First Milk Stout, Do I clarify?

[greaterdane480]

Hi all,

This is my first time brewing a Milk Stout, therefore using Lactose. Is it wise to clarify this brew (Gelatin), or will I end up removing the Lactose?

 

[VikeMan]

I'm pretty sure gelatin would not remove lactose. But are you sure you need to use gelatin? I find a cold crash without finings, or even just time and gravity, to work well enough for good clarity in stouts. Keep in mind this is a beer you're not going to be able to read a newspaper through, regardless of how "clear" you make it.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

I'm drinking my own milk stout right now. I threw a whirlfloc tablet into the last 10 minutes of the boil, but I didn't cold crash or use gelatin. It is completely opaque, so fining is largely a waste of time.

 

[Kickass]

I don’t think gelatin will remove lactose.

I’m of the opinion that a clear stout is far more appealing to the eyes than a murky one. As vikeman said you won’t be able to read a newspaper through it but a clear stout can easily be identified over a cloudy one.

How you get there is up to you. I’ve used gelatin in the passed and been pleased. My last stout, partially from laziness but partially from curiosity, I used a highly flocculant yeast and cold crashed before kegging. I’m very pleased with the results.

 

[thehaze]

I don’t think gelatin will remove lactose.

I’m of the opinion that a clear stout is far more appealing to the eyes than a murky one. As vikeman said you won’t be able to read a newspaper through it but a clear stout can easily be identified over a cloudy one.

How you get there is up to you. I’ve used gelatin in the passed and been pleased. My last stout, partially from laziness but partially from curiosity, I used a highly flocculant yeast and cold crashed before kegging. I’m very pleased with the results.

I have a hard time imagining that anyone can distinguish a " brilliantly " clear stout from a non-fined one - unless the stouts are under 35-40 SRM and more brown than black. And appealing how exactly? A dark beer should be dark, meaning you shouldn't be able to shine a light or flashlight through it. Of course, that's not the case. There are enough craft and macro breweries that make dark beers, and they simply are dark brown.

But fining a beer is fine. Also not fining it. Still fine.

 

[Kickass]

@thehaze, perhaps your name betrays your biases? I say that in jest.

Is it a big difference? Not as much as it’d be in lighter styles but I guarantee you could tell. I’m not put off by a murky stout, I simply prefer a clearer example and am advocating that there is indeed a noticeable difference.

All that said, I’m pretty certain one can fine without fear of losing lactose and one can go without fining. Clarity is a matter of preference.

One last poke at Thehaze before closing this: all the BJCP stouts suggest an SRM of 30-40, except one or two that are actually lighter. By your own admission, anything under 35-40 would indicate a noticeable clarity. So, nearly every stout brewed to meet BJCP style guidelines could be distinguished based on clarity

 

[greaterdane480]

Thanks everyone! As stated this is my first Milk Stout, but I've brewed other/lighter ales and have been in the habit of fining with gelatin with near commercial clarity. Just wondered if continuing or breaking the fining habit would risk this batch. I'll let you know how I choose to proceed in the coming days. Thanks again!

 

[day_trippr]

I have kept a 60+ srm imperial chocolate stout continuously on tap for years (through 3 keezers to date) and have never even cold crashed it, never mind used finings. A few weeks cold conditioning is all it needs for anything chewy to drop out

Cheers!

 

[Kickass]

@day_trippr, care to share your recipe? A RIS that’s made it through three keezers is surely an extraordinary dram.

 

[day_trippr]

I've posted it a few times, but I'm away from home and my BS recipes tonight, and my banging on a tablet with Google isn't finding anything. I'll try to remember to post it or a link to it

Cheers!

 

[thehaze]

Kickass - I actually do not enjoy hazies or New England IPAs, as much as old school/West Coast/ " clear " IPAs. The name derives more from the occasional state I find myself in, after an evening of indulging too many beers.

But in all fairness, I have cold crashed dark beers before. These were beers with either vast amounts of Roasted Rye and Roasted Wheat malts, either beers I've dry hopped, added stuff to, like fruit, vanilla pods, citrus peel, etc. or a combination of both. So I've done to precipitate bigger floaties or chunks of whatever I added, so it wont end up in the bottle.

I do apologise if I came out having a too strong of an opinion in my latest reply. Definitely not what I was after ( could also be my rusty English... ). I guess, I was trying ( poorly ) to say that fining a beer, which should be dark as the night, wouldn't be neccessary, although fining it, is as good.

 

[Beer666]

I don't boil my stouts unless they are imperials and never use finings. Always drinkable the day after kegging with nothing in suspension. Lactose wont drop out with fining though.

 

[Kickass]

@thehaze, I like the story behind your name, and find it easily relatable. I guess the Hazy IPA craze has far reaching consequences. I didn’t think your post was too heavy handed, I just couldn’t pass up the parallels of your name and the content of the thread.

It sounds like you’ve done some fun ingredient and flavor combinations on your darker beers. I love how these dark beers are so easily complemented by other ingredients.