Adding Body with Maltodextrin

[TheNuge87]

I recently brewed a stout and I am thinking about adding Maltodextrin to the primary. I enjoy a heavy body and thick mouthfeel....This is the 2nd time I brewed this stout (extract), and I added more Munich this time, but I don't think I'm getting what I am looking for.

Beer has been fermenting for 8 days. I was thinking about adding 8 oz of Maltodextrin? Will this help achieve the body I am looking for? Is it too late to add?

5 gal
OG 1.091
Estimated FG 1.026
Yeast 001

9.5 lbs Pale Malt LME
3.3 lbs Munich LME
1.5 lbs Flaked Oats
0.75 lbs Crystal Malt 120
0.6 lbs Choc. Malt
0.6 lbs Roasted Barley
0.25 lbs Black Patent

 

[stz]

Personally wouldn't bother. Have done a few beers with maltodextrine powder (wanted sweetness) and came to the conclusion that it didn't make much of a difference (really isn't sweet even at high amounts). I can taste 1 point of sugar, 6 points of lactose, but can't even detect maltodextrine at less than 15.

It certainly brought up the final gravity, but I find body to be perceptual based on subjective measure as in .. I can tell if a beer is too thin, too thick or just right and if I'd prefer it thicker or thinner based on style, but I can't actually tell the difference between a final gravity of 14 or 24 if those points are dextrines. Lots of other factors are more influential, mainly carbonation, alcohol level and serving temperature.

 

[peanasky]

Well, maltodextrin isn't really meant to be sweet at all. It's purely, or nearly pure, long chain dextrose molecules, bordering on being starch (except its soluble). You're really never going to get sweetness from maltodextrin powder, just increased FG. Whether or not increasing the FG leads to increased body perception is a whole other matter.

OP: If you want to see what it would be like, 8oz/5gal scales down to 0.2oz/pint. So you could throw 0.2oz of maltodextrin into a pint, stir, and taste. Should give you a good idea of what it would taste like.