lactose for chocolate stout

[krenshaw]

i have a chocolate stout that i've made a couple of times that i really enjoy.. i will be kegging a new batch on sunday and i would like to see what it would taste like with some lactose added.. i've seen that you can add it during boil or at bottling/kegging time.. my wife isn't a big fan of milk stouts so i wanted to see if anybody has any experience with putting a small metered amount into a pint glass and pouring from the keg over that to mix.. would that be all i need to do to see what my "chocolate stout" would taste like as a "milk chocolate stout"?

if so, how much should i use for like 12 ounces?

 

[Homercidal]

I've used 1 lb. of lactose in a Milk Chocolate Porter recipe that many people seem to love.

I don't see why you can't add it to a pint glass other than it's going to foam up due to the nucleation points on the sugar. Divide how many 12 ozs in a batch and divide the 1 lb by the same amount.

Also, I think you might try a batch using lactose. The 1 lb I used didn't seem like too much and if I had made a STOUT with more roasted grain it would probably be even more mild.

 

[daksin]

The biggest problem I see with adding directly to the glass is getting it dissolved. Lactose is clumpy (hygroscopic!) and very poorly soluble in cold liquids. I would consider making a simple syrup with it if you're bound and determined. 2 parts lactose to 1 part water, heated in a saucepan to dissolve.

 

[SpeedYellow]

One big problem with adding lactose straight to the glass is the flavor. I added lactose to a breakfast stout after fermentation and found the lactose added a VERY distinctive artificial-sweetener flavor. Fortunately, it disappeared after aging a few months. And I didn't use that much, either -- probably like 0.5 lb equivalent for a 5-gal batch.

If you don't believe me, just add some lactose to the glass and let us know what you think!