Downhill

Mobstar · Sep 9, 2010

Has anyone else had a bad streak for brewing?
I'm now at my 3rd batch of "non-worthy to serve" homebrew.
I followed recipes from different sources and they all turned out crappy. My dark turned out tasting like burnt beer, My lager turned fruity/odd and my IPA turned out to be WAY too bitter "lots of bite with low aroma".

I'm getting very discouraged...
Anyone have an almost full proof partial mash recipe that might inspire me to brew once again??

Bentpirate · Sep 9, 2010

I have been there - I'll testify. Go back to something simple to regain confidence. It may be out of season but a Hefe or Dunkle; easy yet tasty. I don't have a partial mash recipe but something with no more than 2 grains, 2 hops (try just one if you can - like Amarillo) and a simple WLP001 / S-05 yeast. Go back to basics. It really helped me and I learned a lot more this way.
Maybe something like:
6#LME / DME
1# 60
<hop>
<yeast>

Homercidal · Sep 9, 2010

FWIW the IPA may fade after a while. The fruity Lager is likely to have been caused by high fermentation temps. As far as the dark beer.. I could just be a dark beer!

If you still have the recipes we can look at them and see how they compare to the descriptions you gave. Also if you can provide volumes and temps we can help troubleshoot the cause of these subpar beers.

All is not lost! As Bentpirate says, it may serve you to go back to basics. If you follow perfect sanitation rules, and keep the fermentation at the proper temps, it's very easy to make real good beer with a decent recipe.

yodalegomaster · Sep 9, 2010

I had a streak, like that turns out my mash Ph was way out of line, as soon as I started to treat the mash water with acid to bring it under control everything works much better.

ksbrain · Sep 10, 2010

I have lots of bad streaks. As long as I can tell what the problem is each time, or identify something to do differently next time, I'm OK with it usually.

+1 the IPA will probably come around

I'm thinking the dark beer could be scorched extracts?

Mobstar · Sep 13, 2010

ksbrain said:
I have lots of bad streaks. As long as I can tell what the problem is each time, or identify something to do differently next time, I'm OK with it usually.

+1 the IPA will probably come around

I'm thinking the dark beer could be scorched extracts?

I think the problem might be related to yeast. It seems that all the brews I make end up very dry. There's no maltiness/sweetness to my brews. As for the Dark.. I might just be fussy. I've had 2 people try it and they told me that "it's what a dark is suppose to taste like" Personally, I think the recipe called for too much black malt.