first kit problem

[DarloDave]

I've just bottled my first kit tonight, and i had a taste and it tasted absolutely fowl, totally undrinkable. will this get better over time? It was "Youngs Harvest Bitter", should it not have tasted even remotley nice?

[Immy's Dad]

Define 'foul', or did you mean fowl, like a chicken? (Only joking )

In answer to your question, there are a number of 'off' flavours than can be attributable to a variety of issues, ranging from bacterial infections to chemical ones, if you describe more accurately the taste maybe some of our more experienced chaps can help you out.

[KevP]

I've tasted plenty of brews straight out of the FV, and I can honestly say not one could be described as Foul.

Methinks you've got an infection and jaggered your brew mate
But, in case your idea of foul is different to mine, then you could give it a couple of weeks or more and retry it.

[DarloDave]

It kinda tastes watery, but i cant really explain :s. it doesnt taste vinegary or anything like that.

[Benson_JV]

Did you make the kit per instructions?
Did you change anything?
Did you totally steralise everything? etc etc

Hopefully it'll be something that can be sorted with a little time

[Ditch]

" Watery " ? Forgive me for saying, but; I don't think that sounds too far off the mark for such a kit, at this stage at least. If ye used plain sugar, that'd be it in one. Did ye use DSM or plain table sugar ~ as, most likely, per instructions?

[Benson_JV]

Damn ye Ditch, stealing my idea's!
I thought it may have been that, or he'd made it over the required amount of water. Thus i asked him if he'd made it to instructions.

[DarloDave]

if anything I used a bit under the amount of water which was what was confusing me even more. I just used normal white caster sugar, so there is still a slight bit of hope. and i shouldnt chuck it?

[Benson_JV]

Hmm, what i would do is keep it, but get another brew going, give it a couple weeks, see what happens, afterall, it hasnt had time to bottle condition yet

[DarloDave]

next brew i do is gonna be an AG with equipent bought with xmas money . So even if this one turns out to be a disaster im not put off in the slightest, and ill just steralise everything twice next time to be safe haha.

[Madbrewer]

Please bear in mind that I haven't done kits in 12 years. However the best way I can describe the kits I did (and I never used Malt extract, just brewing sugar if 'sugar' was called for ( on the 3kilo ones it wasn't)) they tasted like beer that was very slightly oxidised (which could have been MY fault). They had less body/were more watery than pub bought beer. They tasted beer like but with virtually no hop aroma and a faint 'gravy' like aftertaste. It's the bets way I can describe kits.

Cardboard taste = probably oxidised. TCP /medicinal = Chlorine in the water. Over acidic (vinegar?) = infection.

I did always see improvement if I left it 4 weeks before drinking it though!

[Benson_JV]

Good luck over on the dark side Dave!

[DarloDave]

ah well these are in my uni house atm, however im goin home in a week till after xmas, so ill just leave them here and forget about them over xmas, if when i come back they are gross ill just chuck em and use the bottles for my AG, if they are nice then thats all good.

[DarloDave]

I've just tried some and its actually not that bad!, a bit too fizzy, and the smell is disgusting, but its drinkable! wahey