Stout kit/cream experiment

[Dougalsons]

I have a True Brew Irish Stout kit that I want to experiment with. If I add a half pound of lactose will I get something approximating a cream stout or will I just get a mess? Either way it will be fun, but one will be more fun than the other. The kit comes with 3.3 lbs hopped dark LME, 2 lbs dark DME, some crystal malt and roasted barley, and 2 ounces of hop pellets. Dextrose for bottling. I might add a couple of bourbon soaked vanilla beans along the way only because I'm such a noob that I have no real idea what I'm doing. In fact, I brew like I golf: close my eyes and swing all my might! Sorry if this post is in the wrong place. There's that noob thing again.

 

[Pappers_]

Adding lactose will make it a cream stout, not a mess, I think.

 

[jonmohno]

I went the route you did with the vanilla i also made it a oatmeal vanilla cream stout.Tasted real good around two weeks then the third week i stuck it in the fridge longer than the first one and for some reason it sucked and i was stumped because i thought they would get better. I noticed on this one i seen chunks of the lactose at the bottom, it thought i would give it 3 more weeks before trying another,im not going to give up,because i remeber how good the first one tasted.
I would say be prepared for some disapointment with experimenting maybe ocassionallybut also dont judge a beer early especially a stout.
If that kit is a dry stout it may be a little sweeter stout with the lactose addedbut ive always liked cream stouts alot more.Its like coffee with cream and the dry is like black coffee in a way. Thats how i see it.

 

[Dougalsons]

Thanks for the replies. I am brewing today and will report how things go with it.