Does Carapils add gravity ?

[Bru]

Beersmith says it does yet Ive read here that it doesn't. Can anyone confirm ?

 

[smizak]

Yes it does. However, it is not as fermentable as base malt, leaving behind some dextrins that enhance mouthfeel and head retention.

 

[samc]

+1 as smizak said

Here is an official description that does not specifically answer your question

Carapils® Malt: In a category by itself
There’s quite a number of dextrine-style malts available
commercially, and no two are the same. That’s why we put
our dextrine-style malt, Carapils® Malt, in a category by
itself. Briess Carapils® Malt is truly unique in its ability to do
what dextrine-style malts are designed to do—contribute
nonfermentables for foam development, foam retention
and enhanced mouthfeel. Turn the page for more informa-
tion about this unique malt.

 

[King of Cascade]

Beersmith says it does yet Ive read here that it doesn't. Can anyone confirm ?

Post a link to the thread that says it doesn't add gravity

 

[Bru]

I looked and couldn't find it. Misinformation anyway.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[menschmaschine]

It definitely adds to OG, but does it add to FG? I'm not convinced it does in quantities typically used by brewers and depending on the mash schedule. Those long chain sugars in Cara-pils can get further broken down into fermentable sugars by enzymes from the base malt. I've not noticed much (if any) of a difference in wort fermentability with various amounts of Cara-pils and one homebrewer on here brewed a Helles with 17% Cara-pils and got 81% attenuation.

 

[Bru]

Interesting.
How was the head on that Helles ?

 

[menschmaschine]

Interesting.
How was the head on that Helles ?

Don't know... he (username: Spine) might still be lagering it. We were PM-ing and we left off just after primary.

I think those decriptions that state it aids in foam stability might be some hype, too... but I only have my own observations to back that up. I used to have some foam stability problems with the use of a decent amount (5% or more) of Cara-pils. Now, I don't have any foam stability problems (due to fiddling with mash temps and times) and have reduced the amount of Cara-pils I use to 2.5% in my German lagers.

Plus the best example is Duvel... killer head (even though the high carbonation has something to due with that) and it's 100% Pilsner malt (from a few different maltsters).

But I think Cara-pils can add mouth feel, some subtle complexity in flavor, and it also can lighten a beer's color... which is useful when brewing something like a Helles... a beer you want as light in color as possible.

 

[smizak]

The Briess document (link) claims they have a process that produces the glassiness of a crystal malt without the caramelization. That seems true, as Carapils has no diastatic power. It's reasonable to believe that their processing yields unfermentable, non-hydrolizeable starch or sugar chains that neither yeast nor enzymes can affect.

I've never used it, so I can't testify to how effective it is. A lot of pro brewers use it and swear by it.

 

[menschmaschine]

I don't think, or perhaps don't understand, that enzymes in the mash couldn't affect starches and long chain sugars in dextrine malt. Perhaps when used with the right mash schedule (i.e., single infusion), it has the effects stated by the maltsters, but when step mashes and decoctions come into play, maybe these effects are reduced or negated.

In any case, I just haven't observed increased foam stability or decreased wort fermentability with the use of Cara-pils in my brewing. Also, the stuff from Briess is 6-row, which has a much different protein profile than the 2-row dextrine malt I use. So, that could have something to do with it too.

 

[Bru]

Flaked barley FTW when it comes to head retention.