Every brew tastes the same

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I've seen the sweetness from extract back when I was doing extract batches. This may have been partly covered, but it looks like this all "boils down" to oxidized extract and no aeration.
I'd say to throw out the instructions and get a copy (or online) of "How to Brew" and follow those steps instead. Fresher LME or DME around the end of the boil and shake the fermenter well before pitching yeast. Cheers! :beer:
 
Are you boiling the malt extract? Iv never seen a brewing process that did have you boil the malt extract with your water. You can do this with mead however. But with malt extract you really need to put it Through a vigorous boil. This is where you get your hot brake and also where a lot of your tannins Will leave the wort along with O2 witch is not wanted in the cooling wort. A proper cool down is extremely important as well so that the wort can go through a cold brake. You don't need to go and get an expensive kettle either something that's at least 3 gallons will work then after it cools Pore the wort into your fermenter add top off water shack the crap out of it and pitch your yest.
 
Most Homebrew stores keep their yeast and hops under refrigeration, but the kits sit out on the sales floor or back in the warehouse at room temperature or above, and probably stored under similar conditions further up the supply chain as well. Knowing that, and using the hop age tool in Beersmith, hops typically lose about half of their alpha acids over a period of 6 months when stored in this fashion. For that reason, I would recommend replacing the hops in the kits with fresh hops from the cooler, if the kit is more than several months old.
 
That kit does not sound good, look for one with dried extract and separate hops and steeping grains

They probably all taste sweet because the cheapest kits use the lowest quality extract, probably with insufficient bittering. Also your get no hop aroma grim such kits
 
Wait so is he using those kits that come in a can where you just mix it with hot water and nothing else? I've never heard anything good about those, and my cousin who has been homebrewing over a decade said they're his first beer was one, and it was awful/overly sweet and just not any good.

If I was you I would get a real extract kit with fresh hops and grains to steep. I like NorthernBrewer, and I think they have 20% off right now...
 
Flars
Each brew I have done i have used a different kit. The last one I did was a coopers dark ale but before that I cannot remember
 
ryanbullen said:
Flars
Each brew I have done i have used a different kit. The last one I did was a coopers dark ale but before that I cannot remember
Click to expand...

Looking around on the internet it seems the Cooper's Dark Ale kit sold in the States is designed for 5 gallons in the fermentor. In Australia and Europe may be for 6 gallons. The Cooper's site offers information that the beer can be brewed as 5 gallons to increase ABV and body.

This kit is also meant to be brewed with additional fermentables. Brew Enhancer 1, or 1 to 3 pounds of additional DME. Brew Enhancer 1 is is 60% dextrose and 40% maltodextrin. The dextrose will ferment out completely to boost ABV. The maltodextrin is not fermentable and will add extra body.

There was other information from brewers that extra hops were added with a 30 minute or 15 minute boil even though the extract is prehopped.

The extra sweetness to your beer can also be a result of the yeast used. If an English style yeast like Danstar Windsor Ale was used attenuation will be very poor. Final gravity would be about 1.018. A yeast like US-05 will attenuate better with a final gravity around 1.010 reducing the sweetness of the beer.

What do you use for brewing water. Any water with chlorine or chloramines will also give beers the taste of plastic or like a band aid. All municipal water from the tap will be treated with one or the other.
 
Yep I'm just trying to find a better quality supplier. Might have to order from an online store. As per the last question about water, I do just use tap water. Didn't know this was a problem. I'll try using bottled water next time
 
The question was asked already... Your location?

I am sure you will get a lot of advice on where to find good ingredients if you let us know. Even for online suppliers, US? Canada? Europe????????
 
I'm in Grimsby, England. Only one shop round here and that's where I've been using. I follow a shop on Facebook called get er brewed. They look quite good and can customise the kits
 
In any case, you are brewing. I'd definitely try some spring water so you KNOW there is no chlorines in it.

Mineral content isn't as big a deal with extract since you aren't concerned with Mash pH, but you might try lighter beers with distilled water and maybe add a touch of gyspum (1/4tsp?) for hoppy beers.
 
Thanks. Just had a look on their site, they have an extract brewing starter kit that I quite fancy. Includes a boiler and chiller all for £150
Reckon I'm going to get it on pay day
 
ryanbullen said:
Thanks. Just had a look on their site, they have an extract brewing starter kit that I quite fancy. Includes a boiler and chiller all for £150
Reckon I'm going to get it on pay day
Click to expand...

Sounds good. Ask some questions when you get ready to brew again if the recipe instructions seem suspiciously unclear.
 
Uk online brew shops -
Brewuk
The malt miller
The homebrew shop

They are 3 i use frequently. The water up your end of the uk shouldnt be an issue either. Not as hard as what i use. Just let it sit out for an hour before use and add a campden tablet to get rid of the chlomines
 
flars said:
Sounds good. Ask some questions when you get ready to brew again if the recipe instructions seem suspiciously unclear.
Click to expand...

Thank you I will do 😀 Pay day tomorrow so could hopefully be brewing some time next week
 
andrewf1985 said:
Uk online brew shops -
Brewuk
The malt miller
The homebrew shop

They are 3 i use frequently. The water up your end of the uk shouldnt be an issue either. Not as hard as what i use. Just let it sit out for an hour before use and add a campden tablet to get rid of the chlomines
Click to expand...

Thanks I will check them out before I make any final decisions. Definitely going for an extract brew system of some type
 
andrewf1985 said:
Uk online brew shops -
Brewuk
The malt miller
The homebrew shop

They are 3 i use frequently. The water up your end of the uk shouldnt be an issue either. Not as hard as what i use. Just let it sit out for an hour before use and add a campden tablet to get rid of the chlomines
Click to expand...

Thanks I will check them out before I make any final decisions. Hadn't heard of these tablets either so will be trying one of those next time. I'm guessing they're cheaper than 25 litres of bottled water lol 😀 Definitely going for an extract brew system of some type
 
No problems. Yeah, a few quid for a 100 or so tablets is a lot cheaper then bottled water. Good luck and i hope your next brew turns out a bit more the way you want it to
 
ryanbullen said:
Ok so my process, as per the instructions
1. Heat the liquid extract can in warm water
2. While warming, sterilise all equipment
3. Pour extract into fermenter Bucket
4. Add 5 litres of boiling water and stir until all extract is dissolved
5. Top up to 23 litres with cold water, put the lid on fermenter and wait until mix reaches 24°
6. Take gravity reading
7. Pitch yeast
8. Put the lid back on fermenter and wait

Literally every brew I have done tastes exactly the same so I must be doing something wrong. Either that, or kits just don't work properly which I can't see being true or nobody would buy them
Click to expand...

This does not sound like a kit that any of the shops I have used sells. I also don't think many people do buy these. If you want a kit, get one that comes with hops and extract separately.
 
This is the basic instruction of every kit I have used. I couldn't use a kit with separate hops as I don't have a boiler. This is why I am buying a new setup
 
messiah said:
This does not sound like a kit that any of the shops I have used sells. I also don't think many people do buy these. If you want a kit, get one that comes with hops and extract separately.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the instructions on every coopers can I have ever seen.

If you want to stick with the extract kits, jump onto ebay buy yourself a Kg of specialty grain (do some reading on what grains can add what to a beer) I myself got Amber Malt as well as a few 100grams of hops. I did a short mash, 30 mins on my stove top with 500grams of grain (at 155f) then a 30min boil with hop additions at different times.

Then added this extra wort (once cooled) to the primary fermenter, added extract can and filled it up as per the original instructions you followed.

This makes the world of difference to a standard brew. With the range of different malts and hops there is no end to the different flavor profiles you can create with a simple and relatively cheap extra step!
 

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