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Lost Brews

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I am still somewhat new to All-Grain and am enjoying it very much. I have been having some trouble though. My beer have a very watery mouth feel. I would like to get more body in them but am not sure how. I have been mashing my grains with water the is at 170 give or take for 1.5 hours and then fly sparging to collect 5.5 gallons for the boil. My boils are taking forever because I am using an electric stove. My last batch taste great but has no body. OG 1040 and FG 1005 and that is an American Hefe. Please Help.
 
I am no expert at AG......yet, but that is a pretty high mash temp. I believe that if you mash at around 155F you will get more body out of your beer. From what I have read and learned, most people mash around 155F, strike water around 170 and then sparge with water at 170F.
 
I would also calibrate your thermometer in a glass of ice water, then in boiling water. If your thermometer is reading high you may actually be mashing at a much lower temperature than you think, which will result in a much more fermentable wort and a thin bodied beer.
 
The easiest way to add body is malto-dextrin. In the mash, use Carapils/Dextrin Malt. But, checking your thermometer is a good idea. I discovered mine was 4F off, that's a major problem for mashing.
 
That is also a pretty low FG for a Hefe, I would expect that you would want to finish out around 1.010 or so. I second the use of carapils and also maybe some more wheat.

Cheers
 
I've read many articles that state adding malto-dextrin (or any sort of dextrin powder) doesn't actually add any mouthfeel, or sweetness.
Its more about perceived mouthfeel.

Hows the carbonation? lack of correct carbonation level for a style will give it less perceived body.
 
Maltodextrins come in several sizes so to speak. Maltodextrins by definition are any hydrolyzed starch with a dextrose equivalence of less than 20. Thus, they are starch that is slightly hydrolzed or broken down such that only 20% or less is dextrose which is also called glucose or corn sugar. If you do a search under maltodextrins, there are several sold at various DE (dextrose equivalences) values. The lower the DE number on the maltodextrin the larger the hydrolyzed pieces and the less sweet the taste and the more that maltodextrin increases viscosity. However, maltodextrins are hydrolyzed starch and therefore do not have the viscosity of gelatinized starch. Unfortunately, the maltodextrin they sell in homebrew stores often does not have the DE value on it so it a bit of a guessing game. However, maltodextrins versus fermentable sugars (glucose, maltose, etc) should increase the viscosity of the wort some and add to mouthfeel through this slight thickening.

Just a little information for reference.

Dr Malt:mug:
 
Dr Malt said:
Maltodextrins come in several sizes so to speak. Maltodextrins by definition are any hydrolyzed starch with a dextrose equivalence of less than 20. Thus, they are starch that is slightly hydrolzed or broken down such that only 20% or less is dextrose which is also called glucose or corn sugar. If you do a search under maltodextrins, there are several sold at various DE (dextrose equivalences) values. The lower the DE number on the maltodextrin the larger the hydrolyzed pieces and the less sweet the taste and the more that maltodextrin increases viscosity. However, maltodextrins are hydrolyzed starch and therefore do not have the viscosity of gelatinized starch. Unfortunately, the maltodextrin they sell in homebrew stores often does not have the DE value on it so it a bit of a guessing game. However, maltodextrins versus fermentable sugars (glucose, maltose, etc) should increase the viscosity of the wort some and add to mouthfeel through this slight thickening.

Just a little information for reference.

Dr Malt:mug:
Click to expand...
baby_wtf.jpg
 
Since you're not giving us a recipe there's no way to tell why you are getting such thin watery beer. It might be because you're using fermentable adjuncts that don't add any body, just alcohol. This would also help explain the very low FG. What is the recipe?
 

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