Working on a Milk Stout for Breastfeeding Wife

Hello all,

I am in the process of working on a milk stout/or other type beer to help with milk production for breastfeeding wife. I haven't made anything in about a year an a half so this will be my first dive back in. I was looking at Duck Rabbit, Left Hand, and southern tier for inspiration. since she has not drank in 9 months and there is a baby involved i want to stay in 6 and under ABV.

This is where I am at. please let me know if any one has and feedback or suggestions. Thank yo in advance .

Grain Bill: 60 min mash - 60 min boil
7lb Maris Otter
1lb Roasted Barley
1lb Lactose
.75lb Chocolate
.75lb Crystal 60
.5 Flacked Oats
.5 Flacked Barley
.5 Munich Malt (not 100% on this addition)

Hops:
1 oz Fuggles or Willamette at 60 (Willamette will be fresh if I harvest enough)
1 oz east kent golding at 15

Note: Will also have a lot of cascade at harvest but don't think that will work great in this type of beer.

Yeast:
irish ale or cali ale (most likely white labs)

Secondary:
Maybe a 1/2 or whole vanilla bean

 

mount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
7 lb American - Pale 2-Row 37 1.8 54.4%
1.5 lb Lactose (Milk Sugar) - (late addition) 41 1 11.7%
1 lb American - Roasted Barley 33 300 7.8%
12 oz American - Caramel / Crystal 60L 34 60 5.8%
12 oz American - Chocolate 29 350 5.8%
12 oz German - Dark Munich 36 10 5.8%
10 oz Flaked Barley 32 2.2 4.9%
8 oz Flaked Oats 33 2.2 3.9%
12.88 lb Total
Hops
Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU
0.35 oz Magnum Pellet 14 Boil 60 min 19.22
1 oz East Kent Goldings Pellet 5 Boil 10 min 7.11

SO5 yeast.

This comes out very similar to Left Hand's, especially when on nitro. I think I'll back off the lactose a bit next time as it is a tad sweet. I think I'll also leave the barley out of the mash until right near the end to lower the bittering effect it has. I've had many compliments on this beer and your recipe is pretty similar, so go for it!

 

Any validation for the "aiding in milk production" part? Pretty sure advertisements from centuries ago aren't the best source medically...

As far as your recipe, I might cut the roasted malts back a bit. Keep the roasted barley, cut back the chocolate malt.

 

Awesome thanks.

 

I vote for the Irish ale yeast from White Labs. Hops and grain bill look pretty good.

 

No real validation. She just wants a beer, like baddddddddd, and I want to brew again so it makes for a fun project. And the malts and hops are suppose to help, I talked to a lactation consultant about it, and she said it is just a different vehicle, lots of people make lactation cookies using brewers yeast,oats, and other things.

 

thats what I am leaning toward, should help keep the above a little lower. (a least thats what the calculator I'm using is saying)

 

I would drop the Munich and up the chocolate and lower the roasted barley, too much will give a burnt taste IMHO. Irish ale is a good choice. Otherwise looks like a solid recipe.

 

Thanks. the Munich has been put on and taken off a few time the last few days. just have to remember not to over complicate things.

 

I spoke with a lactation consultant, It take about two hours to metabolize the alcohol. You can drink while breastfeeding but have to watch it. she can have one but only if there is a wide window between feedings. Also there are test to see if you have to pump and dump, its like a ph strip. There has been studies that found beer not other spirits help prolactin levels and production.

The FAS is more the drink while pregnant, and she wouldn't be drinking till after the first month or so.

its also why i want to keep the ABV down. i ve seen stouts in the 6-10 range which i want to avoid.

 

Interesting.

 

Secondary recipe

6lb Maris
.75 lb roasted barley
1.5 lb flaked barly
.25 lb chocolate
.25 lb crystal 60

1 oz fuggle 60 min
1 oz east kent 15 min

kinda marry my base for the milk stout with a Guinness the clone to lower the above to about 4.5 instead of mid 5s?

any thoughts?

 

Drinking or nursing?

 

After my birth, my mother was given a prescription for Guinness on the National Health Service.

There's some great history of milk stouts here, including recipes for the 1936 and 1954 versions of Mackeson. Its interesting to see how the lactose addition is timed to avoid gravity-based taxes!

My version ended up using:
8lb Maris Otter
1lb Crystal 60
0.75lb Chocolate
0.25lb Black Patent
0.5lb Flaked Oats
1lb Lactose (late addition)
1.5oz EKG @ 60min
OG 1.060, FG 1.021 => 5.2% ABV; 26 IBU
which was close enough to the Caribbean version of Mackeson to bring the friend I brewed it for (whose Barbadan grandparents she remembered drinking it) to tears.

 

Awesome! thanks, did the black patent make it burnt tasting? I have never brewed with it before.

 

Not at all - it was subtle enough just to temper the lactose sweetness.

Also milk stout floats (with chocolate ice cream) are heavenly.

 

My wife is also breast feeding, and I don't really care for alcohol. I've been making small beers. Basically I cold crash and condition after a day.

It turns out that there are a number of kids oriented "small beers" like Vita Malt in Germany and Malta in the Caribbean. In the Carribean, Malta is a substitute for milk due to limited refrigeration. There is even a Malta recipe on the web, I think they add sorghum or molasses, in addition to a number of dark roasts.

 

Malta has no alcohol

 

Just wanted to add this here. Made it for my wife's La Leche League and everyone seemed to enjoy it including those that don't really drink beer. Also, kept the ABV under 4%.

4.5lb Maris Otter
1lb Oats, Flaked
.5lb Chocolate
.5 Crystal, Extra Dark
5 Roasted Barley
.25 Black Malt - 2 Row
Mash @156 for 45-60 minutes

1oz Northern Brewer (8.5%) @ 40 min
1oz Fuggle (4.75%) @ 15 min

WY1028 London Ale Yeast

Est OG 1.038, Est FG 1.011, Est ABV 3.6%