Hey guys,
I am fairly new to brewing and have only made about 8 extract batches, of those I have made two porters and an stout. All three had a very thin mouth feel. 2 of the recipes were Northern Brewers Bourbon Barrel Porter (my virgin popping beer) and the St Paul Porter. The stout was from a local home brew shop. (All with steeping grains) How can I get that nice thick mouth feel you find in a Founders Porter, or stout? is this something I can only get from brewing all grain? I have even thought about brewing a double batch but still only making 5 gal. What tips can you give me to accomplish this mouth feel I am after?
Thanks
This is a good question for extract brewing that I’m not sure I know the answer too. For all grain brewing I’d say mash at a higher temp to get more unfermentable sugar but not sure for extract brewing. I’m interested to see what people say.
Lactose is an option but that may not fit the style of beer you’re looking for.
The soluble fiber in oats gives nice mouthfeel. A little rye also brings a lot of this character. If you do a partial mash you can mash the grain at a high end temp like 158F and it’ll generate a lot of nonfermentable sugars that lend mouthfeel. Thats how the commercial brewers do it.
I’m surprised you found the Bourbon barrel and St Paul porters to be thin. Those are good kits. You could always brew them to a lightly lower volume, increasing the alcohol and body to some extent.
What yeast are you using? When I first started brewing I used to add oats to my stouts to get the right mouth feel but when I went to liquid yeast and a proper (lower) pitching temp instead of dry I found that I did not need the oats anymore.
I brew all grain, but I add a half pound of flaked oats and a half pound of wheat to most of my beers to get a fuller beer. Not sure if it would work equally well as far as steeping for extract, but that is what I would try I guess.
I am using what ever liquid yeast they recommend for the recipe. and I always make a simple starter. My fermentation temp are always 62-64. I also do a partial boil of about 4 1/2 gallons.
The ph of your water could be playing a role in this…check out the pod cast “mouth feel” under the show “brew strong” on itunes. I think your questions will be answered for you if you take the time to listen.
