How much does CO2 volume affect the body of the beer?

[Elysium]

We have bottled a few batches (British ale style beers) and for some reason it doesnt really have a great body. The beer is grand, but we would like to improve it.

We suspect that it is over-carbonated......maybe just a bit.

According to this site.... http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/ our beer is at 1.7 CO2 volume.

I am wondering if that can affect the body of an ale in a negative way in the mouth and if we should reduce the volume of CO2?

UPDATE: I have just checked the calculator and it looks I have been using it in the wrong way.

I always had it set at 25C (77F) and I thought it was the room temperature that it was asking about...but it is the temperature of the beer. I used 2.92 oz table sugar....when I change to the real temperature of the beer (19C/ 66.2F), it tells me to use 2.5 oz of table sugar.

We have never had a bottle-boom.....but I am wondering if our beer is over-carbonated?

 

[eltorrente]

1.7 is low for most styles of beers. I like most of my beers to be around 2.4.

What type of beer did you make, and what was your process? Extract or All-grain?

 

[Elysium]

1.7 is low for most styles of beers. I like most of my beers to be around 2.4.

What type of beer did you make, and what was your process? Extract or All-grain?

All-grain. 100% MO, English hops and safeale S0-4......yeast that we will never use again. We have just changed to safale SO-5 and will brew American Pale Ales. The website says carb volume should be (for american ales) at 2.2-2.7. For British ales at 1.5-2. Our beer seems to be at 1.85 (according to my calculations), but I am just wondering if that number can affect the taste and body of the beer.

By the way.....this is our recipe: http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/cc7-original

 

[Queequeg]

My guess would be no, given that you vols are within style and I know C02/N2 can be added to increase body which goes in opposition to your reasoning.

When people normally talk about body they talk about adding things to the grain bill. Although you have Maris Otter which is a strongly flavoured base malt, flavour isn't body. Like wise how the malt bill is converted effects body because what starches and protiens are present effect the type of body your'll get.

Also if I remember correctly 04 is more of a higher attenuating yeast then 05, so you would expect to have a lower FG with 04 which will effect body too.

 

[eltorrente]

First thing to check is your thermometer. Are you SURE the thermometer is actually accurate?

You can buy a *calibrated* digital thermometer for around 20dollars. This is crucial to any all-grain brewer. The one I bought came with a calibration certificate.

You are likely mashing at a lower temp than you think you are, and that will have a huge effect on the body.

 

[Elysium]

First thing to check is your thermometer. Are you SURE the thermometer is actually accurate?

You can buy a *calibrated* digital thermometer for around 20dollars. This is crucial to any all-grain brewer. The one I bought came with a calibration certificate.

You are likely mashing at a lower temp than you think you are, and that will have a huge effect on the body.

We have already ordered a good, digital thermometer....but till it gets here, we are stuck with the good old brew kit thermometer. Which is 1.3 C off. Meaning that we mash at about 160 F our 100% MO malt.

 

[flatlanderHQ]

What is your ABV? English Ales tend to be a little lower ABV, so this in itself can affect body and mouthfeel. Alcohol just adds more complexity to beer. Sounds like your carb level is fine for style. You might want to add some victory or biscuit malt or a touch of chocolate malt.

 

[Elysium]

What is your ABV? English Ales tend to be a little lower ABV, so this in itself can affect body and mouthfeel. Alcohol just adds more complexity to beer. Sounds like your carb level is fine for style. You might want to add some victory or biscuit malt or a touch of chocolate malt.

Agreed. Some extra malts would be great. At this stage we are experimenting with hops and yeasts. So...this is one of the reasons why we havent used extra malts yet. This Sunday we are brewing an American Pale Ale with 1 lb of Crystal malt 60L. Hopefully that will do the trick. Thanks for the idea.

 

[feinbera]

How long are you mashing for, and are you losing much temperature during the mash? 160° is pretty warm, you should be getting plenty of unfermentable sugars in your wort even without specialty grains, unless you're mashing for a really long time and/or losing several degrees over the course of the mash.

 

[flatlanderHQ]

Agreed. Some extra malts would be great. At this stage we are experimenting with hops and yeasts. So...this is one of the reasons why we havent used extra malts yet. This Sunday we are brewing an American Pale Ale with 1 lb of Crystal malt 60L. Hopefully that will do the trick. Thanks for the idea.

A good resource to consult is Ray Daniels book Designing Great Beers.

 

[flatlanderHQ]

The crystal is a good start, but a great English bitter or pale ale needs some nice roasty or mildly toasted flavours that, traditionally would have come from brown malt. The victory and biscuit malts would add this dimension.

 

[Kahless]

This is unlikley to be your problem, but just in case;
When i made my first All Grain brew, I was converting mashing ratios from pounds and quarts to KG and litres as I'm in the UK, but I didn't account for the difference between US and Imperial Quarts. In the end, my mash had a bit more water in it than it should have (just over the thinnest mash ratio); a thinner mash can result in a more fermentable mash with less body, and I ended up with something almost lager like (using Maris Otter). Anyway, the point of that is that you might be able to make a thicker mash to improve body.

 

[Elysium]

This is unlikley to be your problem, but just in case;
When i made my first All Grain brew, I was converting mashing ratios from pounds and quarts to KG and litres as I'm in the UK, but I didn't account for the difference between US and Imperial Quarts. In the end, my mash had a bit more water in it than it should have (just over the thinnest mash ratio); a thinner mash can result in a more fermentable mash with less body, and I ended up with something almost lager like (using Maris Otter). Anyway, the point of that is that you might be able to make a thicker mash to improve body.

I do BIAB. Ratio is something that doesnt affect me. I choose the amount of malt according to desired OG/FG.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Elysium]

The crystal is a good start, but a great English bitter or pale ale needs some nice roasty or mildly toasted flavours that, traditionally would have come from brown malt. The victory and biscuit malts would add this dimension.

Ok, I look into this. We are into american pale ales. I am wondering what malt (to increase the body, mouthfeel) would you recommend?

 

[tootal]

In my English IPA I use 60L crystal. This is the most common crystal malt, in fact, most recipes from years ago would just say crystal. 60L is what was used back then as there was not the variety we now enjoy. If you are mashing at 160 you should have lots of mouth feel. Definitely get yourself an accurate thermometer and be sure you're in the 154-160 range. I tried to look at your recipe but got some Google Chrome add that wouldn't go away! How long did you mash?

 

[Elysium]

In my English IPA I use 60L crystal. This is the most common crystal malt, in fact, most recipes from years ago would just say crystal. 60L is what was used back then as there was not the variety we now enjoy. If you are mashing at 160 you should have lots of mouth feel. Definitely get yourself an accurate thermometer and be sure you're in the 154-160 range. I tried to look at your recipe but got some Google Chrome add that wouldn't go away! How long did you mash?

If you are a google chrome user, then go to the extensions and add "adblock". It is my fav extension....no more adds from stupid sites.

Here is the recipe I have been working on. http://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/cc8-tweaked-citra-dryhopped

The IBU is really low because we dont like bitter beers. It is still a balanced beer and that's what we want.

 

[flatlanderHQ]

Ok, I look into this. We are into american pale ales. I am wondering what malt (to increase the body, mouthfeel) would you recommend?

Well, mouthfeel is primarily created by unfermentable sugars in the wort. So, if you like American pales you are looking at a malt bill with, of course, American 2 row, and perhaps up to 10% of the grain bill being Munich malt. Victory malt could also be used as approximately 10% of the grains. Your mash should be lower, 152 F or so. A high attenuating neutral ale yeast is important, liquid or dry. The key is a balanced beer, with not too much bitterness.