A milk beer, often more precisely called a milk stout, is a type of beer brewed using lactose, a sugar found in cow's milk.
While the name might suggest actual liquid milk is added, the "milk" component comes from the lactose sugar used during the brewing process. As highlighted in the reference, milk stout IS beer made with milk, specifically by incorporating lactose.
How Milk Beer is Brewed
The key ingredient that defines milk beer is lactose. Here's why it's used:
- Lactose is Unfermentable: Unlike most other sugars in wort (the liquid extracted from mashed grains), yeast cannot consume lactose during fermentation.
- Remains in the Beer: Because it's not converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide, the lactose remains in the finished beer.
Characteristics of Milk Beer
The presence of unfermented lactose significantly impacts the final beer, contributing several desirable qualities:
- Body: Lactose adds substance and mouthfeel, making the beer feel fuller.
- Smoothness: It imparts a creamy or smooth texture.
- Sweetness: Lactose provides a noticeable sweetness that balances the often roasted or bitter notes common in stouts.
These characteristics make milk stouts typically sweeter and less dry than traditional stouts.
Milk Stout: The Common Term
While "milk beer" accurately describes the use of a milk-derived ingredient, the style is widely known within the craft beer community as a milk stout or sometimes referred to simply as a sweet stout due to its inherent sweetness.
In summary, a milk beer is a stout brewed with lactose sugar to achieve a sweeter, smoother, and fuller-bodied profile.
