used lactose to carbonate bottles

[hopdhopshops]

how wrecked is this beer now?

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Lactose is only a little fermentable so you won't carbonate. You just added sweetness.
You could uncap and add half of the amount you usually would in corn sugar.

Forrest

 

[dracus]

If its already in bottles I'd vote for carb drops. Easier to add and they do work.

 

[david_42]

Another vote for carb drops.

Depending on the beer, you might not notice the additional sweetness from the lactose. What's the style?

 

[hopdhopshops]

i guess you would call it a milk ipa now?

 

[Revvy]

Carb drops are your best bet for getting it to carb, but be aware that your beer is going to be "sweeter" than you planned. Since lactose is non fermentable, it is used to make beer sweeter and creamier.

 

[Arkador]

Carb drops are your best bet for getting it to carb, but be aware that your beer is going to be "sweeter" than you planned. Since lactose is non fermentable, it is used to make beer sweeter and creamier.

I add another +1 for carb drops. I keep them arround just incase i need them.

 

[Richabt]

+1 on the carb drops. Your beer will have a little more mouthfeel than you were planning, and maybe a little sweeter, but not by much.
If you used the same amount of lactose, as you should have used dextrose, it wont be that bad at all.

 

[hopdhopshops]

so the sweetness of the lactose wont be that noticeable? im going to try one tonight when i try to carb them

 

[flananuts]

Curious as to what is the chemical make up of carb drops.

 

[Richabt]

so the sweetness of the lactose wont be that noticeable? im going to try one tonight when i try to carb them

If you only used 5oz in a 5 gal batch, it should be very mild if noticable at all. I figure you will see more effect on mouthfeel than taste.

I have used lactose to sweeten up apfelwien without adding more fermentables. It took me about 8 oz to have a noticable effect on a 2 gal batch. Even then, it wasn't that sweet.

 

[Revvy]

Curious as to what is the chemical make up of carb drops.

IIRC carb tabs are a mixture of sucrose (sugar) and maltodextrine(?).

But basically it is just a premeasured amount of sugar in a pill form.

 

[apologeticus]

depends on the manufacturer. I believe Muntons tabs are dextrose, DME, and "a heading agent." (can't remember what the "agent" is, though).

 

[MarsColonist]

FWIW, I see ppl praising them, but Ive had bad experience with one carb pill manufacturer (cant remember which).. never fully dissolved.. white floaties. Carbonated, but white floaties in a smoked porter = not very appealing. YRMV

 

[Yooper]

If you only used 5oz in a 5 gal batch, it should be very mild if noticable at all. I figure you will see more effect on mouthfeel than taste.

I have used lactose to sweeten up apfelwien without adding more fermentables. It took me about 8 oz to have a noticable effect on a 2 gal batch. Even then, it wasn't that sweet.

I disagree- I think lactose is cloyingly sweet and would find 5 ounces in 5 gallons pretty darn sweet. However, I don't have a sweet tooth at all, and dislike sweet drinks so I'm probably an aberation!

 

[david_42]

The perception of sweetness varies, most people find lactose about 1/5th as sweet as sucrose. I find HFCS disgustingly sweet (also annoys my GI), but don't have a problem with lactose.

Funny, but all five of the top artificial sweeteners were discovered by unsanitary lab techniques.

 

[Revvy]

depends on the manufacturer. I believe Muntons tabs are dextrose, DME, and "a heading agent." (can't remember what the "agent" is, though).

I think THAT might be the Maltodextrine I mentioned.

 

[hopdhopshops]

well, i uncapped them, re-primed each bottle and threw them back in the closet. The lactose didnt change the beer much at all, if any. Thanks for the advice guys

 

[JesseRC]

I disagree- I think lactose is cloyingly sweet and would find 5 ounces in 5 gallons pretty darn sweet. However, I don't have a sweet tooth at all, and dislike sweet drinks so I'm probably an aberation!

I agree with Yooper, I used 8oz in 5 gal of Stout and it was the longest 5gal of Stout I have ever had. Its weird cuz I was going for the sweet stout, the sweetness you get out of it hits you up front and is there till the end. I wont do it again.

 

[Richabt]

I agree with Yooper, I used 8oz in 5 gal of Stout and it was the longest 5gal of Stout I have ever had. Its weird cuz I was going for the sweet stout, the sweetness you get out of it hits you up front and is there till the end. I wont do it again.

I don't disagree with either of you.
My only experience with lactose was with an apfelwein recipe. My wife thought it was too dry and wanted it to taste like a sweet apple cider.
At the time I was hoping for results similar to sucrose or dextrose, not knowing how different lactose really was. To get what she really wanted, she would have been better off just mixing some off the shelf apple cider with her apfelwien in her glass.

In a beer recipe, I guess I could see how an 8 oz addition could make a really big difference in a Stout.

I'll have to remember this if I ever think about adding lactose to any beer recipe.