Dry Brew

[Andypandy]

Hi, after sometime brewing 3Kg Kits I decided to have a go at an AG brew using Daab's mini mash recipes/techiniques. Although the results so far have been quite palatable, nice hop and malt aromas, the brews have been a little "dry" tasting for my liking. I am mashing pale malt and crystal together for 90 min @ 65'C. Should I add the crystal to the boil instead if I want a slightly sweeter finish? I am using Munton's Gold yeast. Any suggestions?

[Scooby]

I'd try mashing slightly hotter at say 67C, that should produce a greater
proportion of unfermentable sugars and a less dry beer

[yashicamat]

I'd try mashing slightly hotter at say 67C, that should produce a greater
proportion of unfermentable sugars and a less dry beer

Seconded - I've done the reverse, dropping from about 68C mash temps to about 64/65 to get a drier beer.

[Andypandy]

Cheers, i'll give it a whirl!

[prolix]

just to check is it dry or astringent (tastes like a tea bag) because sparging at too high a temp can cause that

[Andypandy]

I would say dry as in dry sherry

[prodigal2]

As Scooby suggests, mash at a higher temperature. 67C and see what difference that makes.
Also do you check the temp of your mash at the end? It could be that you are loosing quite a bit of heat during the mash.

[oblivious]

Also you could try using yeast like WPO002 or WLP005

[Andypandy]

I did wonder about the yeast, whether or not it was too "aggressive". Would using a whole pack meant for 5 gallons in a 1 gallon brew make any difference? Fermenting only took a couple of days. I've always used Munton's Gold especially when modifying kits with crystal etc. I never have the dreaded Woodforde's stuck brew syndrome!

Like I say the all grain brew is very drinkable but I prefer that slightly sweeter malty finish.

[scarer]

What sort of OG and FG are you getting?

[Andypandy]

1040 - 1010

[yashicamat]

I've used Muntons Gold once and it produced a pretty dry brew too. Cleared very well mind you with a rock solid sediment! I'd suggest trying a more typical English ale strain, I'm drinking a simple AG (just MO with Amarillo and a few other bits and bobs) and it's got a nice malty finish. This was made with Wyeast Brit Ale 2.