New member trying again at brewing

[Bocker Wright]

Hello all. New member with some previous experience. I gave it up a while ago because I kept having problems with the beer not tasting right. Mainly kits with a few BIAB brews. I've decided to give it another go as I still have the kit, and the time. Cheers!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Likewise I have been through periods where my enthusiasm has waned due to disappointing results that I could not understand

As the song goes

"pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again"

 

[Bocker Wright]

Welcome to the forum

Cheers Chippy Tea. Great user name BTW

Likewise I have been through periods where my enthusiasm has waned due to disappointing results that I could not understand

As the song goes

"pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again"

Yes I was never happy not brewing so it was inevitable I'd be back at some point. I never had temperature control though and I'm almost certain that was my downfall. It was hit and miss, sometimes I could drink the brews straight from the glass, other times it was a bit ewww with a dash of lemonade making it drinkable, other times straight down the sink ☹ Got a fridge now though with an inkbird so we shall see if that improves things. Cheers!

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Likewise I have been through periods where my enthusiasm has waned due to disappointing results that I could not understand

As the song goes

"pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again"

Cheers Chippy Tea. Great user name BTW



Yes I was never happy not brewing so it was inevitable I'd be back at some point. I never had temperature control though and I'm almost certain that was my downfall. It was hit and miss, sometimes I could drink the brews straight from the glass, other times it was a bit ewww with a dash of lemonade making it drinkable, other times straight down the sink ☹ Got a fridge now though with an inkbird so we shall see if that improves things. Cheers!

You know BW that the human race has been brewing beer for more than 12,000 years

I believe that sometimes we HBers over think things

Could you describe that ewww flavour? That might help you and the other great people on this forum solve the issue

What sort of beer? too warm can create off flavours as can many other factors

 

[Bocker Wright]

I've looked to find descriptions and causes to what I'm taste but nothing seems to fit right. If I had to say I would say really sweet. I mean if sweet can go past the point of actually being sweet to something else deeper tasting then I'd say that. I'm thinking now I've never raised temps, or even tried to, when fermentation starts to drop off. And just kits, last one I did was a coopers Canadian blonde.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I've looked to find descriptions and causes to what I'm taste but nothing seems to fit right. If I had to say I would say really sweet. I mean if sweet can go past the point of actually being sweet to something else deeper tasting then I'd say that. I'm thinking now I've never raised temps, or even tried to, when fermentation starts to drop off. And just kits, last one I did was a coopers Canadian blonde.

Canadian Blonde - is that a kit or a woman that you know?

Sweet? was the specific gravity correct at the end?

 

[Bocker Wright]

Wish I could say its a woman I know, even a woman I knew would be something, but no just a kit. I don't know about last reading, I just left if for 2 weeks and bottled. I can see now as I'm writing this how I let my standards slip... jeez I must've really got fed up with it! I still have some, might bring it into a warmer room. The room in which I brew rarely gets above 18 I reckon. Even in the summer it's dark and cold because of it position. Its like a cave.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Wish I could say its a woman I know, even a woman I knew would be something, but no just a kit. I don't know about last reading, I just left if for 2 weeks and bottled. I can see now as I'm writing this how I let my standards slip... jeez I must've really got fed up with it! I still have some, might bring it into a warmer room. The room in which I brew rarely gets above 18 I reckon. Even in the summer it's dark and cold because of it position. Its like a cave.

I still learn a bit more each brew I do (wish I learned a bit faster)

Enjoy your new (and old) beer

 

[Banbeer]

Hi @Bocker Wright, welcome to the forum, I used to brew the Coopers Canadian Blonde and found it a little bland until I started using DME (dried malt extract) instead of sugar and dry hopping with saaz or Hallertau. The DME gives more mouthfeel and the hops just adds to the taste a tad

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi and welcome to the forum... Next you brew try sampling your wort before adding yeast and see if there is any similarities between your beer and that just for curiosity as it maybe the case that your wort may not have completely fermented out.
Was there any issue with carbonation meaning lack off hiss of bottle or head on beer?
Your temperature issues is why I mention and the fact that there is no acidic/vinegar or weird smells or flavours.

 

[Bocker Wright]

Hi @Bocker Wright, welcome to the forum, I used to brew the Coopers Canadian Blonde and found it a little bland until I started using DME (dried malt extract) instead of sugar and dry hopping with saaz or Hallertau. The DME gives more mouthfeel and the hops just adds to the taste a tad

Hey Banbeer Yeah I've only used hops in BIAB, never added to a kit. I'm more a malt man than a hop head really. I think I used challenger, Goldings, and got some Fuggles from my local pub. Tried making an Exmoor Gold type beer in a mini BIAB. Turned out nice but not like Exmoor Gold I've used a kilo of light spray malt in this lager kit more just as a first run with the fridge and inkbird.

 

[Bocker Wright]

Hi and welcome to the forum... Next you brew try sampling your wort before adding yeast and see if there is any similarities between your beer and that just for curiosity as it maybe the case that your wort may not have completely fermented out.
Was there any issue with carbonation meaning lack off hiss of bottle or head on beer?
Your temperature issues is why I mention and the fact that there is no acidic/vinegar or weird smells or flavours.

Hi Gerryjo Cheers There is a distinct lack of hiss or carbonation. See before I would brew in the kitchen where it was warmer and I'd get ok beer sometimes. But I had to move the fermenter into the cold spare room cos it was taking up too much space in the kitchen. The move sort of coincided with me losing interest and instead of being on top of it I'd just mix it up, leave it 2 weeks and bottle, no checks, no bother. I think now I've found the interest again I can see how I was being with it. I wouldn't brew in the summer because I was always aware of what high temps can do so I've always brewed in the winter, or at least when it generally gets cooler. With no heat control or interest in doing so I think it was a case of not finishing fermentation due to heat dropping off as fermentation slowed, on top of uncontrolled temp fluctuations

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi Gerryjo Cheers There is a distinct lack of hiss or carbonation. See before I would brew in the kitchen where it was warmer and I'd get ok beer sometimes. But I had to move the fermenter into the cold spare room cos it was taking up too much space in the kitchen. The move sort of coincided with me losing interest and instead of being on top of it I'd just mix it up, leave it 2 weeks and bottle, no checks, no bother. I think now I've found the interest again I can see how I was being with it. I wouldn't brew in the summer because I was always aware of what high temps can do so I've always brewed in the winter, or at least when it generally gets cooler. With no heat control or interest in doing so I think it was a case of not finishing fermentation due to heat dropping off as fermentation slowed, on top of uncontrolled temp fluctuations

I had suspected that it hadn't fermented hence giving the really sweet taste and lack of carbonation, whereas now that you have temperature control it will certainly make a difference.
If brewing Ales keep it at 19° to see the difference you'll get and if a lager 12° forgetting about a diacetyl rest, your brews will be totally different then once you've got the hang of it move onwards and upwards

 

[Gerryjo]

@Bocker Wright if you intend using kits try swapping out the kit yeast for something else and check out Crossmyloof for yeast as it is better quality and quite cheap into the bargain.