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SMaSH (single malt and single hop) brewing is a way to cut down on various brewing ingredients and appreciate what each aspect of a recipe brings to the table.
Brewing on the Ones

SMaSH is an extremely valuable learning process that can create great beer, but being limited to one malt and one hop can get a bit drab over time. That’s where Drew Beechum comes in…

Riffing off of the “keep it simple” concept of SMaSH, Drew came up with a slightly more complex version that allows more freedom while still valuing the constraint and creativity of having to pick and choose limited ingredients.

In addition to one base malt and hop, “brewing on the ones” calls for one ingredient in each of the following categories: color/flavor malt or adjunct; sugar; spice.

Try taking a SMaSH or other simplified recipe and adding additional ingredients from the categories above to change the style altogether. In many cases it doesn’t take too many bells and whistles to evolve from one style to another, which John Palmer shows us in How to Brew:

Pale ale: base malt plus a half-pound of caramel malt

Amber ale: pale ale plus a half-pound of dark caramel malt

Brown ale: pale ale plus a half-pound of chocolate malt

Porter: amber plus a half-pound of chocolate malt

Stout: porter plus a half-pound of roasted barley

The Brooklyn BrewShop's A Well-Made Tripel - One Gallon Batch is close to the above.

base malt: Belgian Pilsner
color/flavor malt: Caramel 10
sugar: Belgian Candi Sugar for the boil and honey for bottling. is priming sugar counted?
spice: none
other adjunct such as fruit: none

But the above trippel uses two hops:

East Kent Golding hops
Saaz hops

Need to attempt a lower ABV (less Belgian Pilsner malt) with only one of the hops. Can this recipe ignore the Belgian Candi sugar at boil time?

It seems that the three main hops used in Belgian beers include:

Saaz (Czech) - low bitternes - dried herbs/white pepper/apples flavor
East Kent Golding (U.K.) - low to medium bitterness - dried flowers/moss/plum flavor
Styrian Golding (Slovenia) - low to medium bitterness - white pepper/moss/undergrowth flavor

Wyeast Belgian yeasts:
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm

1214 - Belgian Abbey
A widely used and alcohol tolerant Abbey yeast that is suitable for a variety of Belgian style ales. This strain produces a nice ester profile as well as slightly spicy alcohol notes. It can be slow to start; however, it attenuates well.
Origin:
Flocculation: medium-low
Attenuation: 74-78%
Temperature Range: 68-78° F (20-24° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 12% ABV
Styles:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Belgian Dubbel
Belgian Specialty Ale
Belgian Tripel
Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer
Witbier

1388 Belgian Strong Ale
The classic choice for brewing golden strong ales. This alcohol tolerant strain will produce a complex ester profile balanced nicely with subtle phenolics. Malt flavors and aromas will remain even with a well attenuated dry, tart finish. This strain is prone to stalling at approximately 1.035; racking or slight aeration will encourage it to finish fermentation.
Origin:
Flocculation: low
Attenuation: 74-78%
Temperature Range: 64-80° F (18-27° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 12-13% ABV
Styles:
Belgian Blond Ale
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Specialty Ale
Belgian Tripel
Bière de Garde
Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer

1762 Belgian Abbey II
An excellent yeast strain for use in Belgian dark strong ales. This strain has a relatively “clean profile” which allows a rich malt and distinctive ethanol character to shine. Delicate dried fruit esters can be produced when used at higher fermentation temperatures or in a high gravity wort.
Origin:
Flocculation: medium
Attenuation: 73-77%
Temperature Range: 65-75° F (18-24° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 12% ABV
Styles:
American Barleywine
Belgian Blond Ale
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Specialty Ale
Bière de Garde
Russian Imperial Stout
Strong Scotch Ale

3724 Belgian Saison
This strain is the classic farmhouse ale yeast. A traditional yeast that is spicy with complex aromatics, including bubble gum. It is very tart and dry on the palate with a mild fruitiness. Expect a crisp, mildly acidic finish that will benefit from elevated fermentation temperatures. This strain is notorious for a rapid and vigorous start to fermentation, only to stick around 1.035 S.G. Fermentation will finish, given time and warm temperatures. Warm fermentation temperatures, at least 90°F (32°C), or the use of a secondary strain can accelerate attenuation.
Origin:
Flocculation: Low
Attenuation: 76-80%
Temperature Range: 70-95F, 21-35C
Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV
Styles:
Saison

3787 Trappist High Gravity
A classic strain for brewing Belgian dubbel or Belgian tripel. This Abbey strain produces a nice balance of complex fruity esters and phenolics, making it desirable for use in other Belgian style ales as well. A flocculent, true top cropping yeast (additional headspace is recommended), that will work over a broad temperature range. This strain makes a great Belgian style “house” strain.
Origin:
Flocculation: Medium
Attenuation: 74-78%
Temperature Range: 64-78F, 18-25C
Alcohol Tolerance: 11 to 12% ABV or higher
Styles:
Belgian Dubbel
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Belgian Specialty Ale
Belgian Tripel
Bière de Garde

3944 Belgian Witbier - This strain produces a complex flavor profile dominated by spicy phenolics with low to moderate ester production. It is a great strain choice when you want a delicate clove profile not to be overshadowed by esters. It will ferment fairly dry with a slightly tart finish that compliments the use of oats, malted and unmalted wheat. This strain is a true top cropping yeast requiring full fermenter headspace of 33%. Temperature Range: 62-75F, 16-24C. Alcohol Tolerance: 11 to12% ABV. Styles: Belgian Dubbel. Belgian Tripel. Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer. Witbier

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From JR's : articles
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created on Jun 16, 2014 at 11:32:51 am
updated on Jun 16, 2014 at 11:51:44 am - #
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SMaSH Brewing