Question about a Red Ale

Hey all, I have another question for anyone. I just brewed an Irish Red Ale from Midwest. This was the first time I did secondary fermentation, I racked to secondary glass carboy after 1 week, waited 1 more week & bottled.

When I bottled, I tasted a wee bit of what was left that would not fill the last bottle & it tasted smoother, yet I almost detected a kind of "watered down" taste. I could be crazy, and I'm hoping that after carbonation & refridgeration that it will be good (it wasn't bad, just seemed watery).

So, my question is; if I followed all the instructions & put the correct amounts of ingredients in and everything, what might cause the 'watered down' taste? Or do y'all think maybe I'm just being paranoid? Thanks in advance for all your input!

Did you take a gravity reading before you pitched? And when you racked to secondary? If the readings were on the money (or close), then the watered down taste may be a result of it still being flat. Once the bottles carbonate and condition for a couple weeks, everything will probably be fine.

For what its worth, I had a pale ale that I kegged 3 weeks ago. A week after kegging, I tasted it and it tasted very watered down (I call it "thin"). After 2 more weeks I tasted it again and it tasted a whole lot better...shockingly better. I think you'll be ok. You know the saying.....relax, don't worry. Have a homebrew!

I find it difficult to judge on non-carbonated beer... it ALL seems a little thin, somehow. A little carbonation seems to add body and bring out the flavour...

I am currently drinking an ale that is bodied like a lager (Think Ricard's Red, if that helps), and I wonder if ageing it longer would help or not... I have another batch of the same on the go, and I'm going to let it sit in 2ndary a bit longer this time, just to see.

sasquatch....I've noticed that, no matter what beer Im making, a couple of extra weeks makes an amazing difference. I'm not very patient when it comes to sampling my new brews, so after a week in primary, a week in secondary, and a week in the keg, I always have a taste. Almost all batches are good after those 3 weeks, but they are so much better about 3 weeks later. So go ahead and give it a shot. I think you might be surprised at the difference a couple of weeks make.

I keep telling myself to leave things alone. My first batch came out terrific because I didn't bug it. Hard to take my own advice though, because I'm excited about the product.... I suppose once I get into a cycle where I'm always brewing, and always have mature product on hand this will be easier. Or maybe not!!

I know what you mean I find it hard not too sample as well.. I tasted my firsh bach a light porter for summer yummy flavor.My second bach was botteld yesterday and I must have had high fermentation temp or low oxgen in the wort its got a banna flavor not bad just kinda there ya know.. Live and learn..


My third bach is a sparrow hawk porter and is stiil in the fermentation prosess smells great so far..