Using cooper stout kit to make a creamy irish stout

Apricorn · Sep 10, 2013

Ive got a Coopers stout kit but want to do something a bit different with it.
What can I add to it to turn it into more of a creamy Irish stout, or even a Murphys clone.
I had an idea to use cream soda instead of part of the added water. Crazy idea?

graysalchemy · Sep 10, 2013

I agree Crazy idea. Guinness ans Murphys are creamy because they use Nitrogen/co2 gas mix to dispense it.

Apricorn · Sep 10, 2013

graysalchemy said:
I agree Crazy idea. Guinness ans Murphys are creamy because they use Nitrogen/co2 gas mix to dispense it.

Good point. Any other ideas to get that kind of taste?

Drunken Horse · Sep 10, 2013

Apricorn said:
graysalchemy said:

I agree Crazy idea. Guinness ans Murphys are creamy because they use Nitrogen/co2 gas mix to dispense it.

Click to expand...

Good point. Any other ideas to get that kind of taste?

In my chocolate stout thread I mentioned using Lactose. The reason I found for using that is that it give stout a mouth feel closer to Youngs Double Chocolate stout which is quite creamy. Cant say that adding Lactose would work but might worth a try if you dont get any other suggestions. Just remember if your swapping it for any other sugar in the mix its a lot less fermentable so you have to add more.

Coopers does do any Irish stout kit, no idea how close to the real thing they come you might want to look up the review section if thats what you are really looking for.

anthonyUK · Sep 11, 2013

You would normally use lactose to add sweetness as it is less fermentable so I'd avoid adding too much of it.
A small amount of wheat malt might have the desired effect.
Dispensing stout from a pressure barrel results in a very creamy head too or if bottling, search for pocket beer engine

Drunken Horse · Sep 11, 2013

anthonyUK said:
You would normally use lactose to add sweetness as it is less fermentable so I'd avoid adding too much of it.
A small amount of wheat malt might have the desired effect.
Dispensing stout from a pressure barrel results in a very creamy head too or if bottling, search for pocket beer engine

Good point I forgot about the additional sweetness. Maybe just add the normal amount of sugar and a little bit extra lactose.

jimsx · Sep 11, 2013

Couldn't you just use these instead of CO2 bulbs on the barrel?

http://www.homebrewcentregy.com/10-disp ... -gas-bulbs

Apricorn · Sep 12, 2013

Thanks for suggestions, will give it a try once my fermenting vessel is free. Experimentation is half the fun!

Ezza · Apr 11, 2020

Hello I'm wanting to make a creamy Irish stout and was thinking of using a Wilko dark velvet stout kit with 500g DME and 500g Lactose,
any thoughts?.

MyQul · Apr 11, 2020

Ezza said:
Hello I'm wanting to make a creamy Irish stout and was thinking of using a Wilko dark velvet stout kit with 500g DME and 500g Lactose,
any thoughts?.

That would make a milk stout

terrym · Apr 11, 2020

@Ezza
When I did Coopers kit stouts they nearly all went into PBs. When the pressure was up (and I don't mean on the limit of the PB) the dispensed head was creamy just like draught stout in the pub. Not quite the same in bottles although one trick I learned on here was to inject air from a syringe (think child's Calpol dispenser) into your bottled beer in the glass and you will then get something resembling this. I think the injected air displaces the CO2 to form a better head. And go carefully with lactose if you haven't used it before you may end up oversweetening it. Ugh! I used to use 500g of Golden Syrup in my stouts and you could consider that rather than dumping in lots of lactose. And in any case aren't Irish stouts considered to be 'dry'?

MyQul · Apr 11, 2020

terrym said:
@Ezza
And go carefully with lactose if you haven't used it before you may end up oversweetening it. Ugh! I used to use 500g of Golden Syrup in my stouts and you could consider that rather than dumping in lots of lactose. And in any case aren't Irish stouts considered to be 'dry'?

Lactose isnt actually sweet, it's just not very fermentable so you end up with a higher FG. But I'm guessing thats what you meant?

terrym · Apr 11, 2020

MyQul said:
Lactose isnt actually sweet, it's just not very fermentable so you end up with a higher FG. But I'm guessing thats what you meant?

Lactose is sweet. But relatively not as sweet as other sugars. See here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SweetnessI used in a beer years ago and found it was a sort of cloying sweetness. A bit like condensed milk. So have never used it since. Others may like condensed milk in beer but not me!!

Clint · Apr 11, 2020

Yeah I think Irish stouts need to be dry and have that certain acid/sour tang about them...like Guinness used to.

MyQul · Apr 11, 2020

terrym said:
Lactose is sweet. But relatively not as sweet as other sugars. See here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SweetnessI used in a beer years ago and found it was a sort of cloying sweetness. A bit like condensed milk. So have never used it since. Others may like condensed milk in beer but not me!!

I love a milk stout,but I've got a very sweet tooth. I simply add 5% of the grist as Lactose to my house dry stout recipe

Slid · Apr 11, 2020

Amongst the best kit beers I made were stouts, doubled up. One Coopers Stout plus one Wilko Velvet and 1kg of granulated sugar done to 27L (you want the Coopers krausen collar for this). You could do two of either. Not far short of AG quality and not much more expensive either, if you cost up your equipment and utilities as well.

Obviously halving it to one kit, 500g sugar and 13.5L is the same thing. Additional 500g DME and 3-5L of water won't do much harm either.

Ezza · Apr 17, 2020

What's best to batch prime stout for barrel?

Bevvied · Apr 17, 2020

Ezza said:
What's best to batch prime stout for barrel?

I go for 60g of normal sugar for 23L

terrym · Apr 17, 2020

I always use no more than 90g of table sugar. That should last you well down the barrel, maybe down to the last pint or two. Any more than that will deliver foam, any less and you will be needing to top up.

Using cooper stout kit to make a creamy irish stout

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