Head retention/Mouth feel

[Guest]

Hi guys.

 

I've noticed since joining the forum, that no-one (that I have noticed) seems to use Maltadextrin in any of their beer recipes.

 

I was just curious where & how some of you guys attain good head retention & overall mouth feel in your beers outside of using this product. In a basic brewing structure, I have seen the benefits of using this product against not.

 

I have seen wheat malt bandied about in some threads I've read as a product that can aid in this regard, but nothing really seems to be spoken with any fact.

 

I'll be interested in everyone's thoughts.

 

Beer.

[Hairy]

I don't use Maltodextrin but still get a good head retention and body.

 

I use various specialty grains to help with this. If I am doing a lighter style beer then I will add some carapils.

 

And wheat malt helps too [wink]

[Guest]

Hi Hairy.

 

Any "rule of thumb" you have found in terms of at least quantities of a grain that work well?

 

Beer.

[Otto Von Blotto]

This is from John Palmer's How to Brew site:

 

Dextrin Malt 3 L Also known as American Carapils, this malt is used sparingly and contributes little color but enhances the mouthfeel and perceived body of the beer. A common amount for a five gallon batch is 1/2 lb. Dextrin malt has no diastatic power. It must be mashed; if steeped it will contribute a lot of unconverted starch and cause starch haze.

 

I'm not entirely sure but I think maltodextrin may well be an 'extract' form of carapils. I may be wrong however. [innocent]

[LordEoin]

Maltodextrin is extracted from corn or wheat. Generally the US make it with corn and EU make it with wheat.

 

It's so processed that it's just pure sugar.

It doesn't ferment and adds almost no flavor.

It just makes the beer 'thicker'.

 

I prefer to stay away from it because i can't imagine that drinking so much extra sugar can be any good for you. Especially sugar that's so processed and easily digested and absorbed.

 

Wheat malt does make a better mouthfeel if you replace 500g LDM with 500g wheat LDM. I don't really care so much about the head. It's the beer I want [biggrin]

[Hairy]

The Weyermann Carapils can be steeped:

 

Weyermann Carapils

[Otto Von Blotto]

I think I used maltodextrin in one brew, and really didn't notice much of a difference compared to not using it, to be honest. So I never used it again. I like good head retention on my beer, it just doesn't seem like beer if the head disappears quickly, and it doesn't seem to taste the same (probably more psychological than reality[lol]). I've found that ageing it for a few months helps with the head retention.

[Guest]

A few years ago I chased down the Head Brewer at Messrs MaGuires and she told me that if you wanted a nice creamy head, like on a guiness, then wheat was the go.

 

There's a fact. It was enough for me that every brew pretty much, has a component of Wheat.. I do like a head sticks to the outside and that lasts the whole glass though

 

as to what protiens etc that it adds, dunno

 

Yob

[Alex]

I have my first wheat beer on the go with 1Kg Wheat DME. I hope it has great head retention. Most wheat beers I drink ie Hacker-Pschorr have excellent head and lacing.

[PB2]

We use maltodextrin derived from maize (corn).

 

Maltodextrin will ferment to some extent - this is primarily determined by the DE (Dextrose Equivalent) rating of the Maltodextrin.

 

Our maltodextrin has a DE rating of 17. So 100g of our maltodextrin carries 17g of Dextrose and 83g of material that, generally, does not ferment. [smile]

[Guest]

Those people brewing with BE2 as the ingredient are using Maltodextrin.

 

Using less Dextrose and more malts will help with body, mouthfeel and head retention. Also pending on other grains, adjuncts and additives help.