Thanks for the info!

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ebruenin

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Location
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I have been considering making a home brew for my monthly home Poker tournaments. The information I have found on this site has been priceless and I thank you all.

I have decided to start small and start with the Mr. Beer product. I only plan on brewing about a case of beer a month, so I purchased 2 kegs and enough bottles to cover 2 batches for rotation.

I have also ordered some UME and hops to play with recipes. Any suggestions would be helpful and any 'Oh Crap' warnings regarding the Mr. Beer recipes.

:mug:
 
When you figure out that Mr. Beer was not the way to go but you ended up winning a big pot let us know so we can direct you to the proper way to brew much cheaper.
 
Exo said:
When you figure out that Mr. Beer was not the way to go but you ended up winning a big pot let us know so we can direct you to the proper way to brew much cheaper.
Click to expand...

Wow. I didn't expect to get flamed on my first post. I guess I didn't get my point across. I'm only buying the Mr.Beer system to get the 2 gallon keg(s) and base brew packs. I always plan on using additional malts and hops to increase flavor. As stated I only plan on 1 batch per month.

I simply was wondering if anyone had any suggestions, seeing that alot of people start with this system.

:drunk:
 
I don't think you got flammed, it's just that Mr. Beer is not only expensive, it's not a good system (and the folks on this board are pretty serious brewing hobbiests).

If you want the right equipment, buy a starter set, such as those made by True Brew or offered by a brewing vendor or lhbs. For example, I got a 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket, a 6.5 gallon bottling bucket, siphon and bottling equipment, 20 qt. brew pot, hydrometer, and thermometer as well as ingredients for under $100. Eventually I plan on getting a carboy for secondary fermentation, but I wanted to see how the process actually works first.

As a total novice (and someone who used a Mr. Beer in college), I can tell you brewing with "real" equipment was actually easier than using Mr. Beer and will result in a better tasting beer than the brew packs. Save yourself the trouble of buying things twice and skip the Mr. Beer.
 
Actually, you did get flamed. Don't let that sour your opinion of a fantastic brewing community. That sort of thing is frowned upon and not tolerated around here.
Exo, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Why would you discourage someone from such a great hobby and a great board at the same time? Don't be a d!ck.
Mr. Beer can be a good way to start, but if you hang around here much you'll soon learn that you will outgrow it quickly. You can make much better beer much cheaper. But the important thing to remember is that you are making beer!

Welcome to a great hobby, and welcome to the board!
 
Brewing beer is great fun and very rewarding, ebruenin. I say that as a comjplete newbie with brew #1 in primary fermentation. It doesn't really matter what system or gear you start with as long as you enjoy what you're doing.
 
ebruenin, I'd like to chime in here too . This is a great community of folks here sharing a common interest. They really do strive to make people feel welcome. So don't let this first post get ya down.

There are times when people don't type what they really mean and I hope that's what happened with Exo's comments.

This is such a fun hobby and more fun to share with others .

Welcome aboard Man.
 
psychocat.jpg

Rweoor fffffttt fffftttt

OK, now that we've got the nasties out of the way let's give him some tips as he requested.

1. To start out with, brew styles that you know and like. It makes it easier to detect discrepancies in your brew if you already have an idea of how they should taste. Later you can brew beers for your buddies that like things you don't.

2. Your first batch will not be as good as you think it should be. You may even think, "all of that work for this crap?" Don't let it discourage you. Come here, ask questions/advice and learn from that batch. Don't get me wrong, your first batch will be drinkable, you'll just think that you could have bought beer for the same price that was just as good. Your second batch is guaranteed to be better if you take the time to learn.

3. SANITIZE SANITIZE SANITIZE. You don't have to be ultra-crazy about this, but if you think that wiping a spoon with a paper towel makes it clean you need to do a little reading.

4. RELAX. It's normal to worry about the first batch at every step, but keep in mind that beer is extremely forgiving. Remember, people were making beer long before glass carboys, airlocks, starsan, and hydrometers.

5. Most of all, HAVE FUN and don't be afraid to ask questions.
 
Good points g-frog.

We also forgot to tell you to go here www.howtobrew.com

This will teach you the mechanics of brewing from the basics all the way up.

Which pill is it going to be Neo? You are on the threshold of the end of life as you know it!
 
The Mr. Beer can make decent beer, and IMHO it's a fine way to start out. Once you're ready to try something new you can try other kinds.

You can also use the Mr. Beer to ferment non-Mr. Beer ingredients. It only does 2 gallon batches or so, so you'd have to cut the ingredients in half. I think you'll be much happier with other recipes instead - they're cheaper and better quality. I started out on a Mr. Beer, and it worked fine, but if you're like me eventually you'll want to move up.

Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, and when you're ready to formulate your own recipe let us know and we'll help you. That's where it gets really fun. Next thing you know you'll be brewing all grain with a fully automated HERMS. :)
 
A two gallon batch isn't going to go far at a poker tourney unless it's a one-beer crowd. You'll probably end up wishing you would have bought a better set up eventually, but live and learn. Heck, I've only got a few batches under my belt and there are already things I wish I would have done differently. The good thing is, you'll probably be able to sell off old stuff when you're ready to move up.

Have fun - it's a REALLY addictive hobby.
 
gruntingfrog said:
psychocat.jpg

Rweoor fffffttt fffftttt

OK, now that we've got the nasties out of the way let's give him some tips as he requested.

1. To start out with, brew styles that you know and like. It makes it easier to detect discrepancies in your brew if you already have an idea of how they should taste. Later you can brew beers for your buddies that like things you don't.

2. Your first batch will not be as good as you think it should be. You may even think, "all of that work for this crap?" Don't let it discourage you. Come here, ask questions/advice and learn from that batch. Don't get me wrong, your first batch will be drinkable, you'll just think that you could have bought beer for the same price that was just as good. Your second batch is guaranteed to be better if you take the time to learn.

3. SANITIZE SANITIZE SANITIZE. You don't have to be ultra-crazy about this, but if you think that wiping a spoon with a paper towel makes it clean you need to do a little reading.

4. RELAX. It's normal to worry about the first batch at every step, but keep in mind that beer is extremely forgiving. Remember, people were making beer long before glass carboys, airlocks, starsan, and hydrometers.

5. Most of all, HAVE FUN and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the positive responses, after reading posts for a few days this is what I expected when I joined. I'm sure that I will get a new system sooner than later, just getting my feet (mouth) wet.

:mug:
 
Also, Keep Good Notes: times, temps, gravity readings, ingredients, tasting notes after one week, two, four, etc, etc.
This will help you greatly when posting here for info/advice. It will also help you to
modify your brew for the next batch by keeping what you like, and altering what you don't. I stll have notes/recipes scribbled in he back of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing from the early 90's.

I am sure that after you tast the first brew you made, you'll be very happy with the results.

Cheers.
 
Going along with keeping good notes - I would really recommend buying ProMash. I think it's the most useful piece of brewing equipment I have. It's a program used to formulate recipes, and it will also track your brewing sessions, so I keep all my notes in there.
 
alemonkey said:
Going along with keeping good notes - I would really recommend buying ProMash.
Click to expand...

LOL - are you honestly suggesting using ProMash with Mr. Beer or did you miss the beginning of the thread??
 
I guess I meant going forward. It's definitely not needed now, but once he starts making his own recipes it's a good idea.
 

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