Adding Malto-Dexterine later?

[Atrus]

So, I brewed up my 1st partial extract kit, an Amber. Tastes good, lacking body. Just racked my Oktoberfest partial kit, and while tasting, same thing - good flavor, just seemed too light for my tastes.

I read on here Malto-Dextrine would be a good option to building up body. My question is, is there a way to add this to my Oktoberfest, which is currently in the secondary? Can I boil a bit of water, or some beer, and add in 4 oz prior to bottling? Or could I rack into the primary, mix this in, and put back into the secondary for another week?

Thanks in advance!

 

[david_42]

Boil it up with your priming sugar. MD doesn't ferment.

 

[Atrus]

Awesome, that's the answer I wanted to hear! Thanks

 

[homebrewer_99]

I concur...at bottling...

 

[Atrus]

So, should it never be added at the time of brewing, always with priming sugar? Or does it not matter?

 

[Evan!]

You should add it to the boil if you can. It'll be more integrated that way. You can surely add it to the secondary, but I'd be wary of adding at bottling. Too much of a chance of bottle variation---you're not supposed to stir at bottling, to avoid oxidation, so your best bet is adding to the boil. But the other two will work if you've already brewed it.

 

[Alvin]

Malto dextrine does contain unfermentables but I would be cautious assuming that it is 100% unfermentables. I suggest adding it to the secondary and give it a week to settle down before bottling.

 

[Walker]

Malto dextrine does contain unfermentables but I would be cautious assuming that it is 100% unfermentables. I suggest adding it to the secondary and give it a week to settle down before bottling.

Correct... I was looking around once to see how much of MD was and was not fermentable. I got a range of numbers depending on the brand, but everything I saw said that MD was between 88% and 98% unfermentable.


So... if he's using 4 oz, and it's (worst case) 12% fermentable, that's only a teeny bit of fermentable sugar (13.4g or about 1/2 oz).

I would not worry about adding it at bottling time, honestly.

 

[aekdbbop]

Awesome, that's the answer I wanted to hear! Thanks

yeah im doing the same thing.. I am just going to add it when i transfer to the secondary (boiling it first of course) and then let it mix up in the transfer.