First batch getting worse over time?

Hey all,

I bottled my first batch of home brew (extract kit, Coopers European lager) about 6 weeks ago. A couple of weeks after bottling I sampled it, and it was tasting good. Nice full flavour.

However I sampled it again today and it seems to be getting worse. It's well carbonated, crisp and clean but it really lacks that full-bodied flavour that most beers have. It's just a bit bland I guess. Tastes a bit like some of the low carb beers on the market.

Why would this be? I thought it would get better over time, not worse.

Thanks for any info.

I believe that lower ABV beers deteriorate over time. I'm sure that ABV is not the only factor, but my understanding is that "big" beers get better with age while others peak at a certain time and lose flavor from that point on.
I personally have had this experience. The low ABV beer that I made had more flavor after just two weeks as opposed to 5 weeks. Now, it was indeed smoother at that point and seemed to have more carbonation.. So I guess it's up to you.

It's not specifically a low ABV beer though. From my understanding it should be sitting somewhere between 4-5%

unionrdr said:

The Cooper's European lager is a true lager. Did you ferment it at cooler temps,like 50F or so? Using ale temps would mess it up a bit. How much total volume did you have in the fermenter?

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Yeah I did ferment it closer to ale temp, around 70F

Was a 27 liter fermenter

I tried it again today..

It's really not very good... Not much flavour, bitter, watery, with a pretty bad bitter aftertaste.

I drank 750ml reasonably quickly and didn't feel anything in terms of an "alcohol buzz". So I'm guessing it's very low ABV for some reason.

Is it worth keeping?

Not if you don't like it.

Many people taste oxidation as a "bland" taste that mutes everything else.

Did you practice siphoning a few times before you racked your beer?

unionrdr said:

A 27L fermenter sounds like my Cooper's micro brew FV. The Cooper's cans are usually intended for 23L. Did you get this amount for total volume? Many even go down to 20L to make the beer a bit more full bodied.

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Nah I followed the instructions on the back of the can exactly.. so the volume was correct

billl said:

Many people taste oxidation as a "bland" taste that mutes everything else.

Did you practice siphoning a few times before you racked your beer?

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My fermenter has a tap so didn't need to siphon

reckoner said:

I tried it again today..

It's really not very good... Not much flavour, bitter, watery, with a pretty bad bitter aftertaste.

I drank 750ml reasonably quickly and didn't feel anything in terms of an "alcohol buzz". So I'm guessing it's very low ABV for some reason.

Is it worth keeping?

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Well if you have storage space and extra bottles then leave if for another couple of months as this one needs time.
You brewed it at higher than recommended temperature and that will not have helped the flavor.
If you followed the instructions it should be around 4.5%ABV
Coopers kit brewers generally rate this as one of the best of their kits