cant figure it out

[bmaze7891]

I am having an issue with every beer that I have made (all extract) have come out to where it seems you can only have a few sips of it and it is just to full bodied/strong/syrupy/just flat out tough to drink. I cannot figure out where I go wrong on every one of the batches, but the good news is that it is consistent in all my brews, so I am hoping it is an easy thing to adjust. Also, not that you can see the amount of hops I have since I don't have a recipe up from a prior brew, but it seems that every beer I make when following a LHBS recipe or something I find online, they all seem way to hoppy even though the recipe calls for the appropriate amounts I add.
Just some guidance as to what you think may be going on, because it is starting to get disheartening that I have such high hopes for my brews and they just aren't coming out nearly as good as I would like them.

Thanks again gents

 

[DocScott]

Can you give us some more info? Are you using kits? Canned extract, liquid or dry? Some process info? Yeast used? Ferment temps and length of time?

A syrupy taste makes me think it's either the ingredients you are using, or the yeast/ferment conditions. The "too much hop" (can that even happen? - I'm a hop head). May just be that the style beer you're making isn't what you like or are used to having.

We need some more info but I think can help you once we get it.

 

[bmaze7891]

this was one of the more recent brews that I did below. I generally follow the directions closely with the exception of adding 2.5 oz of apricot extract for flavoring at bottling. The fermentation temps are definitely a little high at 70 degrees 9prob 73 degrees during fermentation inside the bucket (live in florida w/ no basement). I did not think that the temp of fermentation would make that drastic of a difference even though I understand I am fermenting at a high temp unfortunately. I am going to start to use a swamp cooler to drop temps a little more on next brew. I enjoy a good hoppy beer, but I like to share it with others and with the intensity of it, other people do not enjoy it all the much, because they cannot drink more then a few sips before calling it a day.



1 lb. 13 oz. (0.82 kg) two-row pale malt
3 oz. (85 g) crystal malt (60 °L)
1.75 lbs. (0.79 kg) light dried malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Coopers Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
3 AAU Warrior hops (60 mins) ( 0.19 oz./5 g at 16% alpha acid)
2.5 AAU Tettnang hops (30 mins) ( 0.63 oz./18 g at 4% alpha acid)
0.25 oz. (7.1 kg) Cascade hops (0 mins)
1 tsp Irish moss
Wyeast 1335 (British Ale II) or White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) yeast (1.5 qt./approx. 1.5 L yeast starter)
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Oregon Fruit Products apricot puree [or 3 oz. (85 g) apricot flavoring (liquid extract)]
0.75 cup corn sugar (for priming)



Step by Step:
- Place crushed grains in a nylon steeping bag in 3.0 qts (2.8 L) of water at 152°F (67°C) for 30 minutes. Rinse grains with 1.5 qts (approx. 1.5 L) of water at 170°F (77°C). Add water to make 3.0 gallons (11 L), stir in dried malt extract and bring to boil.
- Add Warrior hops and boil 60 minutes. Add Tettnang hops for the final 30 minutes. Add the liquid malt extract and Irish moss with 15 minutes left in the boil. At the end of the boil, add Cascade hops and remove from heat. Cool wort to about 72°F (22°C) and transfer to fermenting vessel. Aerate and pitch yeast.
- Ferment at 75°F (24°C) for 3 to 5 days, then transfer to a secondary vessel with 3.3 lbs (one can) of apricot puree or 3 ounces of liquid apricot flavoring for approximately 5 days. You can adjust the amount of apricot to taste in subsequent batches. (Many homebrew shops carry fruit flavorings and Oregon Fruit Products aseptic purees.) Prime with corn sugar, then bottle or keg.

 

[DocScott]

The recipe seems good enough to me. I don't have my brewing spreadsheet with me (at work) but it seems very low in IBU so shouldn't be too hoppy/bitter. The instructions seem reasonable as well, with the exception of the FERMENTATION TIME/TEMP

WLP002 at 75*F is going to produce tons of esters in the finished beer. I wonder if this is the flavor your tasting that you can't get past. Also, 3-5 days in primary is not long enough. Most low/medium gravity beers will take at least 7 days to ferment out (not all, but most) and then I would suggest leaving the beer in the primary for another week or two to let the yeast drop the last few gravity points, clean up any off flavors, and then flocculate to clear the beer.

For your next batch, make sure you have fresh ingredients (hops/extract -- maybe try moving away from the coopers kit and getting just some liquid extract from your LHBS). Pitch a sufficient amount of yeast. Get the ferment temp down into the mid 60s for the first week, and give your beer time. I would guess you'll see dramatic improvement and will be proud to share with your friends.

 

[bmaze7891]

ironically enough the LHBS is where I get all my ingredients from and they didn't have coopers, so I usually go with Breiss and my ferm times are generally around 2 weeks in primary, then moved to secondary and added apricot puree and not for the 5 days like the recipe said, because I agreed with you.
It sounds like my issue is the ferm temps and I just didn't realize that such a drastic difference happens in the beer flavor from a higher then average fermentation temp.
I have this one in bottles now and was not planning on opening it until November 16th, but I was curious if I let it sit for that long, will the flavor start to clear up, or is it generally going to stay how it is when I opened it yesterday?
I am definitely going to bring it down in the 60's and hope that makes the difference on my next brew.

 

[ballsy]

Agree with DocScott. Also, not sure if you do or not, but I wouldn't follow the instructions of adding the DME prior to bringing to boil after your steeping is done. Bring to boil then remove from flame and stir in the DME well, then bring back to boil for your hops additions. Add all LME at flame out. I had same issue of being let down with my beers first couple batches, then couldn't believe the improvement once I started using swamp cooler and keeping temps in the low 60's. The first few batches that were not to my standard & unfortunately did not improve with time (an IPA bottled June, I just finished the other day and the taste never changed from the first time I tried it....) but not all beer is equal so maybe yours will improve!

 

[DocScott]

I have this one in bottles now and was not planning on opening it until November 16th, but I was curious if I let it sit for that long, will the flavor start to clear up, or is it generally going to stay how it is when I opened it yesterday?

I have found that flavors from high fermentation temps will soften with extended aging (as will the hop bitterness and fruit additions) but doesn't really completely go away. Certainly no harm in letting it sit unless you need to bottles/space for something else.

I think fermentation temperature control is usually one of the last thing new brewers focus on, but should really be the first. Swamp coolers are cheap and work well but require some attention to replace frozen water bottles during the first few days. I picked up a small fridge, outfitted it with a temp controller and am a happy camper. Let us know how the next one comes out!

 

[dixosx]

I am having an issue with every beer that I have made (all extract) have come out to where it seems you can only have a few sips of it and it is just to full bodied/strong/syrupy/just flat out tough to drink.

Did you measure you final gravity, and what was it? Kinda sounds like the beer did not attenuate enough.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I agree with Doc. Managing fermentation temps is the one thing that will make the most difference in your brews. Also, check the age of your LME. I have noticed older LME darkens and stays syrupy tasting.

Thirdly, if you are transferring away from the yeast cake so soon, be cautious of bottle bombs. Take gravity readings and do not transfer out of primary, until you get the same reading over 3 or more days. Honestly you do not even need to transfer to secondary at all and can leave it in primary for the combined primary/secondary time. Many of us leave beers in primary for 2-3 or even 4 weeks before secondarying or packaging. Leaving the beer on the yeast cake allows it to ferment out fully and even clean up a little after itself.

 

[Ster]

I am not an expert but... this is my opinion...

You are using almost 5lbs of malt extract in a 3 gallon batch. This will be extremely heavy, and possibly sweet. You are likely looking a OG of 1.07 to 1.08. In addition you are using very little bittering and adding the sweetness of fruit.

I would think this would result in an overly malty syrupy concoction.

If you want to use fruit, I would try to lighten the body so that you can notice the fruit.

I may even just use the 3.3lbs of extract and steeping grains. Maybe switch some of the 2 row with Crystal 20 for a bit of color and some head retention.

Additionally, Id first get the beer without the fruit to taste how you want. Then I would brew it with flavoring extract... then try real fruit. I'm not sure what the affect of all the sugary spricots would be.

Not to mention... you are boiling off some of that 3 gallons.

I even bet that same recipe above would be much better in a 5 gallon batch with a little more hops.

Just my 2 cents.. Like I said, still relatively new to this too.

 

[ballsy]

I am not an expert but... this is my opinion...

You are using almost 5lbs of malt extract in a 3 gallon batch. This will be extremely heavy, and possibly sweet. You are likely looking a OG of 1.07 to 1.08. In addition you are using very little bittering and adding the sweetness of fruit.

I would think this would result in an overly malty syrupy concoction.

If you want to use fruit, I would try to lighten the body so that you can notice the fruit.

I may even just use the 3.3lbs of extract and steeping grains. Maybe switch some of the 2 row with Crystal 20 for a bit of color and some head retention.

Additionally, Id first get the beer without the fruit to taste how you want. Then I would brew it with flavoring extract... then try real fruit. I'm not sure what the affect of all the sugary spricots would be.

Not to mention... you are boiling off some of that 3 gallons.

I even bet that same recipe above would be much better in a 5 gallon batch with a little more hops.

Just my 2 cents.. Like I said, still relatively new to this too.

I was under the assumption the OP was doing a partial boil, but topping off to 5 gallons (What I do)....

 

[Ster]

I might have missed it, but he specifically talks about adding water to 3G.. I didn't see any step about going to 5G.. caould be wrong. Tired eyes, small phone.