Beer without body / watery beer

[loki993]

So as I begin to think about starting out doing this I think about some of the other home brews I've had.

Over the years I've had homebrews from people at different times and sometimes I felt that although the taste was there, the beer lacked body and/or tasted kinda watered down. Heck I've even noticed this at a brewpub or two over the years. It was one of those thing I just always figured you got better at with more brewing experience. Its also kept me away a little too because I hate watery beer.

Now I've also had damn good homebrews from people too. So it can be done. What is the general cause of this and how is it avoided. I can deal with a wide range of different flavors in my beers, even an occasional bad one, but I would be very disappointed if I brewed a batch and it tasted watery and thin.

 

[jwalker1140]

I remember being disappointed at the thin body of my very first brew. It had only been in bottle for one week and the body filled out in a couple weeks once it had a chance to properly carbonate. In my experience, you can increase the body of a beer by doing one or more of the following:

- allow plenty of time for the beer to properly carb (at least 3 weeks for bottle carbed beers)
- increase the mash temp
- increase the amount of dextrins or unfermentable sugars in the recipe
- choose a yeast strain that doesn't attenuate as much

Some of the more experienced brewers may have some other tricks, but these are the things I focus on in terms of controlling body and mouthfeel.

 

[BPal75]

If you use a lot of adjuncts with high ferment ability you will lose body. Also if you mash low you will end up with more fermentable sugars and a lighter body. If you want a full bodied beer, I would mash high and stay away from adjuncts. If you are new and starting with extract, you should be good because most extract is mashed at higher temps to give a medium to full body.

 

[loki993]

Yeah, Ill be using extract kits at the beginning, until I decide I want to experiment with different malts and things like that. I'm going to do some brews mostly to get the process down and then maybe start tweaking some stuff.

So Im wondering if maybe its just a case of rushing the beer and not letting it sit long enough.

would mashing too low also cause a beer to taste watered down?

 

[jwalker1140]

Mashing low could cause a beer to taste watered down, or at least taste thinner than it would if mashed at a higher temp. For extract, I'd suggest giving your beer at least three weeks in the bottle. If after that you still think it tastes watered down, try either steeping 1/2 lb of carapils the next time you make the same kit or select a yeast that doesn't attenuate as much as the one you used the first time. Get your technique nailed down and this probably won't be an ongoing problem.