Southern Tier's Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout Clone

[MarcJWaters]

So, I got a sip of this the other day at my local brew shop, and this stuff is DELICIOUS! So much so that I was looking to see if anyone had tried to reverse Engineer it... turns out, someone did.

14.75 lbs Pale Ale malt
3.25 lbs Crystal/Caramel malt 120L
1.0 lbs Lactose (milk sugar)
0.75 oz Columbus hops (14% AA - 60 minutes)
1.00 oz Horizon hops (12% AA - 5 minutes)
4.00 oz natural vanilla extract (at bottling or kegging)
White Labs WLP006 or Wyeast 1099

S.G. 1.104
F.G. 1.026
IBU 26.5
SRM 31
ABV 10.19%

Now, this does not tell me a few things that I would need to make this. Firstly, I am only set up for extract. Anyone know how this would transfer over? Secondly, when do I add the Lactose?

If anyone could help me out with this, I will ship you a bottle as a thank you!

 

[skibb]

that little ibu? Damn that thing must be super sweet

 

[Ryan_PA]

I would not put much stock in that recipe. There should be at least one roasted malt.

Edit - I just looked at the southern tier website, and sure enough, they do not list any roasted malts in the grain bill on the site. I am at a loss as to how this beer, that I have had in the past, does not have roasted malts.

2-row pale malt / dark caramel malt / vanilla bean / lactose sugar / kettle hops: columbus / aroma hops: horizon

 

[MarcJWaters]

So is this a recipe easily converted for extract brewers? And when do I add the lactose?

Edit: Man! Why is no one coming to my aid here?

I did some research online and I figured that a conversion rule of thumb is roughly .75 to calculate LME and .6 to calculate DME. Sound right?

Also, it seems lactose is almost always added at secondary. Sound right?

 

[jmilton1987]

Here is a link to a version of ST CBS that i have in the bottle right now:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/southern-tier-creme-brule-stout-clone-127932/

It still needs to mellow and it has been in the bottle since halloween. It was my first all grain and I recommend it I have gotten a lot of priase from fellow homebrewers on it.

 

[Bru]

I would add lactose to the kettle to boil for 10 mins, that way you know its sanitized.

 

[jjp36]

Edit - I just looked at the southern tier website, and sure enough, they do not list any roasted malts in the grain bill on the site. I am at a loss as to how this beer, that I have had in the past, does not have roasted malts.

This also surprised me, having had this beer in the past. I was more surprised from a color standpoint then flavor wise as from what i remember it is pitch black. I didn't think a dark crystal could get it that black. But then again i've never used 3+ pounds in a recipe.

When i think about it though, this could actually be pretty close. From what i remember flavor-wise, it doesn't really have a strong roasted taste, its mostly dominated by the caramel and vanilla and sweetness, which this recipe seems to accomplish

 

[jjp36]

To the OP, to convert to extract you would replace the grain with 9lbs of light DME, and then use the crystal 120 as your steeping grains. I would add the lactose in when there is 10 minutes left in the boil.

Much to my surprise, 3.25 lbs of crystal 120 will get you an SRM of 31, which is pretty much pitch black.

 

[craven_morhead]

Looks like we all learned something today. Seems like it could be tuned up a little bit though; the other recipe uses roasty malts. I'll be interested to see how this turns out.

I just did a milk stout a month or so ago, added lactose within the last 5-10 minutes of the boil. Turned out well.

 

[Jewrican]

sorry for the revival of the dead, but any notes about this brew? What recipes were used? Any notes or recommendations on it now that it has been brewed?

 

[smellysell]

I can't for the life of me figure out why anybody would want to clone that beer?

I guess if you like it, good luck though!

 

[y498yates]

Maybe because it is delicious? Especially over ice cream? It's a dessert beer and needs to be appreciated as such.

I am going to brew this beer using the recipe in the OP with some notes and pictures along the way. We'll put it to the test and see how it turns out!

 

[y498yates]

Ingredient Bill:

I have my own home made Vanilla Extract otherwise you are talking another $12 in vanilla.

So the grand total is $52.44 plus shipping.

 

[ao125]

FYI: This beer is next to impossible to properly clone, as Southern Tier uses "creme brulee flavoring".
Not saying you can't get a good close beer, but an exact copy is impossible, unless you have an "in" at Bell's Flavorings.

 

[y498yates]

I'm ok with not having an EXACT clone. I just want a beer that is SIMILAR in profile that tastes good.

 

[y498yates]

Although...

https://www.zavida.com/minisyrup/creme-brulee-minisyrup

 

[ao125]

Couldn't hurt to give it a shot.

 

[Nike_Eayrs]

So I had this for the first time over the weekend, and thought I'd try to revive an old thread. This stuff is AMAZING! Anyone care to post results of their recipes? Cheers!

 

[girdwood]

I'm with the other followers in this thread... can anyone provide results of a finished product/recipe? I shared one with my dad, brother and his wife... best dessert beer I've had. Can't drink much of it, but man it's good in small doses!

 

[joyceman]

Im taking a shot at a 2.5 gallon batch this week. Im still playing around with my numbers but Im basing it off the recipe referenced here.

Im sorely tempted to add an ounce of roasted barley and sub out a pound of 2 row for flaked.

Im planning on carmelizing a half pound of sugar and tossing that in the boil as well.

 

[FrogBrew]

Everything said until now is for a 5 gallon batch right?

 

[steeda89]

Here is the conversion for extract brewing. I know this thread is a few years old but did you ever make it? If so how did it turn out?

Grains to Steep
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2 lbs 10.6 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 1 13.9 %
If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Add water to achieve boil volume of 8.24 gal
Estimated pre-boil gravity is 1.088 SG
Boil Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
15 lbs 4.7 oz Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 2 79.8 %
0.86 oz Columbia [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 3 10.6 IBUs
1 lbs 3.2 oz Milk Sugar (Lactose) [Boil for 10 min](0.0 SRM) Sugar 4 6.3 %
1.14 oz Horizon [12.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 5 6.1 IBUs
Estimated Post Boil Vol: 6.24 gal and Est Post Boil Gravity: 1.101 SG
Cool and Transfer Wort
Cool wort to fermentation temperature
Transfer wort to fermenter
Add water if needed to achieve final volume of 5.00 gal
Pitch Yeast and Measure Gravity and Volume
Fermentation Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1.0 pkg Bedford British Ale (White Labs #WLP006) [35.49 ml] Yeast 6 -
Measure Actual Original Gravity _______ (Target: 1.101 SG)
Measure Actual Batch Volume _______ (Target: 5.00 gal)
Add water if needed to achieve final volume of 5.00 gal
Fermentation
04 Sep 2014 - Primary Fermentation (4.00 days at 67.0 F ending at 67.0 F)
08 Sep 2014 - Secondary Fermentation (10.00 days at 67.0 F ending at 67.0 F)
Dry Hop and Bottle/Keg
Dry Hop/Bottling Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4.00 oz natural vanilla extract (Bottling 0.0 mins) Flavor 7 -
Measure Final Gravity: _________ (Estimate: 1.021 SG)
Date Bottled/Kegged: 18 Sep 2014 - Carbonation: Bottle with 3.34 oz Corn Sugar
Age beer for 30.00 days at 65.0 F
18 Oct 2014 - Drink and enjoy!

 

[Wolfhound180]

I talked to a ST brewer. Cut the crystal to a pound and only use 60. Add chocolate and black patent. Wouldn't tell me the amounts though. They don't use vanilla extract do it's tough to convert that.

 

[BtheBs4bad]

So anyone doubting a ~20% caramel 120L grist will get you a stout looking beer have never used it. Carafa, black, or roasted barley are all overkill for color and not worth the bittering IMO. Lactose seems like a waste with something as caramel as this too. Just would give a artificial flavor. If anything add some oats for the body the sweetness will definitely be there with all that 120L caramel

 

[Jaxmickey]

***Disregard** Sorry to awaken the walker, but does anyone know what the mash temp should be?