Malto Dextrin

[Clay]

I ordered a Boddington's Clone. The recipe calls for 1/2lb of Malto Dextrin but they forgot to add it in the kit. Should I brew anyway today or should I make them send it and wait to brew?

Thanks

 

[Walker]

I ordered a Boddington's Clone. The recipe calls for 1/2lb of Malto Dextrin but they forgot to add it in the kit. Should I brew anyway today or should I make them send it and wait to brew?

Thanks

I would make them send it, but I think this stuff is 96% unfermentable, so you can probably add the stuff in before you bottle. It just adds body/mouthfeel and doesn't NEED to be there for fermentation. you can go ahead and brew while waiting for it.

-walker

 

[Darth Konvel]

Did they give you anything else? It may be labeled CaraPils.

 

[Walker]

carapils is a grain, malto-dextrin is a sugar.

-walker

 

[Darth Konvel]

carapils is a grain, malto-dextrin is a sugar.

-walker

Ah, I see. Mental note, Malto-Dextrin != Dextrin Malt.

 

[Walker]

Did they give you anything else? It may be labeled CaraPils.

Ahh.. i see the confusion. You are thinking of "Dextrin Malt" (aka carapils). Clay is talking about "Malto Dextrin" which is just a non-fermentable sugar. I agree, the names are similar enough to be confusing.

-walker

 

[Walker]

Ah, I see. Mental note, Malto-Dextrin != Dextrin Malt.

exactly. clear as mud, isn't it?

 

[Clay]

No they didn't. I called and the guy and he said it must have been packaged wrong. He said if I was brewing today to go ahead and brew without it and if I ordered from them again just make note of the previous mistake and they would add some kind of discount. I just wanted to check with you all to make sure it would be ok to make it without the malto dextrin. I am making a clone, and if that is part of the clone how the hell is the beer gonna taste now!

Did they give you anything else? It may be labeled CaraPils.

 

[Walker]

No they didn't. I called and the guy and he said it must have been packaged wrong. He said if I was brewing today to go ahead and brew without it and if I ordered from them again just make note of the previous mistake and they would add some kind of discount. I just wanted to check with you all to make sure it would be ok to make it without the malto dextrin. I am making a clone, and if that is part of the clone how the hell is the beer gonna taste now!

It will taste less-malty (less sweet) and more bitter. ie; it isn't going to taste like the Real Thing.

Seriously, I would make them send it to you and go ahead with your brewing now. When it comes time to bottle, add the malto-dextrin to the beer along with your priming sugar. Since the malto-dextrin is not fermentable, the beer should taste the same whether you add it at boil time or at bottling time.

-walker

 

[Clay]

Thanks Walker.

I just called them. They will send it out, and I will add it when I bottle.

Thanks Again.

Clay

It will taste less-malty (less sweet) and more bitter. ie; it isn't going to taste like the Real Thing.

Seriously, I would make them send it to you and go ahead with your brewing now. When it comes time to bottle, add the malto-dextrin to the beer along with your priming sugar. Since the malto-dextrin is not fermentable, the beer should taste the same whether you add it at boil time or at bottling time.

-walker

 

[Walker]

Thanks Walker.

I just called them. They will send it out, and I will add it when I bottle.

Thanks Again.

Clay

No problem. I'll send you a bill.

-walker

 

[Clay]

And, I'll tell ya what I tell em all. Check is in the mail I SWEAR!!!

No problem. I'll send you a bill.

-walker

 

[Walker]

hmmm.. i would actually ask the folks at the homebrew place HOW fermentable their malto-dextrin is. I have seen it quoted from different sources as low as 4% and as high as 20%.

The higher the fermentability, the more careful you need to be. You might have to cut down on the priming sugar when you bottle, or you could get some bottles exploding.

Whatever their quoted % is for the fermentability, multiple that by 8 oz (the amount you are adding.) Whatever number this produces is how much less corn sugar you should add when priming the beer for bottling.

EDIT

Austin Homebrew says their MD is 12% fermentable. That means your 8 oz of MD contains (0.12 * 8oz =) 0.96 oz of fermentable sugar.

So, leave out one ounce of corn sugar when you bottle to be safe.

-walker

 

[homebrewer_99]

I would forget about using the MD at this time and save it for another batch.

Many recipes recommend adding 4-8 oz of MD in the boil. I tried that over and over and have since reduced that recommendation down to 1 oz.

I think my brews are much better tasting with a nice body with the lesser amount.