Always dark amber

[Bjorn Toulouse]

Yeah but the highland spring factory is north of Perth just off the A9 and the water does come from the ground, water tastes almost as good as Glasgow tap water except Glasgow tap water is sweeter. Never seen the add who was the brewers?

I only brew from kits and most of my brews are on the dark side, I embrace it and have been making a black lager that is light and tastes like lager. Totaly messes with your head, black stuff should be heavy and thick.

 

[DixeySJ]

Not sure about mash pH influencing beer colour? As I understand it, pH has an effect on efficiency and on perceived bitterness of the final brew. A controlled experiment described here also shows that while a higher mash pH seemed to be clearer, there was no difference in colour. The (blind) tasters in the experiment mostly preferred the standard pH - though interestingly not all of them.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

According to the BJCP Style Guide a Belgian Blonde is 4-6 SRM (8-12 EBC) and is 15-30 IBU’s.

If the beer kit is 17 EBC it’s out of style for BJCP but there’s no regulation that requires a beer to meet the BJCP guide.

If you’re looking for particular characteristics check the vital stats for the kit or ask on the forum, someone’s probably brewed it whatever it is.

If other brews should be lighter than they are you’ll need to tell us a little more about them. Malt colour is available pretty much across the range from almost colourless to black, even pale malt can range from “extra pale” or more amber coloured but the supplier will give the colour in the description.

 

[Sadfield]

Not sure about mash pH influencing beer colour? As I understand it, pH has an effect on efficiency and on perceived bitterness of the final brew. A controlled experiment described here also shows that while a higher mash pH seemed to be clearer, there was no difference in colour. The (blind) tasters in the experiment mostly preferred the standard pH - though interestingly not all of them.

They look pretty different to me.

 

[Sadfield]

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Science_Beer_Color
"Alkaline conditions (high pH) hasten browning reactions, although these reactions can take place under both alkaline and acidic conditions. Some researchers have shown that a change in wort pH from 5.57 to 6.44 can produce dramatic changes in wort color during the boil — from 5.9 °L to 15.6 °L. "

 

[chthon]

Not sure about mash pH influencing beer colour? As I understand it, pH has an effect on efficiency and on perceived bitterness of the final brew. A controlled experiment described here also shows that while a higher mash pH seemed to be clearer, there was no difference in colour. The (blind) tasters in the experiment mostly preferred the standard pH - though interestingly not all of them.

If your mash pH, and resulting wort pH is higher (less acidic), this influences the Maillard reactions in the boil. The Maillard reactions are more suppressed when pH is lower, and proceed better when pH is higher: beer will darken more during the boil with a higher pH.

 

[scrap iron]

As stated above higher ph can darken wort. To much oxygen in wort while boiling [splashing, stirring vigorously, boiling to hard] can cause darker colors too. The darker color of your beer could
also just be too much dark malt, adding more color than you expected.
from an article in more beer.com
Alkaline conditions (high pH) hasten browning reactions, although these reactions can take place under both alkaline and acidic conditions. Some researchers have shown that a change in wort pH from 5.57 to 6.44 can produce dramatic changes in wort color during the boil — from 5.9 °L to 15.6 °L.
from an article at morebeer.com
Other possible contributors to beer color: While Maillard reaction products are the major source of color for beer, other sources are significant. Oxidation of polyphenols is probably the second most significant source of color formation in beer. Polyphenols are sometimes referred to as tannins and may be derived from malt husks and hops.

 

[DixeySJ]

They look pretty different to me.

Note this picture is taken just after pitching yeast. The later pictures, post fermentation, are closer in colour although the clarity is still better in the lower pH sample. It would be interesting to hear from the OP whether this looks like the answer.

 

[marshbrewer]

According to the BJCP Style Guide a Belgian Blonde is 4-6 SRM (8-12 EBC) and is 15-30 IBU’s.

I'll just sit here whistling hoping nobody say my schoolboy error earlier in the post.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I'll just sit here whistling hoping nobody say my schoolboy error earlier in the post.

Sayin nuttin

 

[The Baron]

I'll just sit here whistling hoping nobody say my schoolboy error earlier in the post.

Schoolboy error is that like
Forgetting to put a Protofloc tablet in
Or filling bottles without emptying all the starsan out
Or weighing the grain bill wrong and ending up with a 5.5% beer instead of 4%
Or forgetting to press the start button on a AIO after setting all the steps
I can go on