Using dextrin malt (or carapils) in extract brew

I have seen a few other posts on this topic also so maybe some of you can let me know how things turned out for you.

I have a beer that I drank in Montana that I am going to attempt to immitate - Wild Fly Ale, Yellowstone Valley Brewing. Their website lists the malts and hops so I am going to have at it. Anyway, one of the malts listed is dextrin.

Most everything I have been able to find says that dextrin malts need to be mashed. So wonder if those of you that have steeped dextrin malts might have some thoughts on how things turned out. Or, as it appears that the dextrin malt is not really adding any flavor, should I just leave it out altgether? Any other thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

From John Palmer "Dextrin Malt 3 L Also known as American Carapils, this malt is used sparingly and contributes little color but enhances the mouthfeel and perceived body of the beer. A common amount for a five gallon batch is 1/2 lb. Dextrin malt has no diastatic power. It must be mashed; if steeped it will contribute a lot of unconverted starch and cause starch haze."

-Cheers

You could use Malto dexterine also. Should have the same/similar effect.

Many extracts have some Carapils in them.

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Products/Extracts.htm#GoldenLight

So you can probably just leave it out if you are doing an extract batch

This seems counterintuitive, as the dextrins are unfermentable and can't be broken down by the amylase enzymes anyway. However, the grain also has normal maltose polymers that can be, and if steeped by itself, the amylase enzymes will be insufficient, as the majority of those enzymes come from pale malts. I think a partial mash is the way to go. Unfortunately, you can't do a starch iodine test as the dextrins will always yield false positives (at least that's been my experience, but I've recently quit using iodine tests lately because I now think they're largely unnecessary). That being said, I have steeped carapils before and been fine. But most of my beers are a little hazy

Dave,
Great question. Carapils is generally used to add body and mouthfeel to your beer, and will also improve head retention, however must be mashed. Steeping this grain will only provide you with 20% utilization, so you're better off not using it. Maltodextrin is what you're looking for, as this is basically an "extract" version of carapils. I would recommend 4oz. of maltodextrin in the boil for every 8oz. of Carapils that an all-grain recipe would include in the mash.

Cheers.

Thanks for the great replies folks, much appreciated!

Dave