Been reading a lot on Homebrewtalk but first time poster, but still can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I have been brewing extract kits for just under 6 months now, and have been enjoying it very much, just wish beer tasted a bit better. All were partial boils starting with 2.5 3 gallons of water. All were cooled down with an immersion wort chiller (could only get down to 70). I decided to build a kegerator last February (before I started brewing) and have brewed and kegged 4 different beers since then, all in kegs (not bottling). So far every batch I have made has come out of the keg very sweet. All 4 of them tasted great while transferring from better bottle to the keg, which is the part I cant figure out (why it tastes good prior to keg but with an over powering sweetness after carbonation).
I have carbonated using both the set and forget method and let sit for about 10 days and setting it to 30 psi for 24 hours and then setting to the recommend pressure for 5-7 days. Fermentation temperatures are probably on the high side. The stick on thermometer read 72 on the most recent brew, cant remember what they said for the other ones.
From reading on the forums I had a few ideas of what I may be doing wrong, but the fact my roommate also brews beer and has also done 3 of the 4 beers I did and all 3 of his that we both brewed at different times came out between pretty good and real good, while mine were all overly sweet (very similar flavor, masking the actual flavors of the beer). Main difference is he bottles instead of kegging. He also has never rehydrated yeast for any of them.
Brew details:
1. Northern Brewer Irish Red Ale
a. Nottingham Ale Yeast
b. Rehydrated yeast per instructions
c. O.G. 1.044, F.G.1.008
d. Transferred to secondary after 2 weeks
e. Kegged after 4 weeks at 11 psi via set and forget method (~10 days)
2. Brewers Best Robust Porter
a. Nottingham Ale Yeast
b. Rehydrated yeast with cold water (instead of warm water per instructions)
c. O.G. 1.043 F.G. 1.012
d. Transferred to secondary after 2 weeks
e. Kegged after 2 weeks at 12 psi
f. Bottled a 12 pack of this one after about 3 weeks straight from tap using ontario bottle filler and complement
i. Tastes plain awful (dumped both bottles I have tried) ~2 months after bottling
ii. Still sweet but another taste I cant really describe at moment
3. Brewers Best English Pale Ale
a. So far the best beer I made yet, but still had same sweetness just not as bad
b. Nottingham Ale Yeast
c. Dumped yeast right into better bottle
d. O.G. 1.52 F.G. 1.012
e. Kegged after 4 weeks; 30 psi for 24 hrs; 12 psi for 5 days
4. Northern Brewer Nut Brown Ale
a. Probably the worst one yet for the sweetness
b. Nottingham Ale Yeast
c. O.G. 1.044 F.G. 1.010
d. Dumped yeast right into better bottle
e. Kegged after 5 weeks
f. Sat in keg for 1 week with enough pressure to seal and remove oxygen, but not always on CO2
g. 30 psi for 24 hrs; 6 psi for 9 days
Im not sure what is going on between fermentation and carbonation and appreciate any help anyone can provide. Let me know if I left any needed information out.
Would naturally carbonating the next batch help at all?
Thanks
I have carbonated using both the set and forget method and let sit for about 10 days and setting it to 30 psi for 24 hours and then setting to the recommend pressure for 5-7 days. Fermentation temperatures are probably on the high side. The stick on thermometer read 72 on the most recent brew, cant remember what they said for the other ones.
From reading on the forums I had a few ideas of what I may be doing wrong, but the fact my roommate also brews beer and has also done 3 of the 4 beers I did and all 3 of his that we both brewed at different times came out between pretty good and real good, while mine were all overly sweet (very similar flavor, masking the actual flavors of the beer). Main difference is he bottles instead of kegging. He also has never rehydrated yeast for any of them.
Brew details:
1. Northern Brewer Irish Red Ale
a. Nottingham Ale Yeast
b. Rehydrated yeast per instructions
c. O.G. 1.044, F.G.1.008
d. Transferred to secondary after 2 weeks
e. Kegged after 4 weeks at 11 psi via set and forget method (~10 days)
2. Brewers Best Robust Porter
a. Nottingham Ale Yeast
b. Rehydrated yeast with cold water (instead of warm water per instructions)
c. O.G. 1.043 F.G. 1.012
d. Transferred to secondary after 2 weeks
e. Kegged after 2 weeks at 12 psi
f. Bottled a 12 pack of this one after about 3 weeks straight from tap using ontario bottle filler and complement
i. Tastes plain awful (dumped both bottles I have tried) ~2 months after bottling
ii. Still sweet but another taste I cant really describe at moment
3. Brewers Best English Pale Ale
a. So far the best beer I made yet, but still had same sweetness just not as bad
b. Nottingham Ale Yeast
c. Dumped yeast right into better bottle
d. O.G. 1.52 F.G. 1.012
e. Kegged after 4 weeks; 30 psi for 24 hrs; 12 psi for 5 days
4. Northern Brewer Nut Brown Ale
a. Probably the worst one yet for the sweetness
b. Nottingham Ale Yeast
c. O.G. 1.044 F.G. 1.010
d. Dumped yeast right into better bottle
e. Kegged after 5 weeks
f. Sat in keg for 1 week with enough pressure to seal and remove oxygen, but not always on CO2
g. 30 psi for 24 hrs; 6 psi for 9 days
Im not sure what is going on between fermentation and carbonation and appreciate any help anyone can provide. Let me know if I left any needed information out.
Would naturally carbonating the next batch help at all?
Thanks