brēowanthorpe

The Homestead of Beer

Sweet Stout

By thomas #Barley, #Beer, #BIAB, #Homebrew, #Hops, #Lactose, #Milk Stout, #No-Sparge, #One Gallon, #Stout, #Sweet Stout, #Water, #Westfort, #Yeast

Codename : Westfort Milk Stouthorpe (2022)

As I have covered off most of the stout styles I enjoy drinking, it was time to try a milk stout, also known as a sweet stout. Introducing some lactose sugar sweetens the profile of the stout, while not contributing to the fermentable sugars.

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs 13 oz Maris Otter malt (3.8L)
  • 2 oz Chocolate malt (36oL)
  • 2 oz Crystal dark (100L)
  • 2 oz Torrified wheat
  • 1.5 oz Roasted barley (488L)
  • 0.10 oz Cascade hops at 60 minutes
  • 0.20 oz East Kent Golding hops at 15 minutes
  • ¼ tsp Irish Moss (optional) at 15 minutes
  • 2 oz lactose
  • 0.20 oz East Kent Golding hops at 10 minutes
  • 0.20 oz East Kent Golding hops at 5 minutes
  • 0.20 oz Fuggle hops at 0 minutes
  • 6 ml Nottingham Ale yeast

Vital Stats

  • Anticipated ABV : 5.3%
  • Anticipated IBU : 29
  • Anticipated SRM : 35
  • Target OG : 1.058
  • Pre-boil SG : 1.036
  • Target FG : 1.018
  • Brewhouse (in)efficiency : 65%

Brew Day

  •  Prepare 7.6L strike water, 159F. 
  • Add the milled grains to the bag. 
  • Place the bag in the hot water, set the timer for 75 minutes, and maintain the temperature at 152 F.
  • Calibrate the refractometer, aka the sonic screwdriver.
  • Lift the bag out of the water, and allow it to drip into the pot. Every bit of sugar that can be extracted will benefit the end ABV.
  • Bring up to a boil, 212F, set the timer for 60 minutes. Add hops, yeast nutrient and Irish Moss as prescribed above.
  • Sanitise everything required for fermentation.
  • Cool to room temp, an ice-bath or a snowbank work effectively.
  • Prepare yeast mixture.
  • Add wort to the jug. Pitch yeast.
  • Store in a cool place for primary fermentation for 7-14 days.

Bottling Day

  • Sanitise everything required for bottling.
  • Transfer from carboy to bottling pot.
  • Prepare 24g corn sugar with enough hot water to dissolve it. Add to pot.
  • Bottle.
  • Preferably conduct bottle conditioning for at least 6 weeks. You can crack one open early, but you might be disappointed. You have been warned.

Brew Notes

  • Pre-boil gravity was achieved. As the boil progressed, the gravity was heading towards 1.058. With the addition of the lactose, 1.068 was achieved
  • Set BHE back to 65%, this seems to be the optimal setting for my home setup.
  • A new/old mistake was made. Instead of buying the milled grain, I got regular malted barley. Previously I would just use a food processor to grind it. 20 lbs of barley was too much for me to want to put through it, so I finally purchased a grain mill.
My new grain mill.
This is what lactose looks like.

 

Stout fermenting in the carboy.

Brew day : 11-Nov-2022
Bottling day : 19-Nov-2022