Mash temp and body

[urg8rb8]

So I'm aware that this has been discussed at length but I'm still not fully clear. I know that higher mash temps will make more unfermentable sugars creating a fuller bodied beer. How good is Beersmith at predicting the FG based on the mash temperature you tell it?

I'm about to make a beer that has about 25lbs of grain and I want it to be full bodied. Based on what I've read, I should mash higher to get the full bodied mouth feel. However I've read people saying that with high gravity beers, one should mash low to make sure the yeast eats through all the sugar and that mashing low would still produce a full bodied beer.

I'm just a bit confused.

 

[Denny]

No offense to BS, but it's just making a WAG. Mash temp and body is a tricky subject. Most domestic malts are so high in diastatic power that small changes in mash temp make very little difference. For instance, I mashed the same grist, consisting mainly of domestic pale and Munich malt, at both 153 and 168. There was no difference in FG and no discernible difference in flavor or body. Maltsters make malt foe commercial breweries and it's in the interest of the breweries to have malt that converts quickly and easily. The best way to adjust body and FG on a recipe is through recipe design, not mash temp.

 

[CA_Mouse]

What Denny said. I was going to suggest making sure that part of your grain bill is flaked wheat or flaked barley to increase the body. The only time I've gotten a 'thin' body was a very low gravity beer that was mashed low (148*F) for 90 minutes (small emergency that took me to school to get a sick child). Ended up with a beer that was nearly 1.5% ABV higher than wanted.

 

[urg8rb8]

Thanks for the feedback Denny and Mouse.

I have almost 4% flaked barley in the recipe. So this should allow me to mash low at like 150F and still have full body mouth feel?

 

[specharka]

So I'm aware that this has been discussed at length but I'm still not fully clear. I know that higher mash temps will make more unfermentable sugars creating a fuller bodied beer. How good is Beersmith at predicting the FG based on the mash temperature you tell it?

I'm about to make a beer that has about 25lbs of grain and I want it to be full bodied. Based on what I've read, I should mash higher to get the full bodied mouth feel. However I've read people saying that with high gravity beers, one should mash low to make sure the yeast eats through all the sugar and that mashing low would still produce a full bodied beer.

I'm just a bit confused.

Sounds like a bit of misinformation to me.

Mashing high produces more unfermentable dextrins which contribute to body and mouthfeel, but the unfermentable sugars don't really connote any perceptible residual sweetness. The difference in body from higher mash temperatures is a purely tactile sensation.

Typically, big beers are limited by the alcohol tolerance of the yeast vice the fermentability of the wort. A big beer which is underattenuated will taste cloyingly sweet regardless of the mash temperature. Therefore, if a beer has more fermentable sugars available than the yeast can digest, it will be cloyingly sweet.

The real reason that people insist on mashing low for high gravity beers is that you get more potential alcohol for the same amount of grain. That's it.

As far as BeerSmith predictions go, they are based on a linear curve fit for attenuation based upon the yeast specifications. I personally haven't noticed much correlation with reality, as my beers consistently overattenuate. But then again, yeast manufacturers are fairly conservative with their estimated attenuation.

 

[Denny]

Thanks for the feedback Denny and Mouse.

I have almost 4% flaked barley in the recipe. So this should allow me to mash low at like 150F and still have full body mouth feel?

Not necessarily. That's not a lot of flaked barley. But maybe...you'll have to try it and see.

 

[Denny]

As far as BeerSmith predictions go, they are based on a linear curve fit for attenuation based upon the yeast specifications. I personally haven't noticed much correlation with reality, as my beers consistently overattenuate. But then again, yeast manufacturers are fairly conservative with their estimated attenuation.

FWIW, I've found attenuation far more dependent on grist composition than mash temp or yeast attenuation rating. Using the same yeast, I can get anywhere from 65-85% attenuation depending on grist.