Help to improve an extract milk (chocolate) stout recipe

[ThePour]

Hi all,

On my 5th or 6th brew now and still finding my feet. My most successful so far has been my stout. I found a recipe online and added some chocolate (and cinnamon) to it and it's tasty and popular with my friends.

My only complaint is that it feels a bit 'thin'. It lacks mouthfeel and 'heaviness'. I am planning to add some oats to it (and possibly a little more lactose) in the hope that this will help but would appreciate some advice on how much or if I should also be thinking about anything else.

Also, I want to brew a stronger version of this too (~6.8%-7%). What is the best way to do this? Brew short? Just add more extract? If the latter, do I need to up the quantity of everything else?
(I have just started looking at BeerSmith but haven't got a good enough handle on it yet. When I adjust the ABV in the recipe in their, it adjusts all the grains too...)

This is the recipe I originally used (with some adjustments and adjuncts). I'm using some cheaper yeast this time. Grains are just steeped for 30mins at 70°

Milk Stout Extract - Sweet Stout
==================================================
Batch Size: 9 L
Boil Size: 9.8 L
Boil Time: 60 min
Efficiency: 70%
OG: 1.055
FG: 1.011
ABV: 5.4%
Bitterness: 35.5 IBUs (Tinseth)
Color: 38 SRM (Morey)

Fermentables
==================================================
Name Type Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
Dry Extract (DME) 1.200 kg No No 95% 8 L
Chocolate Malt (UK) Grain 140.000 g No No 73% 450 L
Roasted Barley Grain 140.000 g No No 55% 300 L
Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L Grain 140.000 g No No 74% 60 L
Milk Sugar (Lactose) Sugar 120.000 g No Yes 76% 0 L
Total grain: 1.740 kg

Hops
==================================================
Name Alpha Amount Use Time Form IBU
Fuggles 5.5% 30.000 g Boil 60.000 min Leaf 35.5

Yeast
==================================================
Name Type Form Amount Stage
Danstar - Nottingham Ale Dry 11.001 mL Primary

 

[ClownPrince]

Hi all,

On my 5th or 6th brew now and still finding my feet. My most successful so far has been my stout. I found a recipe online and added some chocolate (and cinnamon) to it and it's tasty and popular with my friends.

My only complaint is that it feels a bit 'thin'. It lacks mouthfeel and 'heaviness'. I am planning to add some oats to it (and possibly a little more lactose) in the hope that this will help but would appreciate some advice on how much or if I should also be thinking about anything else.

Also, I want to brew a stronger version of this too (~6.8%-7%). What is the best way to do this? Brew short? Just add more extract? If the latter, do I need to up the quantity of everything else?
(I have just started looking at BeerSmith but haven't got a good enough handle on it yet. When I adjust the ABV in the recipe in their, it adjusts all the grains too...)

This is the recipe I originally used (with some adjustments and adjuncts). I'm using some cheaper yeast this time. Grains are just steeped for 30mins at 70°

I'm going to follow this with interest; I've got designs on making a Cinnamon/Coffee stout at some point.
At a glance though, that seems like less DME than i'd use for a 9l batch, I don't know how much the Lactose adds to it so that may bump it up.
Also, I'm not sure about this, but if you're using Lactose shouldn't you be using specialist yeast (I think I read this somewhere, but can't remember where so I wouldn't be surprised if i'm wrong).

 

[MyQul]

Also, I'm not sure about this, but if you're using Lactose shouldn't you be using specialist yeast (I think I read this somewhere, but can't remember where so I wouldn't be surprised if i'm wrong).

Yes you right, your wrong You dont need a specialist yeast

 

[MyQul]

I havent put your figures through a brewing calc but when I did a milk stout I read 5% lactose is a good starting point, so thats what I added and it turned out great

My house stout is the same as my milk stout minis the lactose I use the same specialty grains you have plus flaked barley. It's denfinately not thin bodied

 

[Winterbournebrewery]

I'm going to follow this with interest; I've got designs on making a Cinnamon/Coffee stout at some point.
At a glance though, that seems like less DME than i'd use for a 9l batch, I don't know how much the Lactose adds to it so that may bump it up.
Also, I'm not sure about this, but if you're using Lactose shouldn't you be using specialist yeast (I think I read this somewhere, but can't remember where so I wouldn't be surprised if i'm wrong).

yes Lactose is just an unfermentable (is this a word?) sugar... no special yeast required. Flaked oats/barley will give you some lovely extra weight

 

[ThePour]

Thanks for your input everyone.

 

[user 18729]

Whilst a specialist yeast isn’t needed, Nottingham is quite a dry/tart yeast. Why don’t you try a yeast a little less attenuative with some more character? That might give you more of what you’re looking for