Chocolate Milk Stout - Not very sweet!?

Ok, so I had tried a couple of milk stouts a few months ago, and really liked them. Decided to try one, and picked up this recipe from NB:


Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 6.96 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.46 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.75 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 43.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 30.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.1 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
8 lbs Brewers Malt 2-Row (Briess) (1.8 SRM) Grain 2 74.4 %
12.0 oz Carafa III (Weyermann) (525.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.0 %
12.0 oz Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM) Grain 4 7.0 %
4.0 oz Crystal, Extra Dark (Simpsons) (160.0 SR Grain 5 2.3 %
1 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 6 9.3 %
0.75 oz Cluster [7.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 20.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Cluster [7.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 10.2 IBUs
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 -
1.0 pkg Northwest Ale (Wyeast Labs #1332) [125.0 Yeast 10 -
4.00 oz Cacao Nibs (Secondary 2.0 weeks) Spice 11 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 10 lbs 12.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 3.30 gal of water at 166.8 F 152.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 5.08gal) of 168.0 F water

The problem is, this isn't nearly as sweet as the one's I tried, most notably a sweet coffee stout from the Williamsburg Ale Works. Mine just has a hint of sweetness, although a pronounced creamy mouthfeel. It's good, just not what I was expecting. Can I up the lactose next time by say 1/4-1/2# and still be ok?

What was the FG?

Lactose is way down the scale of sweetness, so it may take more than the recipe to get where you want...

Compound Rating
Sucrose 100
Fructose 140
HFCS 120-160
Glucose 70-80
Galactose 35
Maltose 30-50
Lactose 20

Cheers!

Og: 1.057
fg: 1.015

Lactose isn't very sweet compared to other sugars, from what my friends tell me! I have NO sweet tooth at all, and actually can't even eat candy or anything sweet because it bothers me so I'm not a good judge of it, as I find it sweet.

In any case, you can definitely use more lactose to taste. A pound in a 5 gallon batch is pretty common, but if that's not sweet to you you can certainly use two pounds for more sweetness.

I'm in the "Add more Lactose" camp. I do a holiday coffee milk stout every year for christmas. For me at least you FG is too low, remember that lactose is not fermentable so what you add should come out, however it will artifically inflate your OG (If you add it at boil). As an example mine start at 1.072(ish) and end at 1.025(ish) The result a nice slightly sweet creamy stout. BTW I only add a pound of lactose to five gallons (last five minutes of boil), are you sure you measured it right?

Well, I didn't weigh it, I just picked up a 1# bag from my LHBS and added it. Northern's instructions had me add it for the full boil though. Think that might have made a difference?

HopinJim said:

[...]Northern's instructions had me add it for the full boil though. Think that might have made a difference?

Click to expand...

Only that you might lose some of it in the trub, but otherwise, no...

Cheers!