IIPA mouth feel help

[enkindler]

I am not good at the lighter bodied beers, but I have the following recipe that I have built, it is good but the middle is just a bit lacking in body IMHO.

Does anyone have a good suggesting on what to add?

Amount Item Type % or IBU
17.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 88.31 %
1.00 lb Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 5.20 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 2.60 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 2.60 %


I mashed at 150 for 60min to get the attenuation up which was good because I hit 1.012.

I did use pacman which may have been too clean especially at the 62F I kept it at.


I hoped the Cara-Pils would add some but it is already 2.6%, should I go to flaked rye?

Maybe I'll just stick with the Imperial Ambers now that they are an official "type" now.

 

[old_tx_kbb]

What was your OG and also what was the attenuation of your yeast.

What tempersture did you ferment at ?

 

[enkindler]

Thanks old_tx_kbb

OG 1.076
FG 1.012 (I know I let it go too far)

And I was at 62F for the ferment.

 

[Zen_Brew]

Well, mashing low to get good attenuation, and wanting more body are a bit at odds with each other. Pacman also chews through more sugars than say the traditional cal ale and also added to the higher attenuation.

17 lbs is a lot of grain, you should be able to bump the crystal some without adding too much to the residual sweetness left over. I would say raise your mash temp to maybe 151-152. You can either up the crystal 20 to a full lb, or leave the crystal 20 where it is and add 1/2 lb crystal 40. If you are opposed to raising the crystal then maybe 1 lb of wheat malt will give you the extra body you are looking for. You could also try adding a 1/2 lb of dextrin which the yeast will not ferment and should add body. Finally you could try it with cal ale yeast for a bit less attenuation or stick with pacman.

 

[enkindler]

I think you have something with the yeasts, this is the first time I had ever used pacman and it did finish a lot lower then I expected.

It is a good beer as is, just not a great beer.

I'll run a 10 gallon batch this weekend and WLP001 and Wyeast 1056

I may add in the crystal 40 as you said too just because that will kick the color up past 10 and that is a personal pref.

Thanks

 

[old_tx_kbb]

Also, you may want to consider raising your mash temperature...that should increase the body.

 

[alz28]

I use the Cali. and the American Ale yeast as well. Try the American Ale. Like Zen said add some wheat, or some flaked oats works for me. Or mash around 154.

 

[jtejedor]

I had a similar experience with pacman. It just tears through wort and unless you use a lot of crystal malts it dries the beer out a lot. I tried making a shakespear stout clone as detailed on can you brew it and it came out much to dry and thin for my tastes. Its great for huge beers that you want to finish low though, I got huge attenuation on a barley wine I did with it.

 

[SC_Ryan]

I have always read that with a IIPA you want it to finish low (0.010 to 0.012) because the high gravity is going to give it a strong malt presence by it's self and you want the hops to be able to shine through. Mashing at a higher temp is a good idea but I would add 1-1.5# of corn sugar so it still finishes nice and low. +1 on the switch to C40 and American ale yeast.