No Cara-Pils? WTF?

[Poobah58]

Brewing up a Helles on Saturday. Was planning on Pilsen and 10% cara-pils. I have enough to cover 3-4%. Yesterday I stopped into a brew supply and all they had was Muntons. It's 10-15 lovibond. More like a C-malt. Stopped by another today. It was labeled Belgian Cara-Pils. It's Dingeman Cara 8. WTF? Nobody carries Briess Cara-Pils or Weyermann Carafoam around here. I bought a pound of Cara 8. Still a bit short. Should I use it or should I just go with 3-4% of the Briess c-pils?

 

[Irrenarzt]

Go with some white wheat instead. Same head retention, more fermentable.

 

[Poobah58]

Go with some white wheat instead. Same head retention, more fermentable.

Don't have any plus I don't think it would work in a Helles. I'm looking for body not head retention as I plan to dough in at 100F. Argh, the agony of brewing!

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Mash warmer to create dextrins.

 

[passedpawn]

You don't have a local brew group or brewing friend?

 

[ArcaneXor]

The Muntons is a dextrin malt, the Belgian is a crystal malt.

 

[friday]

You could use some rolled barley, it's going to give you a slightly reduced body but the head retention will be good.

It's not caripils but if you can't get it it's as good as your going to get.

 

[pjj2ba]

I use a little wheat in most of my beers to enhance the body. For me the foam positive attributes are an added side benefit.

I also like step mashing to really tweak my wort. I like to mash at 147 and 158 F with times varying at each temperature depending on whether I want the beer to be crisp (but still with good body) or really full bodied. I like to have the 158 F step in there as then I can get some larger dextrins that don't ferment.

I toss in a protein rest as well if I am using Pilsner malt. The protein rest also creates small proteins that add to the body.

 

[Poobah58]

Crisis averted. Had to go back because I realized I was 5# short of Pilsen (time for a group buy). Sitting on the shelf was some Carafoam! They didn't tell me this when I asked for Cara-Pils... I'm a happier boy now.

 

[Poobah58]

As for the Muntons, it's Lovibond was a little too high for my liking. If it wasn't a light lager like a Helles I would have gone for it. I know I could have mashed higher but kept thinking, 'why don't the Germans do that.' I read Horst Dornbusch's book on Helles beers and most of them add body via Cara-Pils. Thanks for the advice guys!