Lactose (Milk Sugar) · 500 g

Sweetness that survives fermentation. Lactose is milk sugar that brewing yeast won't ferment, so it stays in the glass as soft sweetness and a creamier, fuller body.

Unfermentable milk sugar · 5–10 % of the grist · Last 15 min of the boil · Contains milk · 500 g

What it does in your beer

Lactose doesn't ferment, so every gram you add is still there when you pour. It sweetens the beer and gives it a creamy taste and a fuller body, without adding alcohol.

It's the "milk" in milk stout: the style guidelines for sweet stout note that lactose is frequently added for extra residual sweetness.

At a glance

How much for a 20 L batch

5–10 % of the dry weight. On a typical 5 kg grist for 20 L that's 250–500 g — up to one 500 g pack.

Where you land in that range is down to how sweet you want the beer. Go easy the first time: this is the one sugar the yeast won't clean up after you.

How to use

• Weigh it against your grist: 5–10 % of the dry weight of the fermentables.
• Stir it into the kettle about 15 minutes before the end of the boil.
• Expect a higher final gravity than the same recipe without lactose — the sugar you added doesn't ferment away.

Pairs well with

Brewing a milk stout? Try it with Crisp Maris Otter as the base, a little Crisp Roasted Barley and chocolate malt for the roast, and SafAle S-04 for the ferment.

Storage & shelf life

• Keep the bag sealed and dry.
• The best-before date is on the pack.

Food information

• Food business operator: Radek Milota – BO PIVO, Hlavní 35, 742 83 Olbramice, Czech Republic
• Name: Lactose (milk sugar)
• Ingredients: lactose (milk)
• Allergens: contains milk — EU Regulation 1169/2011 (Annex II) lists lactose under milk and milk products
• Net quantity: 500 g
• Storage: sealed and dry

Údaje o potravině (CZ)

• Název: Laktóza (mléčný cukr)
• Složení: laktóza (mléko)
• Alergeny: obsahuje mléko – nařízení (EU) č. 1169/2011 (příloha II) řadí laktózu mezi mléko a mléčné výrobky
• Čisté množství: 500 g
• Skladování: uzavřené, v suchu
• Provozovatel potravinářského podniku: Radek Milota – BO PIVO, Hlavní 35, 742 83 Olbramice, Czech Republic

Good to know

• Contains milk. Not for anyone with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance — and neither is the beer you brew with it, because the lactose stays in.
• It adds sweetness and body, not alcohol.
• 500 g bag.
• We ship brewing ingredients from our partner's warehouse in the Czech Republic, so expect them in a separate parcel from any equipment.

FAQ

Does lactose ferment?
No. Brewing yeast leaves it alone, so it stays in the beer as sweetness and body.

How much lactose for 20 L?
5–10 % of the dry weight of your grist: 250–500 g on a 5 kg grist.

When do I add it?
About 15 minutes before the end of the boil.

Can someone who is lactose intolerant drink a milk stout?
Not safely. The lactose is still in the finished beer, and under EU rules it counts as milk.