Beer doesn't taste right

[ShutUpDave]

Hello,

I am new to home brewing and recently tried the ZAITH Weizen recipe located here:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/zaith-weizen/

Along with the instructions located here:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/beginner/how-to-make-beer/

I used Perle hops with WLP300 yeast and DME. The resulting beer tastes watery and malty with a slight banana after taste. The problem is, it tastes almost exactly the same as a White IPA brewed from a Mr. Beer kit a few weeks back. It's also the exact same color, dark brown.

I was very careful with sanitation. The instructions above say to pour the hot wort into cold water and let it naturally cool to 75 degrees. This seems wrong but I did it anyway. This is different from how the Mr. Beer kit was done, ice bath to rapidly cool the wort.

The only similarities between the two batches were that they were both stored in a cool closet during fermentation and both used the same tap water (clean water that tastes good). The white IPA used LME instead of DME and had some grains where the weizen used no grains and DME. Both used completely different yeasts. Why they look and taste exactly the same doesn't make sense to me.

The beer is definitely drinkable, it just doesn't taste like a good or even decent beer. What could the problem be?

I'm thinking too warm fermentation temps or maybe the water isn't as good as I originally thought? Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Hello,

I am new to home brewing and recently tried the ZAITH Weizen recipe located here:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipe/zaith-weizen/

Along with the instructions located here:

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/beginner/how-to-make-beer/

I used Perle hops with WLP300 yeast and DME. The resulting beer tastes watery and malty with a slight banana after taste. The problem is, it tastes almost exactly the same as a White IPA brewed from a Mr. Beer kit a few weeks back. It's also the exact same color, dark brown.

I was very careful with sanitation. The instructions above say to pour the hot wort into cold water and let it naturally cool to 75 degrees. This seems wrong but I did it anyway. This is different from how the Mr. Beer kit was done, ice bath to rapidly cool the wort.

The only similarities between the two batches were that they were both stored in a cool closet during fermentation and both used the same tap water (clean water that tastes good). The white IPA used LME instead of DME and had some grains where the weizen used no grains and DME. Both used completely different yeasts. Why they look and taste exactly the same doesn't make sense to me.

The beer is definitely drinkable, it just doesn't taste like a good or even decent beer. What could the problem be?

I'm thinking too warm fermentation temps or maybe the water isn't as good as I originally thought? Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

How long has it been conditioning in bottles?

 

[ShutUpDave]

How long has it been conditioning in bottles?

It's been conditioning for 12 days. The White IPA has been in bottles for 4 weeks now and still has the same bland/watery taste.

They're almost like brown carbonated water with a malty taste.

 

[frankdontsurf]

What volume was your pre-boil water? What volume was your wort? How much water did you have to add back to reach 5 gallons in your fermenter?

I'm just wondering, I know little to nothing.

 

[TallDan]

Lake Michigan water is generally pretty good for brewing, so I think you're good there.

With the darkened color and an IPA not tasting like hops, I'm guessing oxidation. How was the beer handled and bottled after fermentation?

Where in Chicago are you? If you're on the north side and have some free time tomorrow night, bring a bottle or two to the Evanston Homebrew club. We'll be meeting at Smylie Brothers at 7:00 (although it's often a sparse crowd until 9:00 or so).

Lots of other great clubs all around the Chicago area if you're not near Evanston. Just figured I'd throw in a quick plug since the timing is right.

 

[ShutUpDave]

Lake Michigan water is generally pretty good for brewing, so I think you're good there.

With the darkened color and an IPA not tasting like hops, I'm guessing oxidation. How was the beer handled and bottled after fermentation?

Where in Chicago are you? If you're on the north side and have some free time tomorrow night, bring a bottle or two to the Evanston Homebrew club. We'll be meeting at Smylie Brothers at 7:00 (although it's often a sparse crowd until 9:00 or so).

Lots of other great clubs all around the Chicago area if you're not near Evanston. Just figured I'd throw in a quick plug since the timing is right.

Yeah, I posted this question on another forum and we came to the conclusion that oxidation is probably the cause here. I misread directions and swirled the tubing around in the bottling bucket as I was transferring, thinking I was mixing the priming sugar into it

I actually live in the far northern suburbs near Wisconsin. I do work in Oakbrook though which isn't too far from Evanston. I would not be able to make it tomorrow though unfortunately.

 

[ShutUpDave]

Lake Michigan water is generally pretty good for brewing, so I think you're good there.

With the darkened color and an IPA not tasting like hops, I'm guessing oxidation. How was the beer handled and bottled after fermentation?

Where in Chicago are you? If you're on the north side and have some free time tomorrow night, bring a bottle or two to the Evanston Homebrew club. We'll be meeting at Smylie Brothers at 7:00 (although it's often a sparse crowd until 9:00 or so).

Lots of other great clubs all around the Chicago area if you're not near Evanston. Just figured I'd throw in a quick plug since the timing is right.

I see you live in Gurnee. I'm actually in Grayslake hahah.

 

[ShutUpDave]

What volume was your pre-boil water? What volume was your wort? How much water did you have to add back to reach 5 gallons in your fermenter?

I'm just wondering, I know little to nothing.

I took notes on this but I think I wrote it down wrong, because this doesn't seem to add up:

Pre-Boil Volume: 1 gallon
Pre-Boil Gravity: N/A
Boil Duration: 30 minutes
Post-Boil Volume: 1.5 gallons
Top-up Water Volume: 1 gallon

Going to pay more attention to volumes next time. The batch I'm doing on Friday has a starting volume of 2.5 gallons, and I think I'm going to try late addition extract.

 

[TallDan]

I see you live in Gurnee. I'm actually in Grayslake hahah.

Well, in that case, I'll plug the other club I'm a member of

BABBLE, next meeting is 12/8.