

So, the SMaSh concept? Will I do it again. Oh yes. I've just ordered 150kg of assorted base malts so I'll be knocking quite a few SMaSh beers over the next year... just deciding *what* is a challenge but something I relish. BRING IT!

[Gricey]

150kg... you freaking maniac. I salute you!

[mysterio]

I do a meal very similar to that bellebouche, I add a little white wine, sun dried tomato paste and chopped rocket though. Tastes great.

[Tony01]

heh heh ... I don't envy your postman!

Nice .. very very nice. I now have (yet) another brew to add to my list of 'to-do's'

[Subsonic]

I have been making APA's with serious amounts of hops and experiencing a haze. Its not chill haze and it only comes through in my APA's. I thought it was hop oils. I did not get it with IPA's and only with Green Bullet and Chinook / cascade blends. My Dixie cup winner friend was over the last few weeks staying with me and his verdict was - my water. Its hard. So, we took his spreadsheets and altered the water profile for Houston to mine, I will do the next batch using the water sheet to change the profile, it automatically calculates the chemical additions required to reach desired water profile. There are spreadsheets and stuff out there that do this but this one is the nuts cos he's a power plant engineer and does this for a living. Its a personal brewery spreadsheet that does malts, water, efficiency, etc. calculates everything. I only use this and don't bother with any brewing software, you can plug data direct into it. If you are interested in it bellebouche drop me a pm. Subsonic.

[bellebouche]

Interesting. I think you've hit the nail on the hardness head!

I'll photograph the inside of my kettle when I get home and post it here. I clean it with 23% HCl once a month to remove the scale...

I've (so far) never really paid much attention to my water... I'll revisit this with my next APA and see if the strange suspension/haze is taken care of.

[pantsmachine]

Cracking looking beer. I find it easier to put my dry hops in a nylon drawstring bag and weigh them down with a s/s nut(or marbles). Put a string on the bag and you've also got a brew invigorating system as well as a 'no mess' dry hop system.

Reality is its a bag on a string of course but i'm a bloke and i've read Tom Clancy novels and everything so using the word 'system' makes me feel all manly!

I saw your hop gathering thread the other day, excellent day out! which varieties did you pick and were they your own grown or a find? Serious amounts of single hoppingness there.

I'm saying nothing about the coke scales though.........

[Subsonic]

Yeah you have the same water problems as my place in France. Same heater as well! In the end I installed a softener and UV bank as we run off a well. All ok now