English Pale Ale

This was the standard kit with which my fermenter kit came. It was my first brew but I read a lot beforehand. I used the English Pale Ale pouch, the enhancer pack it came with and the standard yeast. I used a yeast starter and pitched at 23deg C. Brewed it short at 21L. Due to a misunderstanding of Palmer's How to Brew book, I boiled the extract and water and enhancer for about 45min.

Fermented for 1 week in primary FV at between 20-22deg C, then racked for 2 more weeks in secondary carboy. Primed with 98g of white sugar and bottled. Used standard finings 3 days before bottling.

Tested two bottles 6 days after bottling. Carbonation is OK-ish, another week is needed, at least. Not very clear. Clear enough but could be way better.

Clean tasting but very very very bitter. And it's more of the background bitterness with very little forward, aromatic hops. 

I'm sure that if I would have brewed it at 25L, the bitterness would have been better, but then it would have been thin from an AVB point of view. As it is, it finished at 3.9 in carboy plus 0.5 in bottle for a total of 4.4%. 

If I would ever do it again, which I doubt since I'm not an ale drinker, I would probably brew at 25l and add another 0.5 of brew sugar of light DME. I would also add some aroma hops since it definitely lacks those.

As it is, it's a very bitter un-aromatic average beer.