What Went Wrong

[Robbo]

it's been a few months since i bottled my first batch of beer, and i was a little disappointed with it, so i thought maybe if i give it some time it will improve. So i decided to open a bottle tonight, and if anything it has only become worse (in my opinion anyway)

It has a very fruity smell, not exactly what i was looking for in a beer. The beer has a head, but its not a very good one, very thin, doesnt hold for long, nothing like the comercial beers. The colour is an orange-yellow, and the beer seems to much like water. The beer has a 'dirty' after taste, not bitter, just wrong, it's hard to explain, it just doesnt taste like what beer should be.

The recipe was just a basic kit and kilo, it was a morgan's bitter and dextrose, i didnt expect it to be like this, i thought it would be atleast drinkable. Did i do something wrong? How can i make sure i can enjoy drinking my next batch instead of struggling to drink it

Any suggestions or clue's as to why it turned out so bad would be appreaciated

-Robbo

 

[Robbo]

Also, i forgot to ask, i recently secured a fridge to aid in the brewing process, but i have no idea what i need to get (a thermostat??) to keep the fridge at a controlled tempreture, or where to get it from!

Im in Melbourne, so if anyone has a specific place that supplies the part(s) i need, i'd be really greatful if they shared the info - also what kind of work do i need to do to get it working (if it involves more than plugging something in i might be in a bit of trouble!)

Yeah so thanks for any info you can offer!

-Robbo

 

[siiren]

Grain and Grape
for your thermostat

How to Brew by John Palmer
is an online book of excellence.

otherwise there is many a good thread on this forum, just search and see.

 

[Thunderlips]

Grain and Grape
for your thermostat

I've got the thermostat they sell, a Gro-Warm.
It's a simple case of plugging the fridge power supply into the thermostat, setting the temp on the thermostat, passing the temp sensor probe under the door seal and away you go. Couldn't be easier.

 

[Thunderlips]

The recipe was just a basic kit and kilo, it was a morgan's bitter and dextrose, i didnt expect it to be like this, i thought it would be atleast drinkable. Did i do something wrong? How can i make sure i can enjoy drinking my next batch instead of struggling to drink it

Try replacing some of that 1kg dextrose with malt.
500gm dextrose and 500gms dry malt is a good start.
I can't comment on how good or bad the Morgans kits are, I have their Blue Mountain Lager fermenting now but I've never tried their kits before.
As far as kits go, it's hard to go past Coopers. I especially like their Pale Ale.
Most recently I made that with 500gms dextrose and 500gms dry light malt that I bought from Grain and Grape and it's good straight from the keg. Better than your average megaswill at least.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Try replacing 250g dextrose with 250g dry wheat malt extract. No more complaints about the head!

Jovial Monk

 

[nonicman]

Robbo, could the fruity smell be due to high fermentation temp, e.g. above 20C? Also dextrose will thin the body of the beer. With your fridge the brews will get better.

 

[Robbo]

I just had the fermentor out in the laundy, there might have been a day or two when it hit the high 20's, im not sure i wasn't always able to check on it, but i was pretty sure it stayed around the 18-20 mark. When my pay check comes in ill go and get my self that thermostat, that should help!

Thanks for the tips, i think i'll try some malt next time

-Robbo

 

[flanbos]

where you sure to clen and sterilise everything well? an infection can give ya beer a very wrong taste.

i get some beers the seem a bit watery id like to solve this too