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im0a0ginger said:
Would you suggest collecting all the supplies yourself of buying a kit online that already has everything?

It's my very first attempt at brewing and I didn't know if they kits are worth the money. I know that Mr.Beer is pretty popular but is it worth it?
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Getting a starter kit is a good way to go, no matter if you are getting a Mr. Beer kit or a 5 gallon setup from somewhere. The Mr. Beer kit is a bit less expensive to start out and the beer mixes are very easy to brew.

Mr. Beer was recently bought by Cooper's (another beer kit maker) and there are some new beer mixes to brew. Take a look at the refill kits, you'll want to focus on the Deluxe or Craft. Does it look like enough to keep you busy for a while?
 
Hey folks, I just joined, mostly because I've got a Mr. Beer kit and am wondering what is the most practical way to use it. My apologies, but I've only scanned this 400-some-odd page thread so I hope I'm not repeating topics and questions that have been done to death. If I have, well, just ignore this post and move on to the next one.

Several years ago, I bought my Mr. Beer kit at a yard sale. It had never been used. The caps and airlock, etc., were still in a plastic bag and the "mix" was there, in its can, but it was expired and even bulging at the seams. Which is one reason, I guess, why I didn't start using it straightaway, and instead put if off. And soon it was forgotten about, and years went by.

Recently I came across it in my storage and it got me to thinking again. So I visited Mr. Beer's website, and found that things have changed just a bit. For one thing, the kit's container has changed. Mine is clear and is 6 gallons in capacity. It appears that now one can get only a 2 gallon container from Mr. Beer. And what's more, I guess that if I wanted to brew using one of their ingredient refills, and completely fill my container, I'd have to buy three instead of one. And for the craft beer stuff, that gets way too pricey for my meager budget. Not to mention the fact that I'd wind up with way too much beer to handle. No place to put the finished product, in my case. My wife keeps our refrigerator so perpetually crammed with stuff that I can barely fit in a six pack, and even then, I've got to poke the cans or bottles into the odd nooks and crannies.

So all this brings me to the point of my post, I guess. First of all, I'm wondering if I can brew decent batches of beer or ale -- or porter or stout -- using a fraction of my container's size -- or does it have to be mostly full? And second, is it significantly cheaper if I brew from scratch as opposed to buying the Mr. Beer ingredient refills? I've crunched the numbers with the Mr. Beer refills, and while they represent a cost savings, it really isn't all that much of one.
 
Well, cooltouch, I am not familiar with the old 6 gallon fermenter so I can't speak to it's functionality. At the end of the day a fermenter is a fermenter so maybe that is good enough.

Fermenting around 5 gallons of beer in a 6 gallon container is generally better than brewing 2 gallons. It can be done but one of the reasons it could turn out bad is the size of the container. In a pinch I'd consider it, and I have done it a couple times.

Some options for brewing 5 gallons are Munton's, Brewer's Best, or Custom Extract Kits, I think I have those in order of difficulty.

Another option would be to email [email protected] and mention to him you have an old unused Mr. Beer 6 gallon fermenter suitable for a museum and see what he has to say.
 
The_Professor said:
Another option would be to email [email protected] and mention to him you have an old unused Mr. Beer 6 gallon fermenter suitable for a museum and see what he has to say.
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/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
:D:D:D:D:mug:

cooltouch said:
So all this brings me to the point of my post, I guess. First of all, I'm wondering if I can brew decent batches of beer or ale -- or porter or stout -- using a fraction of my container's size -- or does it have to be mostly full? And second, is it significantly cheaper if I brew from scratch as opposed to buying the Mr. Beer ingredient refills? I've crunched the numbers with the Mr. Beer refills, and while they represent a cost savings, it really isn't all that much of one.
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As long as your Mr. Beer fermenter is not leaking and you can sanitize it then you should be OK to ferment 5 gallon batches. It's always good to have a bit of headspace, (Most people that do primary in carboys, ale pails, food grade plastic buckets use 6.5 gallon ones for 5 gallon batches), but, as The Professor said, two gallons in a 6 gallon fermentation Vessel is probably leaving a bit too much space, possibly making it easier for unwanted bacteria to get in there.
If you spend a little time familiarizing yourself with the various processes by reading through some threads on here then you can decide how you want to proceed. Definitely, Munton's, Cooper's (although Cooper's now owns Mr. Beer and all the MrB extracts come from their Australian manufacturing plant), and a whole host of other extract kits will work out cheaper than the Mr. Beer refills. You can add Dry Malt/Liquid Malt Extracts (DMEs/LMEs) hops to balance the malt additions, to these kits(Hopped Malt Extracts/HMEs) whilst brewing too to make even richer, maltier, flavourful beer. Do some research, decide what you want to brew and then off you go. Loads of friendly people on here with a wealth of knowledge that are only too pleased to help by answering questions and giving some great advice.:mug:
 
cooltouch said:
Recently I came across it in my storage and it got me to thinking again. So I visited Mr. Beer's website, and found that things have changed just a bit. For one thing, the kit's container has changed. Mine is clear and is 6 gallons in capacity. It appears that now one can get only a 2 gallon container from Mr. Beer. And what's more, I guess that if I wanted to brew using one of their ingredient refills, and completely fill my container, I'd have to buy three instead of one. And for the craft beer stuff, that gets way too pricey for my meager budget. Not to mention the fact that I'd wind up with way too much beer to handle. No place to put the finished product, in my case. My wife keeps our refrigerator so perpetually crammed with stuff that I can barely fit in a six pack, and even then, I've got to poke the cans or bottles into the odd nooks and crannies.

So all this brings me to the point of my post, I guess. First of all, I'm wondering if I can brew decent batches of beer or ale -- or porter or stout -- using a fraction of my container's size -- or does it have to be mostly full? And second, is it significantly cheaper if I brew from scratch as opposed to buying the Mr. Beer ingredient refills? I've crunched the numbers with the Mr. Beer refills, and while they represent a cost savings, it really isn't all that much of one.
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It looks like you have a Mr Beer fermentor sized for standard 5-gallon batches. You don't want to fill it with 6-gallons because fermentation creates foam called krausen which will cause your fermentor to overflow and make a mess.

I would recommend either using 2 Mr Beer kits (if you want to stick with Mr Beer), they make 2.25 gallons each so that would be 4.5 gallons total, or if you have a local homebrew store (lhbs) you could go there and ask about making 5-gallon batches. 5-gallons are what most kits and recipes are designed for.

Also, you don't need to put all your beer into your fridge at one time. Just store them somewhere cool and dark. Your fermentor should also be somewhere dark either that or cover it, light is what causes skunky beer.

Even if you don't use the fermentor to make beer, it looks like it would make a great bottling bucket. Also, just to be pedantic, porters and stouts are both Ales. Ale is one of two types of beer the other being lager.:tank:
 
BTW, any chance of you taking a pic of this 6 gallon MrBeer fermenter and posting it here?? I'm intrigued as to whether it's the same design/shape/concept as the current ones as I wasn't aware that they were 6 gallon FVs previously.:mug:
 
Yep, the one in the above link's photo is the same as mine. It's a big'un.

After posting the above comment, I spent some more time looking around the Mr. Beer site, and found out I can order one of their 2 gallon size fermenters for "only" $10, so there's that relatively painless route I can follow.

Makes sense about the headspace and all, not wanting too much or too little.

I'm still such a noob about the whole process that I don't know things like how long beer can be stored unrefrigerated. As I recall, having refrigeration available was a major condition for the brewers of old being able to expand their routes. So of course, I assumed that if it is unpasteurized, refrigeration was necessary.

Oh, and the jargon that you guys bandy about is like a totally foreign language to me at this point. But that's okay -- I'm a linguist. And I enjoy language challenges.

Tombstone, I don't mind a bit of pedantry from time to time -- I'm often guilty of it myself. I knew that porters and stouts were not beers, but I wasn't sure that they would be categorized as ales, or if they were something different. One homebrewer I met a couple years back, who brought some of his own amazingly good porter to a party I was at, told me that brewing porters and stouts was about as hard as falling off a log, and that he had a great appreciation for the Big Guys who could so consistently brew fine lagers and pilsners. Me, I told him that I was much happier sampling his porter than having Yet Another Pale Beer.

I much prefer ales, porters, and stouts, so that will be where I'll be concentrating most of my efforts. And if this fellow is right, namely that they really are easy to brew, well then, happy days!

Incidentally, the "mix" that came with my Mr. Beer kit is Armstrong Premium Pilsner Blonde, a 1.7 kg (3.75 lb) can. It's all bulged out at the top and bottom so I'm afraid to even open it.

Since Cooper's now owns Mr. Beer, and being an Aussie outfit and all, maybe I'll give one or three of their recipes a try. I like Aussie brews. My tastes aren't nearly as refined as most of you guys, I suspect, but two of my favorite brews are Foster's Premium Ale (used to be called their Special Bitter) in the big green can and a really hard to find stout, called Sheaf. I used to be able to find Sheaf occasionally at Trader Joe's in Southern California, but haven't been able to find it at all since I moved to Houston some 14 years ago. Just googled it and come to find it's brewed by Foster's now. But I wonder if it's even imported anymore, since the Foster's sold here is brewed up in Fort Worth nowadays. :eek:
 
If the can is bulging, don't use it. That's a sign of something SERIOUSLY wrong with it. Toss it and start fresh!
 
cooltouch said:
Yep, the one in the above link's photo is the same as mine. It's a big'un.

After posting the above comment, I spent some more time looking around the Mr. Beer site, and found out I can order one of their 2 gallon size fermenters for "only" $10, so there's that relatively painless route I can follow.

Makes sense about the headspace and all, not wanting too much or too little.

I'm still such a noob about the whole process that I don't know things like how long beer can be stored unrefrigerated. As I recall, having refrigeration available was a major condition for the brewers of old being able to expand their routes. So of course, I assumed that if it is unpasteurized, refrigeration was necessary.

Oh, and the jargon that you guys bandy about is like a totally foreign language to me at this point. But that's okay -- I'm a linguist. And I enjoy language challenges.

Tombstone, I don't mind a bit of pedantry from time to time -- I'm often guilty of it myself. I knew that porters and stouts were not beers, but I wasn't sure that they would be categorized as ales, or if they were something different. One homebrewer I met a couple years back, who brought some of his own amazingly good porter to a party I was at, told me that brewing porters and stouts was about as hard as falling off a log, and that he had a great appreciation for the Big Guys who could so consistently brew fine lagers and pilsners. Me, I told him that I was much happier sampling his porter than having Yet Another Pale Beer.

I much prefer ales, porters, and stouts, so that will be where I'll be concentrating most of my efforts. And if this fellow is right, namely that they really are easy to brew, well then, happy days!

Incidentally, the "mix" that came with my Mr. Beer kit is Armstrong Premium Pilsner Blonde, a 1.7 kg (3.75 lb) can. It's all bulged out at the top and bottom so I'm afraid to even open it. :eek:
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Wow! You have a piece of history, Cooltouch! I haven't seen a full size Mr. Beer in over ten years. I'm guessing what you have is about 12 - 15 years old. Frankly, assuming you have no leaks and two cases of beer is not too much (gasp!), I think you're better off with what you've got than a newer Mr. Beer. Most recipes found on-line and at LHBS are geared for 5 gallon batches, so you will have a MUCH broader array of choices. You could go with a Brewer's Best kit or True Brew, or go by your LHBS and see what they're offering. If you want to produce an super easy beer, then go with a Cooper's Kit (you like stouts, right?) and add 2 - 3 lbs of dried malt in place of the sugar or booster (just an enhanced form of sugar). You'll end up with a surprisingly good final product, especially in comparison to the amount of effort required to brew it. I find these beers to be a little sweet because you are adding unhopped extract to a hopped one, which tilts the balance toward malty. To balance things out, I prefer to toss about half an ounce of hops in with the extracts and boil for 30 - 40 minutes (this will add bitterness), then turn the heat off and add the remaining half ounce (this will add aroma). Cool in the sink in a cold water bath. Ferment in your clear tank, and either bulk prime (3/4 cup sugar - cane, corn, brown or turbinado) or add the sugar per bottle (~2/3 tsp. per 12 oz. bottle). You can drop me a note personally, if you have more questions. I'm at [email protected].

Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's
 
cooltouch said:
Yep, the one in the above link's photo is the same as mine. It's a big'un.

Incidentally, the "mix" that came with my Mr. Beer kit is Armstrong Premium Pilsner Blonde, a 1.7 kg (3.75 lb) can. It's all bulged out at the top and bottom so I'm afraid to even open it.
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Duh! I didn't even notice that you're a local. If you want to, come by the shop and bring your garage sale treasure with you. We'll help you out with it. BTW That bulging can will not harm you, but I seriously doubt it will produce anything remotely resembling a drinkable beer. Most canned extract will begin to bulge and darken after about two years or so. It's called the "browning effect" and it will deepen color and rob your extract of flavor and aroma. Still, the fact that it hasn't exploded after all this time is pretty remarkable!:)

Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's
www.defalcos.com
 
defalcos said:
BTW That bulging can will not harm you, but I seriously doubt it will produce anything remotely resembling a drinkable beer.
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This I would disagree with 100%.
Even a simple search on bulging cans returns articles and warnings that are 90% about botulism. A can here or there may sneak by and you can get lucky, but that's a serious risk and I would never advise anybody to take that risk.
 
Kealia said:
This I would disagree with 100%.
Even a simple search on bulging cans returns articles and warnings that are 90% about botulism. A can here or there may sneak by and you can get lucky, but that's a serious risk and I would never advise anybody to take that risk.
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Botulism cannot grow in hopped malt extract. pH is way too low. I have personally brewed more than a few batches with bulging cans. They don't necessarily result in nasty beer (unless the extract is REALLY old, as in this particular instance), but rarely is the final product worth the time and effort. It's the old adage, "Garbage in, Garbage out!" That's my personal experience, anyway.

Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's
 
Hey Scott,

Since you're at DeFalco's, I reckon I'll be seeing you at your store in the not-too-distant future. Thanks for the info, even though your first post reads a bit like partial differential equations at the moment. Gotta get to know the procedures and the jargon and all.

As for my Mr. Beer kit, I took a look at the docs that came with it, and the instructions have a 1994 copyright date. And I bought the kit probably 15 or 16 years ago, so 1994 sounds about right to me. It's in very good unused condition, is complete with the bloated mix can, that airlock thingie and six 2-liter plastic bottles with caps. Oh, and a spigot.

Since it seems that y'all have an interest in the vintage Mr. Beer kits, I took some pics of mine. It still has the original box, so the pics are of the box. There are pics of the kit on the box, so I don't need to take pics of the kit itself. Here are pics of the front, rear, the two sides, and then the top, and finally a shot of that almost exploding can of Armstrong mix:

mrbeer1.jpg

mrbeer2.jpg

mrbeer3.jpg

mrbeer4.jpg

mrbeer5.jpg

mrbeer6.jpg


BTW, hey -- guys! I have no intention of using this Armstrong mix! Okay? I've mentioned its condition because it just looks like contained fury, ya know? And I couldn't resist showing a pic to you guys. But I plan to leave it just as it sits. I suspect it's expanded as far as it's gonna go.
 
Hahah, good stuff. Loving the vintage Mr. Beer memorabilia.

Sort of similar thing. Last year a mate chucked me his old Cooper's Fermentation Vessel, a pack of solidified and probably slightly rehydrated DME, and a can of Brewiser pilsener that was probably even a bit more bloated, and looking ready to pop, than the can you're showing. I think it had been sitting around in his garage for about 8 years enduring winter lows of down to minus 5 or so degrees Centigrade and summer highs of up to 38 or so deg C.

I decided to make a brew using it so warmed and then opened the 1.7 Kg can to pour into the MrB fermenter. That pilsener extract looked like it was a stout extract!!!!!!!!!! Pure black!!!!!!!!! Smelled rubbish too. Kind of earthy, dusty, musty. Anyway, left it in the LBK for a few months. Can't remember now what the OG was but it only got down to 1.028 or thereabouts and when I tasted the hydro sample it was hideous:D Contemplated possibly keeping it for cooking but reckoned it was way past redemption and would probably just ruin any culinary activity it was used in, so I just chucked it. I have absolutely no regrets about dumping that batch:fro:
 
cooltouch said:
Hey Scott,

BTW, hey -- guys! I have no intention of using this Armstrong mix! Okay? I've mentioned its condition because it just looks like contained fury, ya know? And I couldn't resist showing a pic to you guys. But I plan to leave it just as it sits. I suspect it's expanded as far as it's gonna go.
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Yep! Save it for the Smithsonian! If I were "Scottie" from Star Trek, I'd be saying "I think she's about to blow, Captain!" :)
 
Ogri said:
Hahah, good stuff. Loving the vintage Mr. Beer memorabilia.

Sort of similar thing. Last year a mate chucked me his old Cooper's Fermentation Vessel, a pack of solidified and probably slightly rehydrated DME, and a can of Brewiser pilsener that was probably even a bit more bloated, and looking ready to pop, than the can you're showing. I think it had been sitting around in his garage for about 8 years enduring winter lows of down to minus 5 or so degrees Centigrade and summer highs of up to 38 or so deg C.

I decided to make a brew using it so warmed and then opened the 1.7 Kg can to pour into the MrB fermenter. That pilsener extract looked like it was a stout extract!!!!!!!!!! Pure black!!!!!!!!! Smelled rubbish too. Kind of earthy, dusty, musty. Anyway, left it in the LBK for a few months. Can't remember now what the OG was but it only got down to 1.028 or thereabouts and when I tasted the hydro sample it was hideous:D Contemplated possibly keeping it for cooking but reckoned it was way past redemption and would probably just ruin any culinary activity it was used in, so I just chucked it. I have absolutely no regrets about dumping that batch:fro:
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Yep, sounds like a classic, if extreme, example of old malt extract brewing. If the can was only 2 - 3 years old and slightly bloated, it would have been darker than when fresh, but not stout color. It would have been drinkable, but just. About the only thing you can do with these less extreme bulging cans is steep some roasted grains and add some bittering hops to produce a stout, which might help cover up the off-flavor. BTW Dried malt extract seems to hold up MUCH better over time, but it can turn into a bit of a brick :)

Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's
 
Kealia said:
Can you provide a citation on that?
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From Wikipedia: "Proper refrigeration at temperatures below 3°C (38°F) retards the growth of Clostridium botulinum. The organism is also susceptible to high salt, high oxygen, and low pH levels. The toxin itself is rapidly destroyed by heat, such as in thorough cooking.[34] On the other hand, the spores that produce the toxin are heat-tolerant and will survive boiling water for an extended period of time.[35] Fortunately, ingestion of the spores is safe, except in infants, as the highly oxygenated and highly acidic environment of an adult human digestive system prevents the spores from growing and producing the botulinum toxin."

Considering that hopped malt extract will result in a pH in the upper 4's to low 5's when diluted to normal beer densities, consider how low the pH is 80 - 85% solids form. No botulism. But, that doesn't mean it won't like crap. It depends upon how long and under what conditions the can has been stored as to how extreme the funk is. I see another good reason to bring the syrup to a boil, however. I've tasted too many NASTY no-boil, non-pasteurized beers to go down that road.

Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's
 
Interesting, but i'm not risking my health on Wikipedia information :cross:

Not trying to be a PITA here, really. I've also read that things with a water activity level of less than 0.93 are not susceptible as the spores can't grow in that environment. Extract is down near 0.60 based on what I have read.

I spent a LOT of time reading on this last night and it seems that the spores can SURVIVE in extract but not create toxins. The spores *can* survive heat (depending on the length of the boil I surmise) but those spores *shouldn't* hurt you.

I guess this is just an area where I'm not willing to risk it - but that is my choice and I just don't feel comfortable telling anybody else to risk it. But, maybe that's just me....maybe it really is just simple science that I don't fully understand and therefore don't want to take what I perceive as a risk.

In any case, I think we've covered this topic now. Back to real beer stuff!
 
Kealia said:
Interesting, but i'm not risking my health on Wikipedia information :cross:

Not trying to be a PITA here, really. I've also read that things with a water activity level of less than 0.93 are not susceptible as the spores can't grow in that environment. Extract is down near 0.60 based on what I have read.

I spent a LOT of time reading on this last night and it seems that the spores can SURVIVE in extract but not create toxins. The spores *can* survive heat (depending on the length of the boil I surmise) but those spores *shouldn't* hurt you.

I guess this is just an area where I'm not willing to risk it - but that is my choice and I just don't feel comfortable telling anybody else to risk it. But, maybe that's just me....maybe it really is just simple science that I don't fully understand and therefore don't want to take what I perceive as a risk.

In any case, I think we've covered this topic now. Back to real beer stuff!
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I wrote to the folks at Munton's, one of the largest manufacturers of malt extract in the world. I inquired about swollen cans of malt extract. Here's his response (BTW The technical term of the browning effect is Maillard Reaction):
"Hello Scott, the Maillard reaction is definitely dependent on Time and Temperature and does give off CO2 as part of that reaction and is capable of producing enough pressure to expand the ends of the cans. This reaction will continue, all be it very slowly, at ambient temperature but is vastly accelerated if stored above 30°C, so if cans are left in direct sunlight for instance. This is not a microbial reaction but a natural phenomenon involving the natural carbohydrates and proteins within the malt extract. It is possible that Osmophyllic yeasts could cause fermentation but very unlikely due to the way we pasteurise the extract on canning. The Chlostridium Botulinum bacteria is associated with Fish, Animals and Birds and is extremely unlikely to be found in Barley Malt Extract. Regards Graham

Graham Sutton
NPD Technologist"
 
Great input, thanks for reaching out to Munton's and for sharing the response you received.
 
defalcos said:
Considering that hopped malt extract will result in a pH in the upper 4's to low 5's when diluted to normal beer densities, consider how low the pH is 80 - 85% solids form. No botulism.
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On this topic, it reminds me of stuff I've read before regarding the habit in olden times of drinking beer instead of water because of its purity. This is discussed at some length in the rather tongue-in-cheek humorous "documentary" on beer, called "How Beer Saved the World." If you have a Netflix instant account, you can watch it here:

http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/How_Beer_Saved_the_World/70222666?trkid=2361637

Many folks still observe this simple practice when traveling to foreign lands: namely, stay with the beer, leave the water for the native flora and fauna.
 
The cask looks nice and handy! Pity the basic kits are going for £42 in the UK (66USD) as casks aren't cheap.
 
Just got a Mr Beer thanks to the wife. I have a very newb question. Already got this first batch going and am wondering about taking the lid off to peek in. Will this be a bad thing? Don't want to do anything to spoil my first batch.
 
GeorgiaTiger said:
Just got a Mr Beer thanks to the wife. I have a very newb question. Already got this first batch going and am wondering about taking the lid off to peek in. Will this be a bad thing? Don't want to do anything to spoil my first batch.
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I have to STRONGLY recommend NOT opening the lid!!!
You would risk goofing up the fermentation process, AND maybe allowing various microbes/germs/foreign materials to get in and contaminate your brew.

Leave it closed and use a good flashlight to shine in and see what's going on.
 
Thanks. Just finished getting set up and poured the yeast in and closed the lid at 8 pm. Just shined a light in the side and she is already bubbling good. Got a foam layer on top already. Good, right?
 
I just finished brewing my first batch with Mr Beer. I have been wanting to brew for about 20 years and just never seem to get started. I bought the Mr Beer kit hoping it wouldn't be a waste of time, (just some supermarket gimmick). I wasn't even sure I should mention Mr Beer to serious brewers. I hoped to learn enough to buy the right equipment soon. After reading this thread I am much more excited about the whole process.

It is very nice to see a group acknowledge the fact that everyone is a beginner at one time or another.

Thanks for answering many noob type questions without having to ask!
 
GeorgiaTiger said:
Just got a Mr Beer thanks to the wife. I have a very newb question. Already got this first batch going and am wondering about taking the lid off to peek in. Will this be a bad thing? Don't want to do anything to spoil my first batch.
Click to expand...

The largest enemy to home brewing is contamination. Sanitation is a major key to success. The less you open the top, the better it will be.
 
I got a Mr. Beer for my husband when we got married 9 years ago. We made one batch of hard cider that exploded during conditioning. The bottles that didn't explode tasted alright, though. But we got busy and forgot about it.

Fast forward 9 years of ignoring the Mr. Beer covered with dust on a shelf in the garage. I got him a 5 gallon "grown up" kit for his birthday, and we'll be starting our sixth batch in three months tomorrow. I guess he just needed the kick in the pants that spending way more money on something will give.

But if Mr. Beer is still around in 15 years, I'll probably give it to my son for his 21st birthday. He wants to help more than he gets to, on account of being a 6 year old germ monkey.
 
MikeBergan said:
I have to STRONGLY recommend NOT opening the lid!!!
You would risk goofing up the fermentation process, AND maybe allowing various microbes/germs/foreign materials to get in and contaminate your brew.

Leave it closed and use a good flashlight to shine in and see what's going on.
Click to expand...

Actually, I disagree with Mike. I've beenbrewing with Mr. Beer for quite a while. While I agree that you could risk contamination, to do so you'd really have to abuse the opening of the fermenter and the conditions you have the LBK (Little Brown Keg) in. If you did open it to perv on the beer for 10 or 15 seconds maybe once or at most twice during the 2-to-3 week fermentation process, you're really not that "at risk".

Again, a lot...A LOT!!!...will have to do with your brewing conditions (i.e. if you place the LBK under a dirty air vent or you have it proped up on a work bench next to a bunch of yard tools and whatnot...THEN you'll be more at risk. But under relative clean conditions, maybe 1 or 2 little (10 second) perv peeks is not going to doom your beer.
 
I agree with Chris. When we dry hop, we need to open the LBK to drop in the hops. 10-15 seconds is no biggie - just be careful of the surroundings and don't be right next to an open window where a wild yeast can swoop in and land in the LBK.
 
Christ872 said:
Actually, I disagree with Mike. I've beenbrewing with Mr. Beer for quite a while. While I agree that you could risk contamination, to do so you'd really have to abuse the opening of the fermenter and the conditions you have the LBK (Little Brown Keg) in. If you did open it to perv on the beer for 10 or 15 seconds maybe once or at most twice during the 2-to-3 week fermentation process, you're really not that "at risk".

Again, a lot...A LOT!!!...will have to do with your brewing conditions (i.e. if you place the LBK under a dirty air vent or you have it proped up on a work bench next to a bunch of yard tools and whatnot...THEN you'll be more at risk. But under relative clean conditions, maybe 1 or 2 little (10 second) perv peeks is not going to doom your beer.
Click to expand...

OR - we could reference the Mr Beer instructions - which state a a big BOLD Caution warning "Caution: Do Not open the brew keg lid at any time during the fermentation process; this can lead to beer spoilage"

I realize that for more advanced brewers who are using proper sanitization methods that there is minimal risk. However, the OP is a novice, working on his first batch.
From that basis I stand by my advice. The fewer chances for problems, the better, for the OP to end up with results he is happy with.
 
Anybody ever see this Mr Beer fail video?

Also, dont forget to read the comments section in his YouTube.


 
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