maltodextrine, mouthfeel, and fruit additions

Maltodextrin or lactose should help but neither are very sweet. You'll need to use xylitol for unfermentable sweetness. Just keep it away from dogs as xylitol is lethal poison to them even in very small amounts.

 

What yeast strain are you using? If you use a less attenuative one, you might not have to add any maltodextrin at all. If you really want to add it, make sure you get maltodextrin with a low DE value, as that means that it has longer glucose chains, and will not be fermentable.

 

In all grain brewing you shouldn’t need to use maltodextrine. There are grains that should be able to give you the body you are looking for. Flaked wheat, rye, and oats are the usual choices.

I’ll offer a less common one: oat malt. I use it in all my NEIPAs and I really think it adds a pleasant creaminess without gummying up the mash with flaked adjuncts.

 

Yeah . . . malts high in beta-glucans and a yeast that is less attenuative and/or a high glycerol producer are good ideas.

 

I added a pound of maltodextrin to a 5.6 gallon batch about a year ago, and I'm not convinced that it improved the mouthfeel. But at least it didn't add any sweetness. I'm heading in the direction of flaked oats now. Would flaked wheat be a better bet?

 

Husked wheat would be even better. Flaked grains are a pita.

 

Interested to hear your results. I just did a 1318 beer with 1.051 OG that I added 15 lbs of strawberries/raspberries to in the secondary. I have wheat malt, flaked oats, carapils, and lactose. FG (before fruit) was 1.018. Added fruit 5 days ago, kegging Saturday. I’m interested to see the FG after the fruit sugar is fermented out.

Good luck!

 

Likely your fruit additions won't change the ABV much, only because of the water that is in the fruit (along with the sugar). Basically self dilutes, from what I understand. @ECCS

 

Although fruit certainly differs in sugar and water content, this is, essentially, the case.

 

This is why I've taken to using organic fruit juice concentrate whenever I can.

 

The romance of adding whole fruit is, dare I say, overrated.

#endthewholefruitromance

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. My view on this ranges from slightly unpopular to rage inducing. Actually got in a (rather civil) argument with Troy Casey (of Casey Brewing and Blending fame) about this subject a couple years ago. He REALLY likes whole fruit.

 

How do you feel about this... here’s what I did. Granted, I’ve only done fruit twice.

I buy frozen fruit in 5lb bags. I thaw it and then refreeze it 3 times to break down the cell walls over the course of 3 days. After the 3rd thaw, I macerate with table sugar (about 1/2 tbsp per pound of fruit... no crazy sugar additions). I put the macerated fruit in the fridge over night to create a nice syrup. Then I purée the syrup/fruit mix and put into the bottom of the secondary and rack beer on top.

 

Someone here also suggested to undershoot your volume on purpose to prevent the thinness from adding juice (might have been @Mothergoose03 )...not a bad idea, imho