What kinds of unfermentables are there that we can use in brewing?

[MPBeer]

So, I recently read that mashing high or low really doesn't affect the beer's taste. Since the dextrine is not sweet, it doesn't add any body or sweetness. Now I think that if I can use some unfermentable that's sweet, I can add that and mash low to get my desired sweetness & fullness & high alcohol percentage.

I know lactose and have used it everytime, but it's just not as sweet as I want and a bit slicky (?). I want something that's more syrupy and full. Is there anything like that?

 

[Dland]

Adding some flaked corn to your grain bill will add some sweetness of taste and ABV. Then you can mash at temps you would usually use. The corn also adds some flavor, may be one you like, or not.

Carapils or some other 'cara' will also add some sweetness in the way of hard to ferment sugars. May help with the effect you are looking for.

 

[IslandLizard]

Here are some ideas to get tons of dextrins and higher sugars into your wort:

• Mash a bunch of grain really high, such as 162-164F (possibly even a little higher) to prevent β-amylase from chewing it up too much. You'll get a very dextrinous wort due to α-amylase being the most important player.
• After 20-30 minutes, mashout by raising the mash to 168-170F for at least 10' to denature all enzymes, then lauter.
• Add more diastatic malt to the existing mash to get enough Diastatic Power to convert the whole bunch, and mash normally say 152-154F for an hour.
• Mashout, lauter, and sparge.
• Add your high dextrin soup to that. Now you've got a whole bunch of unfermentables in your wort.

 

[Qhrumphf]

The difference in mash temps absolutely does have an impact, especially on attenuation levels, and is easily measured with a hydrometer.

When it comes to actual perception, it's one of a multitude of factors in the balance of a beer, and the perceived difference can be very small or quite large, and depends on the sensitivity of one's palate and the delta in mash temps.

If you want something full and sweet, mash high, use flaked adjunct grain (flaked barley or flaked wheat would be my recs, oats could work too, I would steer away from corn), and then a higher than normal percentage of crystal malts, and then a lower attenuating yeast, and low bitterness. If you want a higher ABV just brew to a higher gravity.

Or, if you want malty rich body, but well attenuated and dry, then you could go a Hochkurz type step mash, or even the really old school method once employed in the UK (and now circulating regarding Hefeweizen) where you actually start with a warmer mash and then drop the temp.