Taste?

[witty]

Hi people.
I have started to brew again and i have a question.
I have completed a 'Brewmaster' Draught beer and followed directions that were on can. (started off very basic)

once finished fermenting (completed at approx 1010) bottled and has sat for about 4 weeks.

The issue now is that it have a somewhat of a 'mineral water/soda water' flavor to it - its a little hard to explain but its the best way i can.

is there any suggestions as to what may have happened or thoughts? i dont want the following brews to come out similar - or am i just expecting too much from a basic kit and instructions?

thanks,
witty

 

[bignath]

Need more details witty.

What was the recipe?

What was the fermentation like with regards to temps and time?

Sanitation up to scratch??

 

[witty]

Need more details witty.

What was the recipe?

What was the fermentation like with regards to temps and time?

Sanitation up to scratch??

Thanks Big Nath.

recipe was as follows:





yeast pitch temp deg
boil time (min) amount (ltrs) process/additives Starting Gravity (SG) date bottled priming sugar (type/amount) finishing Gravity FG
comments




brewmakers Draught ingredients brew kit 1.7kg/1kg dextrose 2/ 250g glucose 26-27deg
boil 45min 23lts as per instructions SG1.040 11/07/2011 as per measure - Castor sugar Finishing Gravity 1.008
Notes: 27/6 - sg 1.022. * temp slow. 14-16 deg. Increased to approx 24deg on 30/7. 5/7 finings entered @ sg1.012






the sanitation was fine. as its a 'new' kit, i did the boiling water and a 'non rinse' sanitizer.
the only thing that i can think that has caused it is that i was having trouble keeping a constant temp - as my heat box was out of action.

Thanks fella

 

[Synthetase]

Seems likely. The ferment temp was too high. Keep it around 18-20 degrees.

 

[bignath]

Yep, temp control is pretty important (as you already know)

Particularly in the first few days or so when the yeast is growing before it starts eating.

If the ferment didn't fire up quickly, the lag time may have meant that the yeast was struggling a bit too which can be a bit of an issue particularly with kit yeasts as the quantity in a kit yeast is really underpitching. (Reputable brands of yeast typically come in 11-12g packs)

Also, in reverse, if you pitched the yeast at around 26degrees like your post indicates, and it too a while to cool down, if the yeast fired up quickly at those temps, then that will throw some off flavours too....

 

[yum beer]

Certainly temps were a problem, also you want to reduce the amount of dextrose....or straight sugars for that matter... that you use in your brew.

Try getting some more malt in there and an amount of maltodextrin wont hurt either.

I find that with most kits a 1kg box of brew enhancer 1 (coopers)..which is half dex/half malto...plus 500gm(1 box) Light Dry Malt(coopers) will
give you a decent beer to work from.
As Nath said try and use a better yeast than your kit pack....read upon on reusing your yeast...Wolfy has a great thread on washing yeast for reuse.....

Temps 18c for ales and 12c for lagers will give much better results.

 

[Nick JD]

Beer simply isn't meant to get half of its gravity from sucrose. Proper beer is made from 100% malted barley; Aussie lagers like VB get away (some would argue this point) with about 20% sucrose in the beer.

But to get away with 1kg of sugar in a 1.040 beer you're gonna need the planets aligned just right and maybe a couple of crystals deftly placed on the fermenter lid.

Now, quite a bit of sugar in a beer can be managed ... but not if you couple it with 20+ degree ferment temps, unless you're using a very special yeast, like something from Belgium. Even then, you wouldn't use 1kg.

The best advice I can give is to develop a "no sugar" except on special occasions rule for yourself. Next time, replace that 1kg of sugar with 750g of Light Dried Malt Extract and 250g of Dextrose. Your beer will improve markedly straight away.

 

[drtomc]

Beer simply isn't meant to get half of its gravity from sucrose. Proper beer is made from 100% malted barley; Aussie lagers like VB get away (some would argue this point) with about 20% sucrose in the beer.

Well, as we know, some beer is made from beer, apparently not from malted barley at all! ;-)

There are many beers as Nick says, that use some simple sugars like sucrose. Even some very good ones: Chimay, for example. But even those beers use way less that sugar than you'll use if you do kit+kilo.

Even using a blend of malt and sugar such as one of the "brew enhancers" will improve things. When I used kits, I used all malt + a few extra hops for balance.

2c,
T.

 

[flano]

I have never made a kit beer that was any good.
I am sure here are ways ....but I haven't done it.

 

[Murcluf]

The issue now is that it have a somewhat of a 'mineral water/soda water' flavor to it - its a little hard to explain but its the best way i can.


brewmakers Draught ingredients brew kit 1.7kg/1kg dextrose 2/ 250g glucose 26-27deg
boil 45min 23lts as per instructions SG1.040 11/07/2011 as per measure - Castor sugar Finishing Gravity 1.008
Notes: 27/6 - sg 1.022. * temp slow. 14-16 deg. Increased to approx 24deg on 30/7. 5/7 finings entered @ sg1.012

h34r: Dare I venture to make a suggestion without being flamed to death by some 20 something, AG newbie know it all, Darren wannabe troll / h34r:

When judging I've come across extract based beers that what I have called "a strong boiled water taste" which could also be described as 'mineral water/soda water' I've always wondered if it is from a combination of town water and long boil. As when I did kit I was taught that you only boiled a portion ie "4lt to a can of goo" and to never boil any longer then 10 minutes as any longer would have an effect on colour and flavour.

Just my thoughts that don't require any reading into just a thought.

 

[Nick JD]

I would have thought that a "soda water" flavour would most likely be a "carbonic bite". Excess carbonic acid from over-carbonation.

But I think it could also be described as "metallic twang" aka "homebrew".

 

[witty]

wow.. some food for thought! thanks people.

it will be interesting to see as to what the next brew tastes like. as i have a "Brewcraft - James squire amber ale k&K" on the go at the moment that should be shortly finished. With this one i did add an extra 250gm of Coopers DLME, and only. so far its boiled for about 10-15min. Its smelling better than the other and tastes better at this stage. so whether its better 'goo', less crap, finishing hops, better yeast.. and constant 21ish temp - -the final product will tell!

oh, and the water used is just untreated (boiled and cooled) tank rain water. No town water.

 

[Murcluf]

I would have thought that a "soda water" flavour would most likely be a "carbonic bite". Excess carbonic acid from over-carbonation.

But I think it could also be described as "metallic twang" aka "homebrew".

True, I was thinking water taste not carbonation, carbonation being the path which I overlooked but to tell without tasting isn't always easy either.

 

[mwd]

I would have thought that a "soda water" flavour would most likely be a "carbonic bite". Excess carbonic acid from over-carbonation.

But I think it could also be described as "metallic twang" aka "homebrew".

As a kits and bits brewer I have experienced this flavour which is quite common.

I describe 'kit twang' as tart as in slightly sour aftertaste which is probably carbonic acid.

 

[brettprevans]

I recon murcluf is probably right about it ebing water based or sanatation (depending on what your using to clean your fermentors, you may not have washed it thoroughly and had some chemical left in it). 'kit twang' is normally descrived as minerally unless he meaning metalic. carbonic bite i dont count as being sour, but hey to each their own.

normally, mineraly is due to well....minerals.


to the OP - follow the good advice youve been given and youll make better beers.

PS 4 weeks is still pretty young for kit/extract beer