Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions - Page 119

Hetuck · 04-09-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by popester

What about the smell? The storage closet houses like 12 to 18 closets so other people are sharing it. All that delineates mine is some chicken wire. Are people going to complain about the smell?

Once it's in the keg and germenting you don't have to worry about the smell. I keep my Mr Beer kegs in the closet under the Mrs. clothes.....she hasn't castrated me yet

**Shooter** · 04-09-2009, 11:22 PM

I haven't really noticed that much smell from the Mr. Beer batches I've brewed, but I do keep the fermenter inside of a sealed ice chest. I just fired up a Mr. Beer batch this afternoon. One nice thing about Mr. Beer is they brew up pretty quickly.

Listen to llazy_llama's advice on the booster. Ditch it and either replace it with another can of liquid extract or a pound of light dry malt extract. I boil the dry extract for a little while, but even with that additional time it's really easy to put up a batch while the kids are napping. Probably one reason why I will continue to use Mr. Beer right alongside my full 5 gallon setup.

Oh, and get better yeast. I used Nottingham on this latest batch, but if you want to go cheaper I'd bet even a Cooper's yeast would be better than the indeterminate aged yeast included with the kit.

nyctreasure · 04-11-2009, 06:28 PM

i want to learn the art of beer making, i want to know the methods of hybridizing various brands together. i want to experiment with the beer to get a better taste altogether.help me with this.

llazy_llama · 04-11-2009, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nyctreasure

i want to learn the art of beer making, i want to know the methods of hybridizing various brands together. i want to experiment with the beer to get a better taste altogether.help me with this.

Read this: How to Brew - By John Palmer - Introduction

Then practice a bit, get a few recipe kits or brew some proven recipes. Once you have a taste for the ingredients, read Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels.

**wolfstar** · 04-13-2009, 05:36 AM

Greetings, this happens to be my first post. My dive into home brewing started 4 days ago with a visit to a friend who had a Mr Beer kit. He brewed one batch with Mr Beer that he enjoyed (though I never tasted it). His second batch was with equipment he cobbled together. That batch remains to be seen if it worked out. I went over to his house the other day and he showed me how Mr Beer worked. After that, I went to a local liquor retailer and bought a Mr Beer refill kit, and a 2.5 gallon jug (for $21) from the grocery store. Without actually buying the kit with the plastic keg, I am brewing the first batch in the glass jar. I will be sure to let y'all know how it works out. I figure that if I move onto more complicated (all grain) brewing, I should still be able to use the big jar for brewing. I basicaly crammed for a week with "Home Brewing For Dummies", and "Joy of Home Brewing" before starting this hobby.

n8r0n · 04-13-2009, 03:22 PM

My first post here. New guy. Just got my Mr. Beer kit from woot.com. I am one to experiment. Using the WCPA mix that came with the kit, can I add about a cup of honey to the entire recipe and if so, how will it affect it?

Thumper · 04-13-2009, 03:36 PM

I am not sure about the honey, but someone else here will know. I do know that I added 1 lb. of light DME in place of the booster pack that came with the WCPA kit. I really liked that beer. I still have a six pack and am trying hard to save them for a few more months.

n8r0n · 04-13-2009, 04:55 PM

I know the booklet that comes with the kit states that you can substitute 3/4 cup of honey for 1 cup of booster. I am wondering if I can add a cup of honey along with the entire packet of booster to the WCPA mix, I am assuming it would increase the alcohol content as well as adding some flavor. I am also considering using brown sugar instead of corn sugar or gran sugar for bottling. Suggestions?

somecallmetex · 04-14-2009, 01:52 AM

I just got my kit today, will probably brew my first batch this weekend. I am thinking of using honey also (too many people saying don't use the booster and that the pale ale it comes with is lousy). I was wondering if raw honey is fine or if that would cause any problems (Specifically thinking of tupelo honey).

Pogo · 04-14-2009, 02:33 AM

As I recall, from others posting about brewing with honey, it takes longer to ferment out and the honey taste is lost.

Since Mr.Beer kits don't come with a hydrometer, I'd advise getting one just to make sure your fermentation has finished. Otherwise, you may end up with bottle bombs!

Pogo

Oh yeah...adding sugar/honey to an existing recipe will increase the alcohol content of the finished product!!!