BeerBorg

I'm planning on making a milk stout using the Mr Beer St. Patty's and some lactose. How much lactose would be appropriate for a standard 2-gallon Mr Beer sized batch? 1/2lb?

I'm also planning to add some unsweetened cocoa powder (hence the "chocolate milk stout"). I'm thinking 1/2 cup, as per Mr Beer's Ole Mole recipe. Does that sounds about right to the Borg?

Also: it feels good to be brewing again. I took most if the summer off because I was too busy, but I'm back at it now.



EDIT: Posted this in the wrong forum a moment ago...deleted that one and reposted here.

Most recipes I've seen call for a pound per 5 gallon batch. I think I would start out with 1/4 lb and go from there, it will be pretty sweet. 1/2 pound would be too much for a 2.13 gallon batch, atleast for me. I made a mistake once and used a whole pound of lactose for a hard cider, it's like drinking sugar cubes, that's why I'm saying 1/4 pound.

Thanks for the advice, FIT. I think I used a full pound in my hard lemonade and, surprisingly, it's still pretty tart. But obviously it'll be different for beer.

I'll do a 1/4 lb and then adjust in future batches if I find that's not enough (or too much).

After a rather long delay, I finally got around to doing a batch of this today. I'm calling it Brown Cow Chocolate Milk Stout.

Brown Cow Chocolate Milk Stout
------------------------------
Brewer: Adam Snider
Style: Milk Stout
Batch: 2.13 gal Extract

Characteristics
---------------
Recipe Gravity: 1.032 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 46 IBU
Recipe Color: 40° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.008
Alcohol by Volume: 3.1%
Alcohol by Weight: 2.4%

Ingredients
-----------
Mr. Beer/Coopers St. Patrick's Irish Stout 1.87 lb, Extract, Extract

Mr. Beer/Coopers St. Patrick's Irish Stout 1.00 oz, Pellet, 5 minutes

Cocoa Powder 0.50 unit, Other, Unit = Cup
Lactose 0.25 unit, Other, Unit = Pound; FG & OG calcs will be off because of this unfermentable
Mr. Beer Dry Ale Yeast 1.00 unit, Yeast, Temperature Range: 68°-76° F 2.0 GRAMS

Notes
-----
Recipe Notes:
1. Bring 1.25L water to a boil and remove from heat.
2. Add lactose and stir until dissolved.
3. Add cocoa and stir until dissolved.
4. Add LME and stir well.
5. Add wort to 4L water already in LBK.
6. Top up with cold tap water, add yeast and let it f

Actual OG = 1.042
Expected FG, accounting for unfermentable lactose = 1.018
Actual FG = TBD

**Adjusted expected FG is based on the difference between the Recipe Gravity and the actual OG.

Curious about this one. Please let us know how it turns out and post a review.

M42 wrote:Curious about this one. Please let us know how it turns out and post a review.

Definitely. I figure it's going to take at least 2 months to mature, but I may pop a bottle in the fridge in the next day or two, just to see how it's progressing at the 1-month mark.