Sterile tasting beers

[Darth Malt]

So if I use malted wheat it will convert better? Thats good to know. I live in Charlotte, NC. The water profile is really soft according to the 2009 testings

[BDawg]

So if I use malted wheat it will convert better? Thats good to know. I live in Charlotte, NC. The water profile is really soft according to the 2009 testings

Neither Crystal malts, nor Flaked wheat have any enzymes, so the starch in the flaked wheat was never converting.

This might be it -- the beginning of the off flavors. The yeast would eat all the sugars, but leave the starches behind. Something else (probably a bacteria) which can eat the starches, does so, and voila - off flavors from the bacteria. They multiply from all the starch, then go to town on the remaining dextrins, too, leaving you with a thin, watery beer.

Alternatively, you can steep the flaked wheat in the presence of a similar amount of pale 2 row malt, and that will have enough diastatic power convert it. I'd try this first.

Also, maybe you can send Geistbier a bottle to taste for you and give you an analysis. He's out that way (Raleigh, I think) and it would be cheap to mail him a bottle if its too far to drive. (Geist is a BJCP judge and long time frequent forum contributor).

[Geistbier]

Darth I work at the Raleigh homebrew shop so if you in the area sometime bring it by I can taste and see what I get from it. Are you adding all your extract at the beginning of the boil? That extract character might be what you are getting if you have tried brewing with a variety of waters and the beer hasn't changed.

Just wondering, diagnosing remotely is difficult at best.

Cheers!

[Old_Skool]

Two more pieces of info would be:

- How are you steeping your grains ?
- First off are the grains crushed / crushed enough ?
- What temperature and you steeping and for how long ?
- How much water are you steeping in ?

- Or are you mini-mashing ?
- Again describe that process

I assume you are doing a partial boil and then adding water. How are you calculating your grain / LME / Hops amounts ?

Are you using a tried and true recipe(s) or are you making up you own ?

My advice to new brewers is to always start out slow -- brew 2 - 3 - even 4 basic tried and true Ale recipes until you are consistently getting decent beer at the end of the process. Then you can start to change up some stuff.