So I am new to the whole home brewing stuff. I still have a lot to learn but my girl friend just got me "The Beer Machine". I have my first batch fermenting right now (pale ale). I did some searching around the forums and I know a lot of the guys don't approve of it. However, it seems cool to me as I am just starting off. However, I don't see any reason why I couldn't use other recipes (like the full on home brewing) or even using some of the Mr. Beer mixes. Is this true? If so, if I follow the directions for each mix or recipe can I still use the CO2 canisters that the beer machine uses? Forgive me... like I said I am new at this and would like to really give it a shot. If I get more into it I may get into a bigger/better setup. Thanks in advance.