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Hello everyone, first post here and first time brewing. I received a mr beer for Christmas from my father. We were talking about home brew one day so he decided to grab it to get me started.

Anyway, 4 weeks ago I brewed up the Chzech pilsner. I figured I would let it ferment for 2-3 weeks and then bottle it. I ended up waiting 4 weeks. While I was bottling today I noticed that the beer smelt sweet, almost like a wine. It also tasted kind of sweet too. Should I expect this to go away after it bottle conditions for a few more weeks?

Btw I didn't feel comfortable doing the whole add sugar to the bottles thing. Instead I boiled a cup or so of water, removed from heat, added about a 1/4 cup of sugar, added that to a bottling bucket and proceeded to transfer then bottle. I got the sugar measurement from the calculator on northern brewer site.

The color and clarity of the beer is great, just wondering about the sweet taste.

Could be because it fermented a little to warm, or it's not quite complete yet...
 
Quick question. I have 4 mr beer 2gallon tanks and have four batches going, they are all strong beers with most having at least two cans of the HME and maybe a booster (recipes from the web site) any way they have all been sitting a little over two weeks and are all starting to taste great (little sips every three days or so) but I have noticed that when I poor a little test taste into a glass they all have white creamy looking things at the bottom of the glass. I assume this is a sign the ferment is not complete etc. But thought I would ask.



If you are pouring from the spigot it's probably just trub/yeast from the bottom of the LBK getting sucked up.

Ostomo517 said:
Probably yeast, just fyi I wouldnt risk infection by opening and tasting every few days.

If bigtuna101's drawing his samples from the spigot there isn't really too much risk of infection. Just the risk of depleting the volume of finished product that can be bottled:fro:
 
So I was cleaning out the fridge and I found that someone had filled one of those lidded bowls with cherries. They look a little dried out, but I hate to see them go to waste, can I use these in my next brew? I was thinking of blending them up and throwing them in with the St. Pat's stout, but they are not exactly "fresh."
 
So I was cleaning out the fridge and I found that someone had filled one of those lidded bowls with cherries. They look a little dried out, but I hate to see them go to waste, can I use these in my next brew? I was thinking of blending them up and throwing them in with the St. Pat's stout, but they are not exactly "fresh."

I'm not a big fan of using anything that's not exactly fresh. And if they're kind of old, they may have a fair amount of bacteria and/or wild yeast in and on them.
 
Got a 20% off coupon code for Mr. Beer. I don't plan on using it, so it goes to the first person that uses it. Says its good for a week and I assume that anyone can use it; ie I don't think it's linked to my account. Please reply once used. ACT4213GKFS
 
abandonhope16 said:
I assume you haven't de-labeled then? Oxyclean is good of that. I usually do it in my sink bc there is more space. I do about half a scoop with however much water (hottish) is required to submerge the bottles. After about 20-30 minutes, the labels will either fall off on their own or slide off pretty easily. Rinse thoroughly. Then I soak in the no rinse sanitizer, making sure its gets in the bottle, then plug the hole with your thumb/finger and shake for several seconds. Allow to air dry. I guess you could also mix up some sanitising solution and pour directly into the bottles and shake.
Capper is pretty easy. Just center up the cap, place capper without shifting the cap too much and swing the arms down. Make sure to do this on a flat, hard surface. I prefer capping on the floor.

Oxy worked awesome!! Capper worked awesome too. Let the conditioning commence. :)

Question, I wasn't sure what to use for priming sugar on the 12oz. I did quick research and found 1/2 teaspoon. That is what I used but mr beer says 2 1/2 teaspoons for the liter bottles. Also read to use 2 teaspoons for the liter bottles. And I did use 2 teaspoons. Will I have any carbing issues?
 
Oxy worked awesome!! Capper worked awesome too. Let the conditioning commence. :)

Question, I wasn't sure what to use for priming sugar on the 12oz. I did quick research and found 1/2 teaspoon. That is what I used but mr beer says 2 1/2 teaspoons for the liter bottles. Also read to use 2 teaspoons for the liter bottles. And I did use 2 teaspoons. Will I have any carbing issues?

What size bottles did you bottle with? The 1L (32 oz) bottles that come with most Mr Beer kits need 2 1/2 tsp for priming sugar. 12 oz bottles need 3/4 tsp. If you used 2 tsp for the 1 L (or 32 oz) bottles you will have slightly under carb'd beer.

12oz - 3/4 tsp
16oz (1/2 Liter) - 1 tsp
22oz - 1 1/2 tsp
32oz (1 Liter) - 2 1/2 tsp
2 Liter - 1 1/2 tbsp
3 liter - 2 1/4 tbsp
 
Bottled the American Ale after a three week ferment.

Smelt like cider.

I'm planning a three week condition in the bottle @ room temp. I'll sample some, and see where it's at.

Started a double batch of St Pat's Stout in a Lowes 5 gallon food grade bucket.

Really cool to wake up today and see the blow off tube at work.

Anyone else getting the cider smell when they bottle? This is the second batch this way. First batch I was sure I rushed fermentation and that is what was behind the cider smell. :confused:

Thanks!


Ken
 
What exactly was the recipe you used and what temp did you ferment at? Some of the 'basic' refills do come across a bit thin and cidery but with aging they ten to get rid of that. The more 'advanced' recipes/refills contain more malt extract and if fermented correctly don't have that same cidery tone to them.

Don't be surprised if you need to condition for up to 6 weeks (warm) before chilling them to get them where you like them.
 
If using a bottling bucket, how much priming sugar should I use for one LBK?

Also, how much water should I use to dissolve it in?

I should add that I'm using corn sugar.
 
Tried first bottle after bottled a week, tasted ok, but a lot like cider. Another week later, the sweet cider flavor is mostly gone, but now it has a flavor hard to describe, but it is kinda like... dirt. Haha. Is that a 'known' side-flavor that will condition out?
 
I too am in the cidery smell and flavor boat. I let my first batch sit for 3 weeks in the LBK and now its been 3 weeks in the bottles and still cidery.

My second batch is at the 3 week mark in the LBK and who would have guess....... CIDER AGAIN!!! I suppose I'll let it sit for another week or two before putting it in bottles for a LONG time.
 
I too am in the cidery smell and flavor boat. I let my first batch sit for 3 weeks in the LBK and now its been 3 weeks in the bottles and still cidery.

My second batch is at the 3 week mark in the LBK and who would have guess....... CIDER AGAIN!!! I suppose I'll let it sit for another week or two before putting it in bottles for a LONG time.

You might be fermenting too warm. What temps are you using to ferment/carb?
 
You might be fermenting too warm. What temps are you using to ferment/carb?

I think with the first batch i fermented to cold and it didnt have a chance to finish. My heat was acting up in my house and i had a couple days were the tempature dropped to around 50 or below inside. VA's weather has been quite unpredictable here lately.

What i dont understand is the same thing is happening to this batch as well with the tempature staying around 65 in my house. LBK is in a closet in the center of the house
 
There’s a Morebeer article about off flavors: http://morebeer.com/content/homebrew-off-flavors that discusses cidery flavors.

“Cidery
Tastes/Smells Like:
Apple Cider, Wine, Acetaldehyde (apples)
Possible Causes:
Using too much corn or cane sugar is the most common cause for wine or cidery
flavors. Generally, 1lb of sugar per 5 gallon batch is considered the limit before cidery
flavors start developing. Acetaldehyde can also give off a cider-like quality.
How to Avoid:
Try cutting down on the amount of corn or cane sugar being used. Using an alternate
source of fermentable sugar can help to reduce cidery or winey flavors. Dried or Liquid
malt extract will not give off any cider flavors. Honey is another good substitution as
it is almost fully fermentable but it will leave a slight to strong honey aroma and taste
depending on how much is used. If the cause is the yeast rather than cane or corn
sugar, lagering may help cidery flavors to dissipate over time.”
 
There’s a Morebeer article about off flavors: http://morebeer.com/content/homebrew-off-flavors that discusses cidery flavors.

“Cidery
Tastes/Smells Like:
Apple Cider, Wine, Acetaldehyde (apples)
Possible Causes:
Using too much corn or cane sugar is the most common cause for wine or cidery
flavors. Generally, 1lb of sugar per 5 gallon batch is considered the limit before cidery
flavors start developing. Acetaldehyde can also give off a cider-like quality.
How to Avoid:
Try cutting down on the amount of corn or cane sugar being used. Using an alternate
source of fermentable sugar can help to reduce cidery or winey flavors. Dried or Liquid
malt extract will not give off any cider flavors. Honey is another good substitution as
it is almost fully fermentable but it will leave a slight to strong honey aroma and taste
depending on how much is used. If the cause is the yeast rather than cane or corn
sugar, lagering may help cidery flavors to dissipate over time.”

Tastes like cider and smells like cider before adding any sugar.
 
Some of the 'basic' refills do come across a bit thin and cidery but with aging they ten to get rid of that. The more 'advanced' recipes/refills contain more malt extract and if fermented correctly don't have that same cidery tone to them.

Don't be surprised if you need to condition for up to 6 weeks (warm) before chilling them to get them where you like them.

Quoting myself ;)

Really it's a matter of a 'thin' beer which is what the basic MrB kits are. Don;t get me wrong, their advanced recipes and refills are good, just don't expect much in terms of mouthfeel and malty flavors from the basic kits. They are there to ease you into things and teach you how to brew (i.e. the process).
 
Quoting myself ;)

Really it's a matter of a 'thin' beer which is what the basic MrB kits are. Don;t get me wrong, their advanced recipes and refills are good, just don't expect much in terms of mouthfeel and malty flavors from the basic kits. They are there to ease you into things and teach you how to brew (i.e. the process).

+1 I look at it as a stepping stone more than anything. I did learn from using it but at the point im at now with all grain I know id never be ok with spending that much on a 2 gallon refill when I can do more and better quality all grain. The couple friends ive got into brewing I usually tell them get the basic set, brew about 3-4 batches and if your comfortable move up to a new setup
 
I brewed a batch of MB mexican cerveza back in early-December. I did not add any sugar, just 1 lb of light DME. I left it in the keg almost 5 weeks and then bottled with table sugar. I just opened my first one (after 2 weeks of carbing and 4 days cold conditioning) last night. BAM major cider taste. I'm thinking/hoping the one I opened was the last one filled and maybe I just got some trub in it; otherwise I may dump the batch. It was not bad but definitely not good either.
 
The BYO info is referring to sugar used in the boil - not the priming sugar. Did you use a lot of sugar in the boil?


The 3 MRB kits I've used so far didn't call for sugar in the boil.

So I thought we were talking about priming sugar.

Sorry for the confusion.............
 
I brewed a batch of MB mexican cerveza back in early-December. I did not add any sugar, just 1 lb of light DME. I left it in the keg almost 5 weeks and then bottled with table sugar. I just opened my first one (after 2 weeks of carbing and 4 days cold conditioning) last night. BAM major cider taste. I'm thinking/hoping the one I opened was the last one filled and maybe I just got some trub in it; otherwise I may dump the batch. It was not bad but definitely not good either.

I started marking my last few bottles filled so I can see if there is a difference in the batch between bottles.

It's gonna suck if my St Pat's Stout fermenting now ends up being a St Pat's Cider. :D

Don't dump, see if it'll age out.
 
I brewed a batch of MB mexican cerveza back in early-December. I did not add any sugar, just 1 lb of light DME. I left it in the keg almost 5 weeks and then bottled with table sugar. I just opened my first one (after 2 weeks of carbing and 4 days cold conditioning) last night. BAM major cider taste. I'm thinking/hoping the one I opened was the last one filled and maybe I just got some trub in it; otherwise I may dump the batch. It was not bad but definitely not good either.

There's your likely problem assuming no fermentation issues. Walk away for another two weeks and then put one in the fridge to see the difference.
 
first post on site...

Well, I put stuff in the mr beer i got for Christmas, and today uncapped the first bottle...

It's beer!!!!!

Needs to sit another week or so, but it's beer.
 
Feels good, doesn't it?. Won't be long before you want to get into 5 gallon batches, and kegging, and ......
Mr Beer is a gateway drug.
 
Feels good, doesn't it?. Won't be long before you want to get into 5 gallon batches, and kegging, and ......
Mr Beer is a gateway drug.

True Story. My son and I were hooked even before we cracked a bottle out of sheer anticipation. Got a small batch kit and put an Irish Red in the fermenter on Wednesday, and we're going to Kalamazoo to Bell's for their home brew demonstration this Wednesday. Now my wife has watched some youtubes with me and wants to do mead and wine this summer. Yeah, we're bit.
 
Bottled second batch yesterday, put the first in the fridge after 3 weeks in bottles. Tastes prerry good.
I also went to my local brew shop, guys there are really cool. It was a few minutes after closing time, I called and he said he was cleaning up and I could come in the back. So I picked up a few things and the guy was really cool. Gonna be fun to get a kit and go there for ingredients and learn from all the people around.
 
I made my first batch on Feb 9th. I have three mr beer kits. Clearance at target. I scored.
I made the American light and the st Patrick's Irish stout, and added extra malt extract to both for a lil extra funk.
I'm pretty excited. i plan to let the stout set in bottles from the 2nd to the 14th and then fridge it for three days so we can slug it down on st party's.
The light I'm gonna chuck in bottles probably tonight And get it to the fridge on the 28th. Probably drink those march 8, 9 and 10th.

Wish me luck.
 
I made my first batch on Feb 9th. I have three mr beer kits. Clearance at target. I scored.
I made the American light and the st Patrick's Irish stout, and added extra malt extract to both for a lil extra funk.
I'm pretty excited. i plan to let the stout set in bottles from the 2nd to the 14th and then fridge it for three days so we can slug it down on st party's.
The light I'm gonna chuck in bottles probably tonight And get it to the fridge on the 28th. Probably drink those march 8, 9 and 10th.

Wish me luck.
If you started it on February 9, I'd wait until Saturday (Feb 23) to bottle. I know the instructions say you can bottle after a week, but you'll have better luck if you give it two weeks. Some people wait three.

After that, I'd leave it at room temperature for at least two weeks(longer if you can wait), then put it in the fridge for at least a week.
 
bpgreen said:
If you started it on February 9, I'd wait until Saturday (Feb 23) to bottle. I know the instructions say you can bottle after a week, but you'll have better luck if you give it two weeks. Some people wait three.

After that, I'd leave it at room temperature for at least two weeks(longer if you can wait), then put it in the fridge for at least a week.

Thanks. I knew to take the time with the stout, but with the light we weren't sure. I figured a couple extra days after the in box directions, but I'll take your word for it instead.
 
I put Irish stout in on the 22nd of Jan and have read darker beer takes longer. Any help on when I should bottle? Also I did a pilsner before the stout and the sugar I put into the 12oz bottles settled in the bottom. Is that normal and should I expect it from the stout. Any help or tips welcomed.

Cheers

Kevin
 
I put Irish stout in on the 22nd of Jan and have read darker beer takes longer. Any help on when I should bottle? Also I did a pilsner before the stout and the sugar I put into the 12oz bottles settled in the bottom. Is that normal and should I expect it from the stout. Any help or tips welcomed.

Cheers

Kevin

Two weeks is almost always enough time, three if you want to play it safe. You're at almost 4 weeks, so it has been ready for a while, now.

The stuff on the bottom of the bottles is trub. The yeast ate the sugar and turned it into CO2 (and a small amount of alcohol). Some yeast died, other yeast just went dormant after running out of sugar to eat. The dead and dormant yeast settled to the bottom of the bottle. When you drink it, you want to pour it in a glass, leaving the trub behind. Some people drink the trub, but it can cause problems for many people.
 
Thanks for the info. I drank the trub on the bottom with no issues. Should I use the same amount of sugar for the stout? I assume the sugar is measured for the bottle and not the beer but I just want to make sure.

One last thing any tips on sanitizing all the bottles I used for the pilsner. I rinsed each bottle with hot water after emptied but what else should I FO the the bottles.
 
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