Thin beer

I have been brewing for a while now. And my beer usually tastes great, but one thing I have noticed about all my beer is the thin mouthfeel. My beers always seem to feel like im drinking carbonated, beer flavored water. For most recipes I mash around 153 and no matter the recipe it seems to feel thin. I just brewed an oatmeal stout and figured that would be thicker but it is not. Any ideas?

Is your thermometer calibrated causing you to mash lower than you think? Does your mash hold its temp over the hour or drop a few degrees?

You can always mash at 155.

Also how much oats in the oatmeal stout? I find you need a lot of flaked oats to really “feel” it. I also find it adds silky-ness more than body. Rye does a great job providing thick chewy body.

+1 on the thermometer calibration.
Some years ago I was having a similar problem and discovered that my thermometer was mis-calibrated and was off by between 3-4°F…it doesn’t seem like much, but the enzymes sure do know the difference.

If thermometer is accurate, then you should consider mashing higher and choosing specialty malts that will enhance body. You can also consider adding some maltodextrine.

I have a digital therm and I don’t know if its off. What thermometers do you recommend?

What gravities are your beers finishing at?

I had a similar problem on an oatmeal stout and asked my LHBS if he had any suggestions. He asked me my mash temp which was 164. He said to stir my mash every 20 minutes as the mash next to the sides of the cooler see a lower temperature. I posted this in the forum and got pretty much a negative response.I tried it anyway and feel this has helped my OS and do not see that it has cause me to loose overall temperature during my mash. I do use 1 pound of flaked oats in my grain bill. Good Luck