My first three batches werent great...

[dandw12786]

Yes, but minerals aren't needed for extract brewing, they are needed for AG.

 

[Yooper]

Ok I'm liking all the suggestions I'm getting and its helping me to focus on a couple of key areas I think I need the most work in.

First I need a little clarification on whether distilled water is good or bad for extract beer. I need to do research and find out whats in my tap water but I work at a place where gallons of distilled water are available and have been using that since I started.

I believe I may have been steeping grains at the wrong temp due to my thermometer not being calibrated correctly.

I do soak in oxyclean to clean my fermenting vessels, but I always rinse several times including one with a splash of vinegar to rinse out the "oxy clean slick".

I need to read more into late extract additions which I am excited about trying.

Distilled water is fine, but spring water is ok too. You just want to have water that tastes good and is chlorine and chloramine-free. Use whichever is cheaper- the malt extract has already been made for you with the water profile of the manufacturer so you don't have to worry about minerals and all that stuff.

Skip the oxyclean next time (but we all use it with good results). No vinegar, though! Rinse with nice hot water, but no vinegar.

A good thermometer will help.

If you're not making starters with the liquid yeast, use dry yeast until you get your flavor issues licked. Try S04- which ferments fast and leaves a clear beer, at no higher than 66-68 degrees. BEER temperature, not room temperature! Fermenting beer can be as much as 8-10 degrees warmer than the room it's in, so make sure you have a stick-on thermometer for the fermenter to monitor the temperature.

 

[Daniel82]

Ok I just got a new better bottle for my birthday so no need for oxyclean and no chance for it to be infected from a previous batch. This will be the first time I use a starter for my beer also (I get to use my DIY stir plate that I found on this forum). I'll keep with the distilled water.

Last concern. If I tape my temp probe to the side of the fermenting vessel and insulate it do I still need to set the temp 8-10 degrees cooler than the suggested fermenting temp or will it read the true temp of the beer?

 

[Conan]

First, don't quit- my first 10 batches SUCKED. I mean, I tried to give them away and nobody was interested....myself included. Time did not heal these wounds, and due to lack of a brewpot I did not brew for almost a year. Came back, jumped from my prior extract to PM and, next batch, AG and problems solved. Also, I moved from an unknown no-rinse sanitizer to 1-Step, as well bottled water from Target. I guess I don't have much to add that hasn't been covered technique wise, just to say don't quit just yet.

If your thermo. reads wrong, I'd adjust your temp for that- my boil thermo. is 8 degrees high so I just factor that into my process. Why don't you need Oxy for a BB? I'm unfamiliar with this, not saying it's right or wrong. Kyle

 

[Daniel82]

I was just saying the the BB is new and shouldnt need to be soaked to remove any nasties. Thanks for the support I wanna figure it out cause I love good beer and being able to make it myself would be very rewarding.

 

[Scottatron]

My recommendation would be to switch to spring water and rinse the oxiclean if you can.