milk stout vs sweet stout

I did a chocolate stout last year that I would like to improve on this year. It was great, except that without any 'sweetness' to it, the cocoa came through as plain cocoa, very 'earthy'. I'm fairly certain that I can accomplish what I want with a chocolate extract however, I have had bad experiences with them in the past and would like to work out a recipe without them.

Tinkering with different grains today with the 'brewpal' app on the ipod, I worked out a 'sweet stout'. I have read that a sweet stout and milk stout are the same thing. I have also read that a milk stout requires the addition of lactose. I'm not so sure I want to do this.

If I can find a dark base brew that has actual sweetness to it, I have a number of ideas that I would like to try this winter. However, I would like to know if a 'sweet stout' is actually sweet.

Thanks!

Yes, sweet = milk = cream stout. It is sweet, with an addition of lactose, which is a nonfermentable sugar. Here's one that I enjoy fwiw http://www.singingboysbrewing.com/sweet-stout.html

Okay, got it now... I didn't understand lactose's placement as a non-fermentable sugar. I guess I just need to brew one up and see! When I think 'lactose', I think milk. I don't drink milk very often. Consequently, the thought of 'milk and beer' doesn't sit too well.

I guess I brew for this weekend picked out now!

Thanks...

Find yourself a few bottles of Left Hand Milk stout or something similar and try it. It doesn't taste milky, just like a stout with some sweetness to it.

Sam Adams Cream Stout is a milk stout also.

And Terrapin Moo Hoo, which I just bought a sixer of (and is pretty good BTW), is a chocolate sweet stout. Lactose use is documented...

edit: FWIW, I've heard that the brewers at Terrapin are pretty open to questions from homebrewers...if you're really interested in a chocolate sweet stout, it wouldn't hurt to e-mail them to see if you could get some proportions on their recipe...as you can see from the link they are already very forthcoming on the ingredient list....

I bought a couple of 'sweet stout' beers tonight. Both 22oz. bombers. Interestingly enough, they were the only two beers in the entire store that I found that could possibly be termed 'sweet'. Both of these say right on the label they were brewed with lactose.

Arcadia Ales - Cocoa Loco - This was on the discount rack. It was the only one left so, I had to have it... I'm not used to a beer this sweet. As far as the 'stout' goes, I thought this was pretty good. Not too bitter. It has a very caramel / raisin flavor to it. If I had to guess, I would say that the molasses is what is giving this off. I found the company on the interwebz and they designate this beer as a 'triple chocolate milk stout'.

Southern Tier brewing company - Imperial Creme Brulee Stout - Currently, as I type, this beer is kicking my ass. 10% abv and I woofed down about half of it on the first 'sip'... It's brewed with vanilla beans and is actually alot sweeter than the Cocoa Loco. It's also a lot more bitter. I don't know if I like the really sweet / bitter combination. What I found really cool about this beer is that it smells like creme brulee!

There is a bigger retail store not too far from here, I'm gonna have to stop by and see what they have in regards to sweet / milk stouts...

Ahhhhhhh..........Sweet stout. Take me back to college. To Olympia Dark.........I would give anything to taste Olympia Dark again....... The only thing that has come close is San Miguel Dark, also a sweet dark beer. Anyone know of clone recipes that would come close to either of these? I would be deeply in debt........

Many thanks

NRS

I think the key to a cream stout is balance - between the maltiness, bitterness, sweetness, and roastiness. If you get those in balance, cream stouts are one of my favorites. In fact, I have a batch that's just about ready to bottle!