First extract brew - how to add mouthfeel? to IPA

[math]

Hello!

I've been doing kits for a couple of years now and I think it must be about time to move on to extract.

For my first brew I'm going to keep it really simple - an IPA/APA made up with 3kg light dme and 50g of Cascade or similar, plus maybe another 50g dry hopping afterwards.

What I'd really like to do though, is give it that sort of creamy/silky mouthfeel and back-of-the-tongue touch of sweetness you get from Punk IPA or in pale ales from the likes of Magic Rock and The Kernel. Can anyone help me with that? I've been searching around and I *think* it seems to come down to 'steeping caramalt' or something? But I'm not really sure what the steeping involves, how much to use, or what format to buy it in (I mean, what should it say on the packet?!)?

Thanks for your help!

[Jocky]

Mouth feel generally comes down to adding unfermentable sugars into the beer. Malt extract always contains some (unlike using brewers sugar with a kit), so you'll get a good mouth feel straight away. I also like to add a bit of wheat extract, and as you say, steep some grain (crystal is the traditional british body builder) to add some additional depth to it.

Here's my small batch Cascade APA recipe: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9700&start=30#p529076

As I'm discussing on that recipe thread, it's a good starter recipe, and will give you exactly what you want, but I'm looking at what I need to add to it to make it better still.

[math]

Thanks Jocky

When you say that you add wheat, do you mean this stuff?



I'm going to follow that thread, ta.

[Jocky]

Yep, that's it. I add a little to my more American style brews to add a little extra depth and mouthfeel.

[seymour]

Here's an even better way to do it without buying anything: swipe several cups of oatmeal from your kitchen. Rolled, flaked, instant, steel-cut...it doesn't matter. Mix with some water and brown sugar and cook per package instructions until it's smooth and gummy, just like you'd eat it. Transfer it to a hop-sock, cheese cloth, or even just a clean metal strainer and suspend it in your hot wort for awhile. Dunk it or pour some wort through it to extract as much grainy, starchy, carbohydrates and protein-strings as possible. Then proceed with as usual. Oats always improve head retention, lace, and provide a creamy, silky, smooth mouthfeel. Good luck. In fact, you could do this "mini-mash" with cracked wheat, rye, any unmalted grain, really.

[super_simian]

Don't follow those instructions. Unmalted adjuncts should never be used without mashing with a diastatic enzyme source. Unless you are looking for unconverted starches for bugs to chew in a lambic or brett beer. But in your case, steeping caramalt, using some wheat malt extract or adding a little maltodextrin are all on the table...

[math]

Ok, thanks all!

I'm tempted to do both steeping caramalt and using some wheat. I'll look up some recipes. Thanks again!

[Paddy Bubbles]

"Steep caramalt" is good advice! CaraMalt is just a fancy name for a crystal malt with a very low level of colour/kilning. It's typically about 15 deg Lovibond. Just steep 350-450g (19 litre batch) and you'll get plenty of caramel flavour, body/mouthfeel and head retention. Crystal malt is pretty much a standard ingredient in APA or IPA recipes. Just make sure you balance the extra sweetness with your bittering hops.

When you buy, you'll be looking for "crushed crystal malt/caramel malt/CaraMalt. Anything from 15-40 Lovibond will give you a good results. The 40L will be darker and more "caramelly". Heat 2 litres of water in a saucepan to around 65C and steep the crushed grain in a grain bag for around 30-45 minutes. Rinse the grain bag in your brewpot as you bring it up to boil.

Lots of info online and plenty of vids on YouTube. Just search for "how to steep specialty grains".

Best of luck.

[Jocky]

Just to add to above, grain isn't always marked in Lovibond in the UK - my home brew shop marks everything in EBC.

EBC is roughly 3x the value of Lovibond (so 40L = 120EBC).

These are the rough substitutions:
Crystal 10L = Caramalt (or British Caramalt)
Crystal 40L = Crystal Malt
Crystal 60L = Dark Crystal Malt

These are all rough substitutions, as the base malt in the UK is 2-row malt, which is different to American 6-row used to make their Crystal malts.

[seymour]

...the base malt in the UK is 2-row malt, which is different to American 6-row used to make their Crystal malts.

Just a quibble, but we have USA grown and malted 2-row barley varieties as well. With almost any base or caramel/crystal malt, we have a choice between 2-row or 6-row. I suspect most of us American homebrewers still use mostly or entirely 2-row, same as you. It's true, though, ours are not as bready/biscuity/nutty as most of your varietals.

[jimp2003]

EBC is roughly 3x the value of Lovibond (so 40L = 120EBC).

Are you sure about that? I had always thought that EBC is about 2x the Lovibond value...

[seymour]

EBC is roughly 3x the value of Lovibond (so 40L = 120EBC).

Are you sure about that? I had always thought that EBC is about 2x the Lovibond value...

I don't know about Lovibond, maybe it's the same as SRM, but I know SRM x 1.97 = EBC, is that what you're thinking of?

[jimp2003]

EBC is roughly 3x the value of Lovibond (so 40L = 120EBC).

Are you sure about that? I had always thought that EBC is about 2x the Lovibond value...

I don't know about Lovibond, maybe it's the same as SRM, but I know SRM x 1.97 = EBC, is that what you're thinking of?

Its the same thing (I think ) see here http://pint.com.au/calculators/maltcolour/

[Jocky]

EBC is roughly 3x the value of Lovibond (so 40L = 120EBC).

Are you sure about that? I had always thought that EBC is about 2x the Lovibond value...

Sorry, my bad. Not sure why I wrote that as the conversion.

Colour conversions are problematic, as Lovibond values are close to SRM... but only at the bottom end of the scale, and just to complicate things further there are two different standards for EBC (See here for details on the latter: http://www.beercolor.com/ebc_controversy.htm), with the old one still being used in some places.

Lovibond = EBC x 0.375 + 0.56
or
EBC = 2.66 x Lovibond - 1.5

[booktownman]

Besides wheat spraymalt and doing a mini mash (steeping some grains), it's worth considering barrelling rather than bottling your brew, makes a massive difference. Make sure you have a co2 valve in the top cap so you can top up with gas when barrel pressure decreases as you sup.