Grains That Contribute Creaminess/smoothness/velvetiness

[etbandit]

Hi folks,

I am trying to increase the Creaminess/Smoothness/Velvetiness of my beers and was wondering what malts would contribute these mouthfeel characteristics?

Cheers.

 

[Quintrex]

Hi folks,

I am trying to increase the Creaminess/Smoothness/Velvetiness of my beers and was wondering what malts would contribute these mouthfeel characteristics?

Cheers.

Oats are typically used for a silky/oily mouthfeel!

Otherwise some people use a small amount of corn or lactose(unfermentable, gives a smooth mouthfeel)!

Q

 

[BOG]

I use mainly Wheat Malt to add body (up to 30%) but have also used Oats on Porters and Corn on English Bitters.


BOG

 

[chovain]

Flaked barley is another one. Guinness gets its smoothness from something like 25% unmalted barley in the grist. Mmm...

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Flaked barley is another one. Guinness gets its smoothness from something like 25% unmalted barley in the grist. Mmm...

I wonder if pearl barley (Soup Mix!) would be a reasonable substitute...

 

[warrenlw63]

I wonder if pearl barley (Soup Mix!) would be a reasonable substitute...

Sure is Spills but you've got to probably treat it the same way as polenta and raw wheat and boil the guts out of it and cereal mash.

+1 for flaked. Less stress and will create creaminess... Only problem being it will also create some degree of haze in paler beers (particularly if this is what etbandit seeks), particularly if you use too much.

Warren -

 

[etbandit]

What about Weyermanns Carafoam/Carapils?

Weyermann states, same color rating and brewing characteristics as regular Weyermann Pilsner Malt, except for enhanced foam production, head retention, and fuller body and mouthfeel. Recommended Quantities: Up to 5% of total grain bill for pale/blond beers; up to 40% for Bockbier.

 

[jendres]

What about Weyermanns Carafoam/Carapils?

Weyermann states, same color rating and brewing characteristics as regular Weyermann Pilsner Malt, except for enhanced foam production, head retention, and fuller body and mouthfeel. Recommended Quantities: Up to 5% of total grain bill for pale/blond beers; up to 40% for Bockbier.

i think this is exactly what you are looking for. Either that or throw in some flour/wheat malt.

 

[milpod]

Well I use torrified wheat for my wits.

 

[goatherder]

What about Weyermanns Carafoam/Carapils?

Weyermann states, same color rating and brewing characteristics as regular Weyermann Pilsner Malt, except for enhanced foam production, head retention, and fuller body and mouthfeel. Recommended Quantities: Up to 5% of total grain bill for pale/blond beers; up to 40% for Bockbier.

I keep looking and I can't find an AG beer that I'd want to use carapils in. If you're steeping it in an extract beer then fair enough but an AG beer I can't see the sense. I've never had head problems in an AG beer and if I want extra body and mouthfeel then I step up the mash temp a little. Maybe I need to try carapils again to see what the fuss is about...

The advice given by the earlier posters seems good to me, but it still depends on style. I wouldn't put oats in a lager for instance...

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is carbonation. A nice low carbonation level can give a real smoothness to a beer, along the lines of a good English bitter. Too much fizz gives a bitey edge - tops in a lager but a little out of place in a stout or a bitter.

 

[dig]

I agree with the carbonation factor. Similarly, serving your beers a bit warmer can smooth them out too.

In dark beers, those Weyermann Carafa Specials lend beautiful silkiness and as mentioned before, anything with high beta-Glucan levels will add viscosity and texture (rolled oats, flaked barley, etc). As much as I hate diacetyl, a little will really fill out an ale and I even think that DMS has a mouthfeel aspect to it as well.

 

[Hargie]

.... +1 Weyermann Carafa Spec....Black Prince of grains....

 

[domonsura]

I would go for a bit of either wheat or carapils (I prefer carapils) as an easy way to increase the body/mouthfeel a little. I use it in a lot of my brews, as I prefer to mash low rather than high -without an addition to increase body, this tends (for me) to result in a beer without much to it - a little watery, so I find that adding some carapils fixes that and seems to give me a much better head/lace. Usually 3-5% of the grain bill is standard for me, at the lower end if there are other grains in there that will contribute more malt/body to the brew, and at the higher end if the rest of the grainbill is all pilsner malt or the like.
I've used rolled oats in a couple as well to try and get increased body, and the results were good too around the same percentage of the bill. I just added the rolled oats to the mash with everything else. When I've used it I thought it added quite a nice almost nutty flavour to the beer along with body and I enjoyed that.