New brewer, first batch! Question.....

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danapellerin

danapellerin

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Alright folks, I decided to take the plunge and get into the home brewing hobby. I decided to start simple so I bought a Munton's IPA Bitter extract kit, followed the directions, and today cracked the first one open and gave it a taste.

I think it came out alright.... it's the right color, the carbonation is good, at actually smells and tastes like beer! But it's not quite as strong as I expected an IPA to be. It tastes a little watery to me.

So my question.... is that indicative of these extract kits? Did I possibly do something wrong, or is that the best I can expect without moving up to a partial mash kit?

Thanks!

Dana
 
danapellerin said:
Alright folks, I decided to take the plunge and get into the home brewing hobby. I decided to start simple so I bought a Munton's IPA Bitter extract kit, followed the directions, and today cracked the first one open and gave it a taste.

I think it came out alright.... it's the right color, the carbonation is good, at actually smells and tastes like beer! But it's not quite as strong as I expected an IPA to be. It tastes a little watery to me.

So my question.... is that indicative of these extract kits? Did I possibly do something wrong, or is that the best I can expect without moving up to a partial mash kit?

Thanks!

Dana
Click to expand...

That is a hopped liquid extract, correct? The hops will mellow over time in the can. So, an older can will have a mellower taste. Next time, I'd recommend a kit with pellet hops.
 
I'd say that's somewhat to be expected from a Munton's kit. If you're not ready to do a partial mash (or all grain, for that matter) I'd say try a better quality extract kit or recipe. There are plenty of great extract recipes on this site, and all the reputable online homebrew stofes (AHS, Midwest, BMW, Morebeer, etc...) have a great selection of kits that don't use prehopped extract. Give one of those a shot, and see if your results don't improve.
 
yeah using a kit that has pellets and some specialty malt can yield better results. the more quality your ingredient the better your beer will taste. you also have to account for sanitary conditions and patients. but hey congrats on your first beer.
 
+1 on the LLguy. Find a kit that includes hops and possibly some steeping grains and you'll probably enjoy the end product a bit more. Plus, emptying a can of pre-hopped extract into boiling water isn't teaching you too much about brewing, at least the pre-fermenter side of things. And don't be afraid of partial mash. It's pretty easy if you start with smaller amounts of grain.
 
Hey thanks for all the feedback. I guess I should stoked that it's drinkable at least! And hearing your comments on the Munton's gives me encouragement to keep going and try something else next time. Can't wait to start my next batch.

Cheers!

Dana
 
How long has it been aged? Let it sit for another week or two and see if the tastes come together a bit more. I find that when my beer is young, it has a "thin" watery flavor as well, but that goes away over time.

Glad your beer came out drinkable!
 

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