Sweet Stout Left Hand Milk Stout Clone

[crusader1612]

Its all about sugar content.
the simplest way to put it, is healthy, fast fermentation.

as homebrewers, alot of us don't have accessto things like pur oxygen, and those types of things.
so without ideal situations, its always saferto pitch additional yeast, as it is so very very difficult IMO to overpitch on a homebrew level. (Chris White)

Personally, as I dont have oxygen etc. (shaking to aerate) I tend to err on the over pitch.
anything 1.050 and over 2 packets when i get to 1.065 ish i tend to throw another paket at it.

Ths is all taking into account rehydration etc.

Healthy yeast and fermentation is key in any beer, as the yeast is what will give you beer. So why not give your brew the best chance possible. especially for an extra few dollars.

 

[jojacques]

So I brewed this and added the 2 vanilla beans soaked in 2 cups of Bourbon and it tastes amazing! It is currently in secondary for another 2 weeks.
Missed my OG and FG (what the hell?) but it still tastes very good.

 

[JohntheKiwi]

Yeah, the great thing about this recipe is that no matter how much you screw it up, it's still friggin delicious! It's a magic recipe.

So I brewed this and added the 2 vanilla beans soaked in 2 cups of Bourbon and it tastes amazing! It is currently in secondary for another 2 weeks.
Missed my OG and FG (what the hell?) but it still tastes very good.

 

[sushieater]

Yeah, the great thing about this recipe is that no matter how much you screw it up, it's still friggin delicious! It's a magic recipe.

This was my first batch on my own equipment, and a few things went wrong. Only my second all-grain brew and I've only done extract/steeped grains a few times at a u-brew

I was aiming for 5 gallons in the fermentor, but ended up with closer to 4. I think I know how much water to add next time.

I did this as biab. I added an extra 1/2lb of pale malt as insurance to efficiency being low.

When I added my grain, my mash temps dropped much more then I expected so I turned on the kettle for a couple minutes. I should have just waited 5 mins for temps to stabalize, because I ended up overshooting my mash temps greatly. I ended up mashing at 71/70c instead of 66. With the lid off, I barely dropped a degree over 90 minutes during a cold night.

OG was 1.069. I took a gravity reading three days apart after 2.5 weeks fermenting and they were both 1.030. Is this where it's going to finish because of the high mash temps? Did I stall out and consider repitching?

I used a mason jar of recycled yeast from a commercial brewery. The last batch I fermented with the same yeast had a giant krausen very quickly. I didn't witness it on this batch and the initial fermentation didn't seem very vigorous in comparison. Maybe the yeast wasn't as viable anymore?

 

[BNolt17]

Deleted - Double post!!

 

[BNolt17]

Thinking of brewing this up for the holidays. Probably scale it up to 8-9% and add bourbon soaked oak chips and vanilla beans

 

[fuzzy2133]

When I added my grain, my mash temps dropped much more then I expected so I turned on the kettle for a couple minutes. I should have just waited 5 mins for temps to stabalize, because I ended up overshooting my mash temps greatly. I ended up mashing at 71/70c instead of 66. With the lid off, I barely dropped a degree over 90 minutes during a cold night.

OG was 1.069. I took a gravity reading three days apart after 2.5 weeks fermenting and they were both 1.030. Is this where it's going to finish because of the high mash temps? Did I stall out and consider repitching?

I used a mason jar of recycled yeast from a commercial brewery. The last batch I fermented with the same yeast had a giant krausen very quickly. I didn't witness it on this batch and the initial fermentation didn't seem very vigorous in comparison. Maybe the yeast wasn't as viable anymore?

All fermentation's will be different even with the same recipe and yeast not some thing to lose sleep on.

The 1.030 fg is probably part of the high mash temp, all part of learning your system and developing a process that works for you.

 

[ruascott]

Going to brew this one up for first time today. My first foray into milk stouts....I'm considering adding vanilla later on in secondary, but may be too lazy to mess with that. I almost never secondary.

 

[heckofagator]

Going to brew this one up for first time today. My first foray into milk stouts....I'm considering adding vanilla later on in secondary, but may be too lazy to mess with that. I almost never secondary.

then you can just add it to your fermenter?

 

[ruascott]

Ugh...brewed this today. Only hit about 1.052 OG. After looking at my grain bag, the LHBS only gave me 5# of 2 row, instead of 7. Not pleased.

Hopefully will turn out at least drinkable. Was really looking forward to this one too, to share on NYE.

 

[jojacques]

Dont worry, I missed my OG as well ( 1.058 ) and the beer is amazing! A bit light (4.6%), but still very good.

 

[ruascott]

Dont worry, I missed my OG as well ( 1.058 ) and the beer is amazing! A bit light (4.6%), but still very good.

Thanks. Just irritating, particularly when it's the first time I've made a recipe. It's bubbling away in the fermenter.

 

[ruascott]

How long have you guys been letting this condition?

I typically only brew hoppy IPAs, and drink them as fresh as possible (usually by day 17 or so).

But haven't made this style before.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I think this one gets better a few weeks after packaging, but I'd have no qualms with going grain to glass in about 2 weeks.

 

[ruascott]

I think this one gets better a few weeks after packaging, but I'd have no qualms with going grain to glass in about 2 weeks.

Ok thanks. I'll probably keg at 2 weeks and start sipping on it here or there.

Isn't a beer I expect to drink more than 1 or 2 at a time, anyway.

 

[ruascott]

Ugh...brewed this today. Only hit about 1.052 OG. After looking at my grain bag, the LHBS only gave me 5# of 2 row, instead of 7. Not pleased.

Hopefully will turn out at least drinkable. Was really looking forward to this one too, to share on NYE.

Kegged this today, about 12 days after brew. Finished at 1.014.

The sample was tasty, but definitely seemed a little dry and thin from what we were shooting for. Will see after letting carb for a while.


Anyone ever added something like vanilla or coffee after force carbing?

 

[brewski09]

Yeah, in a French press or even just cold brew coffee or vanilla extract at serving.

 

[jcav]

Well after reading all the great reviews on this post I think I will brew this one next. Gotta adjust the recipe for ten gallons. I might add some cacao nibs in the fermenter, we'll see....

John

 

[Redtab78]

Well after reading all the great reviews on this post I think I will brew this one next. Gotta adjust the recipe for ten gallons. I might add some cacao nibs in the fermenter, we'll see....

John

Thats exactly what I am doing (adding the cocoa nibs), will be mashing in tomorrow morning as a matter of fact, and I plan on using 4oz nibs, soaked in just a tad bit of vodka...

 

[jcav]

Thats exactly what I am doing (adding the cocoa nibs), will be mashing in tomorrow morning as a matter of fact, and I plan on using 4oz nibs, soaked in just a tad bit of vodka...

Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!

John

 

[brewski09]

It turns out super chocolatey, but like big bad baptist with the dirty chocolate. It's really good though. I like to add a tiny bit of coffee at serving too.

 

[jcav]

So I ordered the grain and ingredients for this recipe, and got some cacao nibs. I guess I should go with 8 ounces of nibs in the fermenter for a 10 gallon batch. I might toast them first in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I haven't used cocao nibs before and don't have them yet (they are being shipped to me) so I am curious do these float or do they sink? I have a conical and if I dry hop (so to speak) with them I want to know if they will sink so they do not clog my racking tube and I can dump them out with the yeast/trub if I want, or do I need to use a mesh bag?


John

 

[ruascott]

This one force carbed up....I'm about 17 days from grain. It's a tasty, chocolate bomb. Has yet a slight harsh edge going down at this point, I'm sure will be better in a couple weeks. But very drinkable now.

Great recipe.

 

[Redtab78]

I am tossing up the idea of adding some coconut to the secondary, and possibly in the mash...I wanted to brew this past weekend, but weather got in the way, so maybe this weekend.....and am wondering what you guys think this would bring to the flavor.

 

[chayes1126]

So I want to make this recipe, but only a 2.5 gallon batch. I first halfed the recipe. Then I bought beer smith and used their scale feature. I thought beersmith would just half the recipe like I did. But it seems they did something completely different. Does this recipe seem right you you all? Or would just halfing the original recipe work?

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3 lbs 9.5 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 58.5 %
6.9 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 2 7.0 %
6.2 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.3 %
5.2 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.3 %
5.2 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.3 %
5.2 oz Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain 6 5.2 %
4.1 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 7 4.2 %
8.2 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 8 8.3 %
0.14 oz Magnum [12.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 12.8 IBUs
0.40 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil Hop 10 5.5 IBUs
0.5 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) Yeast 11 -

 

[phyllobeddo]

I've halved the recipe about six times and it worked out each time for me! I make 2.5 gallon batches almost exclusively.

 

[brewski09]

I am tossing up the idea of adding some coconut to the secondary, and possibly in the mash...I wanted to brew this past weekend, but weather got in the way, so maybe this weekend.....and am wondering what you guys think this would bring to the flavor.

If you like coconut this beer would probably fare well with it. I hate coconut so I'll never try it. I would say start with secondary and you can use that info to dial in a mash addition. Split the batch in half and only coconut 2.5gal (or even less) and blend back to find out how much to use on a full batch. You can always add more but never take it out.

 

[brewski09]

So I ordered the grain and ingredients for this recipe, and got some cacao nibs. I guess I should go with 8 ounces of nibs in the fermenter for a 10 gallon batch. I might toast them first in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I haven't used cocao nibs before and don't have them yet (they are being shipped to me) so I am curious do these float or do they sink? I have a conical and if I dry hop (so to speak) with them I want to know if they will sink so they do not clog my racking tube and I can dump them out with the yeast/trub if I want, or do I need to use a mesh bag?





John

I'm pretty sure most of them sink. It's been a while though. I went to vodka tincture after catching a sour infection from some nibs (process of elimination) so I don't actually remember for sure. I know they sink in vodka for sure.

 

[Atlmustang]

Brewed this a few weeks ago. My LHBS screwed up the grain bill and instead of flaked barley, i got crystal 60. Lol not sure how but keep calm and brew on. I think it turned out great. I still got the roasted barley in there which shines through. If anything the sweeter crystal 60 (opposed to the flaked barley) actually plays well with the lactose. Its a small amount of the grain bill so probably didnt affect much at all. This is a great beer.

 

[ruascott]

Wow...after a week in the keg (about 3 weeks from brew date) this beer is terrific. I'll note that as I mentioned, my LHBS messed up and only gave me 5# of 2 row, rather than 7....so this isn't a strong version....but that's probably better because it's hard to stop drinking these.

Friend was over and I told him I had this available. He said he doesn't really like stouts. He proceeded to have about 4 or 5 of these. LOL.

It's funny what people smell/taste.....he was saying he was getting flavors like gouda cheese! I think it's more like a dark chocolate milk.

Regardless, great beer and will be in my permanent rotation.