Beer has no taste

[CoalCracker]

I brewed three beers in the past month and only one of them really has any taste.

1. English Dark Mild - kind of watery
2. Cream ale - Tastes awesome
3. Scottish 80 - kind of watery

On the two beers that use darker grains I can't seem to taste the roastiness / caramel notes. My efficiency was about 75%. The numbers were perfect. Final gravities were perfect. I can't figure it out. Can it be I need something maltier.. Am I turning into a malt head?

 

[Yooper]

I brewed three beers in the past month and only one of them really has any taste.

1. English Dark Mild - kind of watery
2. Cream ale - Tastes awesome
3. Scottish 80 - kind of watery

On the two beers that use darker grains I can't seem to taste the roastiness / caramel notes. My efficiency was about 75%. The numbers were perfect. Final gravities were perfect. I can't figure it out. Can it be I need something maltier.. Am I turning into a malt head?

Milds typically don't have much flavor- sort of a lighter bitter. The Scottish shouldn't be watery, though- I think of them as rather sweet and "thick". What was the recipe on the Scottish?

 

[CoalCracker]

9 lbs. Simpson’s Golden Promise
1 lbs Simpsons Medium Crystal

1oz fuggles @ 60

Safale s-33 dry yeast

 

[Yooper]

9 lbs. Simpson’s Golden Promise
1 lbs Simpsons Medium Crystal

1oz fuggles @ 60

Safale s-33 dry yeast

Did you carmelize the first runnings, or anything like that? What was the mash temp?

 

[CoalCracker]

Nope didn't carmelize the first runnings as the recipe didn't call for it. Mashed at 156. Kind of hoping the longer it sits it get's some taste. been 5 weeks.

 

[BeernuT100]

Malt isn't going to appear with age in something like that. It should be there right now. Especially some caramel flavoring with that much crystal.

Are these your first brews?
Has something changed?
Did you move and the water is different?
Could your calculations be off?
Is this the first time to use Golden Promise?

 

[Yooper]

Nope didn't carmelize the first runnings as the recipe didn't call for it. Mashed at 156. Kind of hoping the longer it sits it get's some taste. been 5 weeks.

Well, the recipe isn't a great recipe for a Scottish 80/-, to be honest. But it should have plenty of body if you mashed at 156. Are you 100% sure your thermometer is correct? If you mashed at 152, for example, that recipe would be very boring, like an English pale ale without the hops!

 

[CoalCracker]

Malt isn't going to appear with age in something like that. It should be there right now. Especially some caramel flavoring with that much crystal.

Are these your first brews? Nope probably closer to 15th all grain. Some partial mash and extract before that. 5th brew in the past two months.

Has something changed? Not that I know of.

Did you move and the water is different? No.

Could your calculations be off? It's possible but I doubt it as I use software. I blow at math. Wouldn't trust myself w/ out a computer.

My APA, cream ale, brown ales, belgian wit, all have great taste. Maybe this one was just a fluke. Just weird as I have never had a beer I nail my numbers on and have no taste to it. I just did a POrter on Friday. I'll have to see how that comes out. However that's going to be a while.

 

[CoalCracker]

Yea the recipe did seem to be lacking. Got it from NB.

 

[larrybrewer]

What type of yeast did you use? That might have something to do with it too.

 

[CoalCracker]

Safale s-33 dry yeast

 

[DrAtomik]

I would definitely use some roasted for a scottish. What was the FG?

 

[larrybrewer]

All I can tell from their website is S-33 is for higher gravity beers, but it is for a wide range. http://www.fermentis.com/fo/60-Beer/60-11_product_rangeHB.asp

I was thinking maybe you had a really powerful strain of yeast that was doing something off. The only other thing I can think of is brewing salts, but yeah its probably the recipe.