Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

gweim said:

Has anyone ever made the Blackperry Trio Mr. Beer recipe? I've been searching everywhere for some reviews or tips but haven't found any. I've made a few other mr beer kits that have been terrible so was about to make the jump to real equipment and better kit when I realized I had got the stuff for this a few months back.

Anyone know if it comes out well?

Should I buy a different yeast than what mr beer provides?

They give a big temp range to ferment at. Anyone have an idea of what temperature I could shoot for?

I'm sick of making bad mr beer and then not wanting to homebrew for a few month so any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

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I haven't made that recipe, but I can tell you that simply switching from Mr Beer to "real equipment and a better kit" is not going to fix things. Mr Beer makes high quality extract kits and you can definitely make good beer with the LBK. I still use it for brewing small batches occasionally.

The first time I went to my LHBS, I was a little nervous about telling them I used Mr Beer, but thought I should in order to get the best advice. The guy helping me shrugged and said, "you can do anything in a Mr Beer fermenter that I can do with my fermenter except make 5 gallons at a time."

If you're making bad beer, you should step back and figure out why before going any further.

I haven't used the new yeast, but I suspect it's the regular Cooper's ale yeast, which is an ok yeast that is pretty forgiving of a wide variety of temperatures (probably why they use it). The old yeast was ok, but the packages were too small. I like to use US-05 or Nottingham for most beers. I've recently tried some of the Mangrove Jack yeasts (M10 and M44, I think) and they seem to do a good job, also, although M10 seems to need to warm up for the finish.

What are your brewing processes? When you say it turns out bad, how is it bad? What kind of flavors are you getting that you don't like? The more details you give, the better we can help.

A few things come to mind as likely suspects. Are they still saying to ferment for a week, carb for a week and refrigerate overnight? If so, that's probably a big part of your problem. You should ferment for two to three weeks, bottle and let them sit at room temperature for a month. Then refrigerate for at least a week (two weeks would be better).

Temperatures are also pretty important. Do you have one of the stick-on thermometers that show actual temperatures (not the ones that show too hot, too cold, good or whatever, but one that shows the temperature in degrees)? If not, get one. If all else fails, get a fish tank thermometer, but try to get one that goes down to 60F. I think the temperatures that Mr Beer recommends are on the high side. That helps with faster fermentation, but not necessarily with flavor. Also, the fermentation temperature will likely be 5 degrees or more higher than ambient temperature. So if you're fermenting in a room that's 70, your fermentation temperatures are probably exceeding 75, which will lead to off flavors with most yeasts. I like to ferment in the low 60s or even upper 50s with US-05 or Nottingham (that's fermentation temperature, not ambient). In warmer weather, I use yeasts that are more forgiving of higher temperatures (M10 is very forgiving of higher temperatures). You can lower your temperatures without going high tech in a couple of ways. I live in the desert, so a "swamp cooler" is very effective. I set the LBK in an aluminum roasting pan from the dollar store and fill it partly with water. I then drape a towel over the LBK with the ends sitting in the water. The towel wicks water, which then evaporates, providing a cooling effect. This works best in low humidity environments. You can also use a large cooler and add frozen water bottles, swapping them out as needed to keep the temperature where it needs to be.

One thing that can't be stressed enough is sanitation. If you're not getting things clean enough, you're not going to get good beer.

If you're adding simple sugars to the beer to increase the ABV, stop that. Simple sugars ferment almost completely, which thins the beer. They can also lead to more acetaldehyde, which can give a cidery flavor to your beer.

Another thing that may help is proper aeration. In the old instructions, I think they said to stir to mix well. But what you really need to do is whisk the heck out of it to produce a good layer of foam to ensure there is enough oxygen for the yeast to synthesize sterols and unsaturated fatty acids for proper reproduction. I use an electric whisk and keep it going until there is a layer of foam several inches thick (I think when I do a Mr Beer batch, the foam gets almost to the top).

Those are some of the biggest things that can help produce better beer (whether with Mr Beer or other kits).

But please give us more details about how the beers you've made are bad. Just saying they're bad doesn't give us enough information to really help (other than the shotgun approach I took, trying to hit all the bases, but inevitably missing some).

bpgreen said:

I haven't made that recipe, but I can tell you that simply switching from Mr Beer to "real equipment and a better kit" is not going to fix things. Mr Beer makes high quality extract kits and you can definitely make good beer with the LBK. I still use it for brewing small batches occasionally.

The first time I went to my LHBS, I was a little nervous about telling them I used Mr Beer, but thought I should in order to get the best advice. The guy helping me shrugged and said, "you can do anything in a Mr Beer fermenter that I can do with my fermenter except make 5 gallons at a time."

If you're making bad beer, you should step back and figure out why before going any further.

I haven't used the new yeast, but I suspect it's the regular Cooper's ale yeast, which is an ok yeast that is pretty forgiving of a wide variety of temperatures (probably why they use it). The old yeast was ok, but the packages were too small. I like to use US-05 or Nottingham for most beers. I've recently tried some of the Mangrove Jack yeasts (M10 and M44, I think) and they seem to do a good job, also, although M10 seems to need to warm up for the finish.

What are your brewing processes? When you say it turns out bad, how is it bad? What kind of flavors are you getting that you don't like? The more details you give, the better we can help.

A few things come to mind as likely suspects. Are they still saying to ferment for a week, carb for a week and refrigerate overnight? If so, that's probably a big part of your problem. You should ferment for two to three weeks, bottle and let them sit at room temperature for a month. Then refrigerate for at least a week (two weeks would be better).

Temperatures are also pretty important. Do you have one of the stick-on thermometers that show actual temperatures (not the ones that show too hot, too cold, good or whatever, but one that shows the temperature in degrees)? If not, get one. If all else fails, get a fish tank thermometer, but try to get one that goes down to 60F. I think the temperatures that Mr Beer recommends are on the high side. That helps with faster fermentation, but not necessarily with flavor. Also, the fermentation temperature will likely be 5 degrees or more higher than ambient temperature. So if you're fermenting in a room that's 70, your fermentation temperatures are probably exceeding 75, which will lead to off flavors with most yeasts. I like to ferment in the low 60s or even upper 50s with US-05 or Nottingham (that's fermentation temperature, not ambient). In warmer weather, I use yeasts that are more forgiving of higher temperatures (M10 is very forgiving of higher temperatures). You can lower your temperatures without going high tech in a couple of ways. I live in the desert, so a "swamp cooler" is very effective. I set the LBK in an aluminum roasting pan from the dollar store and fill it partly with water. I then drape a towel over the LBK with the ends sitting in the water. The towel wicks water, which then evaporates, providing a cooling effect. This works best in low humidity environments. You can also use a large cooler and add frozen water bottles, swapping them out as needed to keep the temperature where it needs to be.

One thing that can't be stressed enough is sanitation. If you're not getting things clean enough, you're not going to get good beer.

If you're adding simple sugars to the beer to increase the ABV, stop that. Simple sugars ferment almost completely, which thins the beer. They can also lead to more acetaldehyde, which can give a cidery flavor to your beer.

Another thing that may help is proper aeration. In the old instructions, I think they said to stir to mix well. But what you really need to do is whisk the heck out of it to produce a good layer of foam to ensure there is enough oxygen for the yeast to synthesize sterols and unsaturated fatty acids for proper reproduction. I use an electric whisk and keep it going until there is a layer of foam several inches thick (I think when I do a Mr Beer batch, the foam gets almost to the top).

Those are some of the biggest things that can help produce better beer (whether with Mr Beer or other kits).

But please give us more details about how the beers you've made are bad. Just saying they're bad doesn't give us enough information to really help (other than the shotgun approach I took, trying to hit all the bases, but inevitably missing some).

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Thanks for the awesome reply. I actually don't need to make anymore than what the LBK makes so maybe I'll stick with it for longer. Basically when I say they were bad I just mean they didn't really have much flavor, tasted like they didn't have much alcohol, and too watery.

When you ask if I'm using simple sugars... Do you mean to bottle? I normally drop the amount mr beer tells you to in the bottles beforehand. Also, should I not use brown sugar like the recipe calls for before fermentation?

I do have the stick on thermometer but it was fairly difficult to keep consistent temps at my old apartment.

You mentioned a couple of other yeasts... Do you suggest getting one or are those just some options if I really wanted to try a different one?

Thanks for the tips

gweim said:

Thanks for the awesome reply. I actually don't need to make anymore than what the LBK makes so maybe I'll stick with it for longer. Basically when I say they were bad I just mean they didn't really have much flavor, tasted like they didn't have much alcohol, and too watery.

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Ok. From that description, my first piece of advice is one I've given many times. Don't chase alcohol. Chase flavor. You may well find that alcohol follows, but don't focus on that. I don't do kits now, and when I create a recipe, I start with a general idea of what I want, then figure out what ingredients I need to get the flavors I want. Most of my beers end up in the 5-6% ABV range, but some are more like 7-8% and one recent brew was over 10% (but that's where it belonged).

There are a couple of things you can do to improve flavor. The first is to add more malt. You can use LME (does Mr Beer still use the HME/UME terms?) or DME. DME is similar to LME, but stores a little better and takes a little more space. I generally use LME because I get it in bulk from my LHBS for a great price, but if you're buying online, DME will probably cost less because you get more fermentable for less bulk/weight. You can add about 1 pound of DME (or 1.2-1.25 lbs of LME) to a Mr Beer batch to improve the flavor. That will also improve the body and mouthfeel (make it less watery). Since malt includes fermentable and unfermentable sugars, that will also make the final product somewhat sweeter.

If you don't want to make it any sweeter or if you want to add more malt than that, you can do a hop boil. Boil hops in wort that is about 1.040 gravity (about 1 lb of DME in a gallon of water). You get the most bitterness in about an hour. You get the most flavor in about 20 minutes. shorter times give you more aroma. When I brew from scratch, I usually do three hop additions: 1 for 60 minutes, one for 20 minutes and one for 7 minutes. If I'm doing an all extract batch, I'll sometimes take a shortcut and do a 30 minute bitterness/flavor boil and a 15 minute flavor/aroma boil. That takes more hops, but is faster.

Obviously, hops also add flavor (and bitterness). Hops add a different flavor to beer than malt, so it helps to be able to identify what flavors you like.

One thing that can improve an extract batch is to add steeping grains. Get some steeping grains from you LHBS. Something like Carapils will add body and head retention without affecting flavor or color much. Crystal malts will add flavor and body (and may also boost ABV a bit). They will also impact color, depending on which one you choose (the higher the number, the darker the malt). I use C-60 in APAs and I use C-80 in brown ales. These need to be steeped in hot water for a period of time (I can't remember the timing off hand).

Depending on how comfortable you are in trying different techniques, you could also do a partial mash, using a base malt and mashing it for about 60 minutes at around 150F (you can combine a steep and a malt, which is what I do).

When you ask if I'm using simple sugars... Do you mean to bottle? I normally drop the amount mr beer tells you to in the bottles beforehand. Also, should I not use brown sugar like the recipe calls for before fermentation?

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The sugar used for priming is a drop in the bucket compared with the total fermentable and unfermentable sugar in the beer. The only reason not to use plain white sugar for priming is if you want to follow the reinheitsgebot purity approach and use malt for priming (completely unnecessary, in my opinion)..

If the recipe calls for brown sugar, go ahead and use it. But be aware that brown sugar will ferment pretty completely and will thin the beer. I think you also mentioned that this uses fruit of some sort. The fruit sugars will also likely be very fermentable, so you'll probably end up with a thin beer.

I think if I were you, I'd go ahead and brew this batch as is, but think about what you want for your next batch.

I do have the stick on thermometer but it was fairly difficult to keep consistent temps at my old apartment.

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And what temperatures were you seeing? Temperature control is one of the most important things in brewing good beer. Figure out a way to keep the temperature constant, find that temperature and pick a yeast.

[quote
You mentioned a couple of other yeasts... Do you suggest getting one or are those just some options if I really wanted to try a different one?
[/quote]

The yeast you use is also an important factor in creating a good beer. My brother never uses dry yeast. I've never used liquid yeast (unless you count harvested yeast as liquid yeast). The yeasts I listed are the ones I like to use. But what you want to do is select a yeast based on what you want out of your beer and based on your fermentation conditions. I ferment in my basement. In the winter, it stays in the mid 50s pretty consistently. So something like Nottingham is a great choice (also good because I like to let the malts and hops determine the flavors and the yeast take a back seat). In summer, I'm too cheap to keep the house cold, so my fermentation temperatures tend to be higher. But I still want the yeast to take a back seat. So I use yeasts that will ferment fairly cleanly at higher temperatures.

If you don't know what you want from the yeast, and/or you don't have good temperature control, you're probably best using a yeast that is "forgiving" of a wide range of temperatures. Some examples are Cooper's ale yeast (probable current Mr Beer yeast), Munton's ale yeast, Fermentis S-33 (probable old Mr Beer yeast), Mangrove Jack M10.

This is starting to sound like a Monty Python skit. The single most important thing is the malt. And the malt/sugar ratio. Bugger. The two most important things are the malt and the malt/sugar ratio. And temperature control. Wait. Let's start over, shall we? Three things that are important, are malt, the malt/sugar ratio and temperature control. And, of course, hops. Oh, God. Among the most important things . . .

And yeast.

Thanks for the tips

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Don't give up hope. It sounds like you're ready to take the step of creating your own recipes (with or without steeping/mashing). Do you have a LHBS? Before your next brew, ask for some help coming up with a recipe. You can give a style you're trying to match or a beer that you like and we can try to help. I'm not big on creating clones. My my theory is that if you like X beer, buy X beer, but if that's an example of a style you like, let's try to come up with something in that style. As an example, I like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I brew a lot of APAs, and they're SNPA inspired, but I don't really try to clone it (this approach also makes it easier to declare success, because it doesn't have to taste like SNPA, it just has to taste good).

gweim said:

Thanks for the awesome reply. I actually don't need to make anymore than what the LBK makes so maybe I'll stick with it for longer. Basically when I say they were bad I just mean they didn't really have much flavor, tasted like they didn't have much alcohol, and too watery.

When you ask if I'm using simple sugars... Do you mean to bottle? I normally drop the amount mr beer tells you to in the bottles beforehand. Also, should I not use brown sugar like the recipe calls for before fermentation?

I do have the stick on thermometer but it was fairly difficult to keep consistent temps at my old apartment.

You mentioned a couple of other yeasts... Do you suggest getting one or are those just some options if I really wanted to try a different one?

Thanks for the tips

Click to expand...

I've been brewing on my Mr beer kegs for 6 years now. Haven't made a Mr beer kit for over 5 (okay, I tweaked a couple because I had the extract and didn't want it to go to waste). Great size for experimenting.

You can add simple sugar to boost alcohol without adding residual sugar. High end IPAs are known for this (Pliny and heady both do it IIRC).

A note on brown sugar. Most of what you get in the store is refined white sugar with molasses added back into it.

Temp control is critical to making good beer IMO. I use coolers that the lbk goes in and ice packs (I can even lager like that).

Toss the coopers yeast. Get a yeast that is right fit the style (and better quality). Think of it like cheap whiskey versus premium scotch. There is no contest. I would go with a Belgian yeast for fruit beer. I use white labs liquid yeast wlp410 for a blue moon knock off (actually, it's what blue moon should taste like). It's is more forgiving in the temperature control and phenol production departments than wlp400. The dry yeast belle saison is also a good one.

Alright so I just opened up the packaging around the Mr. Beer pear juice bottles and found out two things... good and bad. First, the expiration date on the bottles was a month ago. I searched around and it seems like I should still be ok. Anyone know if this is true? Second, the yeast they gave with the cider is Safale-04. Googled about it and seems like that would be a decent yeast to use with it so maybe I won't have to get a new yeast.

gweim said:

Alright so I just opened up the packaging around the Mr. Beer pear juice bottles and found out two things... good and bad. First, the expiration date on the bottles was a month ago. I searched around and it seems like I should still be ok. Anyone know if this is true? Second, the yeast they gave with the cider is Safale-04. Googled about it and seems like that would be a decent yeast to use with it so maybe I won't have to get a new yeast.

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I'm not familiar with the juices, but is the date an expiration date or a "best by" date? If it's a "best by" date, I wouldn't worry unless it was more than a year ago. Best by dates are often pretty arbitrary and for most canned and bottled items, they're not very meaningful.

Safale S-04 is a really good yeast. I use US-05 more than S-04, but that's because S-04 is used more for English ales and I brew more American ales. There's no reason to replace that.

gweim said:

Alright so I just opened up the packaging around the Mr. Beer pear juice bottles and found out two things... good and bad. First, the expiration date on the bottles was a month ago. I searched around and it seems like I should still be ok. Anyone know if this is true? Second, the yeast they gave with the cider is Safale-04. Googled about it and seems like that would be a decent yeast to use with it so maybe I won't have to get a new yeast.

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Some people say S-04 is fruity, so it would blend with the pear. I like how it drops pretty clear, but leaves some sweetness.

This is my second time fermenting, ever, It's been about 30 hours of a full 3+pound of coopers dark ale, no sugar added, and used the coopers yeast. I woke the yeast up for 5min before adding to my Mr.Beer keg.

Within 12 hours I had extreme fermentation. My fermenter has the air lock can't in the threads at the top. My countertop was covered in foam and could see/hear the bubbling up until now. 30hours in and all has appeared to slow down.

I have not opened it, and plan to leave it alone until after 2 weeks. Should I be worried? There still appears to be a slight scum/bubbles on top of my liquid in the mr beer keg.

Any replies are greatly appreciated.

SippinSudz said:

This is my second time fermenting, ever, It's been about 30 hours of a full 3+pound of coopers dark ale, no sugar added, and used the coopers yeast. I woke the yeast up for 5min before adding to my Mr.Beer keg.

Within 12 hours I had extreme fermentation. My fermenter has the air lock can't in the threads at the top. My countertop was covered in foam and could see/hear the bubbling up until now. 30hours in and all has appeared to slow down.

I have not opened it, and plan to leave it alone until after 2 weeks. Should I be worried? There still appears to be a slight scum/bubbles on top of my liquid in the mr beer keg.

Any replies are greatly appreciated.

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I would probably take the lid off and rinse it in sanitizer. I'd also wipe the threads off with a sanitized paper towel.

Out of curiosity, what do you mean when you say that you woke the yeast up?

Poured coopers package of yeast into a sanitized glass measuring cup, with 24°C water. Let it sit for 5min and poured into my 26°C fermenter(containing the wort and water already)

I know it's a love culture, I just gave it a kick start so it wasn't totally shocked entering the wort mixture.

Found the above tips from a number of forum posts.

SippinSudz said:

Poured coopers package of yeast into a sanitized glass measuring cup, with 24°C water. Let it sit for 5min and poured into my 26°C fermenter(containing the wort and water already)

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That's called rehydrating. For future reference, that temperature seems a little low for rehydrating. I usually boil 1/4-1/2 cup of water, then let it cool to about 95F (35C). I sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit (covered with some sanitized foil) for 15 minutes or so. I then add a little wort to the yeast slurry, wait a bit and add a little more to bring the temperature of the yeast slurry closer to the wort in the fermenter. I then add it to the fermenter.

I know it's a love culture, I just gave it a kick start so it wasn't totally shocked entering the wort mixture.

Found the above tips from a number of forum posts.

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I assume that's a typo and you don't mean "love culture." Live culture?

I greatly appreciate the tip! Makes much more sense

Who doesn't enjoy love culture?
Yes... Live*** culture.

This is the can as well. Messing around and getting used to the forum app on the phone.

hi there am trying to find out if a light beer recipe calls for rice syrup solids can the same thing be accomplished bu steeping rice like a specialty grain
if
so how much at what temp for how long to equal 1 lb of the extract
thanks again

hello all
ne wguy heer
did a ginger beer that was sos so but have a big brown spice beer bubbling that i have great hope for
am trying to do some thing for all my coors light drinking assoc
it calls for ice solids
my question is if i steep minute rice which ive seen in all grain recipies will that work
if so what temp how much how long to equal 1 lb of solide
thanks

carguy2833 said:

hi there am trying to find out if a light beer recipe calls for rice syrup solids can the same thing be accomplished bu steeping rice like a specialty grain
if
so how much at what temp for how long to equal 1 lb of the extract
thanks again

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That wouldn't be the same at all. The rice syrup solids would be fermentable sugar. You'll only get starch from steeping rice.

carguy2833 said:

hello all
ne wguy heer
did a ginger beer that was sos so but have a big brown spice beer bubbling that i have great hope for
am trying to do some thing for all my coors light drinking assoc
it calls for ice solids
my question is if i steep minute rice which ive seen in all grain recipies will that work
if so what temp how much how long to equal 1 lb of solide
thanks

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Minute rice still needs to be mashed with other grains. Rice (as purchased in grocery stores) does not include any enzymes to convert the starches to fermentable sugars. It appears using minute ride may eliminate the need for as cereal mash (boiling the rice first to release the starches) do it is easier to use for sure.
If you want to do this the easiest way I would just get a pound of minute rice and a pound of base grains (crushed) and "steep" or mini mash at 150F for an hour. Don't worry too much about the temperature fluctuations until you really get into all grain brewing, just try to stay in the 145-155F range. Plug those amounts into any recipe program and find out how much you need to achieve the amount of alcohol boost you are looking for.

On another note, my LHBS sells the simplicity brands Belgian Candi sugars and there is a 0 Lovebond rated one. This would achieve a similar highly fermentable gravity boost to rice syrup. If it's not a pilsner, almost any sugar would work too. Pilsners have delicate flavors and you have to be careful of the flavors different sugars like turbinado and raw/organic may add. Some high profile commercial breweries are using raw or turbinado sugars these days though.

Hello there, I have just got a coopers stout on the go with the standard yeast provided with the kit, its my second brew and my last one wasnt paticularly nice so im giving it a second go. Anyway, I prepared the made the yeast and pitched the wort yesterday evening at about 8pm and upon returning home at about 3pm this afternoon the temperature reading on the stick-on thermometer was approx 24-25 degrees celcius. I have read that temperatures this high can produce esters and potentialy ruin the taste of the beer, i have now wrapped a wet towel round the fermenter and moved it to a slightly cooler room. Could the beer already be damaged? and if so is it too late to save it? also there is some dark splodges (i assume this is where the bubbles have risen too) on the lid of te fermenter and was wondering it tis is a problem. I appreciate any input and/or advice. Thank you in advance. C.

prattlesnake42 said:

Hello there, I have just got a coopers stout on the go with the standard yeast provided with the kit, its my second brew and my last one wasnt paticularly nice so im giving it a second go. Anyway, I prepared the made the yeast and pitched the wort yesterday evening at about 8pm and upon returning home at about 3pm this afternoon the temperature reading on the stick-on thermometer was approx 24-25 degrees celcius. I have read that temperatures this high can produce esters and potentialy ruin the taste of the beer, i have now wrapped a wet towel round the fermenter and moved it to a slightly cooler room. Could the beer already be damaged? and if so is it too late to save it? also there is some dark splodges (i assume this is where the bubbles have risen too) on the lid of te fermenter and was wondering it tis is a problem. I appreciate any input and/or advice. Thank you in advance. C.

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The yeast that ships with the kits is pretty forgiving, so you're probably ok. If you give it more time in the bottle, the conditioning may help reduce off flavors.

The stuff on the sides is from the bubbles that formed during the most active part of fermentation. The layer of bubbles is called krausen and is perfectly normal. It's also normal for some to remain behind when the krausen falls.

If it gets too hot, you can get fusel alcohol. Fusel alcohol has a strong almost solvent like taste. If I remember correctly, fusel alcohol does not condition out. I think the temperatures need to get higher than yours did to produce a significant amount of fusel alcohol.

Ok, thanks very much, that seems like good news and ill make an effort to keep it cooler from now on. Fingers crossed the beer is ok, i really want it to be enjoyable this time! C.

prattlesnake42 said:

Ok, thanks very much, that seems like good news and ill make an effort to keep it cooler from now on. Fingers crossed the beer is ok, i really want it to be enjoyable this time! C.

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Another thing to keep in mind is that a beer like a stout can hide mistakes a bit better than a beer with less flavor. People scorn the big brewers for making really bland beers, but those bland beers are a lot tougher to pull off successfully, since any small mistake becomes glaringly obvious.

Never thought of it like that, very interesting point. That has also helped instill some more confidence in me as the first brew i did (which i mentioned it the first post), was a coopers lager which lacked the rich flavours a stout does and as you said, made the errors very clear. Thanks again.

Well now I want your comments in relation to two Malt beer: Colt 45 and the Steel Reserve 211, relative to both what you prefer and why? thank you

MarcdiMaria said:

Well now I want your comments in relation to two Malt beer: Colt 45 and the Steel Reserve 211, relative to both what you prefer and why? thank you

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Steel Reserve is rich and malty. It's not really hoppy, but it had a deep flavor. Colt 45 is thinner and has kind of a sour tang (in a bad way). Steel Reserve is definitely preferable.

I don't like either of them. In the same class as Budweiser (not worth drinking)


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brewski09 said:

I don't like either of them. In the same class as Budweiser (not worth drinking)


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How much Steel Reserve have you had?

Just bottled a coopers dark ale from my me beer keg and bought a 7gal fermenting bucket, lid, air lock.

Thinking of turning my mr beer keg into a bottling bucket.. Anyone doing this currently?

ericbw said:

How much Steel Reserve have you had?

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It was a long time ago and I don't want to talk about it


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prattlesnake42 said:

Hello there, I have just got a coopers stout on the go with the standard yeast provided with the kit, its my second brew and my last one wasnt paticularly nice so im giving it a second go. Anyway, I prepared the made the yeast and pitched the wort yesterday evening at about 8pm and upon returning home at about 3pm this afternoon the temperature reading on the stick-on thermometer was approx 24-25 degrees celcius. I have read that temperatures this high can produce esters and potentialy ruin the taste of the beer, i have now wrapped a wet towel round the fermenter and moved it to a slightly cooler room. Could the beer already be damaged? and if so is it too late to save it? also there is some dark splodges (i assume this is where the bubbles have risen too) on the lid of te fermenter and was wondering it tis is a problem. I appreciate any input and/or advice. Thank you in advance. C.

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Just cool it down and give it time. It will be OK

So... What is everyone's opinion on the Mr Beer Archer’s Orchard cider/cider-pear blend kits?

How in the world do I know when things are done carbonating? Working on my first to batches, a cider and a Pilsner.


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Give it at least two weeks in the bottle and preferably three.

If you are using the plastic bottles from Mr Beer the bottles will be hard when squeezed.

SippinSudz said:

Just bottled a coopers dark ale from my me beer keg and bought a 7gal fermenting bucket, lid, air lock.

Thinking of turning my mr beer keg into a bottling bucket.. Anyone doing this currently?

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Sorry for the late reply. I have used the LBK as a bottling bucket. If I recall, I still bottle primed. I ran a siphon from the Ale Pail into the LBK. By keeping the siphon submerged at both ends, half of the beer drained into the LBK, as I bottled, the level fell and was replenished from the bigger fermenter. You might also siphon into the LBK half at a time, batch priming. I now just use an autosiphon and bottling wand.

Someone gifted me a Mr. Beer and it was the kick in the butt I needed to finally get started. I did the batches that it came with, they were gross, and I started formulating my own recipes using some of their ingredients and some added/extra stuff. Eventually I switched to 5gal extra, then 5gal extract with full boil, then all-grain. Now I'm happy as a pig in mud and it was all because Mr. Beer got me started!

I'm a noob here and have just started making wine. I am determined to do it well and I have read tons on Jack Kellers Wine Blog and here on HBT and consider that I'm at least starting on the right foot. Then I start reading all you guys/gals talking about home brewing beer and I think I'm catching the home brew bug (SWMBO will love that). I have always been a fan of commercial beer and been satisfied with that until I read about what you guys are making and drinking. You sure make it sound good. My only experience with a craft beer (I guess that is what you would call it) is at a microbrewery in New Orleans. They brew a beer called a Red Stallion and it is my absolute favorite brew so I figure I will love at least some of what you guys are brewing.

I have much to learn before I start and consider HBT is probably the best place to begin. From the little I have read I suppose brewing with extracts is the best way to start (?). So, I need to determine how I will start then what equipment and supplies I will need. There is no LHBS near me (100 miles) so Internet ordering will have to do. Any pointers for this noob would be greatly appreciated because I know next to nothing about brewing beer. I don't even know much of the lingo. But I'm learning.

Is there a kit I can buy to get started and if so is it worth investing in? I am the kind of person who would rather pay a little more and get good equipment that will last as I grow in the hobby, so I would tend to avoid a beginners kit unless it is of good quality.

Is there a particular process that a beginner should start with?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

A co-worker gave me a Mr. Beer kit mid September. I made the batch of beer that came in the kit, West Coast Pale Ale. After bottling, since the LBK was empty, and I had discovered my local Whole Foods had a brew section, I filled it with my own recipe, abrew that used half malt and some apple juice and brown sugar. Also threw in some Cascade hops and a cinnamin stick. At bottling it tasted like beer - no apple flavor but still drinkable.

Another coworker learned of my interest in fermenting and offered me 30 pounds of grapes. Eagerly I accepted and found myself crushing them by hand into my 6 gal bucket fermenter, newly purchased from my LHBS. A little less than a week's worth of "punching down the cap" and then wringing the grape skins out in some cheesecloth, yielded a little less than 2 gallons.

And well, since it is October when the apples around here are good, and since I needed some glass carboys to hold my wine, and since buying empty bottles seems a waste...I bought some local unfiltered apple juice, and now have 4.5 gal apfelwein fermeting away in a 5 gal plastic carboy.

I am now looking at my fermenting bucket that I just emptied of wine wondering what to brew next.

Cheers,
:cross:

Winepharm said:

I'm a noob here and have just started making wine. I am determined to do it well and I have read tons on Jack Kellers Wine Blog and here on HBT and consider that I'm at least starting on the right foot. Then I start reading all you guys/gals talking about home brewing beer and I think I'm catching the home brew bug (SWMBO will love that). I have always been a fan of commercial beer and been satisfied with that until I read about what you guys are making and drinking. You sure make it sound good. My only experience with a craft beer (I guess that is what you would call it) is at a microbrewery in New Orleans. They brew a beer called a Red Stallion and it is my absolute favorite brew so I figure I will love at least some of what you guys are brewing.

I have much to learn before I start and consider HBT is probably the best place to begin. From the little I have read I suppose brewing with extracts is the best way to start (?). So, I need to determine how I will start then what equipment and supplies I will need. There is no LHBS near me (100 miles) so Internet ordering will have to do. Any pointers for this noob would be greatly appreciated because I know next to nothing about brewing beer. I don't even know much of the lingo. But I'm learning.

Is there a kit I can buy to get started and if so is it worth investing in? I am the kind of person who would rather pay a little more and get good equipment that will last as I grow in the hobby, so I would tend to avoid a beginners kit unless it is of good quality.

Is there a particular process that a beginner should start with?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

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Eventually you can brew a clone of the red stallion, but that's a more advanced skill. Most online retailers have a 5 gallon brewing kit for around $80 that is a great starter. I'd go for that. You can customize from there with whatever you feel you need once you get a handle on the processes. As for a "guide" I like papazians the complete joy of Homebrewing. Zainasheff's book, brewing classic styles, is also a great recipe book and you should be able to find a red ale recipe similar to the one you like in there (and it will be an award winning beer at that). I also have a subscription to brew your own magazine. I still read interesting things in there. Hope this helps a bit. Oh, if someone says you have to do something or to never do something, ignore it. There is always an alternative method and you will need to determine what you are comfortable with and what school of thought you fall into (such as always secondary, never secondary, or secondary when it makes sense).





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brewski09 said:

Eventually you can brew a clone of the red stallion, but that's a more advanced skill. Most online retailers have a 5 gallon brewing kit for around $80 that is a great starter. I'd go for that. You can customize from there with whatever you feel you need once you get a handle on the processes. As for a "guide" I like papazians the complete joy of Homebrewing. Zainasheff's book, brewing classic styles, is also a great recipe book and you should be able to find a red ale recipe similar to the one you like in there (and it will be an award winning beer at that). I also have a subscription to brew your own magazine. I still read interesting things in there. Hope this helps a bit. Oh, if someone says you have to do something or to never do something, ignore it. There is always an alternative method and you will need to determine what you are comfortable with and what school of thought you fall into (such as always secondary, never secondary, or secondary when it makes sense).





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Thanks brewski09. I think I'll start with a kit and work up from that as I progress but for now I guess I need to do some reading on home brewing. It will be great if I can get to the level that I can brew a red stallion and brew it well.

That sounds kinda similar to one of my favorites I've been working on for 3 years (since I found out the place closed). Sac brewing red horse ale. I loved it and have come close to the beer with my attempts now. There is a recipe on BrewToad called "red horse ale"


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When I get proficient at brewing I will give the red horse ale a try. Currently I have two wines going, one in primary and one in secondary and gotta try to find the time to order a beer kit. I spent all afternoon getting my skeeter pee into my primary.

So I've been reading through this thread from the beginning and I am at about page 40. Is it worth it to start that far back or am I being silly? Does anything written in 2008 on this thread still apply?


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