How much Lactose is too much?

1 pound of lactose and maybe 1.5-2 pounds of flaked oats per 5 gallons will hit the sweet spot. I actually did this last week.

 

1 lb in 5 gallons is absolute max. Typically I'd try 0.75 lb first and adjust future batches if necessary based on the result from that.

 

I used 1.4 lbs in my last sweet stout (5.1 gallon batch). It finished with a pretty high FG (right where I wanted it).

 

My next beer I plan to brew, an Oatmeal Milk Stout straight out of the Sep/Oct 2016 Zymurgy, calls for 1.5 lb of Lactose. OG = 1.070, FG = 1.028. Cheers!

 

Used 1lb in 6 gal of an ipa. contributed to a very nice mouth feel and look as well.

 

I used 1 lb / 5 gallons and found it to be a little more than I wanted. I guess I may not really like lactose in beer. I am not a big fan of the commercial milk stouts I can think of.

 

How much Lactose did you use for your IPA and what hops did you end up using?

 

I've read several times that 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch can be too much for some people. I went with .5 lbs in my chocolate vanilla milk stout thats fermenting now.

On the topic of lactose - I've seen different recipes call for lactose at different times. Some say to add it at different times in the boil. I've seen added to primary fermentation 2 days in. I've also seen it added in secondary.

Anyone have info on the affects of lactose added at different times? Since it's not a fermentable, I assume the differences are slight at best.

 

It shouldn't matter at all. I prefer to brew without using lactose at all. Then on bottling/kegging day, taste the beer, and add the lactose just the same way, same time as any priming sugar. Based on taste, I try to gauge how much I think it needs. If it only needs a little, then only 0.25-0.5 lb per 5 gallons. If it needs a lot, 0.75-1 lb per 5. If I'm not sure, then 0.5-0.75 lb. Works great every time, you're sure to get exactly what you want this way.

 

1lb 6 gal batch. Nugget citra chinook

 

I say 0 lbs is just about right for me...I'm lactose intolerant and when I add lactose to a beer, I have the terrible farts and gut rot all night long

 

Lol, I'm lactose intolerant as well but I love lactose. Can't live without it. I love all dairy products. I just take lactaid to combat the side effects.