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JJack887

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I cracked open my sixth batch at two weeks in the bottle and still my beers, save for one, are just not good. This most recent one was an American Red Ale that I made up and I was wondering if the recipe had anything to do with it. My beers usually have this strange off-flavor that doesn't fit with any of the common flavors of beer. I really can't describe it. It's like they lack flavor altogether. My only good beer was a generously-hopped pale ale that I left in primary for three weeks; the only beer I ever did that with.

Here's the recipe I used:

5.1gal. into fermentor

9lbs. pale 2 row
1lbs. crystal 60L
8oz. crystal 40L
2oz. chocolate
8oz. biscuit
.5oz. Amarillo[9.5%] 60min
.5oz. Amarillo 20min

Rehydrated pack of US-05

Mashed at 156° for 45 minutes and batch sparged at 168° for 15, hit my pre-boil gravity right on the mark.

The color is a beautiful deep red, and it's the clearest beer I've brewed so far. But, as usual, it's a little disappointing. Can anyone determine what might be the problem? Thanks.
 
With that much crystal malt and 8 oz. of biscuit you should have plenty of malt flavor happening. That looks like it could do with some flameout hops or dryhops. Personally, I would cut back on the crystal malt some, but that's just my taste. If it's color you're after with that, consider 1 oz. of roasted barley crushed very fine.
 
I'll admit, it was built to Amber Ale specifications. I'm leaving my beers for three weeks from now on, and I agree. Maybe I'll cut down on the crystal. But I don't have sweetness coming through, either.
 
If you're having trouble identifying the off-flavor, take a bottle to your LHBS, a more experienced home brewer, or even a local brewpub during off hours and see if the brewer can give some feedback. Never hurts to ask, and a different pallet might pick up something you're missing or can't quantify.

Your recipe looked fine. Perhaps a little heavy on the crystal, but with a mash temp of 156 it should have been full of body and malt flavor.

A few ideas regarding the cause of the off/lackluster flavor you mentioned:

*Assuming good sanitation of the primary fermenter, the off flavor probably has less to do with leaving the beer in primary 2-3 weeks (which isn't necessarily bad) and more to do with brew day process

*Check/calibrate your thermometer

*Check the crush of the grain. Consider re-milling half of the grain or double-crushing. Maybe the mill your using at home (or LHBS) is set too wide.

*Ensure wort is at pitching temp, then oxygenate, oxygenate, oxygenate... before pitching an adequate amount of yeast. This cures a multitude of ills

*Water profile/chemistry. If you're getting a tannic/astringent (think: tea) bite, maybe you've been over-sparging or the water is too hard.
 
Good idea. Next time around I'll mill a bit more and really aerate the wort (that may have been the problem, actually). And I'll leave in primary for three weeks for the yeast to clean up the flavor more.
 
Maybe yeast? Have you pitched US-05 for all these beers? Possibly try a different yeast.
 
The beer is still bad, so I'm considering this one a failure. It just tastes like yeast. Ugh. My next brew will use Notty, and I'm switching to liquid after that.
 
Rehydrated pack of US-05 when beer was in the low 60s, fermented at about 64 for two weeks. Wort took a little over an hour to cool to pitching temperature (bath tub). There's somehow just no sweetness; just a nasty yeast bite. The beer has been conditioned for over a month now and I just tried a bottle that I put in the fridge for 24 hours. Very annoyed.
 
Rehydrated pack of US-05 when beer was in the low 60s, fermented at about 64 for two weeks. Wort took a little over an hour to cool to pitching temperature (bath tub). There's somehow just no sweetness; just a nasty yeast bite. The beer has been conditioned for over a month now and I just tried a bottle that I put in the fridge for 24 hours. Very annoyed.

Kind of sounds like an infection...hows the body? is it light like water / skim milk or does it have some texture to it?
 
It is lighter than anticipated, but not watery... However, the last time I tried to brew an amber there was a clear film on top of the wort and now the taste reminds me a lot of the first batch now. If it's an infection, that's a bummer.
 
If with moderate carbonation it tastes thin, it probably shouldn't...you had plenty of specialty malt in there and mashed high, should be medium to medium full body. What was the final gravity going into the bottle?
 
FG was actually drier than targeted. I think 1.011, if I remember. But I just attributed that to US-05's nature.
 
I already went over every green beer thread and decided to just wait it out, and it's been a month in the bottle, although some people recommend 5 weeks minimum for ambers. But I don't see this miraculously turning around with another week.
 
Ive heard of beers that take a few months and are completely different (better). Sounds like waiting is probably a good idea :)
 
I'm going to keep it on standby, as much as that annoys/kills me. I'm brewing a toasted oat brown ale next. Hopefully that will be better.
 
Ive heard of beers that take a few months and are completely different (better). Sounds like waiting is probably a good idea :)

A friend and I brewed a Kolsch once, and the fermentation temp was way out of line. it fermented at least in the upper 70s. The beer was foul to drink, ad I advocated dumping the keg several times. It was thin, and I thought it had an infection. This was after bulk conditioning for 2-3 months.

Fast forward 6+ months, and my friend brought the keg of Kolsch to a party I was also attending. When I was informed this beer was on tap, I immediately asked why they would subject their guests to this foul beer. So I tried it, because who doesn't like to drink bad beer, and to my astonishment the off-flavors had faded and were not noticeable.

It still didn't end up a great beer, and honestly knowing what I know now, I still would have rather just dumped it and brewed a batch that was fermented properly. However, even a bad beer can become decent if given enough time. I'd rather dump and spend the $30 on ingredients for a new batch and have my beer sooner, and have it taste better, than have a bad beer mocking me for 8-10 months.
 
I used to use one packet of US-05 in every beer and that's it. I recently switched to starters and liquid yeast and have noticed a HUGE improvement. I actually want to drink and enjoy my beer now, not just drink it to get rid of it.
 
It's hard to nail down without actually tasting it, but you may want to try a different water profile. Too much, or not enough, of some minerals can make beers seem lifeless, or astringent, or metallic, or all kinds of things. Some hops give an unexpected flavor depending on how much and when you add them.

156° for mash temp and all that crystal malt should not lead to a thin body either.

I'm guessing either poor water for that style, or some kind of infection. IMO if you don't like it in a few weeks, pitch it and try again. It sucks, but getting better means brewing more, and there is little enjoyment in drinking a beer you don't enjoy.
 
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