Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

Thanks, fellas!

Question time again!

I am reading through the old posts still (page 218, circa 2011) and I see people talking about cans of LME from Mr. Beer, I am assuming they are 1# cans, as people keep suggesting to substitute these for 1# of DME. Nowadays, the LMEs you get from MB are in 8.8 oz. packets. If one of the current Mr. Beer recipes I am trying to re-create calls for one packet of "Smooth" LME, does that mean replace it with just a half-pound of the amber DME?

slym2none said:

Question time again!

I am reading through the old posts still (page 218, circa 2011) and I see people talking about cans of LME from Mr. Beer, I am assuming they are 1# cans, as people keep suggesting to substitute these for 1# of DME. Nowadays, the LMEs you get from MB are in 8.8 oz. packets. If one of the current Mr. Beer recipes I am trying to re-create calls for one packet of "Smooth" LME, does that mean replace it with just a half-pound of the amber DME?

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I would pose this question to the Mr Beer folks. I know that soon after Coopers took them over, the Mr. Beer kits started upgrading to cut out some/most of the corn sugar in an attempt to upgrade their image of quality. How the new booster packets and kits relate to some of their older kits is a good question.

Will do - and I'll report back here afterward.

Well, Debi @ MrBeer.com said that yes, two of the "softpacks" of the LME will make up one of the discontinued cans.

So, I am inferring from this that adding 1# of DME gives approximately a 2% boost in ABV, since the 8.8 oz. "softpacks" claim to boost the ABV by 1%. That's really what I was trying to get at, I just didn't want to tell the Mr. beer people that I plan on not using their overly-expensive ingredients. I can get a 1# bag of DME for the same price as an 8.8 oz packet of their stuff.

I am doing some recipe conversions and this will help me greatly - I hope it does for others, as well.

nestar: nestar: nestar: nestar: nestar:

As it is, I am really wondering how my "Klondike Gold Cascade" is going to turn out. Their recipe/kit that I got had one can of the NorthWest Pale Ale (craft series) HME, a packet of "Smooth" (amber) LME, and a pouch of the "Booster." The LME should help give it more body overall, but that dang corny Booster is still in play. Of course, as the name implies, I added Cascade hops to the wort right before pitching the yeast. Not exactly dry-hopping, as I have learned, but closer to that than anything else, as I definitely didn't throw it in the boil, or even at flameout.

My plan is 3-3-2 for a minimum before I even put one on the fridge for week, THEN finally cracking one open. I can't believe today has only been a week, still two more to go in the LBK.

Here's a question I can probably find the answer to, but I am too busy trying to get to the end of this thread (although I am now wondering how much more there is to learn in it, as most of the stuff said is repeated info) : My next Mr. Beer attempt will be a recreation of their Novacaine Barleywine, and since I have an extra LBK, I plan on racking this beer into it as I have heard that "bulk" conditioning is better than bottle conditioning. My question here is, can I put the secondary in the refrigerator & get the same results, or does the bulk-conditioning need to be at the same temp as the fermentation? IOW, do I need to keep the secondary at 62-64 degrees F ambient air temperature, or will the colder temps of the fridge not affect it? I plan on letting it go in the secondary for 4-5 weeks before bottling, carbonation, then a LONG time for bottle conditioning. It will probably be Christmas or NYE before I ever crack one of these open to test, and I am thinking Easter of 2016 when it will be at its best. The goal will be to open the last bottle on my birthday in 2016 - which is in August. End of June/2016 will be a year of bottle-conditioning, then put it in the fridge for the next 6 weeks before my birthday happens.

I kind of can't believe I am planning on waiting a year + for my second batch of beer I've brewed, ever.

If you cool you beer down to refrigerator temps the fermentation will basically be stalled. If your beer is fully fermented it is OK to do, and is called lagering and is generally only done to lagers. However, the purpose of the bulk aging is to allow the yeast every opportunity to clean up any off flavors and completely consume all the fermentable sugars. If you lower the beers temp. below the yeasts active temp. range, the yeast will go dormant and not do you any good. If your active fermentation has completed, you could raise the temperature of the beer to as high as the low 70's to allow it to condition. Just make sure that your beer has started to clear and the krausen has fallen back into the beer before you let the temp rise.

So - no bulk-conditioning in the fridge. Got it.

I plan on letting my brew sit on the yeast for 3 whole weeks, to be sure it is done. (IOW, I don't have a hydrometer.)

My standard routine is 14 days in primary, cold crash (45F to 55F) for 5 days and then prime and bottle. I let the bottles sit at cool temperatures (60F to 65F) to carbonate and then to cool storage for however long it takes. Milds, IPAs, PAs, Brown ales I usually start testing after a week or two of cool storage. Higher alcohol, such as Belgian ales or Scotch ale, I chill for at least 4 to 6 weeks before starting to sample them. Lagers I keep in primary for 3 weeks before cold crashing and bottling. After natural carbonation, I keep these bottles chilled for 3 months before tasting. I have not done a Barleywine yet, but I would treat it the same as a Scotch ale. Typically, I stash about half the batch away to hold for 6 to 8 months plus.

Just looked in on my LBK - krausen gone, wort is relatively clear. Can't see the trub as the LBK is in a cooler. BUT, I have listened! I will not move this for two more weeks, until I bottle on 4/24. It will be difficult, but I will do it! Then, carbonation & warm-conditioning until 5/22. Then, I will throw a couple in the fridge for a week and FINALLY taste-test my first-ever beer that I brewed (sorta) on 5/29.

I am singing a Tom Petty song in my head, right now...

slym2none said:

Can't see the trub as the LBK is in a cooler.

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If you want to be able see everything in the LBK more easily, flip your cooler. Put the LBK on the lid of the cooler and put the "bottom" on over the top of the LBK. I've found this helpful since the lid still catches any blowout and I can use it as a tray for moving the LBK around.

That's a great idea! I actually just tried this - unfortunately, I have an odd-brand cooler and the shape of the molding inside makes the LBK unstable, so I can't use this tip.



However, carefully moving the LBK around, I did get to sit it on a table and look at the trub. I thought it would be a solid layer, but it looks like it has some thin spots in the middle. Maybe I am seeing pics of older trub, and mine will look like that in 2 more weeks as more stuff falls out of suspension.

Is you beer see through? If you hold a light up behind it does it appear clear?

It's not that clear, no. I know that fermentation doesn't end just because the krausen falls, so it's still working, just on the tail end of fermentation.

As I said before, I have read the thread and have listened. This beer will sit on the yeast for a total of three weeks (13 days left!) then spend 5 weeks total for carb/conditioning at 70-75 degrees. Only then will a put one in the fridge and let it sit for another week (!!!) before trying it.

I have made out a "schedule" already and see that my third batch of brew will be going before I ever drink any of my first. But, the wait is getting easier already. Kinda.

You will possibly be happier if you put the entire LBK in the fridge for a few days, then bottle condition at 72 for three weeks. It will cause particles and a significant amount of yeast to drop out of suspension. You'll likely find that the bottles won't have nearly as much foam appear as you are bottling from the spout on the LBK, and your beer will be much clearer. There will also be less sediment in each bottle, since the cold crash dropped a large amount before you bottled.

Also, I would highly suggest carbonation drops in lieu of measuring sugar for each bottle.

Interesting. If I have the room, I will think about cold-crashing it. Interestingly enough, the kit I just picked up from Craigslist had two bags of carb-drops in it, I was definitely going to use these this batch, just to see.

:fro:

Carbonation drops - are they better than corn sugar? I am slowly moving my way up to 5 gallon batches (so close to start!), but have a LBK ready to be bottled on Tuesday. I have a bottling bucket, the corn sugar (Dextrose) and my tubing and all that. I am using 16oz glass bottles (have my capper and caps!), so I think I'm ready. I was going to make a syrup with water and the sugar (~.22 cups) by boiling it, adding it to the bucket after it cools a little, then slowly mixing the beer into the bucket (no splashing!) and a slight stir. Then, into the bottles.

I know the drops would be easier, but would they be better/worse/the same as using corn sugar? Or is that one of those personal preference, start a 200 page argument and get banned from HBT forums for life kind of questions?

If you have a bottling bucket, then use the dextrose solution for priming. I suggest the drops for the Mr. Beer method because measuring sugar for each bottle is both tedious and inconsistent. The Mr. Beer method doesn't use a bottling bucket, and I assume he's following that method using that equipment.

I actually have another of the LBKs I was going to rack the beer into for priming, but I thought "since I have these drops, might as well use them!"

The drops work OK but I prefer the bottling bucket and DME made into a syrup and mixed in. I think it makes it a better finished product than beer primed with table sugar and even a bit better than with corn sugar.

Kirkwooder said:

The drops work OK but I prefer the bottling bucket and DME made into a syrup and mixed in. I think it makes it a better finished product than beer primed with table sugar and even a bit better than with corn sugar.

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DME is not fully fermentable (as is corn sugar). Dextrose really is the best priming sugar. It's affect on alcohol content and flavor is negligible due to it being such a small percentage of the finished product and due to it being fully fermentable. I have used DME and have no complaints with the exception of it taking longer to fully carbonate.

uatuba said:

DME is not fully fermentable (as is corn sugar). Dextrose really is the best priming sugar. It's affect on alcohol content and flavor is negligible due to it being such a small percentage of the finished product and due to it being fully fermentable. I have used DME and have no complaints with the exception of it taking longer to fully carbonate.

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I find that the DME produces a finer carbonation bubble in the finished beer that helps with head retention and aroma, as well as a better mouth feel.

"to each his own."

I finally got brewing tonight w/Mr beer. The can said best by August 2014! I boiled 1 gal water, added HME, and 1 gallon of cold water. I rehydrated a packet of S -04 @100 F. Used the cold water and an ice bath to get down to 80 F. Added yeast since it was about to foam out of a measuring cup. I threw the LBK in the fridge just till it came on down to 70 F. Gonna move to a dark corner as soon as it cools down.

Kirkwooder said:

I find that the DME produces a finer carbonation bubble in the finished beer that helps with head retention and aroma, as well as a better mouth feel.



"to each his own."

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Well it doesn't have any affect on the size of the carbonation bubble (?) so there's that. There may be a slight impact on head retention, mouthfeel, and aroma, but it's imperceptible to human senses.

uatuba said:

Well it doesn't have any affect on the size of the carbonation bubble (?) so there's that. There may be a slight impact on head retention, mouthfeel, and aroma, but it's imperceptible to human senses.

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Like I said "To each his own". You can believe what ever you wish, it truly makes no difference to me.

Kirkwooder said:

Like I said "To each his own". You can believe what ever you wish, it truly makes no difference to me.

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Well there is belief and there is fact. I don't quibble over belief, unless it contradicts demonstrable fact.

I couldn't agree more!

uatuba said:

Well it doesn't have any affect on the size of the carbonation bubble (?) so there's that. There may be a slight impact on head retention, mouthfeel, and aroma, but it's imperceptible to human senses.

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Just curious if you have anything to back thee claims up? Is there no such thing as "finer" carbonation? Why does champagne seem different than soda or beer? Just the amount of carbonation?

How do you know it's imperceptible?

Just asking questions.

If you are finding that your foam contains large bubbles, set a few bottles aside in a cool dark place for about a month. Polyphenols and other suspended particles in your beer will settle out and the foam will become much finer. The suspended particulate matter in beer creates nucleation sites for the entrained CO2 to form around, creating larger bubbles rising to the surface. When these materials settle out, the CO2 comes out in smaller, more distinct bubbles.

slym2none said:

Yeah, I wish the MB kit had told me to cool the wort first. That's one thing I'd think they would want to tell us! ...





I used two 1-gallon jugs of spring water & didn't open them until necessary, I hope that is "clean" enough (at this point) for my beer but I will remember to pre-boil them, sanitize the jugs it came in, and let them cool off before using for my next batch. ...

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As far as temps go, I'm always surprised many beginner instructions don't emphasize good temps. Pitching yeast too hot is never good, and I'm amazed they don't emphasize proper temps during fermentations. Keeping fermentation temps in the proper range for the yeast you are using can make a world of difference.

As far as your top-off water goes, I personally don't see much benefit in boiling if using an unopened jug of spring water or something like that. I clean that outside of the jug a with sanitizing solution, but boiling probably isn't necessary. If you are using your tap water, that would be different, and I might be more inclined to boil then cool before using. But with store bought, unopened water, boiling might be overkill. I've never done it and never had an infection (not to say it's not in the realm of possibility).


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ericbw said:

Just curious if you have anything to back thee claims up? Is there no such thing as "finer" carbonation? Why does champagne seem different than soda or beer? Just the amount of carbonation?

How do you know it's imperceptible?

Just asking questions.

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Because no one can tell the difference between beer that is force carbed and beer that is bottle conditioned, much less the difference between two bottle conditioned beers using different priming sugars...that's how I know it's imperceptible.