Oatmeal Milk Stout - High Final Gravity??

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Avocado232

Oatmeal Milk Stout - High Final Gravity??

Post by Avocado232 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:29 pm

Hi guys.

I currently have an oatmeal milk stout brewing away in my cupboard and I'm wondering weather I have a stuck fermentation. The original gravity came out at 1.074 and my first reading on day 7 was around 1.040. I was expecting around 1.025, so after a gentle stir to perhaps wake up the yeast, I took another reading on day 10. This came out at around 1.036. Still a lot higher than I was expecting and I am planning on racking to secondary before bottling.

Recipe (12 Litres):

2.6 kg United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale
375 g Rolled Oats
225 g Lactose (Milk Sugar)
187 g American - Caramel / Crystal 60L
187 g United Kingdom - Pale Chocolate
150 g German - Carafa III
38 g United Kingdom - Black Patent

Yeast - Safale S04 (hydrated)

Could 1.036 be the final gravity and would it be safe to bottle after a week in the secondary? Any tips would much appreciated

Thanks in advance!

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johnmac
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Re: Oatmeal Milk Stout - High Final Gravity??

Post by johnmac » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:09 pm

I'm inclined to think your fermentation is properly complete.

Incidentally, I've used lactose in the past to make milk stout, I've found it becomes over carbonated after a few months in the bottle. It seems the lactose is not so much unfermentable as just slowly fermentable. Have you found the same?

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orlando
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Re: Oatmeal Milk Stout - High Final Gravity??

Post by orlando » Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:01 pm

You have a lot of unfermentables, adjuncts and non-diastatic malts so it may be that it has finished.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

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dinsd-ale

Re: Oatmeal Milk Stout - High Final Gravity??

Post by dinsd-ale » Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:56 am

The lactose is unfermentable and will give a false reading. I didn't realise this when I brewed one recently but was told this by a brewer at Dark Star.
My Milk Stout started at 1.072 and finished at 1.034. I bottled it and all was fine and it was a great beer.

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