First Batch and I'm not sure what I did wrong

I brewed a dark ale and the estimated ABV was 3%, but when I went over my notes I saw that it was closer to 2.1%. It finished fermenting after about four days and I let it settle for 10 before bottling and aging for roughly three weeks. The flavor lacked a strong hoppy flavor, but carbonated and tasted delicious!

Any and all comments are appreciated! :fro:

Good taste is good!

Can you post the recipe?

It's actually difficult to brew a good session beer like that, so congratulations!

Are you sure you corrected for temperature? When you say it finished fermentation, do you mean that you checked with a hydrometer on two separate days, or did you judge by lack of airlock activity?

I was judging by airlock activity. I don't think I corrected for temperature. I'm tentative to check with my hydrometer before bottling for sterility purposed but plan on doing so when I try my hand at secondary fermentation (once I scratch up enough $$ for a secondary fermenter haha)

The recipe is as such:

1 Can unhopped dark malt extract
2lbs dark dried malt extract
8oz malto-dextrin
1oz hops (unspecified in the kit what kind of hops. 5.5 bittering units are the presented stats)

5oz priming sugar dissolved into 1 cup of water and added while transferring into bottling bucket.

I'm using all plastic and treat it like it's made of porcelain to ensure no scratches, cuts or breaches occur inside the containers. I used C-Brite as my sterilizing solution and, even though it claims no rinse, I rinsed generously with bottled water. C-Brite leaves residue so I'm switching to the iodine based sterilizer (brewer friends swear by it)

I thought we only drank 3.2 beer in MN. LOL

C-Brite leaves residue so I'm switching to the iodine based sterilizer (brewer friends swear by it)

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Consider switching to Starsan instead. It's a no rinse sanitizer and works well.

I agree on using star-san, and as for secondary, I don't use one unless I am adding fruit or some such. I would invest in an easy to clean wine thief that you can sanitize with a spray bottle of star-san and draw off a sample for use with your hydrometer, I don't have a fancy sample tube, I use the container the hydrometer came in, it holds the wort just fine, I then drink the "sample" after getting a reading, waste not want not!