Lactose in an IPA.

It was nice. I've done a few since this thread. While I haven't done a straight lactose IPA the ones I have done all included fruit.

I feel like it really helps fill out the body that fruit can occasionally thin out. I think of Lactose in hoppy beers as adding the same thing as flaked grains but with some more intensity.

 

I would go at least 8 oz of Lactose. I like 1 lb in a 5 gallon batch of IPA.

Generally with fruit I go for fresh ripe/almost over ripe fruit.

I like freezing the fresh fruit prior to adding it. This ruptures the cell walls and makes the sugars and flavors easier to get to.

Depends on what kind of fruit you want to add as to how much fruit you should add. Also do you want the fruit to be mild/moderate/strong in nature?

I just rack the beer onto the fruit in secondary and keg after it's done fermenting at 6-10 days post fruit.

 

another interesting thing I noticed when making fruited Lactose IPA kinda beers...

a beer that would typically yield a perma haze (NE style).... When adding fruit (mango/pineapple) the beer will actually drop clear relatively fast in the keg. The fruit some how is helping the yeast/hop oils drop out of suspension.

This is probably why Tired Hands is reported of adding flour and apple juice to the boil (on the milkshake series beers). To create a perma pectin haze that the fruit additions can't drop out, and probably give something for the hop oils to help cling to..

This is of course all anecdotal findings.

 

They do use vanilla in their milkshakes.... at least some of them that I know of. I haven't done that but can surely see it being beneficial to the overall feel of the beer.

I think adding the fruit after your last dry hop would be a good idea after dropping that hop charge out of your conical.

The additional fruit will certainly lower your gravity some but not a ton, and thats the point of adding lactose... its not fermentable and will effectively raise your FG helping maintain a nice full and rich mouthfeel.

As far as fruit ratios goes it really depends on what fruit you are going with. Blackberries and Raspberries tend to be an aggressive fruit and 1lb/gal would be a pretty intense amount. I have enjoyed Pineapples and Mangos at 2lb/gal ratios.
Peaches are an even tougher fruit to get the character and 2-4lbs per gallon is a better target from what I've heard.

A friend of mine did an Orange Smoothie type beer with multiple types of oranges and vanilla and it was amazing from what I heard but I never got a chance to try it.

 

If you want absolute 0 chance of infection you need to pastuerize the fruit. I don't do this.

There is always a risk of infection but you will have alcohol and hops in your favor.

The freezing of the fruit is thought to decrease Wild yeast and bacteria but it defintely won't kill it all. The freezing is more for making the fruits flavor easier to extract.

 

I don't have experience with Vanilla. I would say add it if you want.

I actually like vanilla extract because there is good quality extract out there.

 

I haven't but many "milkshake" beers out there do....or use vanilla beans at the very least.

I was referring to using extract vs. beans in general.