Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions - Page 5

**brauhaus** · 12-16-2007, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schlenkerla

You can use the yeast that comes with the kit. I've only had one not work, I think, either it was slow to start.

I still use Mr Beer and make good beer with their products. My advice with these kits;

Buy extra dry yeast like nottinghams keep 2-3 extract packs just in case you get a bad pack.

Buy a 3 gallon PET water bottle from Lowes/Home Depot or the grocery store and orange carboy cap w/ a S-Style airlock.

Buy an Auto-syphon for easy syphoning (3/8") w/ some hose too.

Buy a 5 gal pail for mixing up sanitzer.

Use the keg only for bottling. Rack finished beer to it get it off the sediment.

Extra yeast is good to have on hand. The 3 gal PET bottle w/ a cap & airlock will tell you a lot. The yeast is working or its almost done or just done.

Oops time for lunch...gotta go... This stuff will make it easier for you.

AWESOME! thanks for the input, I was thinking about keeping the Mr.Beer kegs around even after I upgrade my kits, esp since it will def come in handy when bottling.

TopOfTheLine89 · 12-17-2007, 12:38 AM

Ok my first brew which is a mr beer brew just came due last night, i had a glass and it tasted like beer but im not sure whether its alchoholic or not and wasn't about to find out at 3 in the morning. Can it taste like decent beer without being alcoholic? Any way to tell other then drinking 3 glasses? Ill guess ill get started on a pint while i wait for a reply.

Edit: pretty sure i can taste some alcohol

**Schlenkerla** · 12-17-2007, 01:08 AM

If you followed the directions it has alcohol. You can measure the alcohol but you need a hydrometer or a refractometer. Both require two measurement before and after fermentation.

If you made a beer w/ two cans of malt @ 2.3% each its 4.6%ABV

If you made a beer w/ one can and the booster is 2.3 +1.5 = 3.8% ABV

You manual tells you how to estimate the ABV based on what ingredients you used.

**brauhaus** · 12-17-2007, 05:27 PM

I read the recipe for the Apfelwein, but it was more specified for the large carboy, does anyone have an idea of the required amounts (recipe wise) for the Mr.Beer?

PseudoChef · 12-17-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BraeHaus

I read the recipe for the Apfelwein, but it was more specified for the large carboy, does anyone have an idea of the required amounts (recipe wise) for the Mr.Beer?

The carboy is 5 gallons, and Mr. Beer can fit 2.5, IIRC. Just halve the recipe.

**brauhaus** · 12-17-2007, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PseudoChef

The carboy is 5 gallons, and Mr. Beer can fit 2.5, IIRC. Just halve the recipe.

i thought about that, but just wanted to make sure.

sudsmonkey · 12-18-2007, 01:22 AM

Sometimes, late at night when I'm sure the family is asleep, I'll close the blinds and take out my Mr. Beer set.....

It really is a cheap way to get into the hobby. You don't even need to buy extract refills from Mr. Beer. You can get cans of malted extract at any LHBS or online. You can even work with DME and the hops of your choice. Eventually, you'll get tired of only having 2.5 gallons of beer for the same time investment it takes to make 5 gallons, and you'll expand your setup.

Cool part is that Mr. Beer is a low cost way to decide if you like brewing.

Welcome to our world!

yezzo · 12-18-2007, 03:33 AM

I sort of went backwards. I started brewing 15 years ago with a full out 5 gallon setup. Lost interest for a while then picked up again in college but the house I lived in was like the city dump (4 college stoners and drunks living under one roof) My beer was always spoiled so i stopped for a while.

Living in apartments since then, I really had no room for the 5 gallon setup so I picked up a mr beer kit. I've been using it for 3 years now and like it. I'm drinking a mr beer all malt nut brown ale right now.

PseudoChef · 12-19-2007, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sudsmonkey

Sometimes, late at night when I'm sure the family is asleep, I'll close the blinds and take out my Mr. Beer set.....

It really is a cheap way to get into the hobby. You don't even need to buy extract refills from Mr. Beer. You can get cans of malted extract at any LHBS or online. You can even work with DME and the hops of your choice. Eventually, you'll get tired of only having 2.5 gallons of beer for the same time investment it takes to make 5 gallons, and you'll expand your setup.

Cool part is that Mr. Beer is a low cost way to decide if you like brewing.

Welcome to our world!

And like many have pointed out, the fermentor it comes with is perfect for making wife-juice. I should be bottling my ginger-hard lemonade today.

Mine also came with PET bottles which are convenient for yeast harvesting.

MVKTR2 · 12-20-2007, 09:46 PM

I'm wondering where Ms Beer is! Has anyone seen her? I mean sure I've seen some Bud girls in my day but never any Ms Beer Girls! It's a conspiracy I tell ya, a conspiracy! I may have to write the Nat. Orig. of Women and see if they want to get involved in revealing who's behind this coverup!!!!!

Yes for the record seeing a Mr Beer kit on the shelf of a local thrift store peaked my intrest in homebrewing... before that all I knew about homebrewing was that the Sheriff came to my great grandad's house during prohibition looking for his homebrew.... Never found it! Ole man Cooley Rocks!!!!!!

And by the way, he had it hid in quart jars in the walls of the house!!!