sweet/milk stout stuck at 1.028?

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JLem

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My first attempt at a sweet/milk stout seems to be stuck at 1.028. It's been in the fermenter for 18 days now. This is my first time using lactose, so I don't really know where it should finish, but I was thinking something closer to 1.020 or so. Can it really be done at 1.028? Here's the recipe (partial mash at 154F and partial boil):

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 2.5 gal
Estimated OG: 1.061 SG
Estimated Color: 36.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 32.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
2 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter 23.17 %
12.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt 8.69 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked 5.79 %
7.0 oz Crystal Light - 45L 5.10 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt 2.90 %
3.0 oz Crystal Extra Dark - 120L 2.20 %
3.75 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract 43.45 % (15 minutes)
12.0 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) 8.69 % (2 minutes)

1.40 oz Bramling Cross [5.00 %] (60 min)
0.63 oz Bramling Cross [5.00 %] (10 min)

Pitched ~100ml Irish Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP004) harvested from previous batch (per Mr. Malty)

A couple of questions:
1) Is it done or is it stuck?
2) If it is stuck, what do you suggest I do?

Thanks for the help! :mug:
 
Thats what my snowplow clone finished at. Remember the lactose is not ferment able.
 
Looks like a copy paste out of beer smith?

I only ask because I was just trying to determine a Milk Stout's characteristics for a buddy of mine. I noticed that when I upped the Lactose, the potential SG increased and it also upped the estimated ABV.

The default entry for Lactose in beer smith says something like "Not all sugars from Lactose are fermentable", so I'm assuming that beersmith assumes that some are?

Maybe this is a bug in beer smith, as you'd think there'd be some way to customize the additive so the sugars are kept out of the ABV and FG.

Jay
 
The lactose gives you 7 points of unfermentables and your specialty grains are largely unfermentable. I'd say you are done.

Regardless of what Beersmith might say, pure lactose is 100% unfermentable.
 
The lactose gives you 7 points of unfermentables and your specialty grains are largely unfermentable. I'd say you are done.

Regardless of what Beersmith might say, pure lactose is 100% unfermentable.

Yes, BeerSmith treats it like any other sugar, so it's FG estimate isn't a lot of help.

So, with 7 points from lactose, this beer would currently be at 1.021 if I hadn't put it in? That seems too high even with the other grains I used. I would expect the recipe above without the lactose to finish at least at 1.016, if not lower, no?

(do the oats add any fermentables?)
 
I recently attempted my first sweet/milk stout and it finished pretty high since I put the lactose in at the beginning. It may have finished a point or two lower than yours but I don't have my notes with me. In any case, it came out just fine, my best beer to date actually. Like slomo said give rousing the yeast a shot and see if anything changes in the next few days. Otherwise, start conditioning that mofo and drink up!
 
I don't have anything to say about the gravity, but you made a most EXCELLENT choice on hops. My favorite stout hops so far!
Good to know - I've never used them. I actually wanted to use EKG, but the homebrew shop was out of them and suggested these as a sub.

FG of 1.028 would be normal IMO.

I recently attempted my first sweet/milk stout and it finished pretty high since I put the lactose in at the beginning. It may have finished a point or two lower than yours but I don't have my notes with me. In any case, it came out just fine, my best beer to date actually. Like slomo said give rousing the yeast a shot and see if anything changes in the next few days. Otherwise, start conditioning that mofo and drink up!

Excellent - I'm feeling reassured. I gave the yeast a rouse the other night and will see where the gravity is this weekend. If it's still at 1.028 I'll go ahead and bottle. Thanks for the replies.
 
Good to know - I've never used them. I actually wanted to use EKG, but the homebrew shop was out of them and suggested these as a sub.

Typically they will provide a slight 'black currant' flavor. This adds a slightly earthy and almost grape or date (if you're not experienced with currants) note. Similar to how some of the american "C" hops impart that grapefruit character.

Add as great complexity, IMHO.
 
Typically they will provide a slight 'black currant' flavor. This adds a slightly earthy and almost grape or date (if you're not experienced with currants) note. Similar to how some of the american "C" hops impart that grapefruit character.

Add as great complexity, IMHO.

:off: Totally off-topic here, but how are your Alt recipes? I'm thinking of brewing one now that the cold of winter has set in and I can actually lager something (I have no temp control, but a sub-grade garage keeps a mighty steady temp)


EDIT: It might help if I actually read through your recipes - sounds like they're real crowd pleasers!
 
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