I have been brewing for over a year and a half now and have probably made 20 or so brews, always thinking the next one will be the one where it will all turnaround. I have turned out sub-par beer again and again and it's really beginning to discourage me. Only 2 of my brews have I considered decent (a 60 min IPA clone and a Kolsch), and nothing I have brewed comes close to rivaling my favorite craft brews.
I have read so much information, watched countless youtube videos, listened to brewing network casts, and am still baffled how I can know so much about a topic and yet cannot produce something I enjoy drinking. What keeps me going is that I have poured way too much money into this hobby to quit now. I have dumped batch after batch and still have to grab 6 packs from the beer store for decent beer to drink.
I filter my water though a culligan filter. Measure out brewing salts based on my recipe (using EZ water calculator). Correct mash pH with lactic acid. Correct my sparge water pH with lactic. Measure temps with a CDN digital thermometer. I use a round, 10 gallon cooler with a false bottom as a mash tun. I recently got a 15 gallon Blichmann boilermaker as well as a Blichmann burner. Been making starters with liquid yeast using a stir plate. Cool my wort down to pitching temps before pitching yeast. Keep my fermentation temps cool either using the swamp cooler or in my kegerator. Keg my beers and force carb for a few days. I don't know where I am going wrong and I refuse to lower my standards of what I think is drinkable beer.
I can't continue to pour money into this if something doesn't change soon. I need help!
I have read so much information, watched countless youtube videos, listened to brewing network casts, and am still baffled how I can know so much about a topic and yet cannot produce something I enjoy drinking. What keeps me going is that I have poured way too much money into this hobby to quit now. I have dumped batch after batch and still have to grab 6 packs from the beer store for decent beer to drink.
I filter my water though a culligan filter. Measure out brewing salts based on my recipe (using EZ water calculator). Correct mash pH with lactic acid. Correct my sparge water pH with lactic. Measure temps with a CDN digital thermometer. I use a round, 10 gallon cooler with a false bottom as a mash tun. I recently got a 15 gallon Blichmann boilermaker as well as a Blichmann burner. Been making starters with liquid yeast using a stir plate. Cool my wort down to pitching temps before pitching yeast. Keep my fermentation temps cool either using the swamp cooler or in my kegerator. Keg my beers and force carb for a few days. I don't know where I am going wrong and I refuse to lower my standards of what I think is drinkable beer.
I can't continue to pour money into this if something doesn't change soon. I need help!