How do you make a beer more creamy ?

[epic501j]

Hi
Im not totally new but havent brewed in couple years.I was wondering how you would make a beer more creamy ? Something like a porter as I love porter.I just brewed up a batch last night and its bubbling in my living room Not thicker just you know creamier
thank you in advance for taking the time to reply.

oh yeah one other quick question,how long can a beer sit in the secondary ?
thanks

 

[JonK331]

Adding oats works pretty well. Gives a creamier mouthfeel. You can leave a beer in the primary for months. Secondary even longer.

 

[epic501j]

Hi
thank you for your quick reply.What kind of oats woudl you suggest how much ? and creamier mouth feel is excatley what im talking about,you hit the nail on the heade with ath discreiption.Would I be able to add it to them now or is somthing you have to do whiel your boiling ?
thanks

 

[user 21663]

Flaked oats, but I always use Quaker Oats from the grocery store. I do all grain so I add them to my mash.

 

[epic501j]

so how much would you add 1lb or add them begining of the boil or ?
thanks

 

[user 21663]

I use about 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch. You'll need to do a partial mash to convert the oats, otherwise you are just adding starch. Add everything to your steeping bag and then throw in some milled 2-row ( about 1 lb - make sure to account for this in your recipe ) and hold at 150-152F for about 20-30 minutes.

 

[jasonsbeer]

I've read Quick Oats can be thrown in the mash just like flaked oats.

 

[Norbrew]

what about using a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas to carbonate. Like Guinness does?

 

[user 21663]

I've read Quick Oats can be thrown in the mash just like flaked oats.

That's what I use and it comes out great.

 

[epic501j]

What is milled 2 roll ? is quick oats the same a like quaker instant oats ?
thanks

 

[user 21663]

Quaker oats are the same thing.

Milled 2-row is 2-row barley or pale malt that has been run through a mill at your local homebrew shop (LHBS) or your own mill at home. It cracks the outer shell of the grain to allow the enzymes access to the starch it will convert to sugar. You do not need to run the oats through the mill.

A good resource would be John Palmer's "How to Brew". You can ( and should ) buy the book but there is a free online version at www.howtobrew.com

 

[r8rphan]

Interesting thread...

If you add oats to the mash, do you reduce the base malt? IOW, do they account for any or much of the gravity points?

If you increase mouthfeel by mashing at the upper end of the temp range.. and conversely you increase alcohol by mashing at the lower end...

What happens if you mash at the lower end, but add oats to increase mouthfeel/body? Do you get the best of both worlds.. body and alcohol?

 

[epic501j]

Ok got ya the Brew store has tons of that stuff,ill get some and try it out.Thank you for taking the time to reply its very much appreciated.
Thank you to everyone who has replied to this thread.

 

[storunner13]

They can be used similarly to 2 row. HBT Wiki has them at 37 PPG. Add them to replace some of your base malt.

 

[r8rphan]

They can be used similarly to 2 row. HBT Wiki has them at 37 PPG. Add them to replace some of your base malt.

Will they cause any problems with the lauter?

 

[storunner13]

No, not unless you're using a whole lot of them. 1 pound out of 9 or 10 will be fine.

 

[GreatWetNorth]

You could try flaked barley in addition to, or in place of, the oats.

And don't mash too low. I've read that stepped mashes that include a protein rest (at a lower temp) can kill head retention because the proteins that are broken down are what give you good head retention. And in terms of personal experience, I've had mashes that (unintentionally) got down to 130-145 deg F, and the resulting beers had little to no head retention or creaminess. And even though you said creamier, not thicker, the lower temp mash increases fermentability, which decreases body in the final beer and doesn't help the perception of creaminess.

One more thing is being patient after you bottle. It might not make a huge difference in 'creaminess', but letting the beer condition for at least 2-3 weeks will help it develop nice carbonation (and is recommended regardless). You could also experiment with different sugars for priming.

 

[boostsr20]

You can also use malto dextrin which can be added at bottling. I have used as much as 16oz for 5gallons.

 

[stoneman]

I like using about a pound of flaked barley in my porter and stout for a creamier feel.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I like to use quick oats even in my bitters. I love that silky feel.

So, yeah, +1 on quick oats in the mash.