Why Is My Homebrew Beer Watery?

Adding the malt extract photo courtesy of ilovebutter via Flickr Creative Commons.

It’s downright frustrating when you follow the step-by-step homebrewing process only for your beer to taste, and look, watered down. A watery taste can ruin an otherwise perfect batch of beer, forcing you to pour it down the drain and start from scratch. But unless you determine the exact cause of this problem, you’ll likely experience it in the next batch as well. So,w hat caused homebrew beer to posses a watered down flavor/texture?

Too Much Water, Not Enough Malt Extract

One of the most common causes of watered down homebrew beer is using too much water and not enough malt extract. Granted, these are two crucial components that are necessary in the production of homebrew beer, but using an improper ratio can result in a heavy watery taste that negatively impacts the “good” flavors of the beer.

If you’re using a homebrew kit, make sure you follow the instructions exactly as they are described. Trying to “wing it” typically results in off flavors and other problems, including a heavily watered down beer. This is why it’s particularly important to use the correct ratio of water and malt extract; otherwise, you may accidentally pour too much water and/or not enough malt extract.

Not Enough Carbonation

Many people mistake flat beer for watered down beer. Just because a batch of homebrew beer tastes watered down doesn’t necessarily mean it is. The problem could be attributed to a lack of carbonation; thus, mimicking the characteristics of a watered down brew.

Give your homebrew beer ample time to carbonate and refrain from removing it until it’s finished the process. I know a lot of beginners are eager to test their brew, but stopping the carbonation process prematurely can ruin your batch by creating the sensation of a watered down flavor/texture.

Not Securing The Bottle Cap

Even if your homebrew beer is fully carbonated, it may lose some of its carbonation through loose bottle caps. Failing to secure the caps to the bottles will ultimately allow trace amounts of carbonation to escape and air to enter. But it only takes a small air leak to exhaust practically all of the bottle’s carbonation, so make sure your caps are properly secured.

If you’ve tried all of these solutions and still can’t solve your watery beer problem, try a new recipe. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh recipe to get around problems such as this.