So, why Lactose?

  • Provides a milky, creamy, vanilla-like flavour and a soft mouth feel to the beer
  • Suitable for making stouts and dark beers
  • Doesn’t effect the colour of the Beer

Lactose is an off-white solid sugar or syrup that adds no colour to beers. It is used as a priming sugar and the dosage rates are in the range of 1 to 2 kg per hectolitre of finished beer. The rates can be found by dosing small amounts and tasting the beer, stopping when the desired profile is reached.

Lactose is unfermentable by most brewing yeasts and is added by traditionalists trying to emulate milk stouts. Most brewing yeasts are unable to ferment lactose so when added it is as a priming sugar, it can only contribute this sweetness.