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Author Topic: thin beer  (Read 4910 times)

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2015, 07:51:19 am »
OK, let me rephrase  ::) if there are novice homebrewers who complain that there brews are thin, watery etc., and it's not immediately obvious what they are doing wrong, is there any specific advice we can give?

But to answer your question, to build body in an AG beer, a higher mash temp (154-160F) along with use of wheat, rye, or flaked barley would help, as would choosing a less attenuative yeast strain.  As for being flavorless, that's a recipe issue. Gotta experiment with malts and hops.

First time quoting myself.  ;D
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Offline dmtaylor

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2015, 07:57:34 am »
is there any specific advice we can give?

See my post on previous page.  It's quite specific.

to build body in an AG beer, a higher mash temp (154-160F) along with use of wheat, rye, or flaked barley would help, as would choosing a less attenuative yeast strain.  As for being flavorless, that's a recipe issue. Gotta experiment with malts and hops.

And that's very good too.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2015, 07:59:42 am by dmtaylor »
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Offline euge

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2015, 08:14:43 am »
I prefer "insipid" to "flavorless" because it really puts a twist to the knife of my critique. :)
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Offline homoeccentricus

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #18 on: April 17, 2015, 08:29:28 am »
How about: "if your beer tastes thin, try again in two weeks."?  :P
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Offline Pinski

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #19 on: April 17, 2015, 09:09:35 am »
You are a bright star in my night, Uncle, but not the center of my universe.

Nice, that one's going in the quiver for sure. 
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Offline denny

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #20 on: April 17, 2015, 09:16:07 am »
It's a well-known fact that many beginning homebrewers make watery, thin, flavorless beers. Why, I've heard people claim that this is almost a defining aspect of the homebrewer.

What would be the top factors causing this? How can this thinness be avoided? Obviously I'm not talking about my own beers, just want to help fellow-brewers  8)

I find that most homebrewers make beers that are too thick and dextrous, not too thin.  I've spent the last 10 years working on getting the drinkable body I want.
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Offline denny

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #21 on: April 17, 2015, 09:17:50 am »
OK, let me rephrase  ::) if there are novice homebrewers who complain that there brews are thin, watery etc., and it's not immediately obvious what they are doing wrong, is there any specific advice we can give?

Brew more, taste more beers.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline denny

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #22 on: April 17, 2015, 09:26:05 am »
That's funny, I've noticed just the opposite.  New brewers (at least ones I've sampled beers from) , especially ones that start as extract/steeping grains brewers, often have overly sweet , underattenuated beers due to the lower fermentability of many extracts. And making things worse, a lot of them use way, way too much crystal. But to answer your question, to build body in an AG beer, a higher mash temp (154-160F) along with use of wheat, rye, or flaked barley would help, as would choosing a less attenuative yeast strain.  As for being flavorless, that's a recipe issue. Gotta experiment with malts and hops.

An interesting note...in his book "Homebrew Beyond the Basics", Mike Karnowski relates an experiment he did.  He brewed 2 version of a recipe, one mashed at 146 and the other at 1.064.  The low mash temp batch finished at 1.006 and the high mash temp finished at 1.016.  In a tasting with 10 commercial brewers and judges, 9 of them chose the low temp, low FG batch as having more body.  So, does mash temp and FG really matter that much?
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #23 on: April 17, 2015, 09:32:22 am »
That's funny, I've noticed just the opposite.  New brewers (at least ones I've sampled beers from) , especially ones that start as extract/steeping grains brewers, often have overly sweet , underattenuated beers due to the lower fermentability of many extracts. And making things worse, a lot of them use way, way too much crystal. But to answer your question, to build body in an AG beer, a higher mash temp (154-160F) along with use of wheat, rye, or flaked barley would help, as would choosing a less attenuative yeast strain.  As for being flavorless, that's a recipe issue. Gotta experiment with malts and hops.

An interesting note...in his book "Homebrew Beyond the Basics", Mike Karnowski relates an experiment he did.  He brewed 2 version of a recipe, one mashed at 146 and the other at 1.064.  The low mash temp batch finished at 1.006 and the high mash temp finished at 1.016.  In a tasting with 10 commercial brewers and judges, 9 of them chose the low temp, low FG batch as having more body.  So, does mash temp and FG really matter that much?

Wow, I hadn't heard of that one, Denny. I would think, if nothing else, that the FGs would've been more distinguishable from one another in the same recipe. Raises a lot of questions.

EDIT - What I mean is that you wouldn't have expected the conclusions they drew. I'd always expect 1.006 to seem thinner.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2015, 09:34:23 am by HoosierBrew »
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Offline homoeccentricus

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #24 on: April 17, 2015, 09:32:46 am »
OK, let me rephrase  ::) if there are novice homebrewers who complain that there brews are thin, watery etc., and it's not immediately obvious what they are doing wrong, is there any specific advice we can give?

Brew more, taste more beers.

Now THAT's useful and specific advice!


(I may have to report you to a moderator.)
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Offline denny

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #25 on: April 17, 2015, 09:33:31 am »
Wow, I hadn't heard of that one, Denny. I would think, if nothing else, that the FGs would've been more distinguishable from one another in the same recipe. Raises a lot of questions.

Yep.  I recently had a similar experience with my American mild recipe.  I think this needs to be looked into.
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Offline denny

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #26 on: April 17, 2015, 09:34:28 am »
Now THAT's useful and specific advice!

Well, it actually is.  And if it helps, I've reported myself!  ;)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #27 on: April 17, 2015, 09:37:26 am »
That's funny, I've noticed just the opposite.  New brewers (at least ones I've sampled beers from) , especially ones that start as extract/steeping grains brewers, often have overly sweet , underattenuated beers due to the lower fermentability of many extracts. And making things worse, a lot of them use way, way too much crystal. But to answer your question, to build body in an AG beer, a higher mash temp (154-160F) along with use of wheat, rye, or flaked barley would help, as would choosing a less attenuative yeast strain.  As for being flavorless, that's a recipe issue. Gotta experiment with malts and hops.



An interesting note...in his book "Homebrew Beyond the Basics", Mike Karnowski relates an experiment he did.  He brewed 2 version of a recipe, one mashed at 146 and the other at 1.064.  The low mash temp batch finished at 1.006 and the high mash temp finished at 1.016.  In a tasting with 10 commercial brewers and judges, 9 of them chose the low temp, low FG batch as having more body.  So, does mash temp and FG really matter that much?

Wow, I hadn't heard of that one, Denny. I would think, if nothing else, that the FGs would've been more distinguishable from one another in the same recipe. Raises a lot of questions.

EDIT - What I mean is that you wouldn't have expected the conclusions they drew. I'd always expect 1.006 to seem thinner.

same reason why a low FG saison made correctly can make people think they are drinking a higher FG beer. low FG isn't one for one equated with body perception and mouthfeel.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2015, 09:39:09 am by Wort-H.O.G. »
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #28 on: April 17, 2015, 09:39:41 am »
Wow, I hadn't heard of that one, Denny. I would think, if nothing else, that the FGs would've been more distinguishable from one another in the same recipe. Raises a lot of questions.

Yep.  I recently had a similar experience with my American mild recipe.  I think this needs to be looked into.

It makes me wonder about using carapils. I've never seen the need for it in so many recipes, but a lot of breweries do seem to use it still - maybe it is a way after all to have a beer finish at, say 1.006-1.008, be drinkable, but still have nice body. 
Jon H.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: thin beer
« Reply #29 on: April 17, 2015, 09:42:34 am »
Wow, I hadn't heard of that one, Denny. I would think, if nothing else, that the FGs would've been more distinguishable from one another in the same recipe. Raises a lot of questions.

Yep.  I recently had a similar experience with my American mild recipe.  I think this needs to be looked into.

It makes me wonder about using carapils. I've never seen the need for it in so many recipes, but a lot of breweries do seem to use it still - maybe it is a way after all to have a beer finish at, say 1.006-1.008, be drinkable, but still have nice body.

+1 also my thoughts. i use carapils more often these days, and also some wheat here and there for precisely that reason.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest