1st batch finished but does not taste good

[Zappa42]

My Coopers Lager batch has finally carbonated. It was in the primary for one week, secondary for 2 weeks and primed in bottles 4 weeks. The beer carbonated after about 3 weeks in the bottle.

The taste is just not very good. It has a green apple, tad sour/cidery aftertaste. This has been the case ever since I bottled it. I tried one a week to learn how the beer changes.

I did make mistakes on this first batch and I used corn sugar and the coopers larger mix for the ingredients. I know now that the corn sugar is not a good idea except for priming.

Will the beer improve anymore or will those flavors described above change at this point? I already have my second batch ready to bottle so I am not to worried about it.

PS. Ordered my stuff to make a batch of Apflewein this weekend:rockin: Excited about trying that stuff!!

 

[Yooper]

I think that the cidery taste comes from using corn sugar in the ingredients, and I doubt it will improve much. You can put it away and forget about it and try it again in a month, or you can get them as cold as you can and drink them. I'm glad your second batch is almost ready!

 

[mr x]

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

 

[EdWort]

Try a custom kit from Austin Home Brew Supply with some steeping grains. If you can do a full boil, it will greatly make a difference too.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Even bad beer is still booze!

Congratulations! You have 2 cases of late night swag! You see there is never a down side to brewing

 

[malkore]

it sounds like you did everything else right, so don't let this batch discourage you. brewing beer does take a little experience, as well as quality ingredients.

go with a slightly better kit next time...something with steeping grains, and actual hop pellets, and no sugar (except for bottle priming). I've made many fine kit beers, and most of my less successful batches were Cooper's kits, following their instructions for a 1lb of corn sugar.

each batch gets easier, and then you start designing your own brews. changing the hops, or adding some spices/fruit/coffee/etc.

 

[solidghost]

U use brewin sugar? I think those are sucrose, will surely give you those ciderly taste. Try their brewing enchancer which are either dextrose or malt based.

 

[sak3358]

Corn Sugar? Well I'm screwed. I have a Munich Helles in primary now, where I bumped the alcohol content by adding corn sugar. According to the Joy of Homebrewing "use in excess of 20% of total fermentable sugars will often contribute to the flavor characteristic of the finished beer.....leading to the cidery taste" Of course I read this after I used the corn sugar for the bump. I need to calculate the percentage now to figure out how much of an impact this would have....or have a beer and forgetaboutdidit.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Corn Sugar? Well I'm screwed. I have a Munich Helles in primary now, where I bumped the alcohol content by adding corn sugar. According to the Joy of Homebrewing "use in excess of 20% of total fermentable sugars will often contribute to the flavor characteristic of the finished beer.....leading to the cidery taste" Of course I read this after I used the corn sugar for the bump. I need to calculate the percentage now to figure out how much of an impact this would have....or have a beer and forgetaboutdidit.

1st: relax Forget about it for a while; wait and see how it'll turn out.
2nd: in the future, don't mess with perfectly good beers by adding stuff to them that doesn't need to be there just so that you get hammered more quickly. There are better drinks to achieve that goal than homebrewed beer.

 

[HP_Lovecraft]

Any sugar (corn, beat, cane, etc) can make the "cidery" flavor. It comes from the yeast, and not the sugar, when there is not enough nutrients for the yeast to be healthy.

Green beer also has a cidery-sort of taste. Though it looks your beer is far from being green, and should have mellowed at this point. If the off flavor is from the sugars, it will stay there. 8 years ago I tried making a stout into "imperial" by adding 5lbs of sugar. Its STILL in my basement, STILL undrinkable.

nick