Hi folks.
I bet this question has been asked on different levels, as I have seen in a few threads, but I thought I would ask it to see what advice I could garner for my specific kit(s).
History: I have brewed a few extract kits and they have all come up short on flavor or mouthfeel. I have brewed to date: Rogue Dead Man Ale Kit, True Brew IPA, True Brew Porter, True Brew Amber Ale, and U2CanBrew ESB kit. The wort always seems tastey, but after I bottle and age the beers I find they are less than stellar. They all seem to have a similar "tang" to them (the flavor seems off and it is a noticable, similar flavor with each differing batch). Not only is there that similar flavor quality, which overpowers any nuances first tasted within the wort, but they are of a thin mouthfeel.
I have noticed with prolonged aging that the IPA has a decent mouthfeel, but the hops flavors are not there. It is replaced with that similar "tang" to the flavor. It by no means resembles an IPA.
I ferment and age well within the 60-70* range without temp fluctuations.
I have a True Brew Irish Stout kit that I would like to brew, but I don't want to put forth the effort until I know of a better approach to making it a much better batch this time around.
I have been using the dextrose that accompanies the kits for bottling and I wonder if this could be the cause of the problem? Could using DME for the priming sugar assist in bringing about a better flavor or mouthfeel? How can I rid myself of this damn consistant flavor that is apparent in all of my extract brews?
I am frustrated and discouraged. Unfortunately, going all grain is not in my budget right now and I hope I can make some decent beer out of an extract kit.
Please help. I hate having to drink my pseudo-brews... they taste weird.
I bet this question has been asked on different levels, as I have seen in a few threads, but I thought I would ask it to see what advice I could garner for my specific kit(s).
History: I have brewed a few extract kits and they have all come up short on flavor or mouthfeel. I have brewed to date: Rogue Dead Man Ale Kit, True Brew IPA, True Brew Porter, True Brew Amber Ale, and U2CanBrew ESB kit. The wort always seems tastey, but after I bottle and age the beers I find they are less than stellar. They all seem to have a similar "tang" to them (the flavor seems off and it is a noticable, similar flavor with each differing batch). Not only is there that similar flavor quality, which overpowers any nuances first tasted within the wort, but they are of a thin mouthfeel.
I have noticed with prolonged aging that the IPA has a decent mouthfeel, but the hops flavors are not there. It is replaced with that similar "tang" to the flavor. It by no means resembles an IPA.
I ferment and age well within the 60-70* range without temp fluctuations.
I have a True Brew Irish Stout kit that I would like to brew, but I don't want to put forth the effort until I know of a better approach to making it a much better batch this time around.
I have been using the dextrose that accompanies the kits for bottling and I wonder if this could be the cause of the problem? Could using DME for the priming sugar assist in bringing about a better flavor or mouthfeel? How can I rid myself of this damn consistant flavor that is apparent in all of my extract brews?
I am frustrated and discouraged. Unfortunately, going all grain is not in my budget right now and I hope I can make some decent beer out of an extract kit.
Please help. I hate having to drink my pseudo-brews... they taste weird.