Should I Add Lactose?

[WilliamWS]

Hi. I've got two brews going right now (I'll probably bottle both next week): an Imperial Wit that is dead on-7.4 abv and delicious, and a sort of Belgian style stout. My question is about the latter.
Basically my OG was 1.073 and I was hoping to end up around 1.016. As it turned out I'm finishing at 1.012 (nearly 8 abv). It tastes pretty good and the alcohol doesn't seem to be hot but the beer is a little drier and doesn't have quite as full of a mouthfeel as I'd like. Just wondering if adding a little lactose at bottling would be an awful idea. What do you think? Better left as is?

 

[david_42]

Belgians tend to be dry, they even use candi to dry them out. On the other hand, it's drier than you'd like. Big stouts are generally a little sweet. I'd say add 4 oz of lactose and see how it works. Maybe as much as 8 oz. Belgian-style stout is going to be a compromise and neither fish or fowl.

 

[WilliamWS]

Belgian-style stout is going to be a compromise and neither fish or fowl.

Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking-just trying to play around with something a little different. I'm not going for a sweet stout and it tastes pretty good as is. I just think it would be a little better if it wasn't quite as dry as it is now and if it had a little rounder, fuller mouth feel. Maybe I'll try 4-6oz of lactose just to see what happens.