Malto Dextrin?

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To take it a step further, maltodextrine is a powdered polysaccharide (and a common food additive) where Carapils is a light crystal malt.
 
This is from BeerSmith. Is there a difference between Malto Dextrine and just Dextrine? Why are they grouped as one? :confused:

Cara-Pils/Dextrine Significantly increases foam/head retention and body of the beer. Also sold under the names "Dextrine" and "Cara-Foam"
 
This is from BeerSmith. Is there a difference between Malto Dextrine and just Dextrine? Why are they grouped as one? :confused:

Carapils is a brand name, of a type of dextrine malt. If you're not using the carapils brand, you're using another manufacturer's crystal dextrine malt. Still a grain, though- whereas maltodextrine is a powder. Most people still just call dextrine malt "carapils", though.

Kind of like the word Band-aid- that's a brand name, and it's a brand name for bandages. Most people still call it a "Band-aid".
 
Sounds good. So where does someone get malto-dextrine? Is it the same stuff body builders use (ie: Carbo-load, etc)? Would lactose accomplish the same thing, or is lactose just a sweetener (ie: would someone use one or the other, or both)?
 
Sounds good. So where does someone get malto-dextrine? Is it the same stuff body builders use (ie: Carbo-load, etc)? Would lactose accomplish the same thing, or is lactose just a sweetener (ie: would someone use one or the other, or both)?

The are similar in that their primary function is to add body and an underlying sweetness to the finished beer. I believe the MD is sweeter so you see will more of that factor working for you.

The biggest effect I see is that the beer itself just looks thicker, more syrupy looking with these adjuncts. The biggest effect I feel is a thicker mouthfeel. It makes for a "heavier" beer. I use a little in stouts. I also use it where the beer might just be too dry. Honey beers can be too dry so I sweeten em up a bit.

Buy it from your LHBS. I know morebeer.com has it. Once you have it don't confuse the bag with your corn sugar bag. This is easy to do and bad since beers won;t carb with MD as the priming sugar. :D
 
I picked up a 8oz bag of it at the LHBS Saturday. I added it to the boil for my cherry wheat. I am aiming for a little bit of extra sweetness to offset the cherries I am going to add to the secondary.
 
So if a recipe calls for 1 cup of MD how much Carapils would be required to product the same effect (interested solely in the head retention and body)? Could the same effect be produced at all? Would there be any notable differences in the finished product by using one versus the other?

For reference I'm wondering about modifying BeirMuncher's Black Pearl Porter to employ Carapils rather than the MD.
 
So if a recipe calls for 1 cup of MD how much Carapils would be required to product the same effect (interested solely in the head retention and body)? Could the same effect be produced at all? Would there be any notable differences in the finished product by using one versus the other?

For reference I'm wondering about modifying BeirMuncher's Black Pearl Porter to employ Carapils rather than the MD.

I would sub 1/2 lb of Carapils grain for 1 cup powdered MD. Again, the effect is virtually identical between the two because they are both imparting the same complex unfermentable sugar chain to the wort.

They are the same in the same way that Dry Malt Extract is the same as Light Malt grain.
 
I've researched this quite a bit here on HBT and find some references to foam integrity. It seems that some people feel that Carapils imparts great foam integrity while MD does nothing to enhance foam integrity. I do drink beer somewhat slowly (sip never chug) so foam which lasts 30 minutes is a welcome addition to anything I make.
 
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