Carafoam

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WildGingerBrewing

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I am brewing a pale ale this weekend and have decided that most of my beers are a little thin. Checking the malt chart, Carafoam should add body and head. The question is how much should I use? The malt chart also says that a mash is not required. If I don't mash it, what do I do with it? Here is my grain bill:

8 lb Pale 2 Row
2 lb Vienna
.75 lb Victory
.75 Crystal 20L
.25 lb Crystal 40L

So how much Carafoam and when?

Thanks! :mug:
 
carafoam is the same thing as cara-pils (except that cara-pils is a trademarked name). It is really just an extremely light colored crystal/caramel malt.

It doesn't *need* to be mashed because it has no real starch that needs converted to suagr. This is true of any caramel/crystal malt. Steeping is fine. But, anything that can be steeped can also be thrown into the mash like any other grain.

I use cara-pils in a number of my recipes, and usually keep it at about 1/2 pound.
 
no problem.

FYI: another thing you can do, instead of throwing the cara-pils in, is mash at a higher temp.

I use cara-pils for better head retention. I'm sure it impacts the body as well, but if my goal is a fuller body, I just up the mash temp.

I've been mashing almost all of my beers up in the 154-158*F range lately.
 
Never thought of that. Still being a noob AG brewer, I usually mash everything aroun 152-153F. Do you still add the Cara-pils when you mash at a higher temp? I may give it a shot at mashing a little higher this weekend.
 
Do you still add the Cara-pils when you mash at a higher temp?

My goal with carapils is head and head retention and not body. If I want head retention, I add carapils. If I want a fuller body, I mash higher. If I want both head retention and a fuller body, I use the carapils and mash higher.
 
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