my 1st stout

[sww35]

Got an extract kit for an irish stout, i want to sweeten it up a bit, should i add 1lb. of lactose at the start of the boil or at some point during the boil or when I transfer it to secondary? Also got cacao nibs i want to add, when an how much would one recommend? Making an offort to make this a chocolate milk stout as one could tell.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

That would probably work. Add the lactose at the end of the boil. I haven't worked with nibs so I can't help there. If you end up with 5 gallons of beer you can expect about a 8 point increase from the lactose.

 

[maffew222]

Personally I would just brew the stout as is and see how it tastes after primary. You can add lactose or cocoa at bottling/secondary by pre boiling and adding to taste. Neither of those should ferment, so by adding to the original boil, all you're doing is preventing you from tasting your first stout. Just my 2 cents.

 

[sww35]

Thanks guys, so really either way I can roll with the lactose, just as I thought. Just gonna wait and add when I add the nibs.

 

[jkeys]

I personally have never used nibs, but my friend uses them successfully all the time in his stout. I believe he puts them I'm secondary after soaking in vodka for a few days.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Milk Chocolate Irish Stout? Sounds..interesting. My understanding of Irish stouts is that they are quite dry in comparison with milk/cream stouts or American style stouts. It seems, IMO, like the flavor profiles wouldn't compliment each other as well as if you had planned on adding the lactose and cocoa nibs to an American style stout. I admit, I do not really know the difference in ingredients between an Irish stout and an American stout (could just be the yeast strain..could be some of the grains.)

Were it me, I would have found a recipe for a milk/cream stout and just added the nibs. No reason to guess on an ingredient addition such as lactose, when there are plenty of recipes that already call for it.