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try browning the bones next time, this adds a little more depth to the flavor.... you can also brown the vegetables too. throw them in a roasting pan, 375 degrees or so.... until nicely colored. then put everything (including the nice brown bits in the pan which you can deglaze) into your stock pot and simmer a long time..... see if that helps.....

Thank you. Can the veggies, when simmered for that long, negatively affect the taste? Last batch (chicken) I did the same way, with the same result. Is 6 hours too long, or not long enough? I'm trying not to add much salt, due to both the reduction and the fact that I want to keep the flavor neutral.

Also, I used three sage lives this time -- forgot to mention that.

I'm trying to do a simple turkey stock to use in risotto, with turkey, peas, and havarti/dill cheese. . .my mom's favorite things.

Thanks again.

I often make my meat/poultry stocks/broths in a slow cooker, overnight - they invariably end up very rich and flavourful. It's a lazy but rather foolprof way (put everything in the pot, go to sleep and wake up to a pot of flavourful broth - what can be better than that?:-)). You don't need to skim all the time since it never boils (don't stir it while it's cooking), just strain it later and you're done. In fact, if you ladle it carefully out of the pot, you may not even need to strain it, depending on how clear you want it (I do strain mine usually). Also, unless you want to for some reason, you don't really need to chop the onion or the carrots/celery.

I also agree with jenilowrance (1 tsp of salt is not nearly enough for that amount of broth) and pjracz10 -- you certainly want to use different parts of the bird (necks and wings are great), not just the breast. Good luck!

Nope never had problems with bitterness.

I would agree with more salt but also you really should try throwing in different parts of the bird, the breast is usually the least flavorful part of the bird. I dont know if this makes a difference but I always roast the meat then cut it off and throw the bones with just a little meat still clinging into the pot. Also I recently tried using smoked turkey wings, they really seemed to up the flavor considerably.

Definitely use bones (not sure on the gizzards, as they will cloud your stock). They're far better than using the meat itself, especially the breast. Also add some vinegar to draw the marrow from the bones, which will help with flavor as well as nutrition. I'd also throw in a couple of bay leaves. But overall, the problem may simply be too much water and not enough bones/vegetables - in school they tell us a pound of bones and a pound of vegetables for each quart to 6 cups of stock, and it works.

The salt draws the flavor out, so definitely a necessity. I use quite a bit of fresh herbs (think Simon and Garfunkel!), and a couple whole cloves, and a couple of garlic cloves. I wrap the herbs in a coffee filter and tie with butcher twine. I use the tops of the celery, and wrap those too. It just makes it easier to strain. Carrots and onion, of course. The cooking time is usually four hours, but then I let it cool to room temp so I'm sure it just keeps on cookin'. I always use the whole bird, especially when the all natural is on sale for 99 cents a pound. Cheaper than buying boxed stock.
My problem is getting good bones for beef stock. I have never had a successful beef stock.

You've come to my mecca. I always make my own stock. I rarely salt it because you don't know what you're going to use it for. If you're making it for a specific recipe and you want it salted, start with a Tablespoon and taste as you're finishing. There is often celery or carrots past their prime in the refrigerator and I know then it's time to make stock (sorry czken). I also save chicken backs, necks and wings in the freezer for this purpose. Dark meat pieces make a more flavorful stock. No internal parts. Roasting makes a dark stock, raw a light stock. You had too much water for your few ingredients. Reducing does increase flavor but, start with a little more. If you want to use 6 qts of water, add the following ingredients.
2 backs, 2 necks, 4 wings + 2 more of any of those pieces=10 total. (can be any combo)
4 whole carrots, broken in half or so
Cut the base off of a bunch of celery and the top 1/4 with the greens, add that
2 large onions, quartered, unpeeled
2-3 heads garlic, cut in half crosswise, unpeeled
handful of black peppercorns
Bring to a boil, reduce to a slow simmer. Skim, watching out for the peppercorns. 3-4 hours should do it, longer won't hurt. No need to really reduce. Strain, cool, remove fat. If you chill it after straining, you can skim the solidified fat off of the top. This will make a rich, flavorful stock that you can freeze in zipper bags in 1 cup measurements to use anytime you need it. I fill the bags and lay them on a cookie sheet, put it in the freezer and when frozen you can stack or stash them anywhere in your freezer.

p.s. feel free to add what you have on hand; parsley, tomatoes, leeks; think about flavor.

I agree with carolrsf, you didn't have nearly enough ingredients for the amount of water used. I also do not put any salt in the broth, since the amount of salt you will want in whatever you're making from the broth will be different. If you're making risotto, for example, the broth's flavor will be concentrated at the end, so if you start with broth that is seasoned to taste the final dish will be too salty. I also don't use garlic, pepper, or any other herbs or spices in it, again because I'm never sure what I'm going to end up using it for. It's better IMO to have a more neutral stock that you can customize when you use it.

I use about 8 quarts water, 8 pounds chicken (legs, wings, necks, backs, feet are all good, breasts not so much), 2 pounds onions, 1 pound each carrots and celery. If I can't get chicken parts I'll use a whole chicken and take the breasts out after they're cooked (about an hour), but before their flavor is gone, and use them to make chicken salad or something.