zacster

Recipes 

I got a Mr. Beer as a holiday present from a friend that didn't know better, considering they know I'm already brewing why did they think I needed a beginner's kit? Anyway, I used it last week for the first time, not to brew beer, but to make a large lager starter. It was perfect for that, it has a trough to catch the propogated yeast and a spigot to let the wort off, leaving mostly yeast. But it got me thinking that I should try it.

Today I gave it a try and I'll have to say it isn't a bad little system. For one thing, I was able to do the entire process in about 45 minutes, including cleanup. It did help that I had everything already clean and a batch of sanitizer ready, but I usually do that in advance anyway. I used the kit ingredients that it came with, which appear inadequate for a good batch, especially the corn sugar/booster. I only added about 10oz of LME that comes from the food coop, sold as Eden Barley Malt. The OG was 1.048, not bad. I'll see how it comes out.

I figure that even if I never buy another Mr Beer kit, I could still use it for making small batches. I don't need 5 gallons of every beer that I make.

And that lager that I started with it is bubbling along nicely, if a little cold at 46 to 48F. I guess better too cold than too warm as long as the yeast are doing their work.

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• Bottled and drinking:American IPA, a little over-carbonated in the bottle. Not bad if you let it settle out
• Bottled and waiting:All-grain American Lager (first all grain) - Still flat after 6 weeks.
• Bottled and waiting:Irish Dry Stout. Didn't get the water from Dublin though
• In primary:Stone Ruination clone, except I didn't hit the gravity. It is still good though.

Ya know, they're like rabbits, except they do it solo

StoutFan

Recipes 

The Mr. Beer is a good little kit. I just had my first experience with one at x-mas time. It's a little primitive(no airlock or hydrometer included), but makes a good little half-batch. I plan on using mine for small experimental batch's.

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Bench Top Brewery

Michigan Mashers

Gambrinous - to be full of beer

otto111

Recipes 

Yeah I got a Mr. Beer Fermentor for Christmas as well.
It was my first kit and really got me into brewing.
I have since upgraded but I use the Mr. Beer to make small batches of stout that are really high gravity

This website gave some great ideas
Bodensatz Brewing - Making Good Beer with Mr Beer

Thumper

Recipes 

I am drinking my first ever brew that I made with my MB (got it for Xmas as well). It is the west coast pale ale. I subbed 1 lb of light DME for the booster pack and pitched a pack of Nottingham yeast. It is a tasty beer. Not the best beer ever, but for my first batch it rocks. I am testing a Irish red tomorrow that I brewed with a 5 gallon starter kit. I ran out and bought that kit as soon as I saw the MB fermenting. Yes I am hooked. I just bottled an experimental 2.5 batch last week that I brewed in the MB. It is a decent little system.

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Chisholm Trail Brewery

gregsky

Recipes 

I use my Mr Beer for apfelwein. Its perfect if you dont want to carbonate it, just drink it straight from the tap after a couple of weeks.

Haterade

Recipes 

Making a starter is a good idea for Mr. B. I use mine for apfelwein or whatever ghetto hooch I have going at any given time. AW I use carb-tabs and fill right off the tap. I did a few 2g AG batches in teh good ol Mr. Beer but honestly, anything less than 3 gallons is a total waste of time! My wife hates Mr. Beer... it spawned a hobby that is out of control.

Joos

Recipes 

My SWMBO made the same mistake.Bought me a mister beer a while back.She didn't think it would cost her 2 closets and the use of the kitchen on saturdays

Revvy

Recipes 

It's a handy little small test batch fermenter...I use it to do 2-2.5 gallon stovetop all grain recipes...often using an unmodified 2 gallon cooler for a mash tun. You can even lager the brown keg in a standard fridge without it taking too much space...

on occasion it shares space with my bigger fermenters.



Some of us have put a lot of effort into the mr beer thread...I posted the all grain tutorial in there...

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/mr-beer-read-all-about-ask-questions-46360/

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The Open Heart Surgery Recovery "Dramedy" continues!

Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured. - Madman

I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac! - YooperBrew

rmchair

Recipes 

Thanks for the tips. I actually have two surplus Mr. Beer, because I was saying something about how great a second one would be and she saw it on clearance for $15 with kit included. Maybe I will try the old AW, but wondering if AW can safely sit in a mr beer for 4 weeks?

llazy_llama

Recipes 

Lots of people use the Mr Beer fermenters for Apfelwein, myself included. Works just fine.

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