My beer body seems thin

[WahineArt]

Okay, I didn't intentionally mean to mislead with this thread title but after reading it aloud I can see that it probably is misleading, sorry!

I have brewed a Moose Drool Brown Ale clone twice (same extract recipe both times) and, to me, the body of the beer seems thin. I pretty much hit my numbers both times so I can't be too far off of the recipe. I don't know if I'm making sense but, when I drink a Moose Drool, the body of the beer seems thicker or fuller than what I brew so I'm concerned that I'm not doing something right. Any suggestions?

I want to brew a stout next and they have a thick/rich body and I don't want to blow it and have a thin stout.

 

[J-Pizzel]

Pretty newb myself but I believe that if you were to step up to all grain you can adjust the body by adjusting to a higher mash temp. Anyone feel free to correct me or offer alternatives.

 

[FATC1TY]

Somewhat correct for the most part.

Body can be perceived differently. Body is generally sweetness in most cases. A thin beer, will attenuate more. So you could try using a less attenuative yeast, which will finish at a higher gravity.

Also, it could just be the "clone" recipe. It's not exact and won't be, but it'll get close. Not a ton you can do about it in extract brewing that I'm aware of. I brewed extract and moved to all grain. If I want more body I have options to add aditional grains that will leave me more body, mash higher to leave less fermentable sugars, or use a yeast that I know will not finish quite so low for whatever my gravity is.

What is the final gravity of the beer you are making, by the way? If it's under 1.010 then it's gonna start working on being a bit drier and lighter.

 

[stonebrewer]

First off, I love Moose Drool beers so point me to your recipe!

Second, mouth feel usually has to do with leaving unfermentable sugars in the wort. To get a thicker tasting beer, I generally have to mash higher. If my mash is 148-152 or so, it seems a lot thinner than a 156-158 mash. Read Palmer's book on alpha and beta amylase and how they affect fermentation.

Do you live on Oahu? I visit there often for work. Awesome island, though Maui is more my style.

 

[Quaker]

First off, I love Moose Drool beers so point me to your recipe!

Go to Northern Brewer's website. They have a PDF of all their recipe kits, extract and all-grain on the more info tab of the page for the specific kit. They call their clone Carribou Slobber.

For the OP: To increase mouthfeel and body in extract brewing, you could add some maltodextrin powder. I can't advise how much though, because I've never done so as an all-grain brewer. I'd go light with only 1/4 pound, but only in a recipe you've already tried. Or as mentioned, a less attenuative yeast will help, so you don't finish as low. Many new brewers have the opposite problem, lacking strong fermentations with healthy yeast resulting in syrupy sweet beers. So you're doing something right.

 

[WahineArt]

The clone recipe I used came from a doc. that I downloaded from the societyofbarleyengineers.org. My OG wasn't as high as theirs, I think I was only at 1.050 & 1.048 the second time. My FO was 1.014 and I forgot to measure the second batch.

I sort of wondered if it was an all grain versus extract kinda thing. I will take a look at the maltodextrin powder thing.

 

[FATC1TY]

The clone recipe I used came from a doc. that I downloaded from the societyofbarleyengineers.org. My OG wasn't as high as theirs, I think I was only at 1.050 & 1.048 the second time. My FO was 1.014 and I forgot to measure the second batch.

I sort of wondered if it was an all grain versus extract kinda thing. I will take a look at the maltodextrin powder thing.

14 points isnt dry by any means.. It's not full body, but more medium IMO.

I'd say you could probably try to add a bit of extract to the boil, bring the OG up a bit, keep the additions of the specialty grains the same, and see what it gets you. Yeast will poop out, and if 14 points is thin, try 20 in that recipe and see what you think..

Over 20 in something that isn't a stout is a very very full beer, IMO. But people will want and perceive differently.

 

[Quaker]

I downloaded that recipe. They mash high at 154F. That should create a less fermentable wort than most commercial dry or liquid extracts, but their OG is 1.052 and they finish at 1.012. So it's likely something else causing the perception, although perhaps Moose Drool is lighter bodied than you recall.

You could experiment with a different brand of extract, because they are not all created equal. You might find one which suits the bill better. But I'll stick with my original malto-dextrin recommendation as your quickest ticket to satisfying your tastes. You could make a simple syrup with some, and experiment adding measured doses to a glass of your finished beer to help you dial in the amount.