Lactose & Maltodextrin Questions

[MHB]

Couple of points

One is that I agree with TB 100%; that said I can see why understanding the science of brewing doesn't appeal to everyone; it's a lot of hard work and only appeals to those with a certain mindset. For me it's the most interesting part of brewing.

Second, really manticle, 500g of Roast Barley? Isn't Roast the signature ingredient in "Dry Stout" there are lots of other options that wont contribute anywhere near the dryness, you can get the same colour from Carafa 3, Roast Wheat, or Black Patent with all the roasty toasty characters and little or none of the dry huskiness we would be trying to avoid when making a sweet/cream stout.

MHB

 

[manticle]

Hi MHB. That recipe is based on an AG recipe of mine which turns out full bodied and sweet from the lactose. The amount of RB balanced with the other parts of the recipe doesn't contribute overt roastiness to my palate (or those that have tried it).

To my palate I get coffee and chocolate richness with the choc , RB and lactose combo which goes really well together.

 

[felten]

Sorry,too many words in Pyro's comments for me to bother with, but the bit that you snipped sounds right to me.
I like this forum, and get plenty of enjoyment from reading the many ideas, but I do think some people get too wound up in numbers.
If you're selling beer, then you have to be consistent, but if you are only doing it for your own enjoyment, what's wrong with a little uncertainty (as long as it's drinkable).
I like to keep it simple and easy, put the brew together, wait 10 days, bottle it, (and put another brew on straight away), wait a couple of months, and drink it. The cycle of life!

Some people enjoy learning about brewing science and working out the numbers, you may not but then other people may not like how you brew. Just like some people like to clean and sanitise their gear, and use plastic fermenters/bottles. Each to their own.

For me, I don't drink very often but I do enjoy the learning about the culinary aspect of brewing (ingredient selection), and also the various chemical and biological aspects as well(mashing science, yeast metabolism). I also enjoy giving beer to friends and family that I know is consistently enjoyable.

Sorry for the OT.

 

[manticle]

A 'stuck ferment'?............I have kit stout in currently and it bubbled its guts out for not quite 2 days and has stopped dead..............SG is 1036..........but it includes 500gm CSP and 500gm Lactose along with the can and 1kg of dextrose/dark malt mix..........and 100gm of cracked roasted barley ........+ hops (in 20 litres ) and all only fairly coarsely strained into fermenter..........I have no idea where a brew should ferment out to - SG-wise - when there's 1 kg of non-fermentables in it??? (it started at 1072)........which suggests that a loss of 36 points is getting somewhere near the mark for the amount of fermentable stuff, but maybe not quite enough?

The 'plato' method - as described in this forum- escapes me (not hard)......because it seems the difference based on 250 gm lactose was too much....maybe I missed something.

Anyone have any clues as to how I can know - for this brew or any other - whether 3 days of same SG reading means it's 'done' or means it's 'stuck' when I'm using all this shite that doesn't ferment?

(I presume bottling a stuck ferment leads to the 'ejaculating' bottles I strike occasionally upon opening?)

Have a search for 'fast ferment test' - probably the best way to work out your expected FG if you have too many variables going on. Google braukaiser fast ferment test and I think you should get something.