Why does this beer have no flavor?

Recipe:
½ lb. Crystal 90

Malt Extract
8lbs. Pale Malt

Hops
1oz. Magnum (30 Min. Boil)
1oz. Centennial (Last 15 Min. Boil)
1oz. Cascade (Last 5 Min. Boil)
1oz. Cascade (End of Boil)

2 tsp. Irish Moss (Last 15 Minutes Boil)

-Brought water to a Steamy Hot (Just before Boil).
-Pulled off heat and added Steeping Grains, Steeped for 30 min.
-Mixed in Pale Extract until dissolved.
-Brought back to a boil.
-NOTE****Added Magnum Hops (40 min. Boil instead of 30 min. boil)
-Continued aforementioned recipe.

It's been bottled now for about a Month.
When I first tried it at the 2 week mark 2 weeks ago, it tasted a little watered down and malty and had an evident warm cooked malty smell.
Now it has more of a light, balanced beer smell.

I didn't over add the water (made less than 5 gallons worth) also 2 3/4 gallons was a boiled wort.

Any reasons? Should I just wait longer? I've made about 10 brews in the past. Some were overpowering and homebrew tasting...others tasted like a strong metal and mellowed out into some of the best ales we've ever tasted.

This one's different in the sense that there's not much flavor, yet an aftertaste is evident. Like my girlfriend said, it has taste around the tongue and after, but no body taste if that makes sense.

There is about 5.5% alcohol in this beer which is where it should be.

Couple things that come to my mind (you've brewed a couple more than me, so keep that in mind).

You may be steeping at too high a temp, although that wouldn't explain the lack of flavor. I've always been under the impression that 150 - 160 is the desired range, anything above 170 brings out tannins. If you're waiting until it's almost at the boil, you're probably a good amount higher than that.

I'm wondering if the 40 minute boil for the Magnum hops (which I will confess to not having used yet) is enough to bring out all the bitterness. 30 minute hop additions are usually for flavor more than bitterness.

Wondering, too; half a pound of crystal isn't really all that much. I've used a lot more than that in all my brews, both my own recipes and prepackaged kits that I've bought. I'm pretty sure the crystal is also going to add some non-fermentables to the mix, some stuff that might account for what seems to be the lack of body.

But really, I'm a noob, those are just things that make sense to me from the batches I have done and a boatload of reading.

Which yeast did you use?

I would have to agree on the steeping water being too hot (astringent), not enough grain and not boiling the magnum long enough. Much as I love centennial for bittering, I think is too astringent for a flavor hop. So, what you have not enough bittering to balance the alcohol, little or no body, highly astringent (which makes for a very thin flavor). Should have a good nose from the cascades.

Magnum is good for high bitterness ales (not that an oz. in a lot), because it doesn't have the harshness of columbus or warrior, but it does need a full 60 minute boil.

If you also used a dried yeast, they don't add anything to the flavor. That's why I like them, but your recipe doesn't have any other flavor notes.

california ale yeast - wyeast liquid

i wonder if it has something to do with the ph of the water?

Your still getting 35 to 56 IBU's form 1 oz of magnum at 30 min boil depending on whetehr you are doing a partial or full boil.

What exatcly do you mean by "no flavor"? Lack of bitterness? No hop flavor? Lack of malt flavor?

What temp are you serving/drinking this at? Try it a little warmer. That will bring out more malt flavor.

Also what vol of co2 are you caring this at?

Here's something else that a post in another thread made me think of...

Is it possible that the Irish Moss pulled out too many good, body-forming compounds? Two tablespoons is twice what I've used, most reciepes call for half that amount. I'm pretty sure I've read that using too much can leave the beer a little on the watery side.

Denny's Brew said:

Your still getting 35 to 56 IBU's form 1 oz of magnum at 30 min boil depending on whetehr you are doing a partial or full boil.

What exatcly do you mean by "no flavor"? Lack of bitterness? No hop flavor? Lack of malt flavor?

What temp are you serving/drinking this at? Try it a little warmer. That will bring out more malt flavor.

Also what vol of co2 are you caring this at?

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Yeah, when the beer was a little warmer it had a little flavor, but by flavor, there isn't much of a malty body to it...tastes watered down and the hop bitterness and flavor isn't too evident except for the after taste

I think everyone is being very nice. What are you comparing this to, to say it has no flavor. Best I can see, this is a very plain ale. Add some grains to your recipe, roasted, biscuit, munich, something to add some flavor. Don't use a neutral yeast. Use a 1099, or a 1335. Something to add some character.

Too much irish moss will not hurt.

Is this beer bitter at all? Should be 35+ ibu's based on your hopping.

P. what kina bottles are you using? because I have made brews where half in plastic and half in glass, and they tasted like two different beers. the glass after aging tasted great but plastic tasted watered down and seemed to loose carbination. That is just my experience...

What brand of malt extract?

The 'watered down' taste you describe sounds like a lack of body.

You could try some of the following: Use more specialty grains (maybe combining different colours of crystal malt, victory malt, munich malt); use a less fermentable brand of malt extract; use a less attentive yeast (the London strains are quite nice), use Malto-Dextrine (never used this I must admit). Try these things one at a time - otherwise you'll be at the other extreme.

Perennial Tears said:

Yeah, when the beer was a little warmer it had a little flavor, but by flavor, there isn't much of a malty body to it...tastes watered down and the hop bitterness and flavor isn't too evident except for the after taste

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Since you can't change the body of extract (like AG where your mash temp determines this) add more crystal malt.