Too much similarity between different beer styles

[timbits07]

I've brewed about 4 different beers now and they have tasted pretty good in my opinion and by those who have tried them. My problem is that as someone who has tasted all four batches I feel like they have too much similarity in their flavor profile. They were and amber, porter, dark wheat and a cream ale. The porter was by far the best partly because it was unique. The other three, while definitely tasting different had too much similarity in their flavor profile. The first rush of flavor for all three was almost the same in my opinion, then the following flavors and after taste we different.

My question is: could this be due to the water I'm using? Could my tap water make the different beers taste similar?
I used bottled water for the second and that was my favorite so far.

 

[h22lude]

It seems like you already found your solution. If you used bottled water and it tasted better, I would assume it was your tap water that gave you some off flavor you didn't like.

 

[cogsmithsfermentorium]

Well while water can have an effect on your beer in my experience tap water depending on whats added to it by your municipality can have negative effects ie chlorine and what not. I don't see that as being why your beer would have similar profiles because of it. I use spring water i get it by thee gallon from family dollar its the best water around. i live in Florida and the water in my area tastes like sulfur and so does the local spring waters. But i'm from the Milwaukee area and i was spoiled when i was in the Appalachians the sweetest springs i have ever tasted.

I would ask you this though... are you doing extract or all grain? I am assuming based on the location of this post it is at most a partial or mini mash. If you are extract brewing are you using kits or are you creating? Another big question is as far as fermenting do you have temperature control. Depending on your ferment temp you can be getting some off flavors that could be messing with your malt profile. If you are extract brewing are you using prehoped extract?

 

[timbits07]

Well while water can have an effect on your beer in my experience tap water depending on whats added to it by your municipality can have negative effects ie chlorine and what not. I don't see that as being why your beer would have similar profiles because of it. I use spring water i get it by thee gallon from family dollar its the best water around. i live in Florida and the water in my area tastes like sulfur and so does the local spring waters. But i'm from the Milwaukee area and i was spoiled when i was in the Appalachians the sweetest springs i have ever tasted.

I would ask you this though... are you doing extract or all grain? I am assuming based on the location of this post it is at most a partial or mini mash. If you are extract brewing are you using kits or are you creating? Another big question is as far as fermenting do you have temperature control. Depending on your ferment temp you can be getting some off flavors that could be messing with your malt profile. If you are extract brewing are you using prehoped extract?

To answer some of your questions, I have brewed 2 extract kits from northern brewer and two mash kits from Brooklyn Homebrew shop.
I do not have temperature control and I live in Southern California where it has been warm lately. I think temperature might have something to do with it, my fermentation always seems very fast. Maybe due to temps being too high?

Part of the similarities has also been a low hop character. Not sure if it's just the recipes I've used because they haven't had much hop additions anyways. I just brewed a barley wine that should have a decently high IBU so we'll see how that one turns out.

So far I think my biggest liabilities are water and temperature. I may try moving my fermentation to the garage where it stays cooler than in the house.

 

[Paps]

Are you using the same base malt each time as well?

 

[C-Rider]

Yea, you HAVE TO control the fermenting temp. If you can't get a refer or freezer w/temp controls get a big Muck Bucket from WalMart a wet tee shirt and 1/2 gallon bottles of ice. Put water in the bucket, and then the fermenter or the otherway around. Put ice n water and hang a wet tee shirt over the fermenter. That should keep temp down if you can change out the ice at least twice a day.

 

[kaconga]

Are they all the same yeast? Some beers are only different because of the yeast. Go into a brewery which only uses one house strain of yeast and the beers will all be very similar. Try switching up the yeast once you get temp controls and you will have a lot more variety. Also try to ferment the same yeast at different temps. It can really give you variety.

 

[h22lude]

I agree. Temp and yeast could also have a part in it and so can the recipe. There are a lot of variables that can change the taste of your beer.

The 4 recipes you made are different. The porter shouldn't taste anything like the cream ale or a wheat beer so I would tend to think your problem is water and/or temp. Yeast could have something to do with it but your recipes are so different that I would think it wouldn't be the yeast.

With extract you can use any kind of bottled water since all the minerals you need are in the extract. I would suggest using bottled water and making a swamp cooler like c-rider suggested. Those two things should be what you need.

 

[progmac]

most homebrew i have from beginners tastes like yeast (generally s-05 yeast) because they didn't pitch enough and/or control temperatures. my money is that is the flavor.

 

[Pappers_]

I think all of the above is probably on target.


Just wanted to add, though, that there is a great similarity in beer flavor across styles - malt.

 

[timbits07]

most homebrew i have from beginners tastes like yeast (generally s-05 yeast) because they didn't pitch enough and/or control temperatures. my money is that is the flavor.

I think you're probably right. Why is it that too little yeast actually creates more yeast flavor? I am only brewing 1 gallon batches and I usually let it ferment for 7-10 days. Should I wait longer during fermentation? Will that yield less yeast flavor and help convert more of the fermentable sugars?

 

[h22lude]

How much yeast are you pitching?

You should wait at least 2 weeks. Fermentation might be done in 7 days but the longer you let it sit the more the yeast can clean up. Under perfect circumstances (pitches right yeast, starting gravity was spot on, pitching temp and fermentation temp is exact, etc) I keg after 2 weeks. If something wasn't right during my brew day, I let it sit for 3 weeks.

 

[Kahless]

I think you're probably right. Why is it that too little yeast actually creates more yeast flavor? I am only brewing 1 gallon batches and I usually let it ferment for 7-10 days. Should I wait longer during fermentation? Will that yield less yeast flavor and help convert more of the fermentable sugars?

If you under pitch, the yeast have to go through an increased reproductive phase and this can result in many more esters being produced which can add apple/banana/clove flavours depending on the yeast (Temperature also affects these).

If the temperature for the porter was cooler than the others then temperature could be the cause; good temperature control prevents off flavours (or produces them when demanded by a style), although always beware very high temperatures (25C+) as you can end up with fusel alcohols that can ruin a batch.

 

[timbits07]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I am going to start by controlling temperature better and by allowing more time in the fermenter. Being a new brewer I definitely suffer from impatience and probably need to let the yeast take their time more.

I'm going to start with a swamp cooler-type system and work toward converting an old refrigerator to a fermentation chamber at some point.

I will also take more care in pitching my yeast. Probably rehydrate if using dry yeast and allow them better conditions to do their thing.