Beer tasting too watery

[mttd1]

I just finished another pale ale and it is a good beer, however I have noticed that on my lighter beers.....cream ale, pale ale, ipa, etc. the beer tastes too watery (and dont say because they are just that style haha) I can taste the hops and the aroma is awesome but they are missing a little of the body. My pale ale turned out to be 6.5%. At first I thought it was my efficiency, but I'm getting great efficiencies and my darker beers like brown ale and milds etc. have all of the taste I'm looking for using the same system. Do you think I just need to add more grains to the recipes for lighter beers? What could be causing this?

 

[Double_D]

It's probably your grain bill on the lighter beers. What temp are you using to mash?

 

[duboman]

It's probably your grain bill on the lighter beers. What temp are you using to mash?

+1
You can try and mash a little higher for more body or you can add some body building grains to the recipe or both. Provide us a typical recipe and perhaps we can make suggestions.

 

[mttd1]

9lb pale 2 row, 1/2 lb of crystal 60L, 1/2 lb of biscuit. Thats the grain bill. Then just added hops every 10 min. during the boil and dry hopped. I mashed in at 160 and batch sparged.

 

[duboman]

9lb pale 2 row, 1/2 lb of crystal 60L, 1/2 lb of biscuit. Thats the grain bill. Then just added hops every 10 min. during the boil and dry hopped. I mashed in at 160 and batch sparged.

If strike water was 160 and assuming your thermometer is calibrated I would think the mash was at 150? Perhaps you should consider mashing more like 152-6 for a little more body and mouthfeel

I also like to add some flaked wheat to my pales for a little more mouth feel.

Another thing to consider is carbonation as properly done it can round out a finished beer.

What was the FG of the beer?

 

[mttd1]

The FG was a 1.006 and was shooting for a 1.010 This could be part of the "thin" taste. Obviously something went wrong in the mash, but it has happened more than once on these types of beers. Thanks for the input.....I looked back at my notes. My strike water was 164. My mash was about 152. I will up to it to about 156 next time. When you add flaked wheat, what are you adding to a 5 gal. batch 1/2 lb?

 

[duboman]

The FG was a 1.006 and was shooting for a 1.010 This could be part of the "thin" taste. Obviously something went wrong in the mash, but it has happened more than once on these types of beers. Thanks for the input.....I looked back at my notes. My strike water was 164. My mash was about 152. I will up to it to about 156 next time. When you add flaked wheat, what are you adding to a 5 gal. batch 1/2 lb?

Although many like a dry 1.006 beer that's pretty light for a pale so I think you need to bump the mash temp and it also sounds like your thermometer is off. If strike was 164 I would expect a 152~ mash temp and with a 1.006 finish it sounds more like a 148-50 mash.

Yes I use about 8oz per 6 gallons or so, don't have my notes handy.

Definitely check the thermometer though!