Well balanced beer

[carrboy2002]

I've been brewing kits for awhile and had great results. Lately I've started stepping away from kits and I've noticed my beers have a sweetness that wasn't there before. They're not bad by any means, just a little sweet. My OG and FG come in at decent figures (1.052 - 1.012) but I wonder what's going on. Do you think I'm kicking up the malt content too much or is my yeast attenuation (did I get that right?) not as good as it should be? I've got a Kolsch and an American Pale Ale on tap right now and while I can taste the difference, they both leave a sweetness I never noticed before. Ideas?
Thanks.

 

[Psylocide]

Mind posting the recipe for one? That may help a bit.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Sweetness is usually from fermentation temperatures or unicorn tears, but mostly temperatures. Whenever I get an undesirable sweetness, I pull the keg and have it sit in the beer room and think about what it's done. After about a month (sometimes more) it can go back on tap without the residual sweetness.

 

[smccarter]

malt = sweetness
hops = bitterness

If you add less hops, the beer will be sweeter. If you add more hops the beer will be more bitter. (in a simplistic, very broad look at the subject)

 

[carrboy2002]

I suspect you're right. I think the temp in my beer room (garage) has been a little too low. I might try pitching more yeast and look to get to a lower FG.
Thanks.

 

[RM-MN]

As you drink more bitter beers your taste changes. Your beer may be just as bitter but you can no longer taste that bitterness.

 

[carrboy2002]

but isn't bitterness different than sweet? maybe my palate isn't very well advanced. I generally know when my kits come out balanced. I replied to another post thinking maybe it was yeast attenuation.

 

[flatlanderHQ]

One possibility aside from pitch rates and fermentation temps is that the extract you are using is not as
fermentable as it was in the past. Have you changed your LME source? One way to get beers to attenuate more is too add some simple sugars to your wort. No more than 10% of your total fermentables, however. This should result in a drier finished beer, as long as your temperature control is what it should be, and you pitch enough healthy yeast.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[madscientist451]

put in your malt bill, mash temps, type of yeast, ferment temp and your process and it will be easier to figure out where your increased sweetness is coming from.