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Author Topic: Adding gravity to over-attenuated stout  (Read 1770 times)

Offline kylekohlmorgen

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Adding gravity to over-attenuated stout
« on: September 06, 2010, 01:42:27 pm »
My American Stout (OG = 1.070) fermented out a little too low (FG = 1.012) and tastes a bit thin.

Is there any reason I couldn't add some dissolved malto-dextrin/lactose to the beer at kegging to bump the FG up a notch?

What would be better between the two? a combination? maybe even a little DME?
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Offline jptheelder

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Re: Adding gravity to over-attenuated stout
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2010, 03:26:41 pm »
as long as it is boiled for infection / oxidation reasons, it should be ok. lactose will add more sweetness than malto dextrin. if you add DME, it will start fermenting again.

Offline dwarven_stout

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Re: Adding gravity to over-attenuated stout
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2010, 03:40:51 pm »
Well, if you're kegging you could hit it with potassium sorbate and add DME. If you're just looking for body, I'd use lactose- it has a bit of a creamy finish that I like in stouts. Neither maltodextrin nor lactose will add much sweetness (lactose is, irrc, 1/6 as sweet as sucrose).

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Adding gravity to over-attenuated stout
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2010, 05:22:26 pm »
When this has happened to me, I used maltodextrine.  I think lactose won't give it the body you want unless you use a lot, and then you're messing with the flavor profile of the beer.  And DME will definitely make it too sweet.  So if it were my beer I'd use the maltodextrine . . .
Tom Schmidlin

Offline kylekohlmorgen

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Re: Adding gravity to over-attenuated stout
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2010, 10:19:03 am »
Udated:

Used ~ 9 oz of malto-dextrin to ~ 1.5-2 qts of water. Definitely added some body, but it still lacks a "finishing" flavor...

Instead of adding lactose for a creamy finish, I think I'll dry-hop for an "American-style Stout"...
Twitter/Instagram: @southhousebrew

Recipes, Brett/Bacteria Experiments: http://SouthHouseBeer.com/