APA always too thin

I think the first option would be to try raising your mash temp. Try 154 and see if that gives you the results you're looking for.

 

Feel free to increase the Carapils and/or the wheat to 8 oz. Upping the Munich can also be very nice (but I like Munich). But I also have to agree with MLucky. If it's too thin, increase the mash temp a couple degrees.

 

Oatmeal. The answer is oatmeal.

 

Personally I would increase the carapils and MT to 154 or 156. Where in your mash do you measure your temp? Maybe your MT is really lower than what you're measuring.

 

I could not agree more. Create some sugars that the yeast will not be able to eat so that there is more body in the final beer.

 

You can add Maltodextrin to an already finished beer and it will add some body without changing the flavor. It works pretty well.

Mashing Higher should help, but I would also consider changing Yeasts, the ones you mentioned all attenuate very well. You might want to try something like Wyeast 1728 Scottish or 1099 Whitbread just as a couple examples that should leave a bit more residual sugar.

 

What is your FG? For some reason I can imagine that the mouthfeel would be incredibly thin with that recipe.

Defintely bump up the mash temp before adding in other malt. I already think your recipe is a little too complicated for an APA to begin with.

 

Check your thermometer(s) and maybe try a domestic Pale Ale Malt for a base.

 

In addition to the suggestion of higher mash temps, I'd also suggest trying a longer and more vigorous boil.

 

Definitely check your thermometer.

 

As others have stated, you might try mashing at a higher temperature. while 151F is not low, you certainly have plenty of "headroom" to increase that mash temp even if your thermometer is correctly calibrated (mash thickness and other factors will also effect fermentability somewhat). I don't care for SA-05 because I find it to be an over-attenuator, but it can only ferment that which is is fermentable by Saccharomyces C. Plus you have said you've had the same problem with other similar yeasts.

 

I think your grain bill is fine. My favorite PA recipe which I've brewed more than any other is:
3/4 lb of crystal 60
1/2 lb wheat
sometimes carapils, sometimes not
And I usually feel there is plenty of body. Perhaps you're overcarbing? Higly carbed beers can be perceived as too thin. Or check mash temp like alredy mentioned. I got no beefs with 05 besides it is slow to flocc sometimes.

 

If you are using a cooler, check the temp of your mash at the end of the mash. You may be losing heat faster than you think and thus leading to a more fermentable wort.

 

Have you delved into your water chemistry at all?

 

That's my go to grain/adjunct. I find that there are few brews that it doesn't help, of course others may feel otherwise.

 

Thats pretty much a kitchen sink beer as far as Im concerned, simplicity is a great thing. Add too many different malts, and rather than be complex things become muddled as nothing stands out

I would suggest simplifying your malt bill first and see how it turns out, then with something thats a lot more simple it will be easier to identify exactly what you would like to change

personally I would try and use Pils instead of 2row (am 2row is really bland) and then choose one of you remaining grains, if it were me Id run with some victory or a darker crystal malt (60-80L). Six grains in an APA is far too many

 

What were your previous final gravity readings? Are you saying just this one batch has too thin a body from pre-bottling/keggin tastings? If all your smaller batches were too thin and you mashed the same temp, and had the same recipe, then I, too, recommend a higher mash temp, and a bit more carapils.