Question about building dextrine for session ale

[HollisBT]

Hey all, I have a hopefully easy question about a grain bill for a session ale that I am wanting to brew... I am simply wondering whether there is any detriment to adding a lot of carapils to the mash.

My recipe at the moment has about 15% carapils in the overall grain bill, along with 15% wheat to build proteins for a more solid mouthfeel. I have no added crystal in the mash, although I think I would like to add some.

I have read that cara adds no additional sweetness, but is 15% just too much? Also, when used with 15% wheat am I building up a beer that will have issues producing too much foam? Should I reel some of that grain back, and think about using some lactose?

Thanks for any input!

 

[ddrrseio]

why not post the full grainbill?

mouthfeel comes from many elements. residual sugar is the most obvious, but carbonation level, use of oats, dry hop, astringency from grains/hops, and other factors will all let you help a small beer seem big.

 

[Yooper]

I do think that 15% carapils is more than a boatload, and that along with 15% wheat means that you've got 70% left for base malt. Without seeing the whole recipe, I'm just guessing of course, but I almost never use ANY carapils, so using 15% seems way overboard.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I typically don't use any Carapils OR wheat in my session beers, but I do use a fair amount of crystal malts. However, almost all of my session beers are English, with a lower attenuating yeast, and I mash them 156-158 depending, and usually end up with something like 60% attenuation, with plenty of residual dextrins, body, and malt sweetness to round out the flavor. My Mild, for example, goes from 1.034 to 1.013, and and 1 lb (17%) crystal malt (between 45L and 150L English crystal malts), and about 15% between Biscuit and Pale Chocolate malts. So point being, I mash high and use a fairly high percentage of specialty grains.

 

[HollisBT]

I'll have to post the recipe in the morning, I'm at work right now.

I believe I have oats in there as well, for some more protein and mouthfeel. Maybe I should pull back on the cara and wheat, and sub in some crystal...


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[HollisBT]

After a bit more thought and research, I decided to completely re-tool the recipe... As it stands right now I have the following:

72.3% two row
9.6% wheat
7.2% Munich
7.2% cara pils
3.6% c80

I might pull some of the wheat and sub in some oats, and I think if like a touch more crystal in there as well.


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[HollisBT]

OG is 1.046, planned on mashing high (158), hoping for an FG of ~1.012-1.014.


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[tagz]

After a bit more thought and research, I decided to completely re-tool the recipe... As it stands right now I have the following:

72.3% two row
9.6% wheat
7.2% Munich
7.2% cara pils
3.6% c80

I might pull some of the wheat and sub in some oats, and I think if like a touch more crystal in there as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

Looks reasonable to me. Yeast will be an important factor. What strain?

 

[ddrrseio]

Looks reasonable to me. Yeast will be an important factor. What strain?

seconded, though you could amp up the crystal. <4% of a small grain bill is a low per-gallon contribution.

 

[HollisBT]

Looks reasonable to me. Yeast will be an important factor. What strain?

Most likely 1056, something simple and american.

seconded, though you could amp up the crystal. <4% of a small grain bill is a low per-gallon contribution.

Agreed, I might put a little light crystal in there.

 

[tagz]

You might try 1968, it should finish a bit higher and is pretty clean when you run it in the low-mid 60s.

 

[Yooper]

seconded, though you could amp up the crystal. <4% of a small grain bill is a low per-gallon contribution.

With the carapils, though, the crystal is >10%. (Any malts that start with the prefix cara- are caramel/crystal malts).

 

[HollisBT]

True, but the carapils won't add any residual sweetness to the end result...

What is the general rule of thumb about crystal malts? How much is too much?


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[Yooper]

True, but the carapils won't add any residual sweetness to the end result...

What is the general rule of thumb about crystal malts? How much is too much?


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It depends on the beer style. In some cases, 1% crystal malt is too much, but in some cases (like American amber), 15% could be fine.

For most American style beers, I tend to stay at 7% crystal/caramel malts or less.