Subdued Flavors

[weetodd]

I'm just tasting one of my latest brews...an APA. While it is a well balanced beer, clean with good hop and malt taste, it seems that the flavors are "soft" or subdued. This is a hard thing to describe but it is definately noticeable when compared next to a commercial example. The flavors in my beer are not as strong or pronounced, no punch. I'm struggling as to what is causing this as I think my recipe is solid for the style and is overall a well balanced beer with good flavors.

Does my description make sense? Would anyone have any ideas as to what could cause this or how to fix this? I'm also assuming that I can homebrew something that tastes close to a commercial example.

Thanks.

Here is the recipe I used. I have a 10 gal cooler, batch sparge with braid, boil in a keggle, immersion chiller.

6 gallon Batch
10.0 lbs Maris Otter
1.0 lbs Crystal 20
0.5 lbs Crystal 40
0.5 lbs Munich Malt

0.45 oz Columbus Hops Whole (16.8% AA) @ 60 minutes
0.50 oz Cascade Hops Whole (6.0% AA) @ 10 minutes
0.50 oz Centennial Hops Whole (9.3% AA) @ 10 minutes
0.50 oz Cascade Hops Whole (6.0% AA) @ 0 minutes
0.50 oz Centennial Hops Whole (9.3% AA) @ 0 minutes
Target IBU = 33

Mashed at 154
OG - 1.051
FG - 1.012
Safale US-05 11.5g pack (dry)
Femented at 68 deg. for 25 days
Bottled and carbed with corn sugar (3/4cup)

I'm using natural spring water - no treatments. The water here is pretty soft as I understand (few minerals)

 

[david_42]

"It's the water"

Very low mineral waters do not make for good Pales. Burton salts will take care of that.

 

[GeoXP]

David's right. Try adding the salts and you'll notice the hop flavors are much more accentuated.

 

[sdockter]

I would suggest getting your water tested. You can send a sample to Ward Laboratories (http://www.wardlab.com/) and they'll test it for mineral content. Then you can adjust your water to match Burton on Trent water.