Milk Stout and Barley

[AMonkey]

I am fairly new to brewing, actually really new. My first batch is still fermenting. I kept telling myself I would take it slow, but this week of waiting is killing me! So I am trying to figure out one of my next brews, and am planning on sticking with extract for now.

My question is, I want to make something like Buffalo Sweat for my father-in-law and wife. They both like it alot. I found a cream stout kit, but want to add roasted barley to add a coffee flavor. I want to know how much to add. Does 8 oz. sound good? I chatted with a guy at Midwest and he suggested 4 oz barley and adding cold pressed coffee. The thing is I want the coffee flavor but I don't want it over powering. I am thinking the 8 oz of roasted barley will do this, or is just 4 oz with no coffee enough?

 

[BuddyWeiser]

8 oz should be plenty enough for some roasted coffee-like flavor. I wouldn't go less unless you choose to add the coffee. Either way it sounds good!

 

[Captain Damage]

Stouts, almost by definition, already have a good portion of roasted barley. For coffee flavor I'd either add actual coffee (do some searching on this forum for help with that) or steep some coffee malt. That's a malted barley that's been roasted in a way that gives it a coffee-like flavor.

 

[AMonkey]

The kit I was looking at comes with a dark extract, and for the grains it has 8oz of black malt and 8oz of caramel 80l. I wanted to add the roasted barley for the coffee flavor. I was under the impression that rosted barley is a good way to add coffee flavor, does coffe malt just have more coffee flavor? Would I still use 8oz of that or would I only want 4oz of the coffee malt?

Another question, it says to add 8oz lactose. Will adding more give the stout a more milky texture/flavor? Can I add up to a pound or will this be too much? I was hoping the barley would give me the coffee, and adding more lactose would give me almost a latte brew.

 

[AMonkey]

So, I think I am just going with 8oz roasted barley and 8 oz of lactose. From what I have read I can add extra lactose when I bottle it if I want it a little sweeter.

 

[Yooper]

So, I think I am just going with 8oz roasted barley and 8 oz of lactose. From what I have read I can add extra lactose when I bottle it if I want it a little sweeter.

Black barley has a "coffee" flavor already, more so than roasted barley. I'd make the recipe without the additional roasted barley, and you can add up to a pound of lactose for the sweetness and richness.

 

[looneybomber]

For a little extra body and sweetness, what about adding another pound or two of light DME? You can always add lactose at bottling if it's still not enough body and flavor.

 

[AMonkey]

Thanks for the suggestions. I didn't think of adding DME. I still have a little time to play with this one, one of my other kits came with crushed steeping grains so I will be doing that one first. (side note, I need another bucket!)
I did order the extra 8oz of roasted barley, but am undecided if I will add it. I have also decided to add the 8oz of lactose. If I add a pound of DME, would that replace the lactose, or should I still add it?

 

[BuddyWeiser]

Lactose is not fully fermentable, so adding lactose will make the end result sweeter because the yeast can't eat all the sugars in the lactose. The yeast will eat pretty much all of sugar in the DME, so adding DME will add some body but mostly just make it higher in alcohol.

That said, some DME's are less fermentable than others...
- Light, pale, or golden DME's are very fermentable.
- Amber DME is a little bit less fermentable.
- Dark DME ought to be the least fermentable, but still much more fermentable than lactose.