Coconut Porter Mouthfeel?

Okay so I'm about to brew a coconut porter extract with specialty grains, I would like a really creamy mouthfeel, what is the best technique or ingredient to use to get a nice creamy mouthfeel? Can I add something to the secondary or must it be with the boil?

Extract beers rarely have issues with mouthfeel. The maltster most likely cut the origin grist with some carapils and crystal malt, and then mashed in the mid 150s (F).

Avoid adding simple sugars to your fermentables. And try to get ahold of unsweetened coconut flakes from a place like Whole Foods, or a specialty supermarket. An abundance of simple sugars in your extract porter will not help your goal for a creamy mouthfeel.

Whatever you do, don't add starchy adjuncts to your extract beer, like flaked oats. These must be mashed with the proper amount of enzymatic base grain for conversion.

Unfermentable sugars are highly caramelized sugars, like those in caramel malts, and long chain sugars referred to as dextrins. Dextrin malt and malto-dextrin powder have been previously mentioned in the ingredients chapters. Dextrins are tasteless carbohydrates that hang around, adding some weight and viscosity to the beer.

Depending on your target OG try adding 4-8 oz flaked/rolled oats to your steep (can't recall if rolled must be mashed or not). That should fill out the body a bit and provide a "velvety" mouthfeel.

Flaked oats provide a nice rich smooth mouthfeel. They add more body than MD/carapils, but be careful with how much you use...it can be overdone.

You guys are recommending that the OP add starchy adjuncts to his Extract beer.

Nice... Good way to ruin it.

bobbrews said:

You guys are recommending that the OP add starchy adjuncts to his Extract beer.

Nice... Good way to ruin it.

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So, assuming he uses a few oz of flaked oats, how, precisely, is that going to "ruin" his brew?

Starchy beer. Reduces clarity, quality, and shelf-life.

Whether 4 oz. or 1 lb., there is never a good reason to steep starchy adjuncts in an extract beer.

Okay so if I use the flaked Oates do I have to mash at let's say 155 for 30mins before steeping the grains and adding my extract?

Okay so don't use flaked oats? This will only be my third batch first attempt at a coconut porter. I just want to do it right with a creamy malty taste with a nice hint of coconut.

If you use flaked oats, you would need to mash them with a base grain. You cannot mash them on their own. It will not do anything since no enzymes will be available for conversion of the starch.

This is a non-issue anyway... You don't need oats or anything to aid with mouthfeel for an extract beer with a decent amount of speciality grains. If you were brewing an all-grain version, then mashing a bit higher and using something like flaked oats to add mouthfeel would be more appropriate.

I'm not sure the condescension was necessary, Bob.

maltodextrin used to work for me... i just added it in the last 10 minutes.

Thanks everyone for the input! I think with the right specialty grains picked for my 6lbs of wheat malt syrup it seems like it will develop a great mouthfeel, I might have to do two 2 1/2 gallon batches one with maltrodextrin and one without and see which I prefer more

So, the issue as I understand it, is steeping with an extract as opposed to mashing with grains and thus no conversion of the starches. Makes sense.

Turning this into a partial mash recipe (not very difficult) should address that issue.

You think I should do a partial mash instead of just steeping?

tre6mafya said:

You think I should do a partial mash instead of just steeping?

Click to expand...

It is one possible solution, if you really want to use oats. I really like the the body and mouthfeel they give. And, partial mash is the next logical step up from extract only. It's not a very big step up in complexity.

If you use oats and do a mini mash you get the starch converted to sugars that your yeast can work on and a creamy mouthfeel. If you simply steep you get starches in your beer which will make it cloudy but you still get the creamy mouthfeel. In my Belgian Wit, I can see how cloudy it is but since it is supposed to be cloudy, I don't care. In a stout, if you can see the cloudiness, your stout needs some work so go ahead and dump some instant oats in for the mouthfeel and don't worry about the cloudiness.