Having done a Mr. Beer kit once, here's some friendly advice to those who get one:
1) DO NOT use table sugar, as per the directions. You can actually make decent beer, but not with table sugar. If you are really broke or cheap get some corn sugar (aka dextrose) from your local homebrew store (or online like austin homebrew or northern brewer, etc.) Otherwise get more malt extract or, if in a pinch, just use two cans instead of one and skip the sugar altogether. Generally speaking more malt = better beer.
2) The bottling instructions advise you to pour dry sugar into a bottle and then bottle. Try this instead: calculate the total amount of sugar they're asking you to use for bottling. Boil up a cup of water and add the ENTIRE amount of sugar into the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Let the boiling sugar solution cool for a bit and add the entire thing into your Mr. Beer and stir it very gently but thoroughly. Fill your sanitized bottles and cap.
Having done a Mr. Beer kit once, here's some friendly advice to those who get one:
1) DO NOT use table sugar, as per the directions. You can actually make decent beer, but not with table sugar. If you are really broke or cheap get some corn sugar (aka dextrose) from your local homebrew store (or online like austin homebrew or northern brewer, etc.) Otherwise get more malt extract or, if in a pinch, just use two cans instead of one and skip the sugar altogether. Generally speaking more malt = better beer.
2) The bottling instructions advise you to pour dry sugar into a bottle and then bottle. Try this instead: calculate the total amount of sugar they're asking you to use for bottling. Boil up a cup of water and add the ENTIRE amount of sugar into the boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes. Let the boiling sugar solution cool for a bit and add the entire thing into your Mr. Beer and stir it very gently but thoroughly. Fill your sanitized bottles and cap.
For the first couple of batches I dont think its a huge deal to add 3/4 of a teaspoon to each bottle before filling when you are making a Mr. Beer batch. Its only 22 bottles of beer, and it goes pretty quickly when you get it down. I would not want to do a five gal batch this way, but not bad for Mr. Beer. Plus I think you would stir up a lot of trub off the bottom trying to stir in 3/8 of a cup of dextrose. But thats the beauty of Home Brew, you can do it however you want....Just my two cents.
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Primary- Dead guy clone 10gallons
Secondary-Ambition Amber Ale
Secondary-
Keg #1- Edworts Pale Ale
Keg #2- Empty :(
Keg #3- Empty :(
Keg #4- Empty
Bottled- Canadian Draft
Bottled- Honey Wheat Ale
Bottled- Octoberfest lager
Next up- Another coopers Cervesa kit for the ladies.
I have never owned a Mr. Beer kit in my life, but I still give it credit for getting me into brewing.
I saw one in a store a few years ago and said "Wow, I'm going to have to buy one of those -- I had no idea that I could brew my own beer."
I was with an acquaintance who--unbeknownst to me me at the time--was a homebrewer. He said "Nah, you don't need that piece of crap, I've been brewing for years. Here's what you need..." and he introduced me to the pleasures of carboys and bungs and airlocks.
If I had not seen Mr. Beer on a store shelf, I never would have brought up the subject, and I would have probably never been introduced to the hobby...
For the first couple of batches I dont think its a huge deal to add 3/4 of a teaspoon to each bottle before filling when you are making a Mr. Beer batch. Its only 22 bottles of beer, and it goes pretty quickly when you get it down. I would not want to do a five gal batch this way, but not bad for Mr. Beer. Plus I think you would stir up a lot of trub off the bottom trying to stir in 3/8 of a cup of dextrose. But thats the beauty of Home Brew, you can do it however you want....Just my two cents.
This method was more for avoiding contamination than anything else.
Similar to a post above, I saw a Mr. Beer kit in a store and it sparked a memory from years ago of a buddy making his own beer. I still remember the beer he made tasted like socks. I told my wife, I want to do that some day...only without the sock flavor. A couple of weeks later I was at the beer store and found a Brewer's Best Starter Equipment kit and bought it along with an ingredient kit and Papazian's Joy of Homebrewing. So I guess I too can credit Mr. Beer for getting me into the hobby.
A buddy at work gave me his Mr.Beer kit about 4 years ago. It came out like **** but it got my interest up and within a couple of weks I bought a 5 gallon set up from my LHBS. Now I am an all grainer.
I have a few of the Mr Beer 2.5 gallon "Barrel-style" Fermentors. I want to try and do some small tester batches in them....anyone ever try doing this?
Would I simply split a 5 gal. recipe in half?
Thanks!
I have a few of the Mr Beer 2.5 gallon "Barrel-style" Fermentors. I want to try and do some small tester batches in them....anyone ever try doing this?
Would I simply split a 5 gal. recipe in half?
Thanks!
Skip using the kegs as fermentors. Use a 3 gallon carboy w/ a carboy cap and airlock. The typical 3 gal water bottle works good for this.
Leave the kegs for service as bottling buckets.
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Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. - Dale Carnegie
It was the simplest starter with Mr. Beer and the Pale Ale extract.
Might have been their cheapest starter, but it tastes way good enough to cause me to do more.
In six months, I'll probably wonder how I ever managed to drink the Mr. Beer recipe, but it's already so much more flavorful and satisfying than the commercial stuff I think I'm hooked.
I've got a couple more recipes to do, and after the beginning of the year, I think I'm going to buy a little real equipment. Have to have something to fill in the Northern Michigan winters! After hunting, Jan thru April or May are pretty tough months.
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