Watery Beer

[awhardy12]

New to the forum and from what I have seen so far this is the best one around.

My buddies and I have done 4 batches of beer and they all have a watery light taste to them. We have done a amber,pilsner,cream,ipa and they don't have a heavier taste or a "punch". Any input on what we could be doing wrong, I appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

[BillyBeer]

Welcome aboard!

Please try to list as much detail as possible so we can give you some informed advice.

Extract, partial mash or all grain?
Describe your brewing process/day
What were the basic reciepies
Starting Gravity - Final Gravity

Cheers

 

[awhardy12]

We have used all extract

2 of the recipe were kits than we tried our own recipe for the ipa which we followed everything exactly what the recipe called for.

Since this is a learning process we missed the boat on starting gravity and only did final and the final on all was 1.015.

I'm sitting at work trying to remember everything this is the best I could do for now. Thanks for the response

 

[Krelja]

Did you guys drink them quick aka green? 1.015 Should have plenty of sugar left in them to give you some mouth feel. Were there any steeping grains involved or just straight extract. Most of the beers I've made from extract had a watery feel when they were young. what were the O.G. 's at too?

 

[ThickHead]

We have done a amber,pilsner,cream,ipa and they don't have a heavier taste or a "punch".

I would not consider any of those styles heavy-tasting. So buying kits or recipes for those styles and following them is not going to produce "heavier taste." What exactly are you looking to get out of your homebrewing?

 

[awhardy12]

krelja- One of the guys that is in the group said only two weeks fermenting and two weeks bottled im starting to think more time in the bottle. Im thinking your right, were brewing a porter and another ipa this weekend so i'll mention we need to be more patient.

Thickhead- I would like having a homebrew as if I were to go down to the store and pick up a quality brew. I think heavy was the wrong word to describe those beers. It just tastes watery like a flavored light beer.

Thanks again for the quick responses.

 

[Justibone]

Are you looking for a "malty" taste, or are you wanting to get drunk?

A malty taste (like the insides of a whopper) is dependent on style, whereas the alcohol content (ABV) is dependent on the sugars present for the yeast to ferment. If you want to make "strong" beer, then just add more extract to the same amount of water (within reason -- yeast won't be able to ferment syrup, obviously). If you want a malty beer, make a different style of beer.

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

Are you using canned extract kits and adding sugar to the fermentor? Typically these kinds of kits produce very light bodied, watery tasting beer.

 

[DustinHickey]

I would not consider any of those styles heavy-tasting. So buying kits or recipes for those styles and following them is not going to produce "heavier taste." What exactly are you looking to get out of your homebrewing?

I disagree on the IPA. Almost every, but not all, IPA iv'e had has been very flavorfull. Not heavy as in mouthfeel but as in flavorful.

If you want more flavor in an IPA the easiest thing to add is hops hops hops. since it's extract atleast you shouldnt having conversion problems though. I have no experience in extract but I hear that good beers can be made from them so something else must be the problem.

 

[DrawTap88]

This may seem like a dumb question, but how much water are you using?

Another question that may seem dumb, but was a mistake that I made on my first two batches is: How are you measuring your priming sugar? I made the mistake of using a liquid measuring cup instead of a dry measuring cup my first batch.

I would also suggest at least 4 weeks in the fermenter and 2-3 weeks in the bottle.

 

[jgln]

This may seem like a dumb question, but how much water are you using?

Another question that may seem dumb, but was a mistake that I made on my first two batches is: How are you measuring your priming sugar? I made the mistake of using a liquid measuring cup instead of a dry measuring cup my first batch.

I would also suggest at least 4 weeks in the fermenter and 2-3 weeks in the bottle.

Had to look that one up, I always thought one cup = one cup. I know the difference now, no need to explain, it is how you use them. Either one will work once you know that.

 

[ThickHead]

I disagree on the IPA. Almost every, but not all, IPA iv'e had has been very flavorfull. Not heavy as in mouthfeel but as in flavorful.

If you want more flavor in an IPA the easiest thing to add is hops hops hops. since it's extract atleast you shouldnt having conversion problems though. I have no experience in extract but I hear that good beers can be made from them so something else must be the problem.

We probably have two different understandings of what the OP is trying to say then. I never said those styles didn't have flavor. I said that I wouldn't consider any of those styles "heavy-tasting." When I hear "heavy" I am thinking more toward the stout, porter end of the spectrum. An IPA is a pale ale for crying out loud. In my world, that aint heavy.

 

[DrawTap88]

Had to look that one up, I always thought one cup = one cup. I know the difference now, no need to explain, it is how you use them. Either one will work once you know that.

That's what I thought too. Fortunately, my brew buddy for those first two batches was a home economics teacher and corrected me. Otherwise I'd have some over carbed and dryer beers.

 

[ThickHead]

That's what I thought too. Fortunately, my brew buddy for those first two batches was a home economics teacher and corrected me. Otherwise I'd have some over carbed and dryer beers.

One rule I live by when measuring sugar for carbonation, and just about everything else in cooking where it is possible, is ALWAYS measure by weight.

 

[DrawTap88]

One rule I live by when measuring sugar for carbonation, and just about everything in cooking else where it is possible, is ALWAYS measure by weight.

Very true. Weight rules. Especially when trying to figure out volumes. Something for the OP to look into later on.

I have another question for the OP. What kind of water did you use? Tap? Distilled? Spring? Reverse Osmosis?

 

[jgln]

That's what I thought too. Fortunately, my brew buddy for those first two batches was a home economics teacher and corrected me. Otherwise I'd have some over carbed and dryer beers.

But that is my point, they are both able to measure one cup only with the liquid measuring cup you need to get the sugar as level as possible and take a good look to make sure it is at the one cup mark. The dry cup is easier and a tad more accurate than using the liquid cup for dry. But unless you are careless I doubt the tiny bit difference if any would matter.