Maximizing Fermentability of Wort

You can try to add the maltodextrin for body to the grist, you may also want to incorporate some flaked Rice, or other simple sugar to achieve the Dryness. Mash a little higher to achieve the body. Sounds interesting.

 

I have some thoughts on creating a fermentable wort (that is not too thin) but I am uncertain how applicable it is to the style of Old Ale. To me, the epitome of a dry beer that does not come off as very thin to my palate is a Saison.

As regards a grain bill, I have had very good experience using Pilsner Malt to achieve a dry beer (e.g., Saison, Kolsch, etc.).

In my experience a mash in the high 140’s (e.g., 148-149 degrees F) for 90 minutes resulted in very fermentable wort.

The most attenuative yeast strain that I have ever brewed with is Wyeast 3711 (French Saison). Perhaps the most attenuating yeast for making an Old Ale would be Wyeast 1187 (Ringwood); just make sure that you conduct a Diacetyl Rest with this strain to mitigate diacetyl.

Since you plan on making a strong beer (12% ABV) a large yeast starter is needed and a lot of oxygenation is needed prior to pitching.

Another thought: make sure the beer is properly carbonated (highly carbonated?) since higher carbonation provides a sensation of mouthfeel which will ‘counteract’ the potential for thinness.

Cheers!

 

Limit specialty malts and replace some base malt with a source of simple sugars.

If doing single infusion, mash at 152F.

Use the most attenuative strain that makes sense for the style.

 

Another idea for creating a low OG beer is to replace some of the malt with sugar. Sugar is basically 100% fermentable and it will dry out the beer.

Cheers!

 

Greg Doss of Wyeast conducted an attenuation study a few years ago (and presented the results at an NHC) and his results indicated that a mash temperature of 152-153 degrees F would result in maximum fermentabiility. I recently made a Kolsch where I mashed at 152 degrees F and I achieved good attenuation but not as good as my previous batch where I mashed at 149 degrees F. I have only two data points here but my brewing experience indicates that 149 degrees F results in a more fermentable wort. Take that FWIW.

Cheers!

 

If you really want to make a 12% old ale that finishes at 1.000, you'll need to add brett, which wouldn't be completely out of the question for the style. You can do 15-16 lbs of GP, mash for 90-120 mins at 150ish, let it finish, add a small amount of brett, let it sit for a while. That would probably get you closest, although it would take a while (they don't call it old ale for nothing).

 

For maximum fermentability, you should also pay attention to your mash pH. Depending on the alkalinity of your water, you may need to add acid to the mash somehow in order to drive it down to the 5.2-5.3 range. This will greatly affect the fermentability of your wort; I'd shoot to get it as close to 5.2 as possible.

 

Almost exactly what I was gonna say. Sugar is way more fermentable than grain. "Finishing low" and having lots of "body" are also counter intuitive. If you want body, you need unfermentable adjuncts in there. You can't have body AND finish at 1.00. So up your starting gravity and expect your final gravity to subsequently be slightly elevated as well. You can't go wrong with a little crystal for extra body.