Pesky milk stout foxing my hydrometer

[H0PM0NSTER]

I brewed up a Greg Hughes AG Milk Stout recipe a couple of weeks ago adding 300g of lactose and 150g of cocoa powder on top of the grain bill from the recipe. This was a BIAB with a concentrated wort to which I added extra DME after the boil so I could make a full 23ltr brew adding extra water into the FV. (My brew pan is only big enough to boil 15ltrs) The OG from the FV was 1060.

It's been sat in my brew fridge at a steady 24c for the last 2 weeks. I used a Mangrove Jacks M20 Bavarian Wheat yeast - the plan being to ferment at a higher temp and add a banana flavor into the stout from the yeast.

Well, took a hydro reading a couple of days ago to check it is ready to bottle and the gravity reading is 1022. It tastes lovely but quite sweet (no banana though, which might be a good thing!), but I'm surprised it hasn't finished fermenting after 14 days in the FV.

So my question... is the hydro reading being affected by the lactose and cocoa powder in the brew, or has it got further to ferment/ got stuck? Given the high temp for the brew, I'm surprised it’s taking so long and not sure whether the sweetness I'm tasting is the lactose rather than unfermented wort.

What do you guys think?

 

[stigman]

It's just the lactose uping the FG. Lactose Is unformentable, I just did the GH milk stout two brews ago, I got 1.062og 1.024fg used so4 yeast and it's bloody lovely after some conditioning time. Get it bottled and enjoy.

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

Thanks stigman. Reassuring to hear from someone who's made the same brew - it did taste pretty good from the trial jar. High hopes for this one!

 

[DoctorMick]

My last milk stout finished at 1.032, it's quite unnerving but it'll be finished at 1.022. I once had a milk stout go to 1.006, that wasn't a good thing tho!

 

[IainM]

Yeah, 300g lactose in 22L will add about 0.005 to the FG. My milk stout finished at 1.020.

 

[BeerCat]

Last milk Stout finished at 1022

 

[InqBrewer]

Seems pretty consistent! I just bottled my first milk stout (own recipe with 200g lactose in 6l for lots of body) and that went from 1.060 to finish out at 1.022 too.

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

Phew! Thanks for all the responses guys.
1022 FG is starting to sound pretty normal. Wish I'd posted earlier now as i could have bottled this last weekend. Ah well, know what I'll be doing tomorrow night now!

 

[Linalmeemow]

This is a timely thread - I've got my first ever AG in the FV at the moment! It's gone from 1066 to 1022 (or thereabouts) in a week and doesn't seem to be moving much further so it's good to know this is normal. The samples taste amazing already!

 

[DoctorMick]

This is a timely thread - I've got my first ever AG in the FV at the moment! It's gone from 1066 to 1022 (or thereabouts) in a week and doesn't seem to be moving much further so it's good to know this is normal. The samples taste amazing already!

What's the brew? Most beers will go well under 1022 unless there are a good percentage of specialty grains or something like lactose. I've never had an AG brew stall mind, they seem to be much more reliable than kits.

 

[Linalmeemow]

What's the brew? Most beers will go well under 1022 unless there are a good percentage of specialty grains or something like lactose. I've never had an AG brew stall mind, they seem to be much more reliable than kits.

I should have been clearer - the reason it's such a timely thread is because my first AG is a milk stout, 500g of lactose is 10 minutes before the end of the boil!

 

[DoctorMick]

I should have been clearer - the reason it's such a timely thread is because my first AG is a milk stout, 500g of lactose is 10 minutes before the end of the boil!

:lol: I should have guessed really!