I recently bought 10 pounds of 2-row from Valley Malt, with the idea of using it as part of an American Pale Ale SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) brew with some extra Summit hops I have sitting around.  The name of this fine beverage: Pale Ale #2, of course.

After some thought, I decided the recipe needs some color and a touch of residual sweetness, so I thought I’d take a shot at toasting some of the 2-row myself, aiming to make a 40-60L crystal malt.  Whether or not this should still be considered a SMaSH is open to debate. Continue reading →