Stout Advice

I've been brewing with canned extract kit's with good results and was wondering if anyone might know what i could use to give my John bull Stout batch a creamier taste....

I've been looking for a good creamy stout recipe. Some of the one's I've looked at for Milk stouts have lactose in it. Maybe that would help?

I'm sure someone who's been brewing longer than me might have some suggestions.

Oatmeal will make it smooth... lactose will give it body...

Lactose will give it some sweetness, as well - it's not a terribly sweet sugar, but it's unfermentable.

The Pol said:

Oatmeal will make it smooth... lactose will give it body...

Click to expand...

Now that you mention it, my first brew Oatmeal Stout is pretty smooth.

Here's the recipe:

This is a steep with Extract

Steep for 30 min:

1 lb Roasted Barley
.5 lb Chocolate
.5 lb Black
1 lb Flaked Oats

Bring to boil then add:
3.33 lb Pale LME
2 lb Amber LME
2 lb Dark LME

Hops add after boil :
1.25 oz Northern Brewer
.75 Kent Goldings

Boil for 30 min
Northern Brewer - .25
Add Finishing hops and boil for 15 min:

Irish Moss 1/2 tsp

Yeast: Wyeast Irish Ale


I converted this recipe from the 15 Gal recipe through BeerSmith and it looks right on. My OG was 1.053 on this one with a final 1.013.

Oatmeal is the way to go for smoothness. My oatmeal stout recipe calls for only 1/2 lb but I bumped it up to 1 lb for this latest batch and was surprised at the increase in smoothness. Give oatmeal a shot.

You might want to consider using some Malto dextrin. I have used it in a few stouts and it gives great body and seems to help with head retention, with out adding any residual sweetness. Usually all you need is 1/2 lb per five gallons, depending on the desired the desired results.

Cheers

If you want to avoid steeping, maltodextrin powder will add mouthfeel and lactose sweetness. But, it's tough to beat a half pound of oatmeal and since it's a stout, who will notice the starch haze?

I used Carapils and lactose in my stout and loved it.

Maybe try brewing a couple of extra quarts of wert and can it in Masons jars.
I find that priming with wert gives a 'creamier' swallow.
That and maybe stick to one temp infussion mash. Wandering around the thermometer during mash-in can make those sugars available to yeast and will be fermented making a drier style of beer.