How bad off am I going to be - no lactose on hand for milk stout mid brew....

[bucketheadmn]

So here I am brewing a Milk Stout tonight that I am planning to add cacao nibs to in a couple of weeks and add cold press to at bottling. I am doing 2.5 gallon BIAB with the following grain bill:

4 lb American - Pale Ale
0.38 lb German - Carafa III
0.38 lb United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate
0.13 lb United Kingdom - Extra Dark Crystal 120L

Hops are .4oz cluster at 60 and .25 cluster at 30.

This is a NB Milk stout recipe that also calls for 0.5 lbs of lactose at 60 minutes. Thought I had some on hand and with about 30 mins left in mash realize I do not and no stores open carry it, uh oh!!

I am going to substitute with 4oz of corn sugar after I noticed that Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout clone from BYO uses that with a somewhat similar grain bill. Figure this is better than tossing everything and picking more grain up.

Should I be ok here?

 

[McKnuckle]

You'll be fine but it won't be a milk stout. Corn sugar isn't a sub for lactose, because lactose does not ferment. It leaves the beer with a higher final gravity and a bit of sweetness. The corn sugar will ferment out completely, leaving the beer drier. No big deal... just not at all the same. Lactose isn't really replaceable, so I would just omit it completely, not try to sub something else.

If you like, you can reserve some wort in a sanitized jar, and get lactose when the LHBS opens. Boil the wort literally for a minute, dissolve lactose, and blend that back into the beer while it's just starting out in primary.

 

[ong]

Corn sugar will dry the beer out, rather than making it sweeter and thicker. You can always add your lactose after fermentation is complete (boil it in a cup of water and add before bottling or legging).

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Corn sugar will dry the beer out, rather than making it sweeter and thicker. You can always add your lactose after fermentation is complete (boil it in a cup of water and add before bottling or legging).

I did this once. I completely forgot it and added it to the keg when I kegged it. You could add it in addition to your priming sugar when you bottle if that is how you package.

 

[bucketheadmn]

Corn sugar will dry the beer out, rather than making it sweeter and thicker. You can always add your lactose after fermentation is complete (boil it in a cup of water and add before bottling or legging).

Well drying it out might actually be a win in the end since wife is not a huge of milk stouts. This is a good learning experience on a couple of fronts:

1. did now know that corn sugar will dry the beer out
2. double and triple check ingredients!

I will taste it when fermentation is done and consider adding lactose with my bottling sugar since this is a batch I will bottle.

 

[mattdee1]

IMO, using corn sugar is not only going to be different, it is completely antithetical to what you set out to brew.

 

[bucketheadmn]

IMO, using corn sugar is not only going to be different, it is completely antithetical to what you set out to brew.

It sure is - I tasted it the other night after the cacao nibs sat for a few days and is dry and crisp compared to the original milky smooth i was going for. Tasted pretty dang good though. Letting is sit another week and then will bottle condition for a month or so.

 

[RM-MN]

It sure is - I tasted it the other night after the cacao nibs sat for a few days and is dry and crisp compared to the original milky smooth i was going for. Tasted pretty dang good though. Letting is sit another week and then will bottle condition for a month or so.

This seems like a great solution. Now get yourself some lactose and brew the batch you intended to brew. It will give you a great comparison and a whole new batch to drink.