Final Gravity High? (Milk Stout)

Hello all! This is my first post I have been reading on this forum for some time now and final decided to ask my own question and get some tips for you guys.
I am brewing a Left hand milk stout clone I did the BIAB method I also added some cocoa powder to the boil to try to make it a chocolate stout I did a 3 gallon batch and also added the lactose(9.6oz) to the boil at 15 mins I had a OG of 1.090 and now 21 days later @ 68* I have a FG of 1.030 I used wyeast london ale with no starter. I was going to rack to a secondary to add some vanilla and possibly some cacao nibs this weekend. Is this FG to high or is it normal for a milk stout? I have seen a few others on here that seem to finish right around there. I tasted it and it taste pretty good it is not that sweet I was surprised.

Its a little high for the style (I think the top of FG range according to the BJCP guidelines is 1.025) but it's close. What jumps out at me is that your OG was really high for a cream stout, even including the lactose. That's a big beer!

I forgot to mention that I did add a little DME and corn sugar to the boil about a half pound of each in attempt to boost the ABV a little bit. Do you suggest that I rack to a secondary and pitch some more yeast? Ive read around about that it seem people dont have very good luck with repitching. One person suggested that I rack to secondary and repitch with safale us 05 for one week. Is this good advice?

I bet you it's done fermenting. I did a milk stout that started at 1.061 and finished at 1.023 after 21 days. For starting at 1.090, 1.030 seems pretty good considering the lactose. How much cocoa powder?

I used about 9.6 oz of cocoa powder.

Jayhem said:

I bet you it's done fermenting. I did a milk stout that started at 1.061 and finished at 1.023 after 21 days. For starting at 1.090, 1.030 seems pretty good considering the lactose. How much cocoa powder?

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I agree, I think its done. Enjoy!

Hang on a minute OG was 1.090? Is this some kind of imperial milk stout? They are supposed to start in the 1.045-1.060 range.

From starting at 1.090 I would say 1.030 is a good stopping point.



I am not sure of the actual OG of Left Hand Milk Stout, but they are a classic commercial example in the BJCP guidelines for sweet stout, so I would have to think it's significantly lower than 1.090.


Did you use ingredients for a 5 gallon recipe to make the smaller batch size?

I had the same issue with a milk stout.

I went to two local breweries a part timer at one gave me a million suggestions on what I should do. I then roused the yeast and when that didn't work I re-pitched. It dropped .002.

The next brewer said " It is done." He was right.

I bottled and even though it is low ABV it is still good.

The Lactose is what stalled it. Lactose is a sugar but completely unfermentable sugar. It will raise the OG but the FG will reflect the fact that the lactose will not ferment out.

I was also surprised when the OG was that high I did squeeze the grain bag to try to get higher efficiency and I added .5 lbs of DME and .5 lbs of corn sugar to boost the ABV slightly. There is also about 9.6 oz of lactose and 9.6 oz of cocoa powder which was added at 15 mins these also contribute to the higher OG as well. I took the 5 gallon recipe divided that by 5 then multiplied it by 3 for my 3 gallon batch is it wrong to do it that way? I also just measured the amount of liquid I have in the carboy last night and it was only 2 gallons and a half a gallon of that is trub must have lost a lot during the process I did add extra water while the grains were soak to try to make up for the lost wort but I guess I didn't add enough. So I am thinking that it is done now because I think the yeast did a good job with only 2 gallons. I am going to rack to a secondary and put some vanilla and cacao nibs that soaked in vodka for a few days in there for a week then bottle. So you guys think I'm safe at this FG I don't want any bottle bombs.

Do any of you think that I could get the FG a little lower by repitching? or would that just be a wasted of my time and yeast. I was considering repitching in a secondary with us 05 that has been rehydrated and possibly a little starter so I could aerate the starter a bit since it is lacking oxygen in the beer. Would doing this affect the taste at all?

Don't EVER squeeze the grain bag. Ever. That is a very bad thing to do. Luckily you have a HUGE stout so the off favors will be hidden but that is a big big no no. You squeeze all the tannins out of the grain

That is a hell of a lot of cocoa powder. Where did you get this recipe?

Grinder12000 said:

Don't EVER squeeze the grain bag. Ever. That is a very bad thing to do. Luckily you have a HUGE stout so the off favors will be hidden but that is a big big no no. You squeeze all the tannins out of the grain

That is a hell of a lot of cocoa powder. Where did you get this recipe?

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I thought this was debunked. High temperatures cause tannins, not squeezing out every last drop of wort

I have read many time that squeezing the bag will not release tannins only high temps. i squeezed it to get better efficiency. I basically took the left hand milk stout clone and modified it into a chocolate stout. I don't think that I used too much cocoa powder I cant really taste it at all when i sampled it so i intend to add cacao nibs for more of that choc aroma and vanilla to help bring out the chocolate flavor a little bit.

I don't think that's a lot of cocoa. I just did a chocolate milk stout and used 4 oz in a 3 gallon batch then added some Godiva liqueur before bottling. Tasted really good could have drank it right from the bottling bucket.

Edit: oops! I thought that was a 5 gallon batch.

Azbrew, I've got milk stout fermenting right now. Did you bottle condition the beer? If so how long did it take to get the right carbonation.
I generally find that stouts can be flat-ish but that the left handed milk stout is wonderfully carbed. Probably the nitrogen-top each bottle but I'm not sure. Any tips here for me when bottling comes around? How did yours turn out?

I brewed a creme brulee imperial milk stout clone from the December 2011 issue of byo. I got a measured OG of 1.100 and an FG of 1.028 and it has a similar amount of lactose. That was after a month and I pitched onto a yeast cake from a previous batch. I'd say it's done. Your not gonna get a low OG because lactose isn't fermentable.