Beers taste the same.

[OilyGreasyPig]

Hi folks,
I've brewed a few batches now and I'm noticing they all taste very similar. I love hoppy beers so I've been loading them with hops, about 200g per brew but I'm not getting any hop flavour. I haven't looked into my water yet, but I'm willing to try bottled water. Which one is the best and should I add gupsum to get the hops to come out? I've read that helps. I generally use pale malt with 5% crystal and some carapils or terrified wheat. I like the mouthfeel I get but I really want a full on kick in the face from the hops like you would from dead pony, nor hop or madness Ipa. Any advice would be welcome. I've been dry hopping in the primary and it may be that co2 has carried away some of the flavours and aroma. Should I use a secondary? Help, I'm confused and the more I read the more confused I get. Bloody Internet.
Yes, I appreciate the irony of that, that's why I'm posting on a uk site rather than an American one, not that I don't value their advice too.

[Dads_Ale]

Could you post when you are adding the hops and what variety? 200g should give a good hop hit if added at the right time. Dry hopping generally only work when fermentation has died down.

[keith1664]

I wouldn't bother with bottled water unless I knew that my tap water was problematic, WallyBrew will do you a water test with ALL the information you'll need for not much more than Murphys.
When I'm going hoppy I aim for a sulphite / chloride ratio of 2:1. I'm now using hydrochloric and sulphuric acids separately to hit my targets, with my water nothing else is required.
I usually go for between 30-50% of my bittering from a 60 minute bittering charge and then use the majority of the hops in the last 15 minutes and a load more at flameout.
The only time I bother with a secondary is if I REALLY want to re use the yeast and I'm dry hopping.

[Matt12398]

What yeast are you using? Yeast is the major contributing factor to any beer so if you are using the same yeast, you will get a similar taste each time. Yeast choice will also affect your hops as well as some will accentuate the hop character better than others.

Low mash pH can also cause problems with hop flavour.

[bob3000]

How confident are you with your santation? Are you using star san? I remember some of my earlier batches being mildly infected or having pooer fermentation and this can really cover up hop flavour. The fact that your beers all taste the same could point to this.

Also, are you picking up a lot of oxygen at bottling?

[fisherman]

Are you using a Salfert alkalinity test kit and adjusting your brewing water before you mash?.

[OilyGreasyPig]

Thanks for the replies chaps. I add hops heavily in the last 15 mins, about 100g. I then added 100g to dry hop. The gravity was constant for a few days before I added them. I haven't done a salifert test, should I? Is there no sure fired way to get that hop flavour? I haven't used star San. I used Milton sterilising tabs last time as I had loads of them around. I have use vwp as well though in the past. Could yeast still in suspension in the primary dragging the hop oils down? Would secondary help this?