2 styles, one taste. switch water, or extract?

So I just tasted my second batch, which has been bottled for one week. I used coopers carb drops, and it was carbed, although less than I'd like. The problem is that It's a Coopers wheat, and it tastes exactly like Coopers Lager at the same stage. The only difference is that the first batch, the lager, had a slight metallic taste, which went away after 6 weeks in the bottle. I don't know how two different styles could taste exactly the same. I used city water for both batches, but besides off tastes, I don't think that could make them taste the same. they're the same color, and the same clarity, also, which threw me off being that the second batch is a wheat. Primary for the wheat was 8 days, straight to bottle. I know the taste will improve, but they look and taste like the exact same beer. Is this a common problem with hopped extracts, because I'm already turned off by Coopers enough to switch to all grain? Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

It sounds like you're dealing with a slight water chemistry issue as well as needing to stop using canned malt extract. That would be the main problem. There's nothing wrong with brewing with extract, but using canned or less than fresh extract is probably going to always give the same/similar results.

IMO your water isn't the problem. With hopped extracts you have little to no control of the main flavoring component in your beer.

You don't necessarily have to jump immediately into all-grain. There are quite a few unhopped LME's that will allow you to continue to extract brew (for ease and simplicity) and allow you to better control the flavor. Before switching to all-grain I used Munton's and Briess unhopped extracts with some pretty damn good results.

The next time you brew move to unhopped extract and pellet hops (a cheap hop bag wouldn't be a bad idea either). You will probably be shocked with the flavor difference.

First of all, hopped extract kits aren't the greatest, what you can do to improve you beer from the get go is purchase liquid or spray-dried malt extract and use specialty grains for color and flavor. This will give you greater control with extract, and will allow you to use fresher hops as well as different varieties.

Second 8 days is a very short period to bottle your beer, personally I primary my beer for at least 3 weeks before bottling, and many time let it go for a month or more if the gravity is over 1.060. The yeast will clean-up some of the off-flavors they produce after fermentation is complete, so allow your beer to stayin the primary a bit longer, if you choose to secondary leave it in the primary for at least 2 weeks.

Third, if you are using a municipal water source, then your water may have chlorine or chloramine in it, you can treat your water with campden tablets (potassium metabasulfite) or boil it ahead of time (for chlorine, will not work for chloramine), or but bottled water or purchase a carbon filter. I think this is a lesser problem for extract brewing, but can be a source of off-flavors.

The metallic flavor may just be "green beer", since your primary fermentations are so short they will take longer to condition in the bottle.

Fianlly yeast, make sure you use a good yeast, I haven't used Cooper's, and probably never will, but I have heard negative comments about their yeast, so maybe try switching to Safale or another well recognized brand.

Thanks guys, for all your responses. I guess one thing I did wrong was follow the instructions. I thought when the Coopers instructions said FG reading steady over two days meant fermentation was over, it was time to bottle. The batch in the fermenter now will sit for awhile then. I also kind of stepped up the brewing process a little bit by purchasing a williams belgian quad, which comes with some hops and brewing spices. I ordered a 30 quart pot and an outdoor propane burner for that one.

I also used bottled spring water for the batch in the fermenter, so we'll see if that clears up some flavor issues.

When I ordered the Coopers kit, I did it based on reviews, and ease of brewing, so I guess I'm paying for that now. Although I did order some more equipment, like a Better bottle, hop bag, autosiphon, sanitizer and some odds and ends. But I am learning a lot, most of all from these forums. Every question I have always gets quick and detailed answers and that helps a ton. The Coopers Pilsener will probably be my last hopped extract. The fact that two different styled beers tasted exactly the same turned me off a lot, and I think I can handle the next step.

Thanks again for everyones help.