Milk Stout Recipe

This is my first attempt at a recipe creation. My 4th AG batch. I especially want to hear idea on when to add the lactose. I found another recipe on here that adds it at 10 minutes, but I've also seen people do it after primary fermentation.

Boil Size: 6.72 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.72 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.80 gal
Estimated OG: 1.064 SG
Estimated Color: 37.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 53.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 79.4 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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10 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs 4.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
1.13 oz Chinook [11.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.42 oz Centennial [9.70 %] - Boil 30.0 min
1 Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
4.0 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) [Boil for 10 min]
1 pkg Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale

Single infusion mash @ 156, no mashout

I'd probably cut back a little in the roasted barley. Maybe to 3/4lb and consider adding all of the dark grains when you start to drain the first runnings. It really helps cut down on the acrid/ashy taste dark grains contribute.

I'd also maybe cut out the 30 min hop addition and go with 1 60 min addition. I personally don't like sweet and hoppy together and like to keep as much actual hop flavor and aroma out of milk stouts. That's just my opinion though.

I prefer to add lactose after primary using a little boiled water to dissolve it. I like to taste as I go along so I don't add too much. Also I don't like seeing numbers I'm not used to seeing on my hydrometer or refract when there are unfermentable sugars in there. Not a big deal, but I'm used to being able to do calculations on the fly and having extra points in there from the lactose confuses the heck out of me! Seeing a beer finish at like 1.020 or something, even because of lactose, would worry me, but again, just me.

4oz of lactose is a tiny amount that I doubt you'd even notice. I use a pound per five gallons in the oatmeal milk stout I make- check out other recipes, especially any clones for Left Hand's Milk Stout, most will call for around a pound in 5 gallons. I add mine around 15min left in the boil.

dedhedjed said:

4oz of lactose is a tiny amount that I doubt you'd even notice. I use a pound per five gallons in the oatmeal milk stout I make- check out other recipes, especially any clones for Left Hand's Milk Stout, most will call for around a pound in 5 gallons. I add mine around 15min left in the boil.

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I didn't take notice to the amount of lactose. I usually use at least 8oz if not a full pound for 5 gallons.

Now I'm thirsty! 1030am isn't too early for a beer, right?

I use at least 1lb of lactose in my car bomb stout recipe, usually 3/4lb at 10min and then after primary is done I taste and see if I need to add more which always happens.

I ended up using 3/4 oz of chinook at 60 min and 1 lb of lactose at 10 minutes. Gave me 28 IBU, OG 1.077, FG 1.025. 6.9% ABV. It turned out really well, I took the keg to my inlaws for the weekend and it was gone in a day.