Hi my first two batches of beer have been terrible. I have read around a bit and I'm not sure what to try next, I'll go over my procedure.
I disassemble my fermenter completely (ring seal, tap, grommet, air lock), and clean all parts very thoroughly using Brewcraft Brewclean. I rinse very well using tap water, re-assemble, then rinse inside it with copper tun brewshield sanitizer (hydrogen peroxide/silver ions/distilled water). I run this through the tap, and tip it all out and keep a bit in the airlock. I do NOT re-rinse with tap water.
I dissolve my kit which is "Cascade Imperial voyage pale ale", in roughly 5lt of filtered tap water, along with Brewcraft Brewbooster #15 which I think is 1kg mixture of glucose and dried corn syrup. I do not boil this, but bring it close to the boil for maybe 10min and ensure everything is fully dissolved. I do this in an aluminum pot, my water filter is a single stage canister. I mix this in the fermenter with enough filtered water to make up 23lt total. I close the lid and fit the airlock, and when it has cooled to 25deg I sprinkle the yeast from the kit labeled "Cascade Bohemian" on to the top and put the lid back on. Temperature was averaging low 20's, but a couple of times it got down to 16deg. SG went from 1.036 to 1.012 over 7 days, I let it sit another 4 days after bubbling stopped. My empty bottles were stored upside down in boxes for about 3 weeks after being sterilized for me, by the guy I bought them from. I know this sounds dodgee but this guys entire house was full of bottles and he looked like a pro, he told me what he sterilized them with would break down into water. I washed and rinsed the filler tube with tap water, my first bottle was very cloudy so I threw it away, every bottle after that filled very clear with not much fizzing. I added 2 carbonation drops to each bottle using a sterile pair of tongs, and capped them. I did not sterilize the crown caps, but I was careful not to touch the inside of them. I left a small gap at the top of the bottle, the volume of the filler stick (~3-4cm). I did not shake or swish the bottles to distribute the priming sugar. This beer was primed at 20-24deg and is now 3 weeks old. It has plenty of fizz, but it tastes TERRIBLE. I'm not great at describing tastes but it has no body, very watery and thin, and almost like a dash of Worcestershire sauce is in it. I have choked down a few long necks now, it did not make me feel sick.
I don't know what I did wrong, and I don't want to wreck several more batches of beer trying to find out. Can anybody tell me where I went wrong?
Thanks,
Mick.
I disassemble my fermenter completely (ring seal, tap, grommet, air lock), and clean all parts very thoroughly using Brewcraft Brewclean. I rinse very well using tap water, re-assemble, then rinse inside it with copper tun brewshield sanitizer (hydrogen peroxide/silver ions/distilled water). I run this through the tap, and tip it all out and keep a bit in the airlock. I do NOT re-rinse with tap water.
I dissolve my kit which is "Cascade Imperial voyage pale ale", in roughly 5lt of filtered tap water, along with Brewcraft Brewbooster #15 which I think is 1kg mixture of glucose and dried corn syrup. I do not boil this, but bring it close to the boil for maybe 10min and ensure everything is fully dissolved. I do this in an aluminum pot, my water filter is a single stage canister. I mix this in the fermenter with enough filtered water to make up 23lt total. I close the lid and fit the airlock, and when it has cooled to 25deg I sprinkle the yeast from the kit labeled "Cascade Bohemian" on to the top and put the lid back on. Temperature was averaging low 20's, but a couple of times it got down to 16deg. SG went from 1.036 to 1.012 over 7 days, I let it sit another 4 days after bubbling stopped. My empty bottles were stored upside down in boxes for about 3 weeks after being sterilized for me, by the guy I bought them from. I know this sounds dodgee but this guys entire house was full of bottles and he looked like a pro, he told me what he sterilized them with would break down into water. I washed and rinsed the filler tube with tap water, my first bottle was very cloudy so I threw it away, every bottle after that filled very clear with not much fizzing. I added 2 carbonation drops to each bottle using a sterile pair of tongs, and capped them. I did not sterilize the crown caps, but I was careful not to touch the inside of them. I left a small gap at the top of the bottle, the volume of the filler stick (~3-4cm). I did not shake or swish the bottles to distribute the priming sugar. This beer was primed at 20-24deg and is now 3 weeks old. It has plenty of fizz, but it tastes TERRIBLE. I'm not great at describing tastes but it has no body, very watery and thin, and almost like a dash of Worcestershire sauce is in it. I have choked down a few long necks now, it did not make me feel sick.
I don't know what I did wrong, and I don't want to wreck several more batches of beer trying to find out. Can anybody tell me where I went wrong?
Thanks,
Mick.