Controling the dryness of the beer

[branlovesbeer]

I was wondering how you control the dryness of the final beer. I've had some that come out really dry and others that come out more sweet than dry (even thought the sugar comsumption is the same)?

[Otis_The_Drunk]

If your doing all grain, mash at highter temperatures, if doing extract, use more crysytal malts.

[Beer Martin]

Doesn't final gravity play a role in this as well?
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[beerking]

Mashing at higher temperatures, or putting in more crystal malt for an extract beer will create more complex dextrins in the beer. Yeast does not eat these very well. They will get left behind, resulting in a thicker feeling beer, sweeter, and at a higher finishing gravity.
Different yeasts will finish out differently, but the dextrins in the wort is that biggest contributor.

[dparsons]

You can pick a yeast with higher or lower attenuation. That and the amount of unfermentable sugar (higher mash temp and crystal malts) will control the dry/sweet balance.

[branlovesbeer]

Which is dryer? Higher annenuation or lower attenuation? This question is for the yeast side of things.

[beerking]

Attenuation refers to how readily and how much the yeast ferments available sugars. Therefore, Higher attenuation is a dryer beer.
It is the opposite with mash temp. Lower temp is a more fermentable and therefore dryer beer.

[markaberrant]

Everyone has covered all the basic quite well. I find dryness is not so cut and dry... ha!

It's all about the overall balance of the beer.

I love Belgian Tripels because they are sweet AND dry. High attenuation and high alcohol contribute to the dryness, while the high gravity and low hopping give it a nice bit of sweetness up front.

So yeah, alcohol and carbonation also affect dryness. Alcohol contributes to dryness, and low carbonation can make a sweet beer seem even sweeter (ie; syrupy).

[B_rad1969]

Everyone has covered all the basic quite well. I find dryness is not so cut and dry... ha!

It's all about the overall balance of the beer.

I love Belgian Tripels because they are sweet AND dry. High attenuation and high alcohol contribute to the dryness, while the high gravity and low hopping give it a nice bit of sweetness up front.

So yeah, alcohol and carbonation also affect dryness. Alcohol contributes to dryness, and low carbonation can make a sweet beer seem even sweeter (ie; syrupy).

Well said!