sweet beer

Discussion on brewing beer from malt extract, hops, and yeast.
Post Reply
Hoprocket

sweet beer

Post by Hoprocket » Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:19 pm

Hi guys, ive recently brewed a bitter , using coopers light malt and coopers Amber malt, I boiled the malt with around 30% challenger hops, and 30% Goldings, I also added around 20% Fuggles, and 20% Cascade, I boiled this mix for around 45 mins, and I added a whirlfloc tablet for the last 15 mins, all this was strained to remove the Hops, and I cooled the wort rapidly with sterile water which was in the freezer over night, so it chilled the wort quickly, I added two gallons of water which had stood overnight in a sterile sealed plastic container, and brought the whole brew down to 22 deg with chilled water from the fridge,again sealed in a sterile container, sg was 1038, I added the starter which was pre made with some Dark spray malt, and some sugar, placed in a sealed fermenting bin with heater set at 22 deg, brewed it for approx 6 days, checked the sg and it was at 1011, so strained the brew into the barrell, added one pack of carbonation drops, and left in the airing cupboard for a few days, its now transfered to my shed ready for drinking, ive tried a couple of glasses, its cleared nice, and retains the head well, but has a sweet taste, have i brewed it long enough, im thinking why has it got a sweet taste, this is the first time for me to brew with unhopped malt extract.
has anyone else had a similar experience, or does someone know if Ive done something wrong, any advice for next time I brew with this method. :beer:

User avatar
IPA
Under the Table
Posts: 1730
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:29 am
Location: France Gascony

Re: sweet beer

Post by IPA » Wed Aug 31, 2016 7:20 am

How many times did you check the gravity and over how many days.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

Hoprocket

Re: sweet beer

Post by Hoprocket » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:11 pm

I checked the gravity before i pitched the starter yeast, and then after 5 days, when it was 1011, put it in the barrell next day.

Rhodesy
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 681
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 2:09 pm
Location: Glasgow

Re: sweet beer

Post by Rhodesy » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:30 pm

It is recommended to check gravity over 2-3 days to ensure fermentation is finished, at a FG of 1.011 I wouldn't think it would be overly sweet mind you. Did you maybe over do it on the carbonation drops? How many grams was the packet and what was your final volume of beer? Which yeast did you use? Your attenuation is approx 73%

There are several variables and it could just be down to taste with the different extracts used?

Hoprocket

Re: sweet beer

Post by Hoprocket » Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:31 pm

Hi Rhodesy, yes I think that maybe the reason, to many carbonation drops, I know the final amount of beer was not 25 ltrs, but 23, so i think that maybe it.

BenB

Re: sweet beer

Post by BenB » Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:05 pm

Not a problem then as long as you've got a pressure release valve on your barrel.

Hoprocket

Re: sweet beer

Post by Hoprocket » Fri Sep 02, 2016 4:34 pm

Well it seems im a newbie to Extract brewing, out the man cave today, and tried a drop, and whats this no sweet beer, its cleared even better, and a nice taste of hops, whats going on, does it carry on using up the excess suger, it tastes much better, not what i had expected, here was i thinking to hell with this type of brewing, but its actually getting better in the barrell. just goes to show you have to have patience, must get another barrel, two is not enough, ive just put on another brew, will leave it longer than 6 days in the fermenter, and a bit longer to condition. ive changed my mind will keep on trying with this type of brew, as i think the end result might just be outstanding.

Post Reply