Why's is DME bitter in my beer?

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Husher

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Did I screw up? A few of my beers I added 1 Lbs of Pale DME. I used it with 1 Lbs of corn sugar along with a coopers bitter beer kit. I'm pretty sure bitters aren't supposed to taste like fermented monkey piss (my wife's words, not mine).

I brewed in the fermenter for 2 weeks then bottled for 3 months and a week. Still tastes horribly bitter. I did it a second time using Amber DME with a coopers dark kit, and it's pretty bitter but not as bad. And it still needs 3 weeks to hit the 3 month mark, but really? Did I screw something up? It only happens when adding DME.

I'm currently brewing using LME and a kit and the smell from the fermenter is pure heaven. This other crap I'm not sure if I'll ever enjoy.

Did I screw up or is this one of those 'time will heal' things?

Cheers
 
I personally don't like pre hopped LME. It wasn't you, it was the Coopers Bitter kit in a can. Next time select your own hops.
 
I would ditch the coopers kits.

The accepted "right way" to do extract brewing is extract with steeping grains using only light or extra light extract. This give the brewer the most control and the most repeat ability as the color and flavor come from consistent steeping grains rather than colored malt extracts with mystery ingredients. I can provide some solid extract recipes for you, name a style and I can post a good recipe. Brewers best makes some very good extract kits (although they do not abide by the only light extract advice) and many home brew suppliers also put together good kits in house.
 
I'd done coopers beer kits before. They're not Great, but they're not bitter either. This is much worse than a dry watery beer.
 
Dme would not make your beer bitter.Do you just not like bitters? They usually are not that bitter considering.Do you like ipa's pale ales? Maybe your water has something to do with it,what are you using?
 
How much water did you add to the kit. Sounds like you didn't dilute to the proper volume

I used a 15 liter jug of bottled water from costco. And I do condense the kit so instead of making 23 liters, I make if for 20 liters. It was recommended online to make a cheap kit better. It worked with the other kits.
 

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