Head/Mouthfeel

[Crazy8]

I thought I was going to focus on just yucca root, which I have coming Monday, but I also want to include maltdextrine. Now I have two pretty good root beer recipes and would like to improve mouthfeel and head/retention with my recipes. I have been doing some looking on how much yucca root to use and how much maltdextrine to use. I cannot come up with any solid numbers for either, but I kind of have at least a starting point for maltdextrine.

Based on my findings, and some basic math, it seems that 1oz maltdextrine per gallon is a good place to start. I haven't tested this yet but hopefully I can get some confirmation on those more experienced with this stuff. Now I have been having an impossible time trying to find ANYTHING in regards to brewing with yucca root and how much to use, or again to even figure out a starting point. Any help on this would be much appreciated.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I'm trying to remember where I read it (probably some forum posts here) but I was under the impression that maltodextrin was just powdered yuca root. Is this true or are they separate things?

I have used anywhere from 1-3 tsp of maltodextrin /gal with an extract and a sweetener (sugar, inverse sugar, hfcs, honey, agave nectar). All of which produced results similar enough to be the same to the average consumer, but my favorite combination is the agave (same amount by weight as the sugar called for in the recipe) plus 1.5 tsp/gallon maltodextrin. I used to use 1 tsp/gal but I recently started adding a tsp/gallon of salt after watching AB's "the ballad of salty and sweet". This has given a mouthfeel and head retention similar to Culver's rootbeer without being OVERLY sweet.

I am going to have to break in to root brewing soon though since I have not found an extract that has the flavor I want. Without using sassafras though that could be a rather tall order; and the subject for another thread.