Beer is a Bit Thin in the Viscosity Department

[modelflyer2003]

I am drinking my second batch of beer, as Irish Stout from Midwest. While I think the taste is decent and is a drinkable beer, but I find it a bit thin. This is also one of my brother's criticisms of this batch. The Guinness Extra Stout I am used to drinking has a higher viscosity, but the Porter I had in DC was amazing. The flavor was strong and the viscosity was quite notable. How do I increase the viscosity? Add less water to the primary fermentor? My Irish Stout was also underwhelmed by the carbonation. It's ok, but I could take a bit more. I bottled it in July and it has been in about 66 deg F since then, which is where it fermented too. If I bring it into 73 degrees upstairs will it produce more carbonation? Perhaps all of the priming sugar has already been consumed and the carbonation has maxed out?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

A few questions and an observation. Firstly the observation - Guinness extra stout doesn't have much body (what I think you're referring to as 'viscosity') - it's quite dry and easy drinking.

Questions -
How are you brewing? (kit, extract, all-grain)
Recipe?
Yeast?
OG, FG?
Any information you can give about your process will help.

Edit: I should note that I'm in Australia and Guinness is different in different countries.

 

[modelflyer2003]

I brewed from an extract kit from Midwest Supplies and I used the recipe with the kit. The yeast is the Safale Ale S-04 that came with the kit. The OG was 1.043 and the FG was 1.013. I don't mean to imply that the Guinness Extra Stout is a thick beer, but the Porter I had the viscosity I want to reproduce.

 

[RM-MN]

Apparent body will increase with higher carbonation while real body will come from unfermentable sugars. You might use a bit of lactose for extra sugar or add carapils to the recipe. Carbonation levels have limits as if you increase them too far the beer will foam when you open the bottle on in extreme cases can cause the bottle to burst.

 

[beergolf]

Body in a beer is mostly determined by the recipe. Sure carbonation can help some, but high carbonation in a stout does not go well. Stouts are usually not highly carbed beers.

RM-MN had a good suggestion of using some lactose, pr adding some carapils. Also upping some of the caramel malts can help also. Lower attenuating yeast can also help.