Sweet Stout Left Hand Milk Stout Clone

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I had a great brew day with some friends yesterday. We brewed up 10 gallons of this fantastic milk stout.

I had a HELL of a time with my barley crusher, so after a few hours of messing with it, we finally got it working. The gap was larger than desired, so I did a double crush.

According to the efficency calculations, I ended up with 93% efficency.

Since I only had two 1/4 kegs to ferment in, I wanted to keep them close to 5.5 gallons ea. I added some extra wort from the last of the second runnings (about 1.019) to lower the gravity, but I ended up with 11 gal @ 1.077 OG (at 10mins left in the boil prior to adding the milk stout)

I'm looking at about 10.5 gallons of ~ 7-7.5%

I'm happy!
 
just poured my first taste yesterday. Simply delicious. We did a blind tasting with some commercial stours and this was clearly the winner. It is about 60 days since brew day and it tastes grand - I think it will be at its peak in a couple weeks…but I do not think it will last.

Ordering grains to do a 10g batch next weekend...
 
Tasted ours 2 weeks from fermentation and it is great. A little too much sweetness after the fact but we put in too much lactose by accident. Can't wait for another 3 weeks!
 
D_Nyholm said:
Tasted ours 2 weeks from fermentation and it is great. A little too much sweetness after the fact but we put in too much lactose by accident. Can't wait for another 3 weeks!
Click to expand...

How much lactose?
 
D_Nyholm said:
Tasted ours 2 weeks from fermentation and it is great. A little too much sweetness after the fact but we put in too much lactose by accident. Can't wait for another 3 weeks!
Click to expand...

That sucks. How did you manage that? The bags I get only come in 1lb bags.
 
Made an 11 gallon batch and knew I needed more than 2 lbs, had a leftover bag from a previous small batch and told my buddy to put in all the lactose as I went in to help put one of the kids to sleep. Needless to say, 2 lbs 12 oz went into it when it should have been like 2 lbs 4 oz. It honestly tastes great, bit after the pint I had past night, the sweetness like sticks to your tongue. You don't taste it much at first, just after you drank the entire one.
 
Brewed this up as my second all grain attempt. SWMBO prefers stouts, so goal was to ensure happiness for support in my brewing endeavors. Brew day was August 24, 10 days in the primary, 10 days in the secondary, and a month in the bottle. Tried a bottle earlier and it wasn't ready, but had one last Friday and it was drinkable. Tonight I put this brew in a blind comparison with a Left Hand Milk Stout and presented them to SWMBO looking for critical and constructive feedback. Head was similar in both, the LHMS aroma was better than the homebrew (IMO) and I could taste the need for some additional aging on the home brew but ... my beloved bride liked both without any critical feedback - in fact she picked the homebrew as the commercial product.

ADX - my thanks to you for starting this thread with your recipe and allowing noobs like me to enjoy the fruits of your experience.
 
D_Nyholm said:
Made an 11 gallon batch and knew I needed more than 2 lbs, had a leftover bag from a previous small batch and told my buddy to put in all the lactose as I went in to help put one of the kids to sleep. Needless to say, 2 lbs 12 oz went into it when it should have been like 2 lbs 4 oz. It honestly tastes great, bit after the pint I had past night, the sweetness like sticks to your tongue. You don't taste it much at first, just after you drank the entire one.
Click to expand...

Ooh... I did 11 and kept it at 2lb. I did 5.5 my first batch and the 1lb was fantastic, so I didn't bother getting another lb for an extra 4oz. Mine just finished fermenting... 2 more weeks and I can keg it.
 
rbyount said:
Brewed this up as my second all grain attempt. SWMBO prefers stouts, so goal was to ensure happiness for support in my brewing endeavors. Brew day was August 24, 10 days in the primary, 10 days in the secondary, and a month in the bottle. Tried a bottle earlier and it wasn't ready, but had one last Friday and it was drinkable. Tonight I put this brew in a blind comparison with a Left Hand Milk Stout and presented them to SWMBO looking for critical and constructive feedback. Head was similar in both, the LHMS aroma was better than the homebrew (IMO) and I could taste the need for some additional aging on the home brew but ... my beloved bride liked both without any critical feedback - in fact she picked the homebrew as the commercial product.

ADX - my thanks to you for starting this thread with your recipe and allowing noobs like me to enjoy the fruits of your experience.
Click to expand...

Man I must be the odd man out... My girl drinks more than me. She drinks anything but IPA, unless it's heavy on flavor hops and not bitter. But I got her hooked on the all grain graffs I've been making. Do a graff for her. You can't go wrong there.

As far as this LHMS clone goes, it's better than the real deal IMO. But I kegged mine while I tried theirs in bottles.
 
insanim8er said:
Ooh... I did 11 and kept it at 2lb. I did 5.5 my first batch and the 1lb was fantastic, so I didn't bother getting another lb for an extra 4oz. Mine just finished fermenting... 2 more weeks and I can keg it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thinking the same thing for the next time (as I know we will brew this again). 2 lbs or 2lbs 4 oz. Not much difference so ill keep it easy and go 2 :)

Just wish I had my nitro setup going, this would be awesome on nitro.
 
I'm hoping someone might save me some time from reading 33 pages. Has the recipe been altered significantly from the original? Any thoughts on using Windsor or S-04 instead of US-05?
 
Peruvian said:
I'm hoping someone might save me some time from reading 33 pages. Has the recipe been altered significantly from the original? Any thoughts on using Windsor or S-04 instead of US-05?
Click to expand...

I brew per the original recipe with outstanding results. Only thing I would consider is tweaking the grain bill to match your efficiency.
 
Damn this beer is so freaking good....

My 10 gallons have been fermenting for a week and a half. The primary phase is done.

I took samples, and it is so damn good I don't even think it needs to age. But I'm letting it go two more weeks.

I have to double check my numbers and calculations, but I started at 19 brix and finished at 10 brix. The gravity is about .06 too high with the lactose addition. Onebeer.net has a converter for brix. It's saying in at about 8.5-9% ABV

I was expecting around 7.5%

I feel it a little in the two samples I took, so there is alcohol, but you wouldn't notice it in the taste. This is one damn good beer.
 
Yeah, I have been sampling my carbing keg daily. This is definitely a great beer and will probably get better in the coming weeks as mine is only 2.5 weeks old!
 
Peruvian said:
I'm hoping someone might save me some time from reading 33 pages. Has the recipe been altered significantly from the original? Any thoughts on using Windsor or S-04 instead of US-05?
Click to expand...

I don't like the s-04 myself because it gets rather yeasty pretty quickly IMO. I would use the Nottingham dry if I were going to change it up, but if you have good control of a yeast, then I say try it out. S-04 should be fairly neutral if you keep it in the 60's and attenuates well for me when I do use it.
 
After 3 weeks in the bottle:
attachment.php
 
insanim8er said:
It looks great, but what co2 volume did you do? It looks heavy on the co2. I generally keep mine pretty low to get a creamier mouth feel.

But this couldn't have come at a better time. It's just the motivation I needed. My 10 gallon batch has been in primary for just over three weeks now. Time to get them into serving kegs.
Click to expand...

It's actually a little (very, very little) under-carbed, IMO. I aimed for 2.0, but I think I was closer to 1.8/9.

A possible reason for the way it looks is I had a really bad pour, mainly so I could get a good look at the head ;)
 
MongooseMan said:
It's actually a little (very, very little) under-carbed, IMO. I aimed for 2.0, but I think I was closer to 1.8/9.

A possible reason for the way it looks is I had a really bad pour, mainly so I could get a good look at the head ;)
Click to expand...

naw, 1.8 is right where I'd be. But ya, you must've been pouring from 3 ft away for that much head :mug:

I just got done racking mine to serving kegs... into the fridge they go to carb up...I pulled a warm flat sample. I'm amazed at how good it is.
 
Did you bottle condition? If so, mine took some time to carb up all the way, but this really only gets better with time so stash some away for next year
 
If I was going to make a 10 gallon batch and use 6 lbs of liquid dme should I lower any of the specialty grains?
 
Been enjoying this for a couple days.

It came out as an imperial because my efficiency was too good.
At ~9% abv, I'm a little sad I only have 10 gallons.

So damn good...

IMG_3719.JPG.jpg
 
I made this and it is awesome. But it did not carb up and get the head retention I would like. Does lactose mess with that?
 
nolabrew85 said:
I made this and it is awesome. But it did not carb up and get the head retention I would like. Does lactose mess with that?
Click to expand...

It won't mess with carbonation, but milk stout doesn't really have much head retention. Not even commercial. It probably is due to the lactose since there is a lot of oats in the recipe, but it could also have to do with the low carbonation level for the style. I get a nice creamy head that dissipates relatively quick, but I get lacing down the glass.

As for carbonation, I'm note sure how you carb, or how long you let it sit... Etc, so there could be another reason for that. I force carbed mine in a keg. Set it and left it for about 2 weeks or so in the fridge. I carb pretty low on the spectrum for the style—about 1.8. This gives it a nice creamy feel with just enough bubble to not feel flat.
 
insanim8er said:
It won't mess with carbonation, but milk stout doesn't really have much head retention. Not even commercial. It probably is due to the lactose since there is a lot of oats in the recipe, but it could also have to do with the low carbonation level for the style. I get a nice creamy head that dissipates relatively quick, but I get lacing down the glass.

As for carbonation, I'm note sure how you carb, or how long you let it sit... Etc, so there could be another reason for that. I force carbed mine in a keg. Set it and left it for about 2 weeks or so in the fridge. I carb pretty low on the spectrum for the style—about 1.8. This gives it a nice creamy feel with just enough bubble to not feel flat.
Click to expand...

I actually get the frothy and quickly dissipating head with lacing all the way down, but on the tongue it feels a little on the flat side. I actually thought to myself that with the frothy head and significant lacing, I would have expected it to feel a little more carbonated (and less flat) in my mouth. I do admit, that I had never even had a sweet stout before this, so maybe I am just not used to a beer with such low carbonation. I carbed it naturally with correct amounts of sugar for the style as per beersmith. It has plenty of time to condition. Almost 2 months now. Although I think this is a great recipe with a lot of good attributes with taste, I think it may be a little on the sweet side for my personal taste. This makes me want to try it with half the lactose and also upping the IBUs to about 29-30. Has anyone played with it like that?
 
I love Left Handed Nitro Milk Stout! Is this the same or is there a regular Left Handed Milk Stout made by them? If so, I've never seen it. I know on the bottle of the Nitro one it says to pour hard so you get the layering aspect of a nitro pour. When I do that I get a nice thick head and lasts for the whole duration of the beer.
I can't wait to brew this one up. Perfect for winter!!
 
nolabrew85 said:
Although I think this is a great recipe with a lot of good attributes with taste, I think it may be a little on the sweet side for my personal taste. This makes me want to try it with half the lactose and also upping the IBUs to about 29-30. Has anyone played with it like that?
Click to expand...

Ya, with the sweetness, this isn't a session beer. That's why I like having mine at 9% ABV. One 22oz glass and I'm good. What I did with the 10gal is kept everything the same, but I added an extra LB (1/2 for 5 gallon) of roasted barley 500L

This probably takes it out of style because it's pretty roasty, but it adds more of that coffee flavor and bitterness that helps balance out the sweetness. It's like coffee with cream and sugar. I also think age helps with this beer.

As for your carbonation, do you see the bubbles as you tilt the glass? I know when I do, I can see the bubbles (they're very fine) rushing and created a bit of lace as I tilt the glass around. I get a slight tingle on the tongue.


bobeer said:
I love Left Handed Nitro Milk Stout! Is this the same or is there a regular Left Handed Milk Stout made by them? If so, I've never seen it. I know on the bottle of the Nitro one it says to pour hard so you get the layering aspect of a nitro pour. When I do that I get a nice thick head and lasts for the whole duration of the beer.
I can't wait to brew this one up. Perfect for winter!!
Click to expand...

Left hand makes a non-nitro in bottles. It's the only one I tried. The head was exactly as mine is with this recipe. I actually prefer this recipe over LH. It just seems smother to me. It is a good winter warmer, that's why I make 10 gallons. Problem is I end up taking it to Holliday parties in my 3 gallon keg. And of course friends and family all want bottles. I might need to make 15 gal next year.
 
insanim8er said:
Left hand makes a non-nitro in bottles. It's the only one I tried. The head was exactly as mine is with this recipe. I actually prefer this recipe over LH. It just seems smother to me. It is a good winter warmer, that's why I make 10 gallons. Problem is I end up taking it to Holliday parties in my 3 gallon keg. And of course friends and family all want bottles. I might need to make 15 gal next year.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks. I'll have to look for it. The Nitro is amazing and totally worth the $12 price tag. I'm stoked to brew this one up! :ban:
 
bobeer said:
I love Left Handed Nitro Milk Stout! Is this the same or is there a regular Left Handed Milk Stout made by them? If so, I've never seen it. I know on the bottle of the Nitro one it says to pour hard so you get the layering aspect of a nitro pour. When I do that I get a nice thick head and lasts for the whole duration of the beer. I can't wait to brew this one up. Perfect for winter!!
Click to expand...

The nitro bottle is relatively new. They do make a "regular" version that is quite good. On a side note, unless you have a special strain of yeast or a nitro tap system, you're yeast are creating CO2 for carbonation.
 
brewski09 said:
The nitro bottle is relatively new. They do make a "regular" version that is quite good. On a side note, unless you have a special strain of yeast or a nitro tap system, you're yeast are creating CO2 for carbonation.
Click to expand...

All beer is carbonated with c02. Even nitro beer. Nitro doesn't absorb into the beer. It's used to serve. It allow for a heavy flow with out adding additional carbonation by having the co2 turned up, so you can force the beer through the faucet to get a thick creamy head. Nitro beer in cans is nothing more than a ping pong ball with a pin hole in it (called a widget). They fill the can with nitro and that forces the beer to go into the ball through the small hole. When it's opened, the energy and pressure is released creating foam... Thick frothy dense foam. The beer is still carbonated with co2.
 
insanim8er said:
All beer is carbonated with c02. Even nitro beer. Nitro doesn't absorb into the beer. It's used to serve. It allow for a heavy flow with out adding additional carbonation by having the co2 turned up, so you can force the beer through the faucet to get a thick creamy head. Nitro beer in cans is nothing more than a ping pong ball with a pin hole in it (called a widget). They fill the can with nitro and that forces the beer to go into the ball through the small hole. When it's opened, the energy and pressure is released creating foam... Thick frothy dense foam. The beer is still carbonated with co2.
Click to expand...

Go get two bottles of the left hand nitro milk stout and explain it to me after you pour one gently and one vigorously per instructions. No can. No widget. Nitro pour, just like the milk stout or a Guinness on tap. I'm not a chemist, but it does seem like they got nitrogen to dissolve into solution to me.
 
brewski09 said:
Go get two bottles of the left hand nitro milk stout and explain it to me after you pour one gently and one vigorously per instructions. No can. No widget. Nitro pour, just like the milk stout or a Guinness on tap. I'm not a chemist, but it does seem like they got nitrogen to dissolve into solution to me.
Click to expand...

That's how Guinness does it. Nitrogen IS NOT easily absorbed into beer. I promise you will not be able to do it... But apparently LH has a patent on their technique.
 
insanim8er said:
That's how Guinness does it. Nitrogen IS NOT easily absorbed into beer. I promise you will not be able to do it... But apparently LH has a patent on their technique.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure I recall one of the Left Hand guys said they didn't patent it to prevent everyone from learning their secret methods.
 
thatjonguy said:
Pretty sure I recall one of the Left Hand guys said they didn't patent it to prevent everyone from learning their secret methods.
Click to expand...

Well it could be true... I just read a article on it I never had their nitro as LH is not available in Oregon. I had to go to Washington for it. And even there it's limited.

The article said they did, but I was thinking if they did, it would have to be released how they do it. I've yet to find anything on it, so you're probably right.

They have articles saying stupid stuff like they add It with tweezers, so sounds like it's kept under wraps and not patented. They should patent it, if they can, and sell the rights.


Edit:

Ya I found this article, they didn't patent it, and just resolved a lawsuit over the name nitro:
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2013/10/left_hand_brewing_bottles_two.php

It took LH 3 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to figure out how get the nitro in their bottles.
 
insanim8er said:
Well it could be true... I just read a article on it I never had their nitro as LH is not available in Oregon. I had to go to Washington for it. And even there it's limited.

The article said they did, but I was thinking if they did, it would have to be released how they do it. I've yet to find anything on it, so you're probably right.

They have articles saying stupid stuff like they add It with tweezers, so sounds like it's kept under wraps and not patented. They should patent it, if they can, and sell the rights.
Click to expand...

Or just keep the rights. Sorry you can't readily get it. We have it everywhere in Ohio. When you get a chance to pick one up for a reasonable price, it's quite cool to pour and see a beer settle just like a Guinness
 
brewski09 said:
Or just keep the rights. Sorry you can't readily get it. We have it everywhere in Ohio. When you get a chance to pick one up for a reasonable price, it's quite cool to pour and see a beer settle just like a Guinness
Click to expand...

The problem is someone will figure out how it's done at some point. They should try to lock it in and profit offit before that happens. My guess is it's not patentable.

I've been toying around with the idea of getting a nitro setup just for this beer. This guy has a regulator and cylinder on Craig's list now. I already bought a couple 3 gallon kegs from him...Maybe if he lowers the prices more for the set up, I'll bounce on it.
 

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