Somewhat new at it with a question

2 weeks ago I brewed a Milk Stout from a extract kit I purchased from my local shop:


Homebrew Emporiums Mothers Milk Stout - English Milk Stout

Extracts
6.6lbs Dark Malt extract
1lb Lactose
.5 Malto-Dextrin

Grains
.5lb Crystal 80
.5lb Black Patent
.75lb Chocolate

Hops
1oz Warrior 60min
.5oz Fuggles 10min

1 Whirlfloc tablet
Dry Ale Yeast s-04

Today is day 15 of sitting in the primary so I figured I'd check the gravity and I'm still a bit high. The kit calls for a F.G. of 1.014 and I got ~1.024. A couple things I did as a beginner learning, didn't take a S.G. reading. I also didn't go really aggressive on the aerating. I did get a couple minutes of stirring and small splashing with my "stir spatula". (Dry yeast) Though within 14 hours the airlock was active, and stayed active for about 3-4 days before dropping below the 1 bubble a minute that the kit directions talk about. (I know the airlock isn't the proof of yeast working completely though.) according to the kit, they want you to rack to secondary after you bubble once a minute or less. (Get your process moving to buy more kits.) Any who, I was going to move it to my secondary once I felt it was ready to get room for my next batch. No rush, and I'm not impatient, just want to make sure I'm on schedule here.

Thoughts? Thank you ahead of time.


Gregg

 

I also meant to mention my living location. I am at about 8,000ft elevation in the Eastern Sierras of California. Its getting pretty chilly here so I am running my heater in the bedroom with my beer in the closet. Its been from 60-68 degrees the entire time.

 

1.024 is pretty normal for a milk stout. The lactose sugar is not fermentable by brewer's yeast. Your OG was probably about 1.056, or so.

What to do from here? If the gravity is stable and the beer tastes good, you're probably ready for bottling. Leaving it on the primary for another week or two will not harm the beer.

 

I know some kits recommend transferring before the wort finishes fermenting, but I always let it finish on the yeast cake (usually about three or four weeks) before I rack, if I do at all. The secondary is just a clearing vessel, so there's no need for active fermentation to still be occurring. A milk stout might benefit from some bulk aging, so I would let it sit for another week or two before racking to let the yeast finish the job.

 

I agree. Doing quickly math and assuming the malt extract is liquid and that 1lb of lactose adds 0.008 gravity points to a 5 gallon batch, your original gravity should be about 1.058.

Assuming 70% attenuation with S-04 would get you a FG of 1.023 (the lactose doesn't ferment). Right about where you are.

Your target FG doesn't seem to factor in the 0.008 gravity points added by the lactose.

 

Thank you guys, I totally forgot about the lactose throwing the numbers off slightly. I do remember reading that and trying to keep it in mind prior to brewing and didn't... haha. I definitely am in no rush to rack it to secondary, the only reason I will, if i do, is to get a new batch started. Ill check it again over the next few days to see if it is steady, probably leaving it in there for another week at least like you guys mentioned.

Thanks a ton.

Cheers

 

I'm with theothers. With the dark extract and a pound of lactose, 1.024 is perfectly normal.

 

At this point I have let it sit in the primary for 4 weeks. Shall I bottle or let it sit in a secondary for some time for "clarity?"

As I said before, I'm patient, I would just like to take the best quality route.

 

I vote to bottle it. No need to secondary. I would however, cold crash it in a fridge for a couple days if you have the ability.