Lactose and stout

I got a sample (0.5kg) of Lactose from a friend that works in a pharmaceutical lab.
Its the only lactose I could find (I'm not in the US).
the label says:
Foremost Farms USA
Foremost #316 Fast-Flo
NF Lactose Monohydrate, modified - spray dried

is this the stuff I want for milk stout ?
I think it cant do any harm, because they use this to make pills.

does anybody know anything about this ?


thanks

You got the good stuff....Pharmaceutical Grade....So of course it is foodgrade.

I dug up some info...http://www.drugdeliverytech.com/cgi-bin/articles.cgi?idArticle=243

I really can't tell you how big a difference it is from the lactose found in a brew shops...I don't know if the stuff we buy is cut with anything or not...and how if anything it would affect the sweetness....

I know for my last sweet stout I used a full pound of lactose....and next time I will probably brew it with half as much to see what the difference is...Most of the sweet stouts recipes I've seen use a full pound (.45 Kg's, I think is the metric equiv.)

its the "Monohydrate, modified" part that makes me wonder if it wasn't chemically changed...

anyone with some chemistry knowledge ? I forgot all my high-school chemistry...

Some Cream Stouts use maltodextrin instead of lactose. Maybe due to lactose intolerance, or cost, but people seem to think its a good substitute.

If you can't find MD, then you could try Splenda. That is 99% maltodextrin. I've used splenda in meads, and ciders, and they have all come out great. Not sure how it would effect a Cream Stout.

nick

HP_Lovecraft said:

If you can't find MD, then you could try Splenda. That is 99% maltodextrin.
nick

Click to expand...

Splenda is made from sucralose, not maltodextrine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splenda

SavageSteve said:

Splenda is made from sucralose, not maltodextrine. ....

Click to expand...

Yes, but the stuff you buy at the grocery store is 1% Sucralose, and 99% maltodextrin (or sometimes a mix of MD, and dextrose).

The reason is that sucralose does not have the same chemistry as sugar. It is also highly concentrated. So companies mix it with "bulk" that has properties similar to sugar. ie Maltrodextrin. this way you can bake with it, etc.

Well I guess I learned something today. Shows how much I use Splenda!

does anybody have an answer to my Q?

Monohydrate just means the lactose has one molecule of H20 that is "bound" to it. Your lactose will be fine. It will have gone through extra steps to remove minute amounts of contaminants that standard food grade lactose doesn't need to go through.

It says it was spray dried which suggests that it wasn't simply crystalized like sucrose is. This may be why it is in the monohydrate form.

Yes, it is what you want to add for a milk stout.

hallelujah