Article

Milking It: The New Age of Lactose

Creativity in the brewhouse and experimentation with new ingredients by craft and homebrewers continues to produce new styles of beer and variations on traditional styles that would not have been dreamt of even a decade ago. One of those ingredients that is rapidly gaining popularity is lactose.

A non-fermentable sugar, at least by Saccharomyces cerevisiae standards, lactose leaves a lasting sweetness and typically imparts body into beers. Lactose has been used commercially in brewing for well over 100 years yet so often gets pigeonholed as an ingredient solely for use in milk stouts. But the times are definitely changing. Sure, you can still make a killer milk stout if you so desire, but read on and you can also learn how to make two unique variations on a key lime pie beer (a milkshake IPA and specialty saison), a tres leches cake beer, or a maple syrup stout, all with a little help from your friend known as lactose.

WHAT IS LACTOSE?

Less than 25 percent as sweet as cane sugar, lactose is a disaccharide found in the milk of mammals. Used often as an ingredient in baby formula, lactose is also frequently used as a laxative and a diuretic. In milk, lactose can make up anywhere from 2 to 8% by weight.

First isolated in the mid-1600s, lactose was not officially named until 1843 when it was given its moniker by French chemist Jean Baptiste Andre Dumas. The name originates from the term lac,” the Latin word for milk, with the “-ose” ending indicating a member of the sugar family.

Before lactose can be absorbed, it needs to be broken down into smaller monosaccharides. Produced in the small intestine, the enzyme lactase can break down lactose into galactose and glucose through hydrolysis.

HISTORY OF LACTOSE IN BREWING

Non-fermentable by most brewing yeasts (some wild strains being the exception), lactose gives brewers the flexibility to increase both body and sweetness. And while this powdery sugar is used widely in many different styles today, it served a specific, singular purpose during its introduction into the brewing world in 18th century England, which held true until much more recently.

The British were faced with a dilemma. Some of the popular beers of the day, such as porters and stouts, were blends of old and new beer, some of which invariably showed their age. Pub patrons began moving away from these beers and moving toward beers called mild ales. At the time, the term mild referred to freshness of the beer, rather than indicating a specific style as it does today. In order to preserve beers that were going bad, brewers began to add lactose as a sweetening agent to counteract the sourness of the aging beers. Not only did the lactose produce a sweet counterpoint to the staling sourness, it also added a creamy character along with some viscosity to the beer. The lactose-treated beers were well received, and thus became a more regular addition.

The early milk stouts and porters were actually touted as a nutritious drink, due to presence of milk in the beer. According to author Keith Klemp, the brewery Mackeson produced a milk stout in 1910 promoting the healthy characteristics of the beer claiming “each pint contains the energizing carbohydrates of ten ounces of dairy milk.”2

The reality was that the nutritious value of the beer didn’t really exist and led British authorities to investigate these claims of milk stouts providing health benefits. The authorities eventually came to the conclusion that these claims were misleading and inaccurate. In 1946, they mandated that “milk as a health benefit” could no longer be used on the beer labels as a way to help sell the beer.2

This mandate continues to this day and is why you no longer see references to health benefits on labels. Though most English beers of this style will prefer the moniker “sweet stout,” it’s not uncommon to see “milk stout” on beers brewed in North America.

USES IN BREWING

According to Mitch Steele, Brewmaster of New Realm Brewing and formerly of Stone Brewing, “Lactose adds fullness, body, and mouthfeel, and because it is not fermentable, it results in a higher terminal gravity in the final beer.”

Derek “Doc” Osborne of the popular Tempe, Arizona brewpub Pedal Haus explains why he designed many recipes using lactose.

“Lactose can be added at any point in the process,” says Osborne. “In the boil, after fermentation, or just before packaging to adjust the sweetness level. It’s more efficient to use it later in the process, but using it in the boil eliminates oxygen and ensures it’s more sterile,” he says. “Lactose is sweet like cream, not like sugar.”

It’s important to note that while adding lactose may sweeten your beer somewhat, the amount of perceived sweetness will be relatively minimal since lactose isn’t anywhere near as sweet as other sugars such as table sugar. Adding lactose will add a creaminess and body, as well as calories, so use your best judgment if using lactose as a sweetening agent.

THE NEW AGE OF BEER STYLES USING LACTOSE

No doubt, milk stout is definitely a great beer to brew using lactose. But there’s no reason to limit yourself to one, traditional style. Beers of all strengths, sizes, and styles incorporate lactose these days with few limitations.

MILKSHAKE IPA

All the rage these days are a new phenomenon known as “milkshake IPAs.” Though the true origination of this style is not entirely clear, it is commonly believed the first beer of this type was Apocalypse Cow, produced in 2007 by Three Floyds Brewing of Munster, Indiana. But the brewer who is pushing the envelope on this emerging style bringing it to prominence is Brewmaster Jean Broillet IV of Tired Hands Brewing of Ardsmore, Pennsylvania. Crafting beers with ingredients such as oats, lactose, and pectin-rich fruits, Broillet has created about two dozen of these so-called milkshake ales bringing popularity to the style, and one that has been replicated many times throughout the industry.3

Milkshake IPAs get their name from their appearance and mouthfeel. Oftentimes fermented with less attenuative yeast strains, these beers have a turbid appearance, are typically more fruity, and possess a creamier body compared with their traditional IPA counterparts.

A great example of the milkshake IPA, although the brewery itself doesn’t call it such anymore, is Limesicle from Urban Family Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington (recipe at end of article).

According to Head Brewer Isaac Koski, the beer had many different influences, but ultimately most of them were driven from culinary inspirations. The idea behind the flavor concept was to simulate a dessert-style beer that had the flavor profile of key lime pie, which was then dry hopped with complementary citrus-forward hops.

In his homebrewing days, Koski began using lactose in the traditional way with milk stout, but soon realized the potential for doing much more with the ingredient. He suggests that any combination of flavors that incorporate milk or cream flavors are fair game for brewing with lactose. Koski looks for inspiration in his favorite dessert dishes such as cookies, cakes, ice creams, milkshakes, or pies.

Experimenting with ingredients and crossing style boundaries is some-thing Urban Family is well known for. While there are many unique options, throughout all the experimenting, Limesicle is the beer that seems to have secured its place as a local favorite.

“In Limesicle, we specifically added a healthy amount of Citra® hops as well as a large amount of fresh lime zest to help balance the sweetness,” said Koski. “Lactose is a fun ingredient to play around with in brewing. It adds body and a creamy mouthfeel to the beer. Since lactose is unfermentable, this also affects final gravity, so it is important to dial in ratios to balance the sugar additions or you may end up with something cloyingly sweet,” Koski cautions.

KEY LIME PIE: TAKE TWO

Launch Pad Brewery of Aurora, Colorado opened in 2015. Paul Mahoney is the Head Brewer and he also has a very interesting take on a key lime pie beer but takes a completely different approach from that of Urban Family. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he found himself missing some of the flavors of his hometown. Having an urge to re-create the flavors of a key lime pie, Paul explored a yeast-driven solution to craft his Cape Canaveral Key Lime Pie Saison.

Saison yeast is a notoriously aggressive attenuator typically producing very dry beers. To create a dessert beer, Mahoney employed lactose as his secret weapon to retain the residual sweetness that a dessert beer requires.

Mahoney began by building the grain bill to replicate the flavors of pie crust and identified the saison yeast as being perfect for lending the fruity, spicy character he was seeking. In order to have both the desired sweetness and proper mouthfeel, a lactose addition was built into the recipe, and placed into the boil with ten minutes remaining to ensure sterility of the lactose. By placing it in the boil, it gave Mahoney an accurate original gravity reading for the wort.

Originally, Mahoney experimented by brewing the same batch of beer both with the lactose addition and again without it. Although they were both good, the one lacking lactose had a sharp, dry finish and wasn’t exactly what he had envisioned. According to Mahoney, the one with the lactose had a more well-rounded mouthfeel and the lingering sweetness brought the flavors of the beer together. Seemingly a good decision, Cape Canaveral Key Lime Pie Saison recently earned the bronze medal at the US Beer Open Championship.

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

In any conversation that includes non-traditional brewers and breweries, Arizona Wilderness in Gilbert, Arizona has to be at the top of the list. With the exception of its flagship brew Refuge IPA being continuously available, all the beers rotate at Arizona Wilderness. The brew staff takes advantage of the opportunity to showcase some very innovative and creative ingredients, most of which are sourced locally. Head Brewer Chase Saraiva uses lactose in several beers across various styles, but Wilderness’ Tres Leches Cake is a crowd favorite that garners all sorts of attention when it’s available.

This uniquely crafted beverage is not based on any traditional beer style nor will it likely remind a consumer of any common beer available in the market. Each ingredient for this recipe was carefully considered with the intent of creating a liquid cake experience, rather than a traditional beer. Malts and other ingredients that would deliver a cake-like taste and palate sensation were employed and tweaked until Arizona Wilderness was able to replicate these desired flavors in beer form.

Using lactose in over half a dozen various styles, Saraiva has a two-fold approach when it comes to brewing with the unfermentable sugar.

“If the beer has a lower ABV target, we will add lactose to the kettle during the last 20 minutes of the boil,” says Saraiva. “However, if we are dealing with a high-ABV brew, we’ll wait to add it until primary fermentation has completed. The goal with the latter technique is to help the yeast perform better during fermentation where lactose could negatively impact yeast health by increasing the osmotic pressure of wort,” Saraiva explains.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF MILK STOUT

Sometimes you need a sweetener to cover for the sweetener. That’s the challenge Brewmaster Derek “Doc” Osborne of Tempe, Arizona’s Pedal Haus Brewery faced when designing Maple Syrup Sweet Stout (recipe below). Owner Julian Wright asked for a maple milk stout that would showcase Vermont maple syrup.

Osbourne used a traditional milk stout base as his starting point. His years of brewing experience dictated that using maple syrup alone would simply result in a highly fermentable beer, so he needed to find a way to “lock in” the essence of the maple without simply raising the ABV of his beer. Employing lactose in combination with the signature Vermont maple syrup was the solution.

“The maple syrup provides wonderful aromatics and flavors but being 100% fermentable, the sugars ferment out, so I needed to come up with a plan to lock in that sweetness that you’d expect from a beer called Maple Syrup Sweet Stout. Lactose helped me retain the sweetness while still getting the full fermentability from the maple syrup,” says Osborne.

URBAN FAMILY BREWING CO.’S LIMESICLE CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.074 FG = 1.020
IBU = 14 SRM = 4 ABV = 7.5%

This is a “milkshake IPA” using lactose and lime zest. Head Brewer of Urban Family Brewing (Seattle, Washington) Isaac Koski says the dry hop addition in this beer rotates among citrusy hops including Citra®, Simcoe®, or Motueka. “These are interchangeable in my mind based on availability and how they are smelling.”

INGREDIENTS
11 lbs. (5 kg) 2-row pale malt
2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) rice hulls
4 oz. (113 g) acidulated malt
1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) lactose sugar
4.75 AAU Centennial hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 9.5% alpha acids)
4 oz. (113 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1-2 limes, zested
1 vanilla bean, split and chopped
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale),  Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or your favorite English yeast
34 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Mash in with a standard mash at 1.25 qts./lb. (2.6 L/kg) at 155 °F (68 °C) until fully converted, about 60 minutes. Sparge with enough water to collect 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort in the kettle. Boil 60 minutes, adding sole hop addition at the beginning of the boil. Add the lactose powder to the boil at any point. Chill, aerate, and then ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) with your favorite English ale strain. On brew day, zest the lime and chop the vanilla bean. Add vodka to bowl to just cover the zest and bean, then cover with saran wrap. Let soak in vodka during active fermentation. Dry hop in secondary with a citrus-forward hop such as Citra® but you can substitute in Simcoe®, Motueka, or a favorite citrusy hop of yours. Add tincture of lime zest and vanilla bean at dry hopping. After achieving the desired dry hop character, cold crash and package.

URBAN FAMILY BREWING CO.’S LIMESICLE CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.074 FG = 1.020
IBU = 14 SRM = 4 ABV = 7.5%

INGREDIENTS
4.75 lbs. (2.2 kg) extra light dried malt extract
2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) 2-row pale malt
2.5 lbs. (1.13 kg) flaked oats
4 oz. (113 g) acidulated malt
1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) lactose sugar
4.75 AAU Centennial hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 9.5% alpha acids)
4 oz. (113 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1-2 limes, zested
1 vanilla bean, split and chopped
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale),  Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or your favorite English yeast
34 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Place crushed malt in a muslin bag. Mash the grains in 6.6 qts. (6.2 L) water at 155 °F (68 °C) until fully converted, about 60 minutes. Remove grain bag, place in a large colander and wash with 2 qts. (2 L) hot water. Top off the kettle to 5 gallons and raise to a boil. As soon as reaching a boil, remove kettle from heat and stir in the dried malt extract and the lactose, stirring vigorously until fully dissolved. Once dissolved, return kettle to a boil and add hops. Boil for 60 minutes. Chill, top off to 5.5 gallons (21 L), then ferment at 67 °F (19 °C) with your favorite English ale strain. On brew day, zest the lime and chop the vanilla bean. Add vodka to bowl to just cover the zest and bean, then cover with saran wrap. Let soak in vodka during active fermentation. Dry hop in secondary with a citrus-forward hop such as Citra® but you can substitute in Simcoe®, Motueka, or a favorite citrusy hop of yours. Add tincture of lime zest and vanilla bean at dry hopping. After achieving the desired dry hop character, cold crash and package.

LAUNCH PAD BREWERY’S CAPE CANAVERAL KEY LIME SAISON CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.067 FG = 1.013
IBU = 24 SRM = 7 ABV = 7.5%

Lactose isn’t the only twist on this saison from Launch Pad Brewery (Aurora, Colorado), which also features lime peels, juice, and leaves, as well as vanilla beans to create a beer reminiscent of a key lime pie.

INGREDIENTS
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
3.75 lbs. (1.7 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
10 oz. (0.22 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
6 oz. (0.17 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) lactose sugar (10 min.)
4.5 AAU Sorachi Ace hops (60 min.)  (0.4 oz./11 g at 11.4% alpha acids)
4 AAU Sorachi Ace hops (5 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 11.4% alpha acids)
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) fresh key limes (peeled and juiced)
0.1 oz. (3 g) Makrut (Kaffir) lime leaves
2 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans
Inland Island INIS-291 (Saison: Farmhouse) or Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Peel fresh key limes and juice. Mash in with 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water, aiming for 150 °F (66°C) strike temperature. Hold 1.5 hour or until converted. Raise to 168 °F (76 °C) for mashout. Hold 10 minutes. Sparge with enough water to collect about 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Boil 75 minutes total. Add hops as indicated and key lime peel and lactose with 10 minutes remaining in the boil.

Ferment at 75 °F (24°C). When done, rack to secondary and add key lime juice and two Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans (Launch Pad slices theirs lengthwise, scrapes them out, and soaks in about 4 oz./118 mL vodka). Condition for two weeks on the vanilla and rack to keg or bottles.

LAUNCH PAD BREWERY’S CAPECANAVERAL KEY LIME SAISON CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.067 FG = 1.013
IBU = 24 SRM = 7 ABV = 7.5%

INGREDIENTS
3.5 lbs. (1.59 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) Muntons dried malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
10 oz. (0.22 kg) crystal malt (45 °L)
6 oz. (0.17 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) lactose sugar (10 min.)
4.5 AAU Sorachi Ace hops (60 min.)  (0.4 oz./11 g at 11.4% alpha acids)
4 AAU Sorachi Ace hops (5 min.) (0.35 oz./10 g at 11.4% alpha acids)
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) fresh key limes (peeled and juiced)
0.1 oz. (3 g) Makrut (Kaffir) lime leaves
2 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans
Inland Island INIS-291 (Saison: Farmhouse) or Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Peel fresh key limes and juice. Place crushed malt in a muslin bag. Mash the grains in 1 gallon (4 L) water at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes or until converted. Remove grain bag and wash with 2 qts. (2 L) hot water. Top off the kettle to 6 gallons (23 L) and raise to a boil. Once boiling, remove kettle from heat and stir in dried malt extracts. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated and key lime peel and lactose with 10 minutes remaining.

Ferment at 75 °F (24°C). When done, rack to secondary and add key lime juice and two Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans (Launch Pad slices theirs lengthwise, scrapes them out, and soaks in about 4 oz./118 mL vodka). Condition for two weeks on the vanilla and rack to keg or bottles.

ARIZONA WILDERNESS BREWING CO.’S TRES LECHES CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.016
IBU = 3 SRM = 7 ABV = 6.7%

This recipe from Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. (Gilbert, Arizona) was a collaboration with Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco and brewed to taste like tres leches cake with the additions of lactose, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar.

INGREDIENTS
7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
1.3 lbs. (0.59 kg) malted oats
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) white Sonora Wheat
4 oz. (113 g) Caraamber® malt (27 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) light brown sugar (90 min.)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) lactose sugar (90 min.)
0.8 AAU East Kent Golding hops (60 min.) (0.2 oz./6 g at 4% alpha acids)
2.5 vanilla beans
0.4 oz. (11 g) ground cinnamon
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale),or Lallemand London ESB Aleyeast
23 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Seek a mash temperature of 156 °F (69 °C) and hold that for 60 minutes. Raise to 168 °F (76 °C) for mashout. Hold 10 minutes. Sparge with about 5 gallons (19 L) of water to collect roughly 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort. Mix in both sugar types and boil for 90 minutes total. Add hops at 60 minutes left in the boil. Cool, pitch yeast, aerate, and ferment with a favorite English ale yeast at 70 °F (21 °C). When fermentation is complete, add vanilla beans and cinnamon. Says Head Brewer Chase Saraiva, “We provided a rough guideline for amounts, but this should really be done to your taste. Typically these will be added post-primary based on the profile of the beer. Approximately 2.5 vanilla beans, (Madagascar or Tahitian), sliced and seeded, and 0.4 oz. (11 g) of cinnamon are a good target.”

ARIZONA WILDERNESS BREWING CO.’S TRES LECHES CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.016
IBU = 3 SRM = 6 ABV = 6.7%

INGREDIENTS
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1.3 lbs. (0.59 kg) Maris Otter pale malt
1.3 lbs. (0.59 kg) malted oats
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) flaked oats
1 lb. (0.45 kg) white Sonora Wheat
4 oz. (113 g) Caraamber® malt (27 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) light brown sugar (90 min.)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) lactose sugar (90 min.)
0.8 AAU East Kent Golding hops (60 min.) (0.2 oz./6 g at 4% alpha acids)
2.5 vanilla beans
0.4 oz. (11 g) ground cinnamon
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale), Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale),or Lallemand London ESB Aleyeast
23 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Place crushed malt in a muslin bag. Mash the grains in 1 gallon (4 L) water at 156 °F (69 °C) for 60 minutes. Remove grain bag and wash with 2 qts. (2 L) hot water. Top off the kettle to 6 gallons (23 L) and raise to a boil. As soon as reaching a boil, remove kettle from heat and stir in the liquid malt extract, the sugar, and the lactose, stirring vigorously until fully dissolved. Once dissolved, return kettle to a boil and add hops. Boil for 60 minutes. Chill and ferment with English ale yeast at 70 °F (21 °C). When fermentation is complete add vanilla beans and cinnamon. Says Head Brewer Chase Saraiva, “We provided a rough guideline for amounts, but this should really be done to your taste. Typically these will be added post-primary based on the profile of the beer. Approximately 2.5 vanilla beans, (Madagascar or Tahitian), sliced and seeded, and 0.4 oz. (11 g) of cinnamon are a good target.”

PEDAL HAUS BREWERY’S MAPLE MILK STOUT CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.053 FG = 1.019
IBU = 23 SRM = 36 ABV = 5.5%

Pedal Haus Brewery (Tempe, Arizona) adds an extra layer of intrigue to their milk stout with a big addition of maple syrup near the end of fermentation. This recipe’s original gravity (OG) is based on the estimated gravity reading at the time the yeast is pitched. The ABV is calculated based on the inclusion of the maple syrup to the fermentation.

INGREDIENTS
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) pale malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Weyermann Carafa® III malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Simpsons roasted barley
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Simpsons DRC™ malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) flaked barley
5.6 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 14% alpha acids)
1.5 AAU Delta hops (15 min.) (0.3 oz./9 g at 5% alpha acids)
0.7 lb. (0.32 kg) lactose sugar (60 min.)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Vermont robust grade maple syrup (fermenter) White Labs WLP002 (English Ale),
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or Lallemand London ESB Ale yeast
23 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Mash in to achieve temperature of 158 °F (70 °C). This temperature allows alpha amylase to be active but inhibits beta amylase so the resulting beer is slightly sweeter. Hold 30 minutes for conversion. Raise to 168 °F (76 °C) for mashout. Hold 10 minutes. Sparge with enough water to collect 6 gallons (23 L).

Add lactose powder and first hop addition at start of boil. Boil 60 minutes total, adding the Delta hops with 15 minutes remaining.

Chill to 64 °F (18 °C), aerate, and then pitch yeast. Ferment at 64 °F (18 °C) through primary, then let rise to 66°F (19 °C). Add the maple syrup when primary is slowed but still has minor activity. It will ferment the sugar but retain some aromatics. Condition for two weeks then rack to bottles or keg at 2.3 volumes.

PEDAL HAUS BREWERY’S MAPLE MILK STOUT CLONE

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.053 FG = 1.019
IBU = 23 SRM = 36 ABV = 5.5%

INGREDIENTS
4.75 lbs. (2.15 kg) extra light dried malt extract
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Weyermann Carafa® III malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Simpsons roasted barley
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) Simpsons DRC™ malt
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) flaked barley
5.6 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 14% alpha acids)
1.5 AAU Delta hops (15 min.) (0.3 oz./9 g at 5% alpha acids)
0.7 lb. (0.32 kg) lactose sugar (60 min.)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Vermont robust grade maple syrup (fermenter) White Labs WLP002 (English Ale),
Wyeast 1968 (London ESB Ale), or Lallemand London ESB Ale yeast
23 cup corn sugar (if priming)

STEP BY STEP

Place crushed malt in a muslin bag. Steep the grains in 1 gallon (4 L) water at 150 °F (66 °C) for about 15 minutes. Drain well and remove grain bag. Top off the kettle to 6 gallons (23 L) and raise to a boil. As soon as reaching a boil, remove kettle from heat and stir in the dried malt extract and lactose. Boil 60 minutes total, adding the first hop addition at the start of boil. and the Delta hops with 15 minutes remaining.

Chill to 64 °F (18 °C), aerate, and then pitch yeast. Ferment at 64 °F (18 °C) through primary, then let rise to 66°F (19 °C). Add the maple syrup when primary is slowed but still has minor activity. It will ferment the sugar but retain some aromatics. Condition for two weeks then rack to bottles or keg at 2.3 volumes.

Issue: November 2017