First brew tasting question

Hello everybody, this is my first post and i'm brewing my first batch as we speak. I just transfered my Northern Brewer American Wheat to secondary carboy, and being curious I had a glass. It just tasted like water and hops. It didn't taste bad, it just had zero taste besides the hops. Is that normal because there is no carbonation yet?

I would say no, that's not normal. But we'll need to know more about your recipe and procediure before anyone on here will be able to speculate about causes for your percieved lack of flavor.

How long was it in primary? Did you observe active fermentation? A little more info please

Ok the recipe was boil 2 and 1/2 gallons then pour in the half gallon of malt, bring back to boil for an hr., hops at 45 and 15 minutes. Then I cooled wort to 70 degrees and pitched yeast. It took off in less than 12 hours. I left it alone for a week until the krausen subsided, at which point the kit says rack to secondary for 2 weeks. I think it may just be a real light beer though. I went to the Northern Brewer site and read reviews on the kit and it seems everybody either was adding or wished they did add some type of fruit.

Which kit?? I made their porter and although bland, you could at least taste the malt bill.

It was their American wheat.

Forgive me for asking, but it has been fermented, correct?

Did you happen to get any gravity readings? It should at least smell like beer.

If you don't take gravity readings you're brewing blind.

It would be sweeter and maltier if it hadn't been fermented.

I think youneedta relax and have a brew. It will probably be fine upon bottling. Worrying excessively over your first beer is something that everybody does, but most people laugh at themselves afterwords for doing.

I have tended to find that water chemistry has a HUGE influence on light Pale Ale and Wheat beers. So that could be a reason too but it would take a couple batches to really figure that one out depending on your water source.

It's an American Wheat...it's supposed to have no flavor : )

Did you use 1010? ...carbonation will help immensely.

Most commercial American wheat beers taste like water and hops. It's just not a strongly flavored beer, but I can tell you that once it is carbonated it will be very different from what you tasted today.
Damn Krusty, we had the same thought exactly. That scares me.

How many beers have you had sailor? : )

Agreed, wheat beers aren't very flavorful. They're not supposed to be. They're summer/lawnmower type beers that are supposed to go down easy and not get you too drunk too fast. Relax, it'll be good.

Try Gumball head. Its the only American Wheat beer I've ever had that actually has flavor (its very very hoppy).

That's a very delicious exception to the rule. Although if you have an extra sixer, I can re-evaluate your claim at any time.

Thank you for all your responses, I'm not too worried now. I guess I was kinda expecting it to taste like Boulevard or something. I'll let you know how it turns out after bottling.

You're probably fine. Sounds like you followed directions, and the beer fermented out. If something had gone terribly wrong, it would be more likely that the beer had a strong bandaid flavor or something like that, rather than just tasting a little bland. An American wheat is going to be mildly flavored, compared to most styles. And it definitely will taste different when it's carbonated and served at a proper temp. Relax, don't worry etc.

Thanks, ya it is still definitely flat and was sampled at room temp. I just finished off a 6er of hops strike black and sierra nevada pale ale the night before i tried mine so i guess drinking week old uncarbonated beer won't hold up. I'm just glad there wasnt any off flavors.

Well I bottled it 3 weeks ago and I did sample two bottles during, and it has progressively gotten better. Its not awesome or anything, but the hops mellowed and it carbed up, definitely drinkable. Now I'm gonna rdwhahb.

If I knew how to use my phone i'd post theobligatory "add more hops" picture...
But I'm an idiot.

Done and done.

I love that shirt. Too bad buying it would dig into my brewing budget.

You got another one going right? Always keep brewing!

If your first beer is drinkable and you're enjoying it, you're in the groove and you're hooked, enjoy the new obsession!

Ya I have another going. I have another batch bottled almost a week, an 15 more gallons of beer an 5 of cider in carboys. I'm actually about to brew again in about an hr. Trying to get that pipeline going.

It sucks when your pipeline stalls. Mine stalled last week and I'm about out of homebrew. Jump starting the pipeline again on saturday tho.