Opinions for Chocolate Milk Stout

[wolfie7873]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/214758/olivia-s-ii-chocolate-milk-stout

I'd like some feedback on this. What I want is a stout with a noticeable chocolate flavor with just enough sweetness from the lactose to balance the bitterness. I would expect some coffee notes from the chocolate malt and roast barley. Do my ratios seem right?

 

[Nosybear]

Couple of things: First, I'd reverse the Nugget and Willamette hops - Willamette is a very aromatic hop better suited for finishing, Nugget is generally a bittering hop. Four ounces of Chocolate Malt in two gallons of beer seems high to me, about the amount I'd generally use in five gallons. Likewise, 2 Oz of cocoa in five gallons will give a noticeable cocoa flavor but that may depend on the quality of cocoa used. And finally the 120 degree rest with the grist you're using is generally unnecessary and may adversely affect head retention - the malts you're using are highly modified and don't need the protease rest. Mash schedule looks okay otherwise. I like to make a homemade extract of the vanilla - soak it in cheap vodka for a few days - then add that to taste to the beer at bottling. Those are my thoughts but hey, you're the brewer! It's two gallons, 20 bottles of beer. Brew it to your specs and see what you get, maybe exactly what you intended, maybe something else. Your original recipe will certainly be flavorful....

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I think it looks good, there will be no hop flavor in this so start and finish hops don't really matter, you have the bite at the finish to give the softness of the oats and sweets that bitter edge, let us know how it goes