Big smoke underworld milk stout

[Monkhouse]

Hey, I need to pick a few brains about this recipe. I’ve ordered the kit from malt miller and I’ve also seen another recipe on brewers friend that’s slightly different with regards to the boil additions.
I wondered if anyone could help me decide on which recipe would work best.
The additions in question are the coffee beans and the vanilla pods- both recipes have different amounts. I want to go with the amount that will give the nicest balance but also I really love all these flavours and want them to be detectable in the final beer.

 

[YeastFace]

Could try with the smaller amounts and if necessary add more before packaging?

I have had good success "dry beaning" both in the fermenter and keg before.

Personally I would not add coffee beans or brewed coffee to the full boil as this will likely draw tannins. I would add at flameout at 85°-90° like a hop stand.

 

[Monkhouse]

I was actually planning on adding all the additions at flameout tbh. It seems a waste otherwise especially with the vanilla pods (sooooo bloody expensive!) I would think most of the flavour would boil off if added at 30 min like the recipe suggests!

 

[Monkhouse]

Right, I’ve got the additions sorted but…. Which chocolate should I use? The 70% or the 85%?

 

[samale]

@phildo79 is the man to ask

 

[phildo79]

@samale is possibly giving me too much credit. I have brewed about 7 beers with choc and coffee additions. Never tried vanilla though.

FWIW, the beers I brewed were all over 8% (except one that was 6.7%). So I would be cautious about the chocolate. You don't want it too dark or bitter. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably go for something like bakers chocolate which is about 60% and throw in about 5g of bakers cocoa nibs.

But as the recipe from MM calls for 70% chocolate, I'd be inclined to go with the recipe, if torn. Second guessing isn't always a good thing. I would also say not to get too hung up on such things like chocolate darkness percentages. I mean, how much different could it possibly turn out?

 

[Monkhouse]

Yeah you’re probably right, besides if I start changing things with the recipe now I’ll wonder what it would have tasted like if I’d stuck with the original.
Having said that i tho I I’ll be adding the lactose, chocolate and vanilla at 15min instead of the vanilla @ 30

 

[Monkhouse]

Does anyone know how much sugar I should be adding per 500ml bottle for a milk stout?
I’ve got carbonation drops but I think they will make it too lively for it’s style. The carb drops weigh about 4g each..

 

[phildo79]

What size is the batch? I have never gone wrong with 120g per 20L batch, regardless of style. And I have never bothered adjusting if it was a few litres over or under the 20L.

 

[Monkhouse]

It’s a 28l batch but I won’t be batch priming I’ll be adding sugar directly to bottles

 

[phildo79]

Any particular reason for not batch priming? It's a quicker, easier, more effective way of evenly distributing carbonation

 

[Monkhouse]

Any particular reason for not batch priming? It's a quicker, easier, more effective way of evenly distributing carbonation

Yup! I transfer under pressure from my fermentasaurus unitank using a bottling gun so don’t use a batch priming bucket.
The only real option for me is sugar or carb drops

 

[Monkhouse]

So I think I’m right in going for around 2.5g table sugar per 500ml bottle. I used the brewers friend calculator, 2.1volumes is 140g table sugar divided by 56 bottles is 2.5g.
Does this sound reasonable for a milk stout? Don’t want it to be too fizzy