Please help! Home brew novice

[Someguyinahat]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. In fact I just started brewing a couple months ago. I have been using kits made by Brewcraft USA. My first beer was their nut brown ale which tasted watery and weak to me. My second was a scotch ale which ended up tasting more like a Belgium ale and some beer from that batch had a metallic taste (but not all of them). I feel like I followed the instructions to a t both times. Does anyone have any advice or insight as to what may have happened? I don't want to make the same mistakes again.

 

[JonK331]

A lot of times the directions that come with kits are flawed. Pick up a copy of How to Brew by John Palmer, follow what he says and not the directions with the kit.

The watery brown is probably just the recipe unless you left out some of the extract. The souring is a sanitation issue, make sure to keep your process clean. If you don't already use it, Star San is the favorite sanitizer.

 

[Someguyinahat]

Thanks! I'll look for that sanitizer. I've been using "one step"

 

[McGarnigle]

The Belgian-y tasting Scotch could be an issue of temperature controls. If you're identifying an estery taste. Or possibly yeast handling or under-pitching yeast.

Watery nut brown: not sure what your expectations are. Often these kits will be on the light side, so maybe it turned out right, it's just not what you wanted.