Impact of carmelization?

I'm about to start my fourth batch. The first two were no boil kits and turned out good. The third was the first time boiling the wort made from liquid extract and it turned much darker than it was supposed to. From what I've read this is from carmelization of the sugars. What does that do to the final product and what did I do wrong to cause it? That's going to bottling tomorrow so I'll get a chance to taste it then.

These were all 2 gallon batches and I'm starting my first five gallon this weekend and don't want to mess up the boil. This is what I'm trying:

3.3lbs Coopers Liquid Wheat extract unhopped
1lb wheat DME
1lb amber DME
4AAU Hallertau first hops
2AAU Cascade aroma hops

This looks like me 6 months ago. You start making extract beers, and they are okay but you want better. Next step is exract beers with steeping grains, but they are better, but too dark and a little twangy. Then try waiting to add the extract with only 15 minutes left in the boil. Next step would be partial mash beers. Start mashing 4 or 5 pounds of base grains like two row in addition to your specialty grains for 1 hour and only using half as much extract. Much better but not perfect. All grain beers, next with 10 to 12 pounds of grains and a full 6.5 gallon boil. Ask me again in three or four weeks....

Heat up your boil water until very warm, then turn off heat while stirring in the extract, making sure it is fully disolved before firing up again, and you shouldn't have a problem with carmelization.

As for the flavor, it tastes a little......caramely.

Don't worry, taste it and see what you think, it may not be noticable. Remember though, it's green beer.

Well, the darkness of the beer is only the color. The taste is the same. (UNless you scorched it, of course).

For lighter colored (but same tasting) beers, alot of people add their extract late in the boil, like in the last 15 minutes. But that makes the hops seem a bit stronger so they reduce the hops a bit.

I realize that might not make much sense to you right now, but if you search for "late extract addition", you'll see what I mean.

Might try taking the kettle of the heat source (not just turning it off) while adding extract and stir vigorously

It turned out there was no off taste when it went into the bottle. The wheat batch also got a bit darker than I expected but not as much. I used more water and stirred long before going back to the heat.

That was the sugars getting a little too cooked. Do a late addition of the malt (see all above), and a little less hops to offset the bitterness. It should make a big difference color-wise, and the taste will mellow if your palate is sensitive enough. I can't tell myself, too much smoking, but my buddies say it's better that way, and I'm always short of beer.