Sweet Stout Narwhal's Lactation (Chai Tea Milk Stout)

I started brewing when I was really into stouts. My favorite stout at the time was Left Hand Milk Stout and Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. Breckenridge was a little bland, and Left hand was just missing something. I tasted a Russian Imperial Stout that had a little bit of Chai flavor and knew that I had to mix my favorites.

I've played around with the grain bill, hops, and yeast quite a bit. I think I've finished on a pretty good final build.

I've made this three times now following this recipe and it has been consistently delicious. By far my best beer that I make.

Mash at 150 for 60 minutes.

8 lbs Marris Otter
2 lbs Victory malt
1 lbs Chocolate Malt
1 lb Black Patent Malt
1 box 20 Chai Tea packets (yes I leave them in for the whole mash)

60 minute boil
1 lb Dextrose (60 min boil)
1 Lb lactose (60 min boil)

.5 ounce cluster 60 min
1 oz cluster 30 min
.25 tblspn Irish Moss 15 min
1 oz perle 5 min

Chill to 70 degrees, pitch yeast. I like to get it kicked off warm. Set ferm chamber to 66 degrees for duration of fermentation.

Take gravity reading on days 7, 8, and 9. When you get consistent gravity cold crash and keg.

I was planning a chai stout to brew pretty soon, this looks awesome! I had a recommendation to put 1-2 packets in secondary, any thoughts on the effects of adding the tea packets in the mash vs. other times?

I never did it in secondary, because I was worried about it being sanitary.

I've done it where I soak the bags in the wort between mash and boil, and I've done it at flame out (as you would do hops at flameout).

Neither of those other two methods really pulled in the flavors.

Mashing with them really made the flavors a part of the beer.

I've had some that has been bottled for about 2 months and the flavor is still really good.

Wow, thanks for the response! This one's definitely going in the que...

This recipe looks awesome. I as well am a huge fan of left hand and the vanilla porter.

I want to try a similar recipe, but excluding the lactose and possible the Dextrose. What changes, if any to the grain/hop bill would you make if you were not going to use those ingredients?

Thank you!

Just cracked open the first bottle from a batch we made using this recipe and its killer.

Sounds really good.

Thanks!