Milk Stout recipe critique

[JakeSparrow]

Came up with this recipe for my favorite dark ale, the good ol Milk Stout. If all goes well this will be brewed at least by the end of the month, but before that I wanna make sure I'm not missing anything. Never brewed a stout before so if there's anything wrong with this recipe please let me know so I can make the necessary tweaks before brew day. Just going for a slightly higher ABV/gravity milk stout, only thing I am REALLY worried about is it coming out too sweet. And the main reason for the 4 gallon size is I want two batches fermenting, but in one bucket I was gonna add vanilla and cacao nibs. Thanks everyone!

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Nyx
Author: Jake (Mythic Ales)

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Sweet Stout
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 4.25 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 6 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.062
Efficiency: 65% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.087
Final Gravity: 1.036
ABV (standard): 6.77%
IBU (tinseth): 42.76
SRM (morey): 40

FERMENTABLES:
10 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (65.6%)
1 lb - Lactose (Milk Sugar) (6.6%)
12 oz - American - Chocolate (4.9%)
12 oz - Flaked Oats (4.9%)
8 oz - American - Midnight Wheat Malt (3.3%)
4 oz - American - Roasted Barley (1.6%)
2 lb - American - Munich - Light 10L (13.1%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Brewer's Gold, Type: Pellet, AA: 9, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 36.2
1 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 6.56

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 156 F, Time: 60 min

YEAST:
White Labs - English Ale Yeast WLP002
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 66.5%
Flocculation: Very High
Optimum Temp: 65 - 68 F
Fermentation Temp: 65 F
Pitch Rate: 0.35 (M cells / ml / deg P)


Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2015-02-12 21:38 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2015-02-12 21:38 UTC

 

[Pappers_]

I don't perceive lactose as 'sweet' - try a bit of it on your tongue before you add it, its not really sweet at all. So I don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of sweetness. In fact, I would consider adding 5% - 7% of some caramel/crystal malt, maybe 60L. This would serve to increase body a little, also.

When I brew a cream stout, I usually only add a 60 minute hop addition, nothing late, fwiw.

Good luck, your recipe looks good!

 

[Pappers_]

Oh I just noticed your original gravity - that's not a cream/milk/sweet stout at all. Its not slightly higher, its about 30 points higher than a typical sweet stout. It should be an interesting experiment. Another option, for your first stout, would be to follow a tried-and-true recipe. In any case, good luck with your brew day.

 

[NTexBrewer]

This months BYO magazine has an article about sweet stouts. May be worth picking up or at least looking at if you have a LHBS close to you.

 

[JakeSparrow]

Haha yah I just noticed how off it was too. Maybe I could crank it up more and make it an "imperial" sweet stout?

And I wish I could just use a clone or a tried and true recipe, but it's just in my nature to make something that's "my own" and that extends to all my other artistic endeavors. But I will say I do look at alot of different recipes to at least get a feel for the style and different ways to come up with a grain bill. Thanks so much for your input! Either gonna crank it up or crank it down. Maybe instead I can just crank it down and then in the 2nd bucket add some bourbon soaked chips to increase the ABV

 

[cantrell00]

Other than bordering on a imperial, looks good...

I can vouch for the Founders Breakfast Stout clone recipe on this site if you want to go with something established first.

I also second the addition of more crystal malt..

 

[JakeSparrow]

This months BYO magazine has an article about sweet stouts. May be worth picking up or at least looking at if you have a LHBS close to you.

Awesome! Ill have to check with the one by my house not sure if he gets that magazine there or not.

 

[JakeSparrow]

Other than bordering on a imperial, looks good...

I can vouch for the Founders Breakfast Stout clone recipe on this site if you want to go with something established first.

I also second the addition of more crystal malt..

Ya know I did see a lot of recipes that are using Crystal and I swear I meant to add it to mine but I think I got lost in all the grains haha. Im thinking I might simplify it, drop the wheat and oats, and add crystal. I wanna shoot for 7%. So pretty much right between a single and double/imperial.

 

[Kuntry]

WildGingerbrewing developed the following recipe and it is a very good Milk Stout. You can find it under recipe database sub cat Stout:

Milk Stout
Efficiency: 80%

ABV: 6.55%

Calories: 200



8 lb Marris Otter

1 lb De-bittered Black Malt

12 oz Flaked Barley

12 oz Roasted Barley

8 oz Flaked Oats

8 oz Cara-pils

8 oz C-120

8 oz Rice Hulls



1 lb Lactose - added to boil



.75 oz Brewer's Gold - 10.5% AA @ 60 min

.5 oz Fuggles - 4.4% AA @ 30 min

 

[JakeSparrow]

Okay I modified the recipe, dropped the munich, and changed the pale 2 row to Maris Otter, and overall simplified it a touch. Also, since it doesn't fit in the milk/cream stout style, I decided to keep change it to an American Stout. It fits much better in that category, it'll just be on the sweeter side. Unless there is any glaring weaknesses that anyone can think of, I will brew this one within the next couple weeks.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Nyx
Author: Jake (Mythic Ales)

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: American Stout
Boil Time: 75 min
Batch Size: 3.25 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 5.25 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.047
Efficiency: 65% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.076
Final Gravity: 1.025
ABV (standard): 6.62%
IBU (tinseth): 63.09
SRM (morey): 36.81

FERMENTABLES:
8 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (81%)
0.5 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 60L (5.1%)
0.5 lb - Lactose (Milk Sugar) (5.1%)
8 oz - American - Chocolate (5.1%)
6 oz - American - Roasted Barley (3.8%)

HOPS:
0.7 oz - Columbus, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 63.09

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 156 F, Time: 60 min, Amount:

YEAST:
White Labs - English Ale Blend WLP085
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 72.5%
Flocculation: Med-High
Optimum Temp: 68 - 72 F
Fermentation Temp: 65 F
Pitch Rate: 0.35 (M cells / ml / deg P)

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Balanced Profile
Ca2: 80
Mg2: 5
Na: 25
Cl: 75
SO4: 80
HCO3: 100
Water Notes:


Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2015-02-13 21:06 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2015-02-13 21:06 UTC

 

[Pappers_]

Looks good, let us know how it turns out.

 

[JakeSparrow]

Thanks Pappers, appreciate all the advice! I will keep this post updated through the brew and fermentation process