re: Homebrewing: Step by Step Extract brew

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brown ale was White Labs East Coast Ale WLP008
blueberry wheat was Wyeast American Wheat 1010
breakfast stout was White Labs California Ale WLP001
praline porter was White Labs British Ale WLP005

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Doubt it's your yeast then...
Always used liquid extract?
Make SURE you're stirring it in all the way before cranking your heat back up?

What's the temp like on your fermentations?

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it is not controlled, but the after taste that I am finding isn't really an ester-type taste that I would expect from higher fermentation temps.

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I'm not sure then.

Really shouldn't have a problem making a clean beer with extract. Oxygenating your wort when pitching yeast?

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LoneStarTiger

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You probably should cut out the stage where you dip your balls in the finished beer. That could be your problem.

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LoneStarTiger - When you go to your meeting I probably wouldn't volunteer that it's an extract beer unless they asked. It may bias their observations towards "oh that's just extract".

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thanks for that tip, that's a good idea

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You probably should cut out the stage where you dip your balls in the finished beer. That could be your problem.

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Tastes....weinery.

A few updates and corrections:

Since I started using Beersmith, I have started using a true full boil. After steeping my grains, I still pour into the boil pot and rinse the grain bag with the remaining amount of water needed, but now I go ahead and go up to about 6.5 or 7 gallons. (not sure exactly, which is a little problem) This allows for me to complete the boil and hopefully have 5 gallons left to go into the fermenter without topping off. This has led to a much better tasting beer, less of the off flavor I assume is from the extract, and better hop utilization, resulting in needing to use less.

I've been steeping at 155 lately rather than 165

I've been checking my gravity "pre-boil" to make sure it is inline with what Beersmith says it should be. This is done after adding the extract and any other fermentables, before bringing it back to a boil

Not sure why I said I add the yeast then check the OG. I put the cooled wort into the fermenter, top off with water and mix if needed, then check the OG, then add the yeast.