Watery Beer

[Sollytear]

Hey

My names Joseph and Ive just begun my voyage into the world of home brew beer. Ive started with extract kits (atleast, thats what I think it is) and its been great fun. Im using the Woodfordes microbrewery with some lovely Woodfordes Nelson's Revenge.

My problem is that after 4 weeks or more in the barrel, (the phase after siphoning out of my brewing bucket), with priming sugar etc, the beer still seems quiet watery. I tried it after 2 weeks and it was watery, and so I felt it 2 more weeks and its improved, but not much. It has an immense smell, and a very fruit taste, but its length is no more than a few seconds, after which it is like drinking watered down ale. Any ideas what may have gone wrong?

My recipe was:
2 cans of the malt into a disinfected brewing bucket
Add 4 litres of boiling water (bottled, boiled in disinfected pans)
Add 22 litres of water (bottled again)
Packet of yeast
Left it for 5 days in the barrel, covered in a tight lid, and 1 of those plastic contraptions that allow gas to leave but bateria not enter.
Then I siphoned the liquid (bar the bottom sludge) into the barrel. Missed 3 pints at the bottom, I guessed.
Added 6g of sugar per 2 pints, i think, 108g or so in total.
Added the top. The barrel is then air-tight. With a value so i can add CO2 to keep the pressure up if nessursary with this capsule.

Thanks, Joseph!

 

[Dunfie]

Hi Sollytear - I think you may have got the instructions wrong and this is causing you to have a diluted beer.

Your total volume looks like a couple of tins of malt (probably about 3 litres - someone might correct me here), 4 litres and the a further 22 litres. Your total volume is somewhere around 29 litres. The kit is for 5 gallons which is approximately 23l so I think you may be about 25% over diluted.

If you still have the intructions it might be worth having another look as it might have said something like "Make up to 22 litres" for the last bit instead of adding another 22litres.

 

[BeerBelly]

You are correct Dunfie, the kit in question is for 40 pints (23 litres). I have just made the wherry kit up 'best bitter', mine is still really cloudy but tastes ok.
QUOTE:
1.Clean and sterilise ALL equipment, pour tin contents into fermenter
2.Add 3.5 litres (6 pints) boiling water. to fermenter, then top up TO MAKE A TOTAL OF 23 litres (40 pints) of cold water, thoroughlt mix all liquids to ensure fully desolved.
etc.