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I just purchased a can of octoberfest but it does not have the booster like the pale ale in the Mr beer kit came with. Do I need a 'booster'? If so what can I use? I want to brew tomorrow.
Is it the old one or the new one? The old ones were 1.21 lbs and were supposed to be used with booster or UME. The new ones are 1.87 lbs and are supposed to be done as-is or with a LME pouch.
 
I think the important question is does the octoberfest recipe call for booster? If it doesnt, you don't need to add anything to the beer.

Straight from MB recipe files:

Standard
Octoberfest Vienna Lager Malty 0.037 9 23 1 Octoberfest Vienna Lager 1 Booster Pack 1 Yeast Packet 2 Weeks 2 Weeks

Deluxe
Octoberfest Vienna Lager w/Mellow Amber Balanced 0.046 15 23 1 Octoberfest Vienna Lager 1 Mellow Amber UME 1 Yeast Packet 2 Weeks 2 Weeks
 
BonzoAPD said:
Thanks! Would adding some brown sugar enhance the final product?

It will boost the alcohol content a bit from the inclusion of more fermentable sugars and would add to the flavor a bit. I just made a recipe from them that had me include a cup of brown sugar, for the ole mole stout.
 
So just what are these "few" additions?

I can see adding some DME/LME.

I can see maybe dry hopping.

What else?

Try including other ingrediants. If you check the Mrbeer.com site and look at the recipes, a lot of them call for common household ingredients. I just made four a different beers a week ago. I used the following ingredients.

Brown sugar
Lemon juice
Cocoa
nutmeg
cinnamon
crushed corriander seed
honey
chili powder

Ive also used scotch in a previous recipe. Things like this help add a personal touch, and bring different layers to your beers.
 
Joe13 said:
Try including other ingrediants. If you check the Mrbeer.com site and look at the recipes, a lot of them call for common household ingredients. I just made four a different beers a week ago. I used the following ingredients.

Brown sugar
Lemon juice
Cocoa
nutmeg
cinnamon
crushed corriander seed
honey
chili powder

Ive also used scotch in a previous recipe. Things like this help add a personal touch, and bring different layers to your beers.

Have you used the chili powder before? What else did you put in there?
 
So just what are these "few" additions?

I can see adding some DME/LME.

I can see maybe dry hopping.

What else?

The sky is the limit. You can steep specialty grains for more flavor/color/body/mouthfeel, you can do hop boils of various lengths, you can do a partial mash.

You don't need to use any Mr Beer ingredients at all, if you don't want to. You can do anything with the Mr Beer fermenter that you can with a 5 gallon kit, except to make 5 gallons of beer at a time. If you want to do an all grain batch, there's nothing stopping you.
 
Yup to all of the above, scrabbler. You're only limited to your imagination! Just subbing for a premium yeast yields great results...2 grams just isn't enough, either. I have since moved on to AG brewing, but I credit mr beer for the base of my knowledge of brewing. I still use the LBK's as my primary fermenters too!
 
Yup to all of the above, scrabbler. You're only limited to your imagination! Just subbing for a premium yeast yields great results...2 grams just isn't enough, either. I have since moved on to AG brewing, but I credit mr beer for the base of my knowledge of brewing. I still use the LBK's as my primary fermenters too!

You can also re-use yeast from a previous batch, look up "Yeast Washing". Also, you can up your yeast count by making a simple yeast starter. For the MB kits though, I've found the 2g to be fine, epecially since so many of them are of a lower gravity.
 
scrabbler said:
You can also re-use yeast from a previous batch, look up "Yeast Washing". Also, you can up your yeast count by making a simple yeast starter. For the MB kits though, I've found the 2g to be fine, epecially since so many of them are of a lower gravity.

Yeah, I've been reading up on washing. Seems like a much more affordable option in the long run. I brewed their blueberry lightning a while ago and made my first starter from a wyeast lager yeast to use in it since I wanted to cold ferment. Came out really good! I'm sure the starter was overkill for a 2.5g batch but it was fun tinkering!
 
inkdbrewer said:
Yeah, I've been reading up on washing. Seems like a much more affordable option in the long run. I brewed their blueberry lightning a while ago and made my first starter from a wyeast lager yeast to use in it since I wanted to cold ferment. Came out really good! I'm sure the starter was overkill for a 2.5g batch but it was fun tinkering!

new kits come w/4 g yeast packets I believe.
 
I made a whiskey stout using whiskey that I soaked oak chips in for a month then poured the whiskey into the wort at flame out. Came out pretty good.
 
What would be the 'right' way to incorporate clarifying agents while using a Mr Beer fermenter and bottles system?

Most of the posts I see indicate adding the agent to the secondary fermenter when you rack over; but Mr Beer goes right from the LBK to the bottles...

Advice please?

I just finished my first brew batch and am very happy with the result, other than a mild cloudiness issue.
 
You can include irish moss or whirlfloc with 5 minutes left of the boil which will bind to excess protiens and help clear the beer. What you are experiencing is probably chill haze and that will go away after a week or 2 at fridge temps on it's own.
 
Unrelated, but on the same note; I'm buying my father a mr. root beer kit for xmas. He has always wanted to make home made root beer. I figured it would be a great way to get him into the whole thing, without him (or me) having to spend a bunch of coin. And if he does like it, the next year I can get him a REAL root beer making kit.

Me, You would be suprised how fast 5 gallons of beer goes!
 
You can include irish moss or whirlfloc with 5 minutes left of the boil which will bind to excess protiens and help clear the beer. What you are experiencing is probably chill haze and that will go away after a week or 2 at fridge temps on it's own.

Wait.... you really think those beautiful bottles of delicious beer are going to LAST 2 weeks in the fridge?

You should know better; I am already prepping to start the next batch, but I am afraid I will be out of beer in the next 5-7 days. I have 6 Liter bottles left, and one of those is promised to a friend who wants to try my beer.
That leaves 5 bottles, out of which I get about 2 good steins worth each.

I really think I need to expand up to a full 5 gallon setup in addition to the LBK, that way I can keep a rotation going and build up some stores
 
Wait.... you really think those beautiful bottles of delicious beer are going to LAST 2 weeks in the fridge?

You should know better; I am already prepping to start the next batch, but I am afraid I will be out of beer in the next 5-7 days. I have 6 Liter bottles left, and one of those is promised to a friend who wants to try my beer.
That leaves 5 bottles, out of which I get about 2 good steins worth each.

I really think I need to expand up to a full 5 gallon setup in addition to the LBK, that way I can keep a rotation going and build up some stores

The exact reason I only made 4 Mr Beer batches before jumping to 5gallon all grain brewing! :ban: Try whirlfloc in the next batch, it will help but time is really the best way to let them clear.

I still use my Mr Beer for things like Apfelwein and a 17% abv Mango wine that I have going now. No such thing as too many fermentors!
 
This is what the first batch looks like; maybe not a great pic, but it might give an indication of the cloudiness I am seeing.
Also a note... the head only stayed for about 30 seconds... I took a series of pics and within that time it basically dropped completely, is this something I can improve? If so, how?

First Batch 11.jpg
 
This is what the first batch looks like; maybe not a great pic, but it might give an indication of the cloudiness I am seeing.
Also a note... the head only stayed for about 30 seconds... I took a series of pics and within that time it basically dropped completely, is this something I can improve? If so, how?

That doesn't look all that cloudy to me. I think you could "fix" that by giving it more time in the bottle at room temperature followed by more time in the refrigerator. If you give it at least a month at room temperature and a week or two in the fridge, I think it will be much clearer. Make sure you keep the bottles upright at all times so the trub forms on the bottom, not the side of the bottle.

Also, pour the full bottle in one pour. If you're using the liter bottles, that may require pouring into a pitcher and pouring from the pitcher to a glass. When you pour, watch carefully and stop pouring just before the trub starts coming out. Depending on how long you leave it in the bottle before pouring it, you may not need to leave much in the bottle. I usually leave mine at room temp for about 4 months, followed by a month or so in the fridge and can usually pour the whole beer without pouring any trub out.
 
I forgot to address your questions about the head.

Extract beers tend to be pretty light in that regard. You can increase head (and head retention) by adding some steeping grains. If all you want is to add head and head retention (and some body), then you can use carapils or carafoam. If you want to add additional flavor and color, you can add something like crystal 20 (or higher numbers if you want darker colors). If you have a LHBS, buy about 1/4 lb of the grain and have them mill it. Heat two quarts of water to 160F and soak the grain in that for 30 minutes. Strain the grains out and use this water for the Booster boil.
 
This thread is here to welcome and encourage. We all know it is like tinned spaghetti compared to Momma's Special Recipe but let's encourage people .

It's here to help the new members not for the experts to put people off before they start.

(That's why I've edited and deleted a couple of posts)
Please feel free to start a "We want to kill MR. Beer thread"

I got my start with the Mr. Beer kit. Made about 10 batches with it, all was pretty good, and then moved on to 5 gallon after 8 months. I recently sold my Mr. Beer stuff to give someone else a start. I owe my start to brewing to Mr. Beer.
 
Hey guys, just got started with a little Mr Beer kit, take it easy on me because I know very little about brewing, if you can even call it that with most of it already done for you minus cleaning, boiling, and waiting. I figured it would be good to start small and simple to see if I liked it because my other hobby, and the only other forum I belong to takes most of my time and interest. On my first attempt here I found that the beer (Pale Ale) I believe, tasted somewhat weak and sweet. As far as I know I followed all the istructions to the letter, (I hope). It said after the week of fermenting if it tasted too sweet, to wait a few more days. Did that, tasted fine. Then bottled it with the sugar. After another week I gave it a try warm just to see, and it was ok, but a little weak and sweet. I Measured the sugar according to the table. What did I do wrong? Should I have waited longer, and why did it taste so mild, should I have used less water? I have had the bottles in the fridge a couple of days, and tonight I will try and see if it is any different..
 
There's a few things to consider here:
1) The first beer they include (which is typically a West Coast Pale Ale + Booster if it is the 'old' kit) is very light by design. If you go into it thinking you're going to get a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale you will be disappointed. Their goal is to ease into the hobby through ease of brewing as well as easing into the taste a bit. (You can make very good beer with the WCPA + other stuff, don't worry).
2) If you let it ferment for a week + a few days that was likely long enough. Your taste buds verified that it tasted "ok".
3) When you add sugar (prime), you're basically creating another mini fermentation and that takes time. You need to leave them at ROOM TEMP for at least 2 weeks to carbonate.
4) After that, two more weeks at ROOM TEMP is a good idea to condition them a bit before putting them in the fridge.
5) If you put them in the fridge after a week, you stopped the carbonation and you're likely getting the sweet taste from the sugar that wasn't consumed to carb the beer.

All is not lost. Pull the beer out of the fridge and set them at room temp for 2 weeks. Then, put back in the fridge and see how they are. This first batch will be a little light and thin, but that's to be expected. Once you get the process down 9which MrB helps you do quickly) you can start adding things that will help you make some kick ass beer.
 
Thanks, I actually only took one and put it in the fridge to mess with, so I guess all I have to do is wait a little longer for the rest. Thanks for letting me know about the mildness, I wasn't sure if that was how it was supposed to be or if I made a mistake.
 
You're welcome. Consider your first batch to be a 'learn the process' beer. Enjoy it because you made it and just don't expect it to taste like your local micro-brew and you'll be happy.

When you are ready to take on your next batch, come on back and ask the group how to make it better. You'll get more advice than you'll know what to do with :D
 
I do have another question. What can I do to boost the Alcohol Content if I were to use the same setup? It did taste a little weak on the boose side.. also what would happen if I were to use less water the next time around? Would it make it stronger or ruin it?
 
em9sredbeam said:
I do have another question. What can I do to boost the Alcohol Content if I were to use the same setup? It did taste a little weak on the boose side.. also what would happen if I were to use less water the next time around? Would it make it stronger or ruin it?

To boost alcohol you will need to get a different kit. Check mrbeer.com for there premium and deluxe kits. This all are around 5.5-6% alcohol as opposed to 3.7% like the pale ale kit.
 
In short, you need more malt.
You're going to read that you can add sugar, honey or even more Booster to boost the alcohol but that isn't all you will be doing. You'll be thinning and/or drying out the beer by adding those which is going to lessen the 'mouthfeel' even more making it seem even thinner.

As the post above me says, you can go to their deluxe/craft/premium refills which are more malt and brew them as-is. Or you can add some of their LME. Or if you have a LHBS near you you can add their LME or DME to boost ABV, flavor and mouthfeel. You don't want to go crazy because then you'll throw the malt to hops ratio out of whack. You can easily add a pound of LME or DME to a basic (1.2lb) can of MrB without issue, though.
 
Kealia's right - don't throw a bunch of sugar into a MrB batch trying to boost the alcohol level. Deluxe refills are higher ABV and there is also the added malt option.

Sometimes it's best to make a few MrB kits straight up before you start to go all mad scientist.

:rockin:
 
What I'm getting from most of these posts is that the major issue with the Mr. Beer brewing system is the ingredients...they just aren't that great. I'm a college student living in a relatively small apartment, and I really want to get into brewing, but certainly don't have the room for a big set-up. At least not enough room for it be protected from light. The Mr. Beer set up is the perfect size, but I also want to be able to make good beer. So, if I continue to use the Mr. Beer equipment, can I make better beer by purchasing the ingredients from a LHBS? Either way I intend to use the Mr. Beer ingredients that come with the equipment, I need to learn and this is an easy way to do that, but after they're gone I'd like to know if I can still move on to more in-depth beer making without having to find a way to make a larger set-up work in this little apartment. Thanks for any advice!
 
kaw11g said:
What I'm getting from most of these posts is that the major issue with the Mr. Beer brewing system is the ingredients...they just aren't that great. I'm a college student living in a relatively small apartment, and I really want to get into brewing, but certainly don't have the room for a big set-up. At least not enough room for it be protected from light. The Mr. Beer set up is the perfect size, but I also want to be able to make good beer. So, if I continue to use the Mr. Beer equipment, can I make better beer by purchasing the ingredients from a LHBS? Either way I intend to use the Mr. Beer ingredients that come with the equipment, I need to learn and this is an easy way to do that, but after they're gone I'd like to know if I can still move on to more in-depth beer making without having to find a way to make a larger set-up work in this little apartment. Thanks for any advice!

Yes you can. I brewed all grain 2 gallon batches and fermented in the Mr beer fermenter
 
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