Malt
Lactose
An unfermentable milk sugar giving sweetness and body — and making the beer unsuitable for vegans and anyone avoiding lactose.
The full record
Lactose has its own catalogue entry with the detail this page summarises — the fuller treatment of the concept.
Lactose — Milk-derived sugar that brewing yeast cannot ferment, leaving sweetness and body in the finished beer.
Because lactose is derived from milk, beers containing it are not vegan and are unsuitable for people avoiding lactose. Labelling is inconsistent, and the styles that use it — sweet stout, milkshake IPA, pastry stout — do not always make it obvious.
What it does
Sugar or syrup. Fermentable sugar added to the kettle or fermenter to raise strength or dry the beer without adding body.
A milk-derived sugar that brewing yeast cannot ferment, so it remains in the finished beer as sweetness and body.
Specification
| Colour | 0–0.5°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | other |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | largely unfermentable |
| Typical share of grist | 2–12% |
| Flavour | sweetness, creamy body |
Used in
- Milkshake IPA
A hazy IPA with lactose and fruit added for sweetness and a fuller, creamier body.
- Sweet stout
A stout sweetened with lactose, giving chocolate and cream character over a full body and gentle roast.
- Pastry stout
A heavily adjuncted sweet stout built to taste like dessert, using lactose, vanilla, cocoa and similar additions.