Hop Butcher's Lactose: A Universal Addition?

Lactose, or milk sugar, has become an increasingly popular ingredient in beer over the last few years. It adds a rounded sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel, balancing out the bitterness of hops in some beers. While lactose has traditionally been used in stouts, it has recently been added to other beer styles, including New England IPAs, Imperial Cream Ales, and Berliner Weisses. Hop Butcher, a brewery inspired by Carl Sandburg's poem Chicago, is known for its experimental use of hops and has released a wide range of IPAs and Pale Ales. While it is not clear whether all of Hop Butcher's beers contain lactose, they have released a milkshake double IPA called Blazed Orange Milkshake.

Hop Butcher's beers include a range of IPAs, stouts, and lagers

Hop Butcher For The World is a brewery inspired by Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago," in which he refers to the city as the "Hog Butcher For the World." The brewery uses a lot of hops in its beers and experiments with different ingredients and flavours. Their range of beers includes IPAs, stouts, lagers, and porters.

IPAs are a key focus for Hop Butcher, with a wide range of double and triple IPAs on offer, as well as some single IPAs. The brewery experiments with different hop combinations, creating unique flavours and aromas. Some of their IPAs include the Blazed Orange Milkshake, a milkshake double IPA; the Imperial Stout, brewed with chocolate, coconut, and almonds; and the In All Directions At Once, a double IPA with notes of citrus and passionfruit.

In addition to their extensive IPA selection, Hop Butcher also offers stouts, such as the BA Imperial Stout, which is brewed with toasted coconut and Madagascar vanilla. They also have a Mexican-style lager, as well as an American-style lager. The lager is a collaboration with Shred Beer Company.

Hop Butcher also offers some unique and experimental beers, such as the Alemerica the Beautiful, an American pale ale, and the Only Interested In Lager, which is a play on their name and a nod to their love of hops. They also have a range of collaborations with other breweries, such as the Crushed By Giants Collaboration, a double IPA, and the Beer Zombies Collaboration, an American pale ale.

Lactose is often added to stouts to make them taste sweeter and creamier

By the turn of the 20th century, doctors were prescribing milk stouts as a cure for various ailments, including to nursing mothers to increase their milk production. The first commercial example of this style was brewed in 1907 by Mackeson's Brewery in Kent, England. The beer was marketed as having the "energizing carbohydrates of 10 ounces of pure dairy milk".

The addition of lactose to stouts creates a fuller-bodied and sweeter beer with a heightened mouthfeel. Lactose is unfermentable by brewer's yeast, so it remains in the final product and imparts a creamy and slightly sweet flavour. The amount of lactose added can vary, with recommendations ranging from 2% to 13% of the total wort extract.

While lactose is commonly added to stouts, it is not always necessary. A similar effect can be achieved by using a larger portion of caramel or crystal malts in the brewing process. This method results in a noticeably different sweetness compared to lactose-containing stouts.

Lactose is sometimes added to IPAs to balance out the bitterness

Lactose is sometimes added to IPAs, including New England IPAs, to balance out the bitterness. Lactose is milk sugar, and it is full of unfermentable sugars. Brewers' yeast lacks the enzyme to break down the lactose into alcohol, so it remains in the beer as residual sugar. The lactose left in the beer imparts sweet flavors and gives the beer a fuller body and mouthfeel.

Lactose can be added to the boil or during the second fermentation. Most brewers agree that the best time to add lactose to a batch is during the boil, specifically for the last 15 minutes of the boil. This ensures that the lactose is sterilized and won't dilute the final product or interfere with hop utilization.

Hop Butcher, a brewery, has released beers with lactose, including the "Blazed Orange Milkshake" and the "Circumpolar Cherry Vanilla Milkshake DIPA."

Lactose is added to beers to create dessert-like flavours

Lactose is non-fermentable milk sugar. Brewers' yeast lacks the enzyme to break down the lactose into alcohol, so it remains in the beer as residual sugar. The lactose used in the brewing process is not all converted to alcohol, so some trace amounts are left to provide a fuller body and mouthfeel in the final product.

The addition of lactose to beer has become a popular trend in recent years. While it was once only used in milk stouts, lactose is now being added to a variety of beer styles, including IPAs, sour ales, and lagers. Brewers are pushing the boundaries and adding lactose to all types of styles to create sweet, dessert-like beers. These beers are fruity and creamy, tasting like a smoothie or a milkshake.

One example of a lactose-infused beer is Batch Brewing Co's Elsie The Milk Stout. This stout is rich, smooth, and delicately sweet, with flavours of roast coffee and dark chocolate. The addition of lactose and nitrogen gives it a creamy smoothness and a pillowy texture.

Another example is the One Drop Brewing Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake Nitro Imperial Thickshake IPA. This beer has double the lactose and nitrogen usually included, and it tastes more like a liquid raspberry cheesecake dessert than a beer.

Hop Butcher For The World also offers a variety of beers that may or may not contain lactose. Their website mentions different types of IPAs, lagers, and stouts, but it is not clear if any of these beers contain lactose. However, one of their customers mentions the "amount of lactose and vanilla" in their Cherry Cyclone beer, indicating that at least some of their beers do contain lactose.

Lactose is added to beers at different stages of the brewing process

Lactose is a type of milk sugar that is not completely converted into alcohol during the brewing process, leaving trace amounts that enhance the beer's characteristics. It is commonly added during the boil, specifically in the last 15 minutes, to ensure sterilization and prevent dilution of the final product. This timing also ensures that the lactose does not interfere with hop utilization.

Lactose can also be added during the second fermentation. It is dissolved in boiling water and then cooled before being added to the fermenter. Another option is to add lactose after kegging by mixing it with water, boiling the solution, and then cooling it before adding it to the keg. Lactose can even be added before bottling, as it will not cause bottle bombs due to its non-fermentable nature.

The amount of lactose added to beer varies depending on the desired sweetness and the type of beer. For a 5-gallon batch, 8-16 ounces of lactose is typically used, with the higher percentage of lactose resulting in a sweeter beer. Experimentation is often required to find the perfect balance.

Lactose has been traditionally used in stouts, known as milk stouts, to add sweetness and a creamy texture. However, its use has expanded to other styles, such as New England IPAs, where it enhances the fruity and creamy characteristics, resulting in a milkshake IPA or a Hazy IPA. Lactose is also used in sours, imperial cream ales, Berliner Weisse, and porters to create unique flavor profiles and improve mouthfeel.

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