Cara pils??

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Rhino20

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Looking to brew this weekend. I have designed a recipe for an Oatmeal Stout. I was thinking of adding Cara pils ( since I read it helps the head retention). Do Cara pils have any flavor or taste or will it just add to the head? Do you think its a good idea to add Cara pils into a stout batch? Cheers!
 
It might be unnecessary but it won't hurt either. Carapils is the lightest of the cara malts and is known for increasing body and head retention without changing the flavor of the beer.
 
Carapils is a crystal malt. Adding it will add unfermentable sugars. If you are going for dry stout I wouldn't add it. It will increase your final gravity.
 
It might be unnecessary but it won't hurt either. Carapils is the lightest of the cara malts and is known for increasing body and head retention without changing the flavor of the beer.

This...

With a stout, what I would focus on is the level of roastiness vs the projected FG.

The higher the roast flavor the more need for a higher FG to balance.


How you get that higher FG is up to you. For a stout I would use crystal/cara malts with more flavor because I like big flavors in my stouts.

I do also like oats for body and residual sugars, cause they create a mouthfeel that is quite unique and pleasant IMO.
 
The oatmeal should be enough if you are just looking for head retention.
If you are looking to sweeten it up carapils can do this but use it in small amounts as too much of a good thing creates a cloying sweetness with carapils especially.

I am personally making it a point to design away from it's use as much as possible.
 
Don't want to hijack but on the same subject...I love sweet stout and would like more body and mouth feel from mine. If adding cara pils what would be the starting amount I should shoot for? I know that a little goes a long way.
 
I use half a pound of carapils in my partial mash ales. Nice head & mouthfeel. I wouldn't say it adds any appreciable amount of sweetness though.
 
I use half a pound of carapils in my partial mash ales. Nice head & mouthfeel. I wouldn't say it adds any appreciable amount of sweetness though.

This. I also use a half pound of carapils in most of my ales. I'll skip it for dryer beers or anything in which I'm already using wheat.
 
Don't want to hijack but on the same subject...I love sweet stout and would like more body and mouth feel from mine. If adding cara pils what would be the starting amount I should shoot for? I know that a little goes a long way.

Lactose
 
Lactose is already part of the recipe. I'm trying to replicate the almost chewiness of Southern tier imperial stout. Mine turn out delicious but a little thin in body.
 
Lactose is already part of the recipe. I'm trying to replicate the almost chewiness of Southern tier imperial stout. Mine turn out delicious but a little thin in body.

Are you doing all grain or extract? If all grain, shoot for a higher mash temp. If you're brewing with extract, you could try a less attenuating yeast.
 
All grain. I was actually thinking of higher mashing. And I just use wyeast California.
 
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