Tag Archives: Super SMaSH Pils

Super SMaSH Pils 2026

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A good German pils is the perfect style for a SMaSH(ish) beer, and it has been over a year since I last had a pils on tap. For this round, I used Viking Pilsner Zero malt, and nearly the last bit of my Edelweiss hop blend stock. I decided to add a small dry hop in order to amp up the hop aroma. S-189 is back as the yeast; even though it’s not the first strain most people think of (relative to 34/70 and Diamond lager, for example), I really enjoy what it does.

Super SMaSH Pils 2026

  • 10 lb. Pilsner Zero malt (Viking)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
  • 1.25 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Kick Carrageenan tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1.75 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 3 pkg. SafLager German lager yeast (Fermentis S-189)
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), dry hop

Target Parameters

  • 60 minute rest at 144°, 45 minute rest at 160°, 10 minute rest at 168°; full volume infusion mash
  • 1.047 o.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.3% abv, 34 IBU, 4 SRM
  • Water built from RO, to hit 63 ppm Ca, 11 ppm Mg, 123 ppm SO4, 52 ppm Cl, RA=-51
  • 5.25 gallon batch

Procedure

  • To build the water, I started with 7.3 gallons of RO water and added 4 g of gypsum, 3 g of calcium chloride, and 3 g of epsom salt. I heated this to 149° before adding the grains and 14 mL of 10% phosphoric acid for the pH adjustment.
  • I held the mash at 144° for 60 minutes, with recirculation, before ramping it up to 160° and holding it there for 45 minutes. Finally, I raised the mash to 168° and held it for 10 minutes, before removing the grains.
  • In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 73% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I turned off the heat and chilled to 66°, transferred to the fermenter (leaving some trub behind), and then chilled to 54° in the fermentation chamber before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 10 January 2026; starting gravity was 1.051.
  • The bulk of fermentation was completed at 52° (dropped from the initial pitch temperature); I removed the fermenter to ambient (~60°) on 20 January 2026, adding dry hops at the same time.
  • I cold crashed the beer on 1 February 2026, and kegged the beer with a closed transfer on 28 February 2026. At the time of kegging, the beer had a nice honey and hay character to the aroma, and a super crisp and drinkable flavor.
  • Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.5% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Pours with a tall and persistent white head that leaves gorgeous lacing. Brilliantly clear, light yellow beer.
  • Aroma
    • Light and clean honey (not oxidation) with a touch of fresh hay in the malt; a low level of spicy hop aroma; clean yeast character
  • Flavor
    • Moderately high level of bitterness, with a cracker and sweet maltiness. Definitely tilts bitter.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium carbonation, medium-light body, crisp and off-dry finish that lingers on the tongue.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a superb pils and a great recipe overall. It’s maybe a touch on the bitter side for my tastes (hence the minor ding on score), but everything else is awesome. The honey quality to the malt aroma and flavor is really delightful! I might try a version with slightly lower bitterness and gravity, next time.
  • Overall
    • 9.5/10

Super SMaSH Pils

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It’s no secret that German Pils is one of my very favorite styles, and one that I finally feel like I’ve mastered. I brewed German pils recipes 18 times in the past seven years, with some batches turning out well, and others less well.

My latest iteration is a SMaSH-esque beer, testing out Rahr’s pilsner malt. I tend to favor European pilsner malts, but that is more through habit than actual comparison. Weyermann, Viking, and Best have all made semi-regular appearances. This past fall, I picked up a 55-lb. sack of Rahr pilsner at the local store, and I wanted to test it in a beer like this. For the hops, I focused on the Edelweiss hop blend from Hop Heaven. In the past, I have absolutely loved the product, and wanted to see what it could do here. Because Edelweiss is a blend, it’s important to note that this is a “SMaSH-esque” beer, rather than a true SMaSH. So, I named my recipe “Super SMaSH Pils”, as a nod to the blend and an homage to a well-known video game.

For yeast, I selected S-189. I’ve been doing lots with Diamond and Novalager lately, and they are truly great yeasts, but I wanted to expand my horizons a little bit. I had a good experience with S-189 in one previous batch, and thought I’d test it out again.

Super SMaSH Pils

  • 10.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
  • 1.25 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.75 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc pellet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. SafLager German Lager (S-189)

Target Parameters

  • 1.048 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.3% abv, 37 IBU, 4 SRM
  • Full-volume infusion mash, held at 144° for 60 minutes, 160° for 45 minutes, and 168° for 10 minutes
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 53 ppm Ca, 11 ppm Mg, 123 ppm SO4, and 52 ppm Cl, with RA=-51 ppm

Procedure

  • Starting with 7.25 gallons of RO water, I added 4 g gypsum, 3 g epsom salts, and 3 g calcium chloride, to hit my water target. I heated this water to 149° and added the grains along with 1.5 mL of 88% lactic acid. This hit a mash temperature of 144° for 60 minutes, with recirculation. Then, I raised the mash to 160° for 45 minutes, and finally to 168° for the final 10 minutes of the mash.
  • I pulled the grain basket, and collected 6.5 gallons of runnings at a gravity of 1.043, for 71% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, boiling for 60 minutes and adding hops and finings per the recipe. After the boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to 75° before transferring to the fermenter.
  • Starting gravity was 1.049, pretty close to my target. I chilled the wort further to 48° in the fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 29 October 2023, and fermented at 52°.
  • On 12 November 2023, I moved the beer to ambient (~62°).
  • I kegged the beer on 29 November 2023, with a closed transfer.
  • Final gravity was 1.011, which works out to 5.0% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brilliantly clear, straw yellow beer that pours with a dense and persistent, creamy white head.
  • Aroma
    • Clean, lightly floral, and slightly spicy aroma. Very pleasant! Malty sweet character, too.
  • Flavor
    • Clean, lightly floral hop flavor, with moderately high yet smooth bitterness. Light malty sweet flavor, with a nice balance against the hops. No yeast character detectable — it is very clean and crisp!
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation; nice and smooth finish.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • This is a near-perfect pils! It hits every mark of the classic style and is just plain enjoyable. I am incredibly pleased, and would absolutely brew it again.
  • Overall
    • 10/10