Beer tastes weak?

Hi all,

I bottled my first batch (amber ale) a week ago.. I decided to crack one open today (I know I have to wait another week) but it sort of tasted weak, also as though it has less alcohol content than it should. I was just wondering if the beers flavor will improve after another week in the bottles, or did I perhaps put too much water- because I transferred it to a secondary fermenter (a glass carboy) and I added water because the homebrew place that I bought my kit from said to do so but I think I might've added too much... I would just like to hear your guys thoughts.

Thanks.

What was your recipe, and final volume?

If the recipe was designed to make 5.5 gallons and you did, you shouldn't have watered it down when transferring. If it was a 5 gallon batch, though, and you transferred a bit under 5 gallons and then topped up to 5.5 gallons (carboys fit more than 5 gallons to the top), then maybe you did water it down some.

Carbonation should definitely improve the mouthfeel and it won't seem so watered down when it's done conditioning.

You added water to an already fermented beer so yes it will taste watery. Carbonation and age do improve mouth feel and taste but it may not be enough to overcome the added water.

Agreed.

Once the beer is fermented, don't add water. You only add water when you initially put your wort into the primary before you aerate and pitch your yeast.

Give it some time, it will probably get a little better, but I'm curious. How much water did you add?

Best way to tell would be your gravity readings, OG and FG, if you took them of course!

I am definitely not the most experienced brewer here but I find it odd that your homebrew place would recommend adding water after primary. Personally, I would listen to your homebrew guys(just to be nice) then verify their advice here.

Either way, you made beer and it is drinkable so you have succeeded!
Drink it up and then brew some more, or the other way around!:cross:

I've always thought my Amber Ale tasted thin or watery too. It may be the kit.

I second (or third) that you probably shouldn't add water to the secondary. That seems like a weird recommendation.

it will taste that way until it gets carbonated. I bottled an amber 4 weeks ago. I'm pretty good at telling what a beer will taste like at bottling but and not done a lighter beer for a while.

I was totally unimpressed with it. week, watery blah.

Now - 4 weeks later and carbed - it's pretty darn good. Ambers and lighter brews NEED carbonation to taste good.


BTW - listen to this place before your Homebrew store - we're obsessed - it's not just a job for us - it's an obsession!

Beerious, don’t get too worked up. Everything will be ok, take lessons from this brew and apply it to the next but I have to rant here a bit.

Something way too peculiar, WTF is up with non-standard, border line inaccurate, completely inaccurate advice from LHBS’s? You see it all the time on here, LHBS’s offering suggestions that are out of place or inappropriate. New brewers are not to fault because they don’t know better and after all, who better to take advice from than a homebrew store owner but geez whats up with the lackluster advice?

Kickass said:

Beerious, don’t get too worked up. Everything will be ok, take lessons from this brew and apply it to the next but I have to rant here a bit.

Something way too peculiar, WTF is up with non-standard, border line inaccurate, completely inaccurate advice from LHBS’s? You see it all the time on here, LHBS’s offering suggestions that are out of place or inappropriate. New brewers are not to fault because they don’t know better and after all, who better to take advice from than a homebrew store owner but geez whats up with the lackluster advice?

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I have to agree. Here in the Portland area there are about 6 or so LHBS's within 25 miles of each other so we here are able to pick which one we like. I feel for those brewers who have 1 or none to choose from. Of course there is always the internet I guess!

HBT to the rescue:rockin:

As everyone has said (so it might be unncecessary for this post but when you're worrying it helps to have every bit of reassurance you can get) the conditioning will help. It does take a few weeks for the CO2 to dissolve into the beer when bottle conditioning and get you that nice bubbly feel you want. Jus relax and take physical -- not just mental -- notes about what you did and how to improve for next time.