Copied Beer Kit Question

[Tennessee Brew]

Ok so I copied an American Classic kit by Brewers Best. 12 ounces Pilsen light DME, 4 ounces rice syrup solids and 11g Lemon drop hops. Brewed up fine, looks great, smells great so when I put t in secondary I decided to do a sip taste test, its pretty weak. Taste like its watered down beer. Will it gain a more potent flavor with time? If not then what can I do to increase flavor? Maybe it will get bbetter after it sits in secondary for a while. I normally do wines so not much experience on beer.

 

[madscientist451]

Is this a 1 gallon recipe? If you are using light DME and rice syrup, you can't expect a lot of flavor although you should notice the hops. If your final volume is more than a gallon with the above ingredients I would expect it to be somewhat thin.
Its still beer, drink it on a hot day and move on to a better recipe. If you want a light lager you can use corn syrup instead of the rice solids, its cheaper and easier to get.
Note that if you want to brew lagers and you're using a lager yeast its best to have cool fermentation temperatures, around 50F and then a place to condition your beer (lagering), however look up the "fast lager method" which I've used and it comes out ok or try using Lutra yeast.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Will it gain a more potent flavor with time? If not then what can I do to increase flavor?

When tasting unfinished beer, it's almost always best to observe, but don't take action to "correct" something.

The beer will taste different (and almost always better) after it has carbonated.

 

[Tennessee Brew]

When tasting unfinished beer, it's almost always best to observe, but don't take action to "correct" something.

The beer will taste different (and almost always better) after it has carbonated.

I hope it will improve. Its just "too" light for me. What is your alls suggestions as far as best DME to get a more flavorful robust beer next round?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Its just "too" light for me.

As you mentioned in the initial post, you copied a kit recipe. But you didn't mention what the kit was.

@madscientist451 had some good observations and a question (or two).

My take on the recipe is that it was a light, easy drinking, lager / blond ale.

What is your alls suggestions as far as best DME to get a more flavorful robust beer next round?

What styles of beer do you enjoy? Pick a proven recipe (we can help) based on that style, and the 'best' ingredients will be part of that recipe

 

[Tennessee Brew]

As you mentioned in the initial post, you copied a kit recipe. But you didn't mention what the kit was.

@madscientist451 had some good observations and a question (or two).

My take on the recipe is that it was a light, easy drinking, lager / blond ale.



What styles of beer do you enjoy? Pick a proven recipe (we can help) based on that style, and the 'best' ingredients will be part of that recipe

The kit was Brewers Best "American Classic"
As for styles I like, I really don't have a preference, I like Amber lagers, lighter crisp styles and I occasionally drink dark German style beers. I guess if I were to be partial to a style it would be more along the lines of the American Lager. I like varying taste but the one I got is lacking on taste :S

I guess preferred would be the American Lager, something with a taste close to old classic Bud but prob hard to get that with all extracts huh? Plus it seems the lagering process is a bit painful for a newbie at beers lol

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I like varying taste but the one I got is lacking on taste

I'm not seeing much (if anything) in the original recipe that adds a lot of flavor / character.

Original recipe called for 2 g of lemon drop hops at 60. It looks like you used 11g. Not sure how much flavor/aroma will be left from the hops in either case. Original recipe doesn't specify yeast strain (which is a factor as yeast will add flavors, occasionally remove hop flavors, ...)

https://www.homebrewing.org/1-Gallon-Brewers-Best-American-Classic_p_5862.html
https://www.hopsteiner.com/variety-data-sheets/Lemondrop/

Amber lagers

For an amber lager, there are recipes / kits for either Albita Amber or Shells Firebrick would be an option.

American Lager ... all extracts

Every ingredient has limits. AFAIK, home brewed American Lagers are best brewed "all-grain" with some special considerations in the brewing process. You may want to do a bunch of web searching before upgrading equipment to make that first attempt.

 

[Tennessee Brew]

I'm not seeing much (if anything) in the original recipe that adds a lot of flavor / character.

Original recipe called for 2 g of lemon drop hops at 60. It looks like you used 11g. Not sure how much flavor/aroma will be left from the hops in either case. Original recipe doesn't specify yeast strain (which is a factor as yeast will add flavors, occasionally remove hop flavors, ...)

https://www.homebrewing.org/1-Gallon-Brewers-Best-American-Classic_p_5862.html
https://www.hopsteiner.com/variety-data-sheets/Lemondrop/


For an amber lager, there are recipes / kits for either Albita Amber or Shells Firebrick would be an option.


Every ingredient has limits. AFAIK, home brewed American Lagers are best brewed "all-grain" with some special considerations in the brewing process. You may want to do a bunch of web searching before upgrading equipment to make that first attempt.

Sorry about that, I meant 2 grams of hops, typo

 

[Tennessee Brew]

Someone made a suggestion but I'm not sure its a good idea. They said "add" about 12-16 ounces of a good beer to it and then bottle it.
Not sure it that would go well or not

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I would follow the rest of the recipe "as is". When the instructions indicate carbonation is complete, sample a bottle every couple of weeks. If it's good, enjoy the remaining bottles. Otherwise, wait a couple of weeks and sample another bottle.

If it's not good after three or four months, dump the remaining bottles.

 

[Tennessee Brew]

Richer Wort - Opinions needed

I wondering, most recipes call for a 60 min boil with hops at various points. I am wondering if any of the following might create a richer wort?
(1) Boil 30 mins at the start with no hop addition then hop at that point .. perhaps a small hop addition at flameout?
(2) Simply increase the boil time and adjust to 30 mins no hops at the start, hop and 30 and continue for a 60 min slow low boil

I'm using 12 oz Pilsen Light DME (may extend to 16)
4 oz rice syrup solids
2g lemon drop hops (may change this up to a new variety however)

Main goal is to try to get a richer more flavorful wort with what I have.
My next brew will use a Golden light as the brew shop said it would get me closer to a more flavorful light beer?
I do have some traditional dark I can add perhaps.

 

[KepowOb]

With extract, from what I remember, you don't really need to boil it at all. You can throw a little in early with your hops, then add the rest at flameout if you want. Or maybe it's 10 min before the end just to be safe?

Longer boils just mean more boil off, so it increases the gravity as the water evaporates. You could just start with less water instead of boiling longer I would think.

Higher gravity doesn't mean richer flavor necessarily though.

But Pilsen DME + rice solids isn't really going to make a malt forward beer, which maybe you are after?

What type of beer do you like? Like, is there a specific style, or even specific beer you can think of that you'd be happy with if you made that?

 

[Tennessee Brew]

With extract, from what I remember, you don't really need to boil it at all. You can throw a little in early with your hops, then add the rest at flameout if you want. Or maybe it's 10 min before the end just to be safe?

Longer boils just mean more boil off, so it increases the gravity as the water evaporates. You could just start with less water instead of boiling longer I would think.

Higher gravity doesn't mean richer flavor necessarily though.

But Pilsen DME + rice solids isn't really going to make a malt forward beer, which maybe you are after?

What type of beer do you like? Like, is there a specific style, or even specific beer you can think of that you'd be happy with if you made that?

Well I was thinking the same thing about the boil myself. Maybe I will try that just make sure everything is very sterile and use filtered water.
As for taste, I'm really picky, I drink anything from light bud, do dark German beer but generally I like something in between those, something with a decent malt flavor medium in color with a bitterness on the lower mild side. (if any of that makes sense) Im just experimenting to find the range I like then go with it. This is my first time messing with beer

 

[Tennessee Brew]

Is this a 1 gallon recipe? If you are using light DME and rice syrup, you can't expect a lot of flavor although you should notice the hops. If your final volume is more than a gallon with the above ingredients I would expect it to be somewhat thin.
Its still beer, drink it on a hot day and move on to a better recipe. If you want a light lager you can use corn syrup instead of the rice solids, its cheaper and easier to get.
Note that if you want to brew lagers and you're using a lager yeast its best to have cool fermentation temperatures, around 50F and then a place to condition your beer (lagering), however look up the "fast lager method" which I've used and it comes out ok or try using Lutra yeast.

Thinking about your post you mentioned corn syrup. I was at the store and looking at Karo corn syrup. The white syrup seems to have no Sodium Benzoate in it so it should work correct? I know it may impart a slight vanilla taste but I dont mind that actually.

 

[Tennessee Brew]

Ok I dry hopped with Lemondrop hops, not much, maybe 1 gram if that. This was at bottling time around the 7th. Cracked one open yesterday, better than I expected, actually came out good, perhaps a tad harsh on the hops but I like it.
So started 3 more gallon each varying slightly.

I increased DME from 12 ounces to 16
4 ounces brown rice on all 3
Yakima Chief Citra hops 3g at 60 and on the other used German Huell Melon 3 g at 60
On the last one I used Lemondrop 3g at 60
Just going to let these ride as is. Used Safale US 05 yeast on 2 of them and experimenting with plain old off the shelf Fleischmann's yeast on one.
Fleischmann's is fermenting slower, less bubbly so we will see how that one goes.

 

[Tennessee Brew]

These two are using Safale US-05 the single is using off the shelf Fleischmann's yeast.
Maybe the Fleischmann's needs a warmer temp? Fermenting around 70 degrees right now.
Thought just let it sit and do its thing. There is activity on the airlock but very very slow.