Lactose usage

[Shanna]

Hi there,

I had a question about lactose usage for adding body to beers. Is there any equivalent off the shelf product that is either cheaper our more readily available off the supermarket shelf for example.

Shanna

[Shanna]

Hi Tube,

Thanks for that. Would you use the same amount as if using lactose?

Declan

[Will_D]

Hang on a minute!

Anyone else like to chip in on this!

Cornflour is a refined, very pure form of starch. It is used for thickenning posh white sauces. If you are making cheese sauce you just use a flour roux. The chinese use arrowroot as a starch based thickner that gives a clear thick sauce.

Starch gives rise to some very starchy/cereally/"not wanted here" flavours.

Lactose is a non-fermentable, soluble sugar. It is primarily a sweerning adjunct used in "Milk Stout"

Another common one is Malto-Dextrin also a non-fermenting sugar.

As they are sugars they disolve in water, up the gravity of the beer and so up the mouth feel of the beer as its now a bit higher gravity.

Typically about 10 points of gravity can be added by these NFS's

Starch is relatively insoluble in cold water!

Before bunging in a load of cornflour wait and see what else is mentioned in this thread!

[Shanna]

Hi Will,

Your a rock off sense as usual. Might try.some experiments with water and corn flour to see how it develops over time with some yeast. Don't really want to have a stodgy tasting beer. I guess I am.looking for an off  the shelf source of nfs so I don't have to order from home brew suppliers.

Shanna

[johnrm]

I think very little will come of Water + Cornflour + Yeast on its own.

Corn flour is what the Americans call 'Corn starch'

Have a look here at how to convert...
http://www.ehow.com/how_7640972_convert-starch-sugar.html

[Jacob]

Corn flour is what the Americans call 'Corn starch'

Not so sure about it. Corn flour is yellow and different in consistency then white corn starch. Using both of them when cooking.

[johnrm]

Fecker.

Although it does look like conversion is possible.

[Will_D]

Fecker.

Although it does look like conversion is possible.

Feckity Fecker - someone could have trashed 5 gallons

Of course you can convert starch to sugar - its what we do in the mash tun with the speciality malts that have no enzymes!!

[johnrm]

Fecker.

Although it does look like conversion is possible.

Feckity Fecker - someone could have trashed 5 gallons

Of course you can convert starch to sugar - its what we do in the mash tun with the speciality malts that have no enzymes!!

Absolutely.
The link I posted is a mini-mash.

[Shanna]

Hi Tube,

thanks for the "helpful" tip. Thankfully others have their bullshit detector more finely attuned than me. The closest thing I can see as a replacement is maltodextrin but this is not readily available off a supermarket shelf.

The search continues.

Shanna

[Shanna]

http://byo.com/belgian-strong-ale/item/89-add-body-to-your-beer

Original question came in.response to reading the article above where it was suggested lactose could.be added.to beer to increase its body. I was reading Irish goats recipe for ginger beer and I thought it might benefit from the addition of lactose to increase the body of the beer.

Shanna

I was messing when I said cornflour! It's used for thickening sauces, so it sort of adds body.

Lactose is a non fermentable sugar that will only add sweetness.

[rukkus]

Are you doing extract? If mashing add some oats or mash at the high end of the scale.

[Padraic]

Mashing high is the best way to reduce alcohol/increase body.

Lactose will add 10 points of gravity and a nice sweetness to a milk stout.

There is something called body brew that the homebrew suppliers sell. Does anyone know what's in this and can we source it in a supermarket?

[Shanna]

Hi Rukkus,

Doing an extract recipe so there is no mash I am afraid.

Declan

Are you doing extract? If mashing add some oats or mash at the high end of the scale.

[Shanna]

Hi Padraic,

Body brew is primarily Maltodextrin. As far as I am aware its not available off the super marker shelf. Its heavily used in energy drinks such as luxozade sport, high five etc. I did a lot of marathon running previously and I searched high and low for a straight supply of this without the flavouring (the flavoured energy drinks made me sick).

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/body-brew-500grm-maltodextrin-p-190.html

Declan

Mashing high is the best way to reduce alcohol/increase body.

Lactose will add 10 points of gravity and a nice sweetness to a milk stout.

There is something called body brew that the homebrew suppliers sell. Does anyone know what's in this and can we source it in a supermarket?