sweet beer

[Hoprocket]

Hi guys, ive recently brewed a bitter , using coopers light malt and coopers Amber malt, I boiled the malt with around 30% challenger hops, and 30% Goldings, I also added around 20% Fuggles, and 20% Cascade, I boiled this mix for around 45 mins, and I added a whirlfloc tablet for the last 15 mins, all this was strained to remove the Hops, and I cooled the wort rapidly with sterile water which was in the freezer over night, so it chilled the wort quickly, I added two gallons of water which had stood overnight in a sterile sealed plastic container, and brought the whole brew down to 22 deg with chilled water from the fridge,again sealed in a sterile container, sg was 1038, I added the starter which was pre made with some Dark spray malt, and some sugar, placed in a sealed fermenting bin with heater set at 22 deg, brewed it for approx 6 days, checked the sg and it was at 1011, so strained the brew into the barrell, added one pack of carbonation drops, and left in the airing cupboard for a few days, its now transfered to my shed ready for drinking, ive tried a couple of glasses, its cleared nice, and retains the head well, but has a sweet taste, have i brewed it long enough, im thinking why has it got a sweet taste, this is the first time for me to brew with unhopped malt extract.
has anyone else had a similar experience, or does someone know if Ive done something wrong, any advice for next time I brew with this method.

[IPA]

How many times did you check the gravity and over how many days.

[Hoprocket]

I checked the gravity before i pitched the starter yeast, and then after 5 days, when it was 1011, put it in the barrell next day.

[Rhodesy]

It is recommended to check gravity over 2-3 days to ensure fermentation is finished, at a FG of 1.011 I wouldn't think it would be overly sweet mind you. Did you maybe over do it on the carbonation drops? How many grams was the packet and what was your final volume of beer? Which yeast did you use? Your attenuation is approx 73%

There are several variables and it could just be down to taste with the different extracts used?

[Hoprocket]

Hi Rhodesy, yes I think that maybe the reason, to many carbonation drops, I know the final amount of beer was not 25 ltrs, but 23, so i think that maybe it.

[BenB]

Not a problem then as long as you've got a pressure release valve on your barrel.

[Hoprocket]

Well it seems im a newbie to Extract brewing, out the man cave today, and tried a drop, and whats this no sweet beer, its cleared even better, and a nice taste of hops, whats going on, does it carry on using up the excess suger, it tastes much better, not what i had expected, here was i thinking to hell with this type of brewing, but its actually getting better in the barrell. just goes to show you have to have patience, must get another barrel, two is not enough, ive just put on another brew, will leave it longer than 6 days in the fermenter, and a bit longer to condition. ive changed my mind will keep on trying with this type of brew, as i think the end result might just be outstanding.