Coffee, Cream & Sugar (Milk Stout)

[robcj]

I've crafted this recipe for a low alcohol milk stout inspired by Stone's Coffee Milk Stout--something sessionable but full of flavour for the winter months. This is not meant to be a clone. I also referenced the stout section in Brewing Classic Styles and read through quite a few recipes online. I like simplicity in my recipes--the ones with fewer ingredients have always turned out really well.

I won't brew this for a few weeks and I welcome any helpful feedback but I am also looking for suggestions or answers to my specific questions:

1. Should I add a late addition hop for complexity or stick with the bittering addition?

2. What are your recommendations for adding coffee? I've previously brewed it up pretty much like I do every morning and added it to a stout in secondary with good effect. I have read that Stone actually mashes with whole coffee beans. I'm just getting my water and pH under control so although adding coffee to the mash sounds cool, it scares me.


Coffee, Cream & Sugar
13B-Stout-Sweet Stout

Recipe Overview
Expected OG: 1.050 SG
Expected FG: 1.016 SG
Expected ABV: 4.4 %
Expected IBU: (using Tinseth): 25.4
Expected Color: (using Morey): 33.5 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 65.9 %
Mash Efficiency: 78.0 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 16C / 61F

Fermentables
UK Maris Otter 3.175 kg / 7 lbs (75.1 %)
UK Roasted Barley 210 g / 0.46 lbs (5.0 %)
UK Chocolate Malt 210 g / 0.46 lbs (5.0 %)
UK Dark Crystal 210 g / 0.46 lbs (5.0 %)
Sugar - Lactose 420 g / 0.93 lbs (9.9 %) Start Of Boil

Hops
US Magnum (16.0 % alpha) 14 g Bagged Pellet Hops - 60 Min From End

Other Ingredients
Coffee

Yeasts
DCL US-05 (formerly US-56) SafAle

Schedule Name: Single Step Infusion (66C / 151F) w/Mash Out
Step: Rest at 66C / 151F 60 minutes
Step: Raise to and Mash out at 77C / 170F 10 minutes

 

[robcj]

I've decided to swap the Carafa Special III with UK Roasted Barley--based upon further reading it seems that I won't get that authentic stout flavour without some kind of roasted barley. I've made great stouts before so I should have known better.

 

[robcj]

I've crafted this recipe for a low alcohol milk stout inspired by Stone's Coffee Milk Stout--something sessionable but full of flavour for the winter months. This is not meant to be a clone.

Looks like Stone' Coffee Milk Stout has been recently reformulated with a 5% ABV--it was previously 4.2%. It hasn't been available in my market for a few months so perhaps it will make a return. But I wonder why they increased the ABV? I did see some reviewers complain that it was a little thin.

I think I'm going to brew it as-is, but no one's actually commented on it yet--I' not brewing it for another couple of weeks so we'll see if anyone has any feedback in the meantime.

 

[Ungoliant]

I've added coffee to the secondary, cold brewed, as well as coffee grounds at flameout. Both seem to work pretty well.

I think that mashing with beans could potentially add too much bitterness...I think adjusting the hop schedule or amount of coffee with that in mind could help with avoiding a bitter edge.

 

[robcj]

I won't be brewing this for another month as I've adjusted my brewing schedule to accommodate other recipes but I've decided against mashing with coffee beans. I think that in all likelihood I will cold brew coffee and add to secondary.

 

[robcj]

I finally brewed this recipe today. I brewed 10 gallons using my BIAB RIMS setup.

I modified my water with gypsum, table salt and calcium chloride to get me closer to a balanced water profile. 2.5% of my grist was acidulated malt to reduce my pH.

The mash went well. I was aiming for 1.041 preboil gravity based on 75% efficiency but instead hit 1.044 for 79% efficiency. I crushed finer today and that was almost certainly the cause of the improved efficiency.

I added the lactose with 10 minutes left in the boil. I had some issues with the garden hoses I attach to my plate chiller which meant I boiled a little longer than intended. Final volume in the kettle was short half a gallon but I transferred aggressively and ended up with just a hair over 10 gallons in the fermenters.

My hydro and refractometer agreed on the preboil gravity. But they disagree on the original gravity. Hydro says 1.058 while the refractometer says 1.056. I suspect the refractometer doesn't handle lactose well. I was aiming for 1.051 so I overshot my original gravity quite a bit due to the increased efficiency and slightly longer boil.