I'm going to brew an amber that uses Maris Otter as a base malt. I plan to do a protein rest at 130-133 for 15 minutes in an attempt to add some body to my beer.
Recently, my beers have lacked fullness and body and I'm going to try the protein rest to add an extra dimension to my finished beer. I've tried some other techniques and ingredients to add this missing element but nothing has quite worked right.
I'm pretty good at making dry beers and sweet/malty beers, but I think I need to experiment with step mashes to find that missing piece. Right now, I'm going to drink Deschutes The Abyss 2009 Reserve for inspiration.
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Actually, I think that doing a protein rest with maris otter will have the opposite effect that you hope. I think it will make it less full bodied, and thinner in body.
Why not try a single mash infusion at a higher temperature? Like 158 to be really "thick" bodied.
You mentioned that your sweet/malty beers are good, though, so I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for.
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I make ok beer. The problem is when I drink a great beer like Aventinus or Adam I realize that my beers are missing something - an extra degree of complexity. I call it mouthfeel or body. So I'll try a 15 minute protein rest. Kaiser indicates that a rest at 133 can help develop body even in highly modified malts and Bob says that a short protein rest can increase head retention eliminating the need to buy specialty grains that promote head retention.
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You should never hesitate to trade your cow for a handful of magic beans.
I make ok beer. The problem is when I drink a great beer like Aventinus or Adam I realize that my beers are missing something - an extra degree of complexity. I call it mouthfeel or body. So I'll try a 15 minute protein rest. Kaiser indicates that a rest at 133 can help develop body even in highly modified malts and Bob says that a short protein rest can increase head retention eliminating the need to buy specialty grains that promote head retention.
It's your call of course, but a protein rest is not going to add body to your beer using this malt. Kai is probably using less modified malt, I'd guess. Don't believe us? Try Palmer then:
In fact, using a protein rest on fully modified malts tends to remove most of the body of a beer, leaving it thin and watery. Most base malt in use in the world today is fully modified. Less modified malts are often available from German maltsters. Brewers have reported fuller, maltier flavors from malts that are less modified and make use of this rest.
Maris Otter is very well modified malt, BTW.
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Last edited by MattHollingsworth; 03-20-2010 at 06:29 PM.
Okay, so since you mentioned Adam, I e-mailed Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog to ask him what he thought.
So, here's what he says, which does contradict me, so I admit my possible error.
Quote:
It is hard to avoid maltiness when you use 60lb to make a 10gal batch. A short protein rest may help, especially with under modified malt. I use long boils, 3 hrs+ and feel it creates a thicker mouth feel.
This is for a high gravity beer though, so take that into account.
First of all, 60lbs for a 10 gallon batch! Wow - no wonder it is so expensive. Secondly, he indicates a long boil may add that missing mouthfeel or body to a beer. I just tapped a wheat beer that I boiled for 90 minutes, and it has a rounded fullness to it that has been missing in my other beers. Instead of doing a protein rest with this next batch, maybe I'll boil a bit longer and see what that does.
Thanks for emailing the Hair of the Dog guy.
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Missing that certain something - body, mouthfeel
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