*Adding* astringency to a beer?

[seanppp]

I made a 15% Belgian Strong with Nelson Sauvin hops that is really dry and white wine-ish (which is what I was looking for). It's a great beer I think, but I'd like just a little more of a white wine character to it, and I think what it's missing is the astringency that wine has. So I was trying to think of ways to add a little bit of astringency to the beer. I don't think I want to try to use any of the brewing "faults" to get there. I was thinking of maybe adding grape skins (or just grapes I guess) to the secondary. Has anyone done this? Do you think it would work?

 

[Howhownow]

They sell straight tannin as a wine additive- doesn't get much more astringent than that. I have used some with success in malt beverages (not beer).

 

[Bennywisest]

Maybe add oak?

 

[dcp27]

white wine isn't typically tannic, are you sure that's what you're thinking of? i'd guess its more the acidity that its missing

 

[Weezy]

+1 on the straight tannin

You could also add some pulp from under the skin of a lemon, or grape skins. But that's the hard way of getting the same effect as the straight tannin addition.

 

[The_Glue]

I think you want are more acids and maybe oak cubes than tannins.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I think maybe what you need is a white wine.

 

[Howhownow]

CAREFUL with the straight tannin- it is strong stuff, as you will notice right when you open the bottle. I want to say it is powder from the shell of... walnuts?

 

[SpeedYellow]

You could also add some pulp from under the skin of a lemon, .

Beat me to it. I recently used some lemon zest in a wheat beer (about 2 oz split between flameout and secondary), and there's a noticeable astringency. Not harsh, in fact it works well since I used very little hops. And I used only zest; the rind would be much more astringent.

 

[pdxal]

What was the FG? Too sweet a final gravity could throw off the dry finish you want from a wine-like beer.
Carbonation will add acid and dryness.
Acid would add an astringent quality, as would tannin.

 

[The_Glue]

Once i tasted a barrel conditioned geuze and it totally tasted like champagne to me which is basically carbonated wine, you should look into the style.