Sweet Stout Left Hand Milk Stout Clone

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So I thought I'd report back. Pulled a pint yesterday and a friend and I also had a bottle of the real thing to compare. Now in all fairness I did put 8 ounces of cacao nibs in the fermenter after a week, and let it sit for two weeks on the nibs. All I can say is wow! This is a really great recipe. You get the milk aroma and taste in the head, it is creamy and has the body of a milk stout. It has chocolate and roast, and then because of the nibs, I get the slight bitter dark chocolate in the finish which is unreal and really balances out the sweetness. This makes this beer not too sweet at all and very enjoyable. We actually both liked it better than the original bottle that we bought at the store! Thanks to the op for the recipe :mug:

If anyone is debating on using nibs, I say go for it. I used 8 ounces of nibs for my 11 gallon batch of beer in my fementer, to end up with two full five gallon corny kegs. I crushed the nibs a little with a cooking mallet in a plastic baggie (you could use a rolling pin), and then I put them in a pot. I just used enough water to cover the nibs. I boiled the nibs in the water for about a minute and a half. I then poured the nibs and entire contents into the fermenter (there is a good soupy extract that's made when boiled and you want to use that also) and I let it sit in the fermenter for two weeks. This is another way of doing it instead of using Vodka. Since I can do this in my conical I pumped additional C02 into the fermeter and purged through the pressure release valve several times for peace of mind, as I opened the small hatch to put in the nibs. I will definitely make this stout again!

John
 
Legend. Thank you for the tip. fermentation is up and about with a small but healthy krausen. I'm worried however that the yeast may be a bit overstressed at the end of the day. Trying not to pitch anymore and abide by RDWHAHB.

Thanks heaps for the tip. Will bear in mind as I actually saw cocoa nibs at the shops today when we were chasing up the groceries. Unfortunately even the cheapest vodka here in AUS is approx. $29 AUD for a 700ml (24 US fl. Oz) :mad:

Cheers

I concur, this recipe is so solid that the beer is still going to turn out great! I've had glithces along the way, but this is almost a foolproof grain bill that thrives with mistakes "tweaks!"
 
I concur, this recipe is so solid that the beer is still going to turn out great! I've had glithces along the way, but this is almost a foolproof grain bill that thrives with mistakes "tweaks!"

"Tweaks" haha. Too right mate. Hot this week but this recipe was too good to pass on. Very excited for the outcome. Krausen is starting to fall back into the beer. A nostril to the airlock and I get loads of mocha and chocolate. Oughta be a ripper
 
brewed this on 2/21, been sitting in the basement, 62-64 degrees. Had it in a swamp cooler for a while, so it's been very steady. Beersmith says I should have a finished gravity of 1.017, today it was at 1.022. I'll take another reading this weekend, but does that sound out of place? I haven't had one finish at this high of a gravity above the recommended gravity. Usually I'm below.

Grain bill is the main page, mashed 151 for 75 mins, US05 yeast.

1.057 OG
 
any suggestions on scaling for roasted black malt 500 L. I couldn't get the 300 L?

I made this recipe recently and put it on nitro. I did a side by side with the real deal and found mine much more roasty and less sweet. I adjusted the roasted barley down and the milk sugar up in my recipe. Am going to give it another go later this year. I think you will be fine.
 
Hello everyone. Just signed up to say thanks to everyone and the OP for the recipe and advice. Brewed this two weeks ago now and am worried about my gravity still being too high. I got an OG of 1.073 but my gravity is only at 1.034 was hoping this would be lower by now. Fermentation in the air lock lasted a good 7 days which is the longest I've experienced. Am I worried over nothing and just need to wait a bit longer?
 
Hello everyone. Just signed up to say thanks to everyone and the OP for the recipe and advice. Brewed this two weeks ago now and am worried about my gravity still being too high. I got an OG of 1.073 but my gravity is only at 1.034 was hoping this would be lower by now. Fermentation in the air lock lasted a good 7 days which is the longest I've experienced. Am I worried over nothing and just need to wait a bit longer?

I would wait longer. I always go 3 weeks. Your OG is a lot higher than mine was (1.057) and your current FG is higher by about the same amount.

I just checked mine from an earlier post here, and it's still at 1.022 after 4 days at 70. Bottling tomorrow.
 
I would wait longer. I always go 3 weeks. Your OG is a lot higher than mine was (1.057) and your current FG is higher by about the same amount.

I just checked mine from an earlier post here, and it's still at 1.022 after 4 days at 70. Bottling tomorrow.

Thanks for that. I've got a busy week or two ahead so reckon it will have to sit in the fermenter so hoping it will drop a fair bit then. Everything else where we'll for once with the brew so will suck if something goes wrong at this stage. Can't wait to try it.
 
@jcav did you use two pounds of lactose for your batch?

Yes sir, 2 pounds of lactose for my batch (13.25 gallons pre boil for my system, 11 gallons into the fermenter, 10 gallons into the kegs). I also used 8 ounces cacao nibs in the fermeter as well. Came out fantastic. Will brew this one over and over. Excellent recipe. Can't go wrong with this one, with or without the nibs, you will like this one!

John
 
Yes sir, 2 pounds of lactose for my batch (13.25 gallons pre boil for my system, 11 gallons into the fermenter, 10 gallons into the kegs). I also used 8 ounces cacao nibs in the fermeter as well. Came out fantastic. Will brew this one over and over. Excellent recipe. Can't go wrong with this one, with or without the nibs, you will like this one!

John

thanks, filtering through the threads there was some questioning whether or not to use the full 2 lbs for 10 gallons. Seeing we have pretty much the same system Ill go with your experience.
 
Yep, I used 1 lb lactose in about 9-10 gallons and it was not quite enough, although my OG was lower than expected so the beer ended up as a "Light Hand Session Milk Stout."
 
I haven't read this thread in a while, but I plan to brew this some time during the summer and I will try cold steeping the roasted barley and chocolate malt. I've brewed this recipe several times before, but I mashed the roasted barley and chocolate malt. Has/does anyone cold steep the dark grains? Also, I plan to add the cold steep with 10 minutes left in the boil.

For a 2.5 gallon batch I will use the following grain bill:

Cold Steep 48 hours in fridge
8 oz Roasted Barley
8 oz Chocolate Malt
2 quarts RO

Mash
3.5 # Maris Otter
8 oz Flaked Barley
8 oz Flaked Oats
6 oz C60L
6 oz Munich

Before brewing, I will look into what water profile to use. Any suggestions on water profiles?
 
Couldn't decide between this or an RIS, so I split the difference and added 8 lb of marris otter to this recipe (plus another ounce of hops for balance).

SG of 1.088 and FG looks to be about 1.020. Gravity check after the first week just tasted like alcohol, but second week check is great! Can't wait to age this up and get it on nitro!
 
Just an update from my original post about a high final gravity. It was my error as I was using a refractometer. Didn't realize you couldn't use this after fermentation, still learning. Anyway fermented out perfectly and bottled a few weeks ago. Beer is really good and I wouldn't be a huge stout fan, blasphemy for an Irish man. Did an experiment with a few liters and added Oreos. Loved the concept. I soaked Oreos in vodka for a few days (not the cream filling). There was a lot of fat on the top so filtered that off as best I could and added to the primary. Tried it last week and it's pretty horrible. I added a bit too much lactose so it's a bit on the sweet side and the Oreos just push the sweetness too far. Glad I tried it as the concept interested me. Thanks to the OP for the great recipe.
 
Gonna give this a try next weekend.
Couple questions:
-What is the best % for Lactose? When I added to Brewers Friend it's at 7.8%. is that good or should I increase?
-Yeast: OP shows US-05 but I've read people use S04, Notty and Windsor. Don't want a thin stout so looking for something with some body. Stick with US05 or go with one of the others?
I apologize if this was answered. I skimmed through the posts- just didn't have time to go through each page.
 
Anywhere around 8% on the lactose seems to be fine. Im looking at my recipe for this and it is right at 8.2%. For me, that is 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch.

I would use WLP004, also bumping up mash temp a few degrees from 151f to 154f and bumping up flaked oats on the grain bill will help get more body at the expense of SG. Just a few thoughts.
 
Anywhere around 8% on the lactose seems to be fine. Im looking at my recipe for this and it is right at 8.2%. For me, that is 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch.

I would use WLP004, also bumping up mash temp a few degrees from 151f to 154f and bumping up flaked oats on the grain bill will help get more body at the expense of SG. Just a few thoughts.

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely bump up the mash temp and increase the flaked oats. Kinda want to stay with dry yeast but might consider if I don't have to make a starter. At the moment I brew 3 gallon batches. I do have some slurry of 1450 that I might use if I have enough DME to make a starter.
 
Brewed the original recipe in this thread a couple weeks ago. Brew day went well, ended up with 1.060 for an OG. I used Denny's Favorite 50 and pitched a 1.5L starter. I've checked gravity twice since then and both times it was 1.026. The yeast has pretty well dropped out and I got two identical gravity readings a week apart, so I'm pretty sure it's done. That seems a touch high for a FG...BeerSmith had the target at 1.022. Anyone else had a similar gravity? I mashed at 154 and added the pound of lactose, maybe should've mashed a little lower?

Regardless, the hydro sample tastes great. A bit sweet, but it is a sweet stout. Just curious if others have had similar results.
 
A perennial favorite at the House of Malbec Brewing. Experiment with the lactose quantity and dial it in to your palate.
 
Brewed the original recipe in this thread a couple weeks ago. Brew day went well, ended up with 1.060 for an OG. I used Denny's Favorite 50 and pitched a 1.5L starter. I've checked gravity twice since then and both times it was 1.026. The yeast has pretty well dropped out and I got two identical gravity readings a week apart, so I'm pretty sure it's done. That seems a touch high for a FG...BeerSmith had the target at 1.022. Anyone else had a similar gravity? I mashed at 154 and added the pound of lactose, maybe should've mashed a little lower?

Regardless, the hydro sample tastes great. A bit sweet, but it is a sweet stout. Just curious if others have had similar results.

I've used Dennys before at it didn't finish where Beersmith said it would. A couple points higher. But I've had that issue with US05 too. I usually mash between 150 and 153, rarely at 154. I would assume the higher mash temp caused the higher final gravity. I believe the OP says 151 mash temp- I may go to 153 and see how that plays out.
 
One more question: which water profile do you follow? I use Bru N Water.
Black bitter, black malty or black balanced?
 
FWIW…...

After reading over the following article which is about mashing the perfect sweet stout, I came up with the following recipe for a 2.5 gallon batch.
http://www.madalchemist.com/archives/mashing-the-perfect-sweet-stout/

Water
4 gallons - RO for Mash (BIAB)
2 quarts - RO for Cold Steep (no salts) 24-48 hours and then added to boil w/ 10 minutes left

Ez Water Calculator
Estimated ph - 5.59
Calcium - 102
Magnesium - 0
Sodium - 99
Chloride - 143
Sulfate - 52

CaCl -* 4.5 g
Gypsum - 1.4 g
Baking Soda - 5.5 g
Lactic Acid - 2.5 ml

I adjusted the recipe a bit, using ingredients on hand.

4 # Maris Otter (mash)
8 oz Roasted Barley (cold steep)
8 oz Chocolate Malt (cold steep)
8 oz Flaked Barley (mash)
8 oz Flaked Oats (mash)
6 oz Crystal 60L (mash)
6 oz Munich (mash)

.5 # Lactose @ 10 min

6 g Magnum 60 min
14 g EKG 10 min

Mash @ 158 60-90 minutes
Boil 90 minutes
11 g (one pack) S-04 rehydrated
OG - 1.080
25 IBU
 
Thanks for the link. Wasn't planning on steeping any grains but after reading the article, I may try it. I'm not using MO- Using 2 Row as the base. Not sure how that would affect the PH. Guess I'll have to do more reading before brew day.
 
I brewed the aforementioned recipe today. I forgot the 2.5 ml of lactic acid in the mash for the first 50 minutes....DOH! I added it once I realized I had forgotten it, stirred the mash, and then continued to mash for another 55 minutes. I reckon it'll be beer in a couple of weeks, but I'm curious what effect the lack of acid had/will have. EZ Water Calc showed a mash ph of 5.9 without the acid. Ended up with 1077 OG and Beersmith showing 80% mash efficiency. That's about normal in terms of mash efficiency.
Oh, and the cold steep smelled absolutely amazing! Super rich, dark, roasty, coffee.
 
Last edited:
FWIW…...

After reading over the following article which is about mashing the perfect sweet stout, I came up with the following recipe for a 2.5 gallon batch.
http://www.madalchemist.com/archives/mashing-the-perfect-sweet-stout/

Water
4 gallons - RO for Mash (BIAB)
2 quarts - RO for Cold Steep (no salts) 24-48 hours and then added to boil w/ 10 minutes left

Ez Water Calculator
Estimated ph - 5.59
Calcium - 102
Magnesium - 0
Sodium - 99
Chloride - 143
Sulfate - 52

CaCl -* 4.5 g
Gypsum - 1.4 g
Baking Soda - 5.5 g
Lactic Acid - 2.5 ml

I adjusted the recipe a bit, using ingredients on hand.

4 # Maris Otter (mash)
8 oz Roasted Barley (cold steep)
8 oz Chocolate Malt (cold steep)
8 oz Flaked Barley (mash)
8 oz Flaked Oats (mash)
6 oz Crystal 60L (mash)
6 oz Munich (mash)

.5 # Lactose @ 10 min

6 g Magnum 60 min
14 g EKG 10 min

Mash @ 158 60-90 minutes
Boil 90 minutes
11 g (one pack) S-04 rehydrated
OG - 1.080
25 IBU

Did you add the water additions before mashing? For some reason, my ph always seems to be off compared to what Bru N Water shows. It's not much of a difference but some times it requires lactic acid additions to get within range. Never brewed a dark beer before so curious to see how it turns out.
I've also decided to steep the roasted barley and choc malt. I believe I've read where 1 qt water per lb of grain is the ratio used to steep so that's what I will do.
I do have some Denny's slurry I may use. Just need to make a starter to make sure it's still viable since it's been in my fridge since Jan.
 
Did you add the water additions before mashing? For some reason, my ph always seems to be off compared to what Bru N Water shows. It's not much of a difference but some times it requires lactic acid additions to get within range. Never brewed a dark beer before so curious to see how it turns out.
I've also decided to steep the roasted barley and choc malt. I believe I've read where 1 qt water per lb of grain is the ratio used to steep so that's what I will do.
I do have some Denny's slurry I may use. Just need to make a starter to make sure it's still viable since it's been in my fridge since Jan.

Yeah. I added the CaCl, gypsum, and baking soda prior to heating the strike water. I neglected to add the lactic acid after mashing in. I don't have a ph meter so I'm just going off of estimates from EZ Water Calculator and/or Bru N Water for now. All my beers start with RO water.

Here's where I read two quarts per water per pound of milled grains:

http://homebrewacademy.com/cold-steep-dark-grains-experiment/

I can't stress enough how good the cold steep smelled before going in the boil! I hope the mash ph didn't bork this batch.

I checked and it was bubbling this morning about 5:30am. Lots more bubbling this afternoon at 5:30pm.
 
Yeah. I added the CaCl, gypsum, and baking soda prior to heating the strike water. I neglected to add the lactic acid after mashing in. I don't have a ph meter so I'm just going off of estimates from EZ Water Calculator and/or Bru N Water for now. All my beers start with RO water.

Here's where I read two quarts per water per pound of milled grains:

http://homebrewacademy.com/cold-steep-dark-grains-experiment/

I can't stress enough how good the cold steep smelled before going in the boil! I hope the mash ph didn't bork this batch.

I checked and it was bubbling this morning about 5:30am. Lots more bubbling this afternoon at 5:30pm.

I re-read the article I was referring to and it is 2 qts per lb. So, I'll do that. I have a cheap ph meter, which seems to be pretty accurate doesn't hold steady at one reading. It fluctuates some but it gets me in a range which is what I was after.
Thanks for the info.
 
I just pulled my first pint of this last night and it was incredible. Quite possibly the best beer I've brewed to date. I've actually brewed this recipe (or something very close to it) twice before, but this was my first time kegging it, and it's so much better on tap. Only been on gas for 5 days (set it and forget it), so it still has some carbing to do, but it was still great....so great I had to pull another pint just to be sure. :)

Mine finished at 1.026, which had me a bit worried that it would be too sweet, but it's not at all. With the higher FG it's only 4.5%, but it surely doesn't taste like your average "session" beer. I have some Left Hand Milk Stout on hand (both regular and nitro) and haven't done a side by side tasting yet, but I would say it's a pretty damn close approximation.
 
I just pulled my first pint of this last night and it was incredible. Quite possibly the best beer I've brewed to date. I've actually brewed this recipe (or something very close to it) twice before, but this was my first time kegging it, and it's so much better on tap. Only been on gas for 5 days (set it and forget it), so it still has some carbing to do, but it was still great....so great I had to pull another pint just to be sure. :)

Mine finished at 1.026, which had me a bit worried that it would be too sweet, but it's not at all. With the higher FG it's only 4.5%, but it surely doesn't taste like your average "session" beer. I have some Left Hand Milk Stout on hand (both regular and nitro) and haven't done a side by side tasting yet, but I would say it's a pretty damn close approximation.


Did you brew this exactly as the OP? I'm brewing a milk stout soon and am seeking the best recipe I can find :mug:
 
Bottled up a batch of this last night, came in at 1.024, tasted awesome...roasty and smooth. Can't wait til they are carbed up!!
 
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