Hi guys!! Last night was reading Yeast book and found something interesting to mention. On page 70 the authors state : ^ One thing many brewers have been led to believe is that higher mash temperatures result in `maltier` beers.By this they mean that the beer has more malt sweetness.Higher mash temperatures DO NOT DEVELOP MORE MALT CHARACTER OR FLAVOR, nor does it really result in much sweetness.The long-chain dextrines created at high mash temperatures are at most only very slightly sweet.^ I think this is really a misconception many brewers have , I have hear it many times among my brewers friends. What do you guys think? Tebuken
This experiment from Brulosophy is of possible relevance. I think over some range, I expect a higher FG to contribute body but not sweetness. But if the FG gets high enough, I do start to expect some sweetness. Maybe that's an example of not thinking carefully about causation—a lot of high-FG beers also have really high OGs, and so they are bound to be maltier.
I have always considered a higher mash as creating more body to the beer. I personally have never associated this aspect with sweetness. Cheers!
Maltiness and sweetness and body are three totally different things. Malty is grainy. Sweet is like sugar. Body is like oil or molasses. It's not that confusing, but a lot of folks do mix these up too much. A higher mash temperature may or may not have much impact. I find I get more effect on the body from changing the mash TIME (try 30 minutes vs. 2 hours) more than from changing the mash temperature. And anyone promoting step mashes -- forget it! In my view and my experience, any complexity in mash schedule that increases the total mash time will tend to reduce body, relative to a short single infusion of just 20-30 minutes. Also, any prolonged time around 115-125 F for any longer than like 5 minutes will hurt your body and head retention... but you will more likely get a crystal clear beer though. If you want sweetness, then backsweeten, keg, and keep it cold. Or add sugar to your pint glass! If you want more body, mash short and/or use a less attenuative yeast. If you want more maltiness, then munch on all the different grains at your LHBS and find out exactly which ones taste the most delicious!
Yes, ...more importantly, you found this truth in a book called, Yeast, not coincidentally, as the yeast is a much bigger variable than mash band temps. Yeast strains have different attenuation levels and abilities to utilize different sugars (such as maltotriose): http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/yea.1279/full Figure 93 in Palmer is also illustrative (even though maltotriose is only 30% as sweet as sucrose and is only ~10%-20% of the total sugars)
One ale yeast strain that is inefficient in processing maltotriose is Danstar Windsor. This is my preferred yeast strain when I brew my Robust Porter since I like my Robust Porters to be 'chewy'. Cheers!
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/yea.1279/full This report is too much for my sapience. !!!
Esteban, Windsor used to be my preferred yeast for making Bitter Ales but then I ‘discovered’ Wyeast 1469 (the Timothy Taylor strain). Wyeast 1469 is a highly attenuating yeast strain (my typical FG is 1.008 – 1.009 with an OG = 1.050) but the resulting beer does not come off thin for my palate. I appreciate the esters (e.g., stone fruit flavors) that 1469 produces during a warm (e.g., 70 degrees F) ferment. Cheers! Jack
I have not experimented much with English ale strains after finding WY1469 a few years ago. I like it that much. I agree it does not produce a thin beer. I've even used it for American style pale ales and IPAS with great result.
