What Gives a Beer a Creamy Mouthfeel?

Northern Brewer General
1

There is a locally brewery that makes a Vanilla Porter that is an awesome beer. When drinking the beer it almost tastes and has a mouthfeel like there was a scoop of vanilla ice cream mixed in. How do you achieve that?

2

Lactose.

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3

I’ve always thought that the vanilla adds a degree of creaminess. Lactose CAN be added for some extra sweetness. Oats in the mash gives a nice silkyness

4

Proteins are what do it in general. There are a number of ways to achieve that. Also, one of the reasons I love WY1450 is because of the silky smooth mouthfeel it gives the beer.

5

I think it varies from beer to beer. Sometimes you’ve gotta tease it, some times you’ve just gotta pound it…

I JUST COULDN’T LET IT GO!

6

Carbonation plays a vital role as well. Lower carbonation can enhance the mouthfeel of certain beers

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7

Bumping this thread. I just made a coffee porter and the oils from the coffee and lower carbonation level have created the best mouthfeel I’ve ever made. I’ve used lactose and flaked oats but nothing has ever approached this. Now I’m wondering if it is the coffee what other ingredient that I haven’t thought of could do the same. I once put coconut in a brew but I had to toss it, I have used hazelnuts and pecans but I feel like I would have to use too much of these to get a similar result.

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8

Lower carbonation is likely the key. I’ve never been happy with the level of creaminess I’ve tried to achieve using oats or lactose. I’ve used coffee a couple of times, and I can’t say it has made any kind of “creamy” contribution. Lower carbonation has worked best for me.

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9

Nitro

10

Yeah, Nitro… Just had a Guinness yesterday… I just enjoy that! Sneezles61

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11

Beer gas would be a nice upgrade. Could you serve wine and cold brew coffee with that or is that done straight nitro

12

Not sure… I thought there was a mix… but need a different tap to accommodate… Research? Sneezles61

13

Beer gas is 25% CO2 and 75% nitrogen.

Usually you will push wine and nitro coffee with pure nitrogen. As CO2 hydrates it creates carbonic acid which will add to the bitterness. Nitrogen takes a higher psi to absorb in a liquid which adds to the cascading effect on cold brew.

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14

Ok . I knew that about beer gas but wasn’t sure about the wine side. So is there a way to to use a tank of straight nitrogen on the wine and mix it with co2 for the beer

15

You could probably carbonate with CO2 to a low level then push with nitro.