When to add the lactose to a Cream Stout

I've put together a cream stout all grain recipe. The grains are purchased and ground. All I need to know is when to add the lactose. I can't find a good recipe to use as a guide. I'm guessing at the very end of the boil. I can't really see what boiling it for any time would do other than ruin it. I'm not sure though. If you have any experience with using lactose in a stout could you give me your thoughts? Thanks

You could add it in the boil. But........if you're not sure how much you want to use you could also add it at bottling.

What I mean is this- lactose is the "milk sugar" in stouts, so it's sweet. If you're concerned about the amount because it's an untested recipe, you could add half of it at the end of the boil, and then to taste at bottling. Or all of it at bottling if you want to. If it's a proven sweet stout recipe, and you're confident in the amount, then you may want to add it at the end of the boil.

Ok I'm very new, do I buy lactose at my home brew shop or can I get in at a supermarket? And if so what's it common name?

Here ya go.
http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/product/0102032/lactose-1-lb-bag
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_21_73_404&products_id=1761
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-ingredients/sugars/other-sugars/lactose-1-lb.html

Or you can support your LHBS and try them. I just don't have a LHBS so these are my choices.

Hope it helps

Tim

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f68/singing-boys-cream-stout-149551/ is my favorite cream stout recipe. There are many other cream stout recipes in the database, also. I add the lactose in the final 5 minutes of the boil but as Yooper says it can be added anytime, including at bottling.

Cream stouts that I enjoy are balanced - sweetness, roastiness, bitter, malt. Nothing predominates, it all works together. Cheers!

Thanks for all the help. I'll try it for 10 minutes at the end of the boil.

I put in a pound at the end of the boil (5.5 gallon batch). Beer has great flavor and mouth feel but came out very sweet (1.024). I will probably add .5 to .75 lb next time.

i did a pound in the last 15 min of the boil for a 5 gallon milk stout. I think 3/4 would have been better, SWMBO says it couldn't be perfect.

Could the same effect of adding lactose be achieved with a higher mash temp. maybe 155-157?

michael.berta said:

Could the same effect of adding lactose be achieved with a higher mash temp. maybe 155-157?

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Often sweet stouts will have both a high mash temperature and lactose (see the recipe above).

joentuff said:

Ok I'm very new, do I buy lactose at my home brew shop or can I get in at a supermarket? And if so what's it common name?

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Health food stores usually carry it.

does anyone know if boiling hurts the flavor at all? I acidentally boiled it for a while with my priming sugar. I was trying to brew at the same time as I was bottling a cider.

any advice would help. thanks