Why so sugary tasting

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55chevydude

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So the past two brews I have made have tasted too sugary to me, even though the finished gravity is dead on. Any words of wisdom as to why? Is it because I'm using malt extract instead of the "real deal"?
 
Could be a lot of things. If you want specific help, you should tell us a bit about your ingredients, your process, and your measurements (assuming you took some).
 
From the book Beer Captured
Steep:
4 oz. flaked wheat
4. oz. Belgian aromatic malt

Boil:
4 L.B. Alexanders Pale Malt extract
2.33 lbs. Munton's wheat DME
3.5 HBU Willamette hops

After 45 min. boil:
.5 oz. Willamette
.75 oz. Belgian bitter orange peel
1 tsp. crushed corriander

10 min. more:
.25 oz. Cascade

4 min. more:
.5 Beligian bitter orange peel
1 tsp. crushed corriander

Primary for two weeks, secondary for 6. Currently kegged.
 
It's not because your using extract. It could be because your not getting enough utilization out of your hops. Things like higher alpha bittering hops, a late extract addition and/or a full boil can all improve hop utilization, thus increasing bitterness. I also have noticed beers with a high level of caramelization (due to a partial boil w/out late extract addition) have a higher perception of sweetness, even though the FG was spot on. Also, it's been my experience that beer can seem a bit sweet when drank too early. A week or two may mellow the sweetness a bit.
 
Oz of hops x their AAU% = HBUs

ie... 1 oz of 3.5%aa hops would be 3.5 HBUs

Well, if that's the case, that would explain the sugary taste. That's like, what? 7 IBUs in that recipe? You'd need at least twice that much to not have the beer be sweet.

I think the sweetness you're getting is the fault of that recipe, if my (terrible) math skills are correct.
 
I'd agree with Yooper, the IBUs are rather low for the recipe. You might try adding a bittering tea.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate your input. I've upped the hops a bit and it's helping to mellow the carmel sweetness. I also must brew on an electric stovetop that isn't great for a rolling boil. I am switching to a buddy's industrial steam-heated kettle that should do the trick. Thanks again.
 
I like hoppy beers and with that much malt my last one would have had about 10x that much hops I really like willamette but i used iirc 10oz total.. :)
 
Another thing to try is to make sure you are using a highly attenuative yeast strain. For example, many of the classic british strains finish too high in my homebrew for my tastes.

I am brewing better beers now that i am paying attention to this.

If you have a choice in yeast strains for a certain style, try the yeast that attenuates the most.

Pez.

EDIT: It's not because you use extract. I'm an extract brewer also.
 
So to bump this old post, i have been brewing via steam kettle and/or propane burner (Dark Star) along with upping the IBUs. This has virtually eliminated the sweetness problem. Can't tell you which it was: better boil or more hops. All I can tell you is that it worked. Maybe you vets out there have a comment on this: I feel that most kits do NOT included enough hops. If I do kits, which I usually do not, I find myself almost automatically adding another ounce of hops. Anyone else verify this? I would understand their position, hops being the mot expensive item in the kit. But this means many a homebrewer is sipping on sugary beer.
 

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