Weird tasting beer

[SimonHitchcock]

I have had some problems with my first brew and wondered if anyone can tell me where I went wrong.

The kit i used was a Muntons Mexican beer kit. On initially tasting, after about three weeks from bottling the lager was frankly unpleasant with a yeasty taste and smell (like the smell from a student uni bar carpet!) and a chemically after taste. I then left it for a further two weeks or so and tried it again. The "yeastyiness" has almost completely gone but the chemically after taste is quite strong.

I know I made some errors and wonder if anyone can shed some light on which one did the damage.

Firstly I forgot (in my excitement) to rinse the barrel after sterilising, although it was thoroughly drained and virtually dry before use.
Secondly I primed the bottles with only half the recommended amount of sugar (the same kind of brewing sugar used in the initial wort)
As per instructions I kept the newly bottled beer in the warm (only room temp.) for two days before going back out into my very cold garage (where the wort was fermented with the aid of a heat belt).

Are my expectations too high or is it really possible to get "shop bought" quality beer from a kit?
Is the chemical taste from the un-rinsed fermenting barrel? I wasn't too worried about this initially because I thought it would be so watered down it wouldn't notice.

The next brew (a youngs bitter) is on the go now (in a rinsed fermenting barrel) and I really want this one to work so please help!!!

[Damfoose]

Yep it is more than likley from the unrinced fermenter. Also another thing that could be causing it is your water did you use tap water straight ? if so if you have a glass of tap water on its own does it have a chlorine sort of taste to it as that will also give you the chemical sort of taste. If you are using tap water treat it with a campden tablet ( half a tablet would do but a whole one wont hurt ) before you use it that will kill off the chlorine.

[shandypants5]

Damfoose is right. Your steraliser is probrably chlorine based so its REALLY important to rinse well, and treat your brewing water with a campden.

I have made a COOPERS Mexican a few times now and have allways been really pleased with the results, so you can make good beer from a kit.

Why did you only half prime the bottles? Mexican lager should be fizzy!