Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

Schlenkerla said:

You can use the yeast that comes with the kit. I've only had one not work, I think, either it was slow to start.

I still use Mr Beer and make good beer with their products. My advice with these kits;

• Buy extra dry yeast like nottinghams keep 2-3 extract packs just in case you get a bad pack.
  
• Buy a 3 gallon PET water bottle from Lowes/Home Depot or the grocery store and orange carboy cap w/ a S-Style airlock.
  
• Buy an Auto-syphon for easy syphoning (3/8") w/ some hose too.
  
• Buy a 5 gal pail for mixing up sanitzer.
  
• Use the keg only for bottling. Rack finished beer to it get it off the sediment.
  

Extra yeast is good to have on hand. The 3 gal PET bottle w/ a cap & airlock will tell you a lot. The yeast is working or its almost done or just done.

Oops time for lunch...gotta go... This stuff will make it easier for you.

Click to expand...

AWESOME! thanks for the input, I was thinking about keeping the Mr.Beer kegs around even after I upgrade my kits, esp since it will def come in handy when bottling.

Ok my first brew which is a mr beer brew just came due last night, i had a glass and it tasted like beer but im not sure whether its alchoholic or not and wasn't about to find out at 3 in the morning. Can it taste like decent beer without being alcoholic? Any way to tell other then drinking 3 glasses? Ill guess ill get started on a pint while i wait for a reply.

Edit: pretty sure i can taste some alcohol

If you followed the directions it has alcohol. You can measure the alcohol but you need a hydrometer or a refractometer. Both require two measurement before and after fermentation.

If you made a beer w/ two cans of malt @ 2.3% each its 4.6%ABV

If you made a beer w/ one can and the booster is 2.3 +1.5 = 3.8% ABV

You manual tells you how to estimate the ABV based on what ingredients you used.

I read the recipe for the Apfelwein, but it was more specified for the large carboy, does anyone have an idea of the required amounts (recipe wise) for the Mr.Beer?

BraeHaus said:

I read the recipe for the Apfelwein, but it was more specified for the large carboy, does anyone have an idea of the required amounts (recipe wise) for the Mr.Beer?

Click to expand...

The carboy is 5 gallons, and Mr. Beer can fit 2.5, IIRC. Just halve the recipe.

PseudoChef said:

The carboy is 5 gallons, and Mr. Beer can fit 2.5, IIRC. Just halve the recipe.

Click to expand...

i thought about that, but just wanted to make sure.

Sometimes, late at night when I'm sure the family is asleep, I'll close the blinds and take out my Mr. Beer set.....

It really is a cheap way to get into the hobby. You don't even need to buy extract refills from Mr. Beer. You can get cans of malted extract at any LHBS or online. You can even work with DME and the hops of your choice. Eventually, you'll get tired of only having 2.5 gallons of beer for the same time investment it takes to make 5 gallons, and you'll expand your setup.

Cool part is that Mr. Beer is a low cost way to decide if you like brewing.

Welcome to our world!

I sort of went backwards. I started brewing 15 years ago with a full out 5 gallon setup. Lost interest for a while then picked up again in college but the house I lived in was like the city dump (4 college stoners and drunks living under one roof) My beer was always spoiled so i stopped for a while.

Living in apartments since then, I really had no room for the 5 gallon setup so I picked up a mr beer kit. I've been using it for 3 years now and like it. I'm drinking a mr beer all malt nut brown ale right now.

sudsmonkey said:

Sometimes, late at night when I'm sure the family is asleep, I'll close the blinds and take out my Mr. Beer set.....

It really is a cheap way to get into the hobby. You don't even need to buy extract refills from Mr. Beer. You can get cans of malted extract at any LHBS or online. You can even work with DME and the hops of your choice. Eventually, you'll get tired of only having 2.5 gallons of beer for the same time investment it takes to make 5 gallons, and you'll expand your setup.

Cool part is that Mr. Beer is a low cost way to decide if you like brewing.

Welcome to our world!

Click to expand...

And like many have pointed out, the fermentor it comes with is perfect for making wife-juice. I should be bottling my ginger-hard lemonade today.

Mine also came with PET bottles which are convenient for yeast harvesting.

I'm wondering where Ms Beer is! Has anyone seen her? I mean sure I've seen some Bud girls in my day but never any Ms Beer Girls! It's a conspiracy I tell ya, a conspiracy! I may have to write the Nat. Orig. of Women and see if they want to get involved in revealing who's behind this coverup!!!!!

Yes for the record seeing a Mr Beer kit on the shelf of a local thrift store peaked my intrest in homebrewing... before that all I knew about homebrewing was that the Sheriff came to my great grandad's house during prohibition looking for his homebrew.... Never found it! Ole man Cooley Rocks!!!!!!:rockin: :rockin: :rockin: And by the way, he had it hid in quart jars in the walls of the house!!!

The ratio of Mr Beer Questions to Mr Beer Answers is
1:1 (Good Job BM)
The ratio of Vets talking about Mr Beer to Mr Beer Questions answered is
55:1

Just an obsevation.

MVKTR2 said:

I'm wondering where Ms Beer is! Has anyone seen her?

Click to expand...

Kinda reminds me of a walk around a gun shop the other day. See the gun industry figured that the average gun just dont appeal to women. Just not femenine enough. So what did they do. Made a gun with a pink grip! No I'm serious man... nice femenine pink grip! Looks like we need a few Mr. Beers with a color change perhaps :cross:

I'm another new Mr Beer Owner.... No questions yet.. just poking around.

(I managed to wait until 8 PM Christmas night to brew up my first batch. - It was bubbling away by the time I left for work at 6 AM)

I will say that I couldn't wait to start tinkering, so even this first batch is going to be customized. I rehydrated the yeast for 5 minutes in warmish tap water, and I added a cup of honey to the West Coast Pale Ale in the kit (3.6% didn't seem worth the effort)

Beer Snob said:

Kinda reminds me of a walk around a gun shop the other day. See the gun industry figured that the average gun just dont appeal to women. Just not femenine enough. So what did they do. Made a gun with a pink grip! No I'm serious man... nice femenine pink grip! Looks like we need a few Mr. Beers with a color change perhaps :cross:

Click to expand...

I seen that damn gun or maybe 1 like it at gander MT it was a damn 22 LR with a hot pink nickel barrel and pink friggin grips!Happy Hunting with that damn Lantern!

Welcome to the hobby, and you're in the right place.

I got the Mr Beer kit just after Thanksgiving, and actually added honey to the pale ale too. It turned out nicely.

Now, the caveat: You _will_ get hooked. *grins* Start reading, you'll love it.

Ok -
Heres my first question....

How little (or much) krausen or foam should I be seeing floating in my Mr. Beer fermenter?

As reported above, I've had good regular bubbles flowing up the sides of the fermenter for over a day now. When I first checked the fermenter at about the 9 hour mark, I had a complete thin layer of foam. After returning from work yesterday I have only had some small islands of foam, and a skinny ring of thin foam around the edges of the fermenter.

My self explanation is that the Mr. Beer fermenter when filled to the 8.5 quart mark has ALOT of surface area compared to total volume, when you compare that to the ratio on more standard fermenters (buckets and carboys), that could easily explain why I am not seeing a full layer of foam.

Then I was looking around and saw pictures of 'inches of foam' and words like 'days' associated with blow off of too much krausen.

Then I think to myself.... I'm just using extract + honey. There's alot less crude with extracts and the like so it's just a cleaner fermentation.

Again, it's happily bubbling away, and I did stir vigorously to aerate the wort after pouring it into the fermenter. I would have zero concerns at this point if I hadn't seen such 'healthy' pictures of fermenters with foam 1-3 inches thick.

I figure worst case it will need longer in the fermenter to finish up if I am experiencing a 'slow' conversion.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

kevin, actually you'll be fine if it was fermenting 10hrs after pitching it could possibly be done already. those pictures you've seen are probaly double your amount of wort and up to twice your amount of fermentables. relax don't worry have a homebrew

erik

p.s. even if the airlock is done bubbling let it sit for a couple more days

Erik is right on the money. It's amazing how different beers behave SO differently. I've had ones that finished primary in 36 hours. And one went slowly for three days, then blew the airlock off and foamed everywhere for 12 hours. only a hydrometer really knows for sure what's happening. If you don't have one, just give it tons and tons of extra time.

on Christmas I received a Mr. Beer Premium kit with the 2.5L mini keg, PET bottles and ingredients (pale ale extract, yeast, and booster) for one batch. the next morning, I pitched at about 11 15, and tonight I just checked it, bubbling away. I have been interested in beer since I was in college (go figure), but I was never one for bud light, coors light, or anything like that. I have been trying new and exciting craft/micro brews since I turned 21 this past april, and have now been bit with the bug of crafting my own deliciousness, I can't wait till the bottling in a week or so, and then trying some of my own stuff the week after!

RICLARK said:

I seen that damn gun or maybe 1 like it at gander MT it was a damn 22 LR with a hot pink nickel barrel and pink friggin grips!Happy Hunting with that damn Lantern!

Click to expand...

HAHAHAHAHA Yup. Same gun. Same store.

GloHoppa said:

on Christmas I received a Mr. Beer Premium kit with the 2.5L mini keg, PET bottles and ingredients (pale ale extract, yeast, and booster) for one batch. the next morning, I pitched at about 11 15, and tonight I just checked it, bubbling away. I have been interested in beer since I was in college (go figure), but I was never one for bud light, coors light, or anything like that. I have been trying new and exciting craft/micro brews since I turned 21 this past april, and have now been bit with the bug of crafting my own deliciousness, I can't wait till the bottling in a week or so, and then trying some of my own stuff the week after!

Click to expand...

Do yourself a REALLY big favor and forget about the unrealistic times the Mr Beer directions give you. Double them and now we're talking (and in my opinion, even that is the bare minimum). As your taste for homebrews develope you'll find that beers are best when you let them take their sweet time. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect you to leave this one sit for a month or two; I drank my first brew (it was 5 gallons) long before it matured. We all did that with the first one. Just keep in the back of your mind that the longer you hold out, the better the result will be. Welcome to the obsession!!!

Kevin: Don't expect that much foam in the Mr Beer. I didn't get a lot in the way of bubbling either with the first batch. The cider kit had more than the pale ale did, but I think there was more fermentable matter in it.

Just to add my $0.02

I also received the Mr.Beer kit as an early xmas present and brewed my beer the very next day, my Mr.Beer is sitting in a nice dry and dark place for almost 2 weeks now, I sampled the mixture on the 7th day of "fermenting" and noted the sweet and beer-like aroma... it tasted like beer, but I decided to let it hang out some more...

I was debating bottling half of what was in the keg and then letting the rest sit for another 7 days, but then decided to give the beer a good 14 day sitting before I bottle it and before it sits in the fridge for a few days after bottling....

Welcome to the world of homebrew, being very new to it myself I'm enjoying this process (altho it requires much patience I'm trying to let my beer sit for as long as I think it needs to).

Good morning, all!

I received a Mr Beer kit for Christmas this year. My wife has been listening to me talk for many years about wanting to start brewing my own beer, but this was a pleasant surprise anyway! By Christmas dinner I had a batch of Canadian High Country Draft in primary. So far I'm getting a ring of foam around the edges of the fermenter, and a few islands of foam floating in the center. There appears to be a lot of sediment at the bottom of the fermenter. I'm keeping a dish towel over the keg to keep the light out, but it is porous enough to allow the fermenter to breathe.

So far I'm not worried about how things are brewing. I've got realistic expectations for my very first batch. I figure if it tastes sorta like beer and if I can get a buzz of a few of 'em then it will have been a success! I've got a lifetime of fun to refine my techniques and tastes; for now I'm just getting started. Mr Beer may be like training wheels on a bike, but if it teaches me the basics, it's cool.

Happy brewing!

wait...

if the Mr.Beer suggests that you let it sit for 7-14 days, do you think letting it sit for 28 days may be worth the time?

I keep reading people suggesting letting the brew sit longer will make it better... I know this is the Mr.Beer kit we are talking about and perhaps the quality of the beer produced in this keg varies from an actual 5gal setup, but i'd be interested to know if letting it sit longer will yield a much better brew...

It's usually well done after 7 days but at a cooler temp it might have to sit longer. My last batch was an old can of red ale I had sitting around and I waited a good 13 days before bottling. I beefed it up with hops and used a different kind of yeast because the yeast under the cap was old.

When your not sure it's always good to leave it in for a few more days. A couple things to looks for is when the bottom of the keg is full of yeast sediment and the keg lights up to a flash light it's done.

I highly reccomend after bottling let them sit for a week outside the fridge then wait 2 more weeks before drinking. The taste difference of drinking it a week later to 2 weeks more is huge.

Also, the PET bottles aren't bad but get a six pack of 12oz bottles and bottle some into that. It's much better when you can taste one small beer after priming then have to crack open a 1 liter bottle.

I have been using and experimenting with mr beer for a while now and I sort of mastered it, got bored, and just upgraded back to the 5 gallon kit. I'll still make mrbeer to keep my beer dispenser full in the fridge and let the good stuff age. I'm happy to answer any mr beer related questions along the way as well.

Happy brewing!

yezzo said:

When your not sure it's always good to leave it in for a few more days. A couple things to looks for is when the bottom of the keg is full of yeast sediment and the keg lights up to a flash light it's done.

I highly reccomend after bottling let them sit for a week outside the fridge then wait 2 more weeks before drinking. The taste difference of drinking it a week later to 2 weeks more is huge.

Also, the PET bottles aren't bad but get a six pack of 12oz bottles and bottle some into that. It's much better when you can taste one small beer after priming then have to crack open a 1 liter bottle.

Click to expand...

well...

1. I noticed that my keg has a lot of sediment on the bottom and when I peak in on it, the flash light permeates the mr.beer pretty decently and you can tell the mixture is pretty much cleared up... so I guess a few more days in the Mr.Beer won't hurt...

2. I probably will bottle them tomorrow and then let the sit for a week outside of the fridge, thanks for the suggestion, i'm def going to take your advice and let them sit outside for a week and then bottle condition in the fridge for 2 weeks....

3. I didn't think of that, good idea, and it makes sense, i'd rather sample a bottle of a few oz. then an entire liter right off the bat.

thanks man!

BraeHaus said:

well...

1. I noticed that my keg has a lot of sediment on the bottom and when I peak in on it, the flash light permeates the mr.beer pretty decently and you can tell the mixture is pretty much cleared up... so I guess a few more days in the Mr.Beer won't hurt...

2. I probably will bottle them tomorrow and then let the sit for a week outside of the fridge, thanks for the suggestion, i'm def going to take your advice and let them sit outside for a week and then bottle condition in the fridge for 2 weeks....

3. I didn't think of that, good idea, and it makes sense, i'd rather sample a bottle of a few oz. then an entire liter right off the bat.

thanks man!

Click to expand...

No problem , and yeah a few days never hurts. Looking forward to the result, good luck.

shafferpilot said:

Do yourself a REALLY big favor and forget about the unrealistic times the Mr Beer directions give you. Double them and now we're talking (and in my opinion, even that is the bare minimum). As your taste for homebrews develope you'll find that beers are best when you let them take their sweet time. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect you to leave this one sit for a month or two; I drank my first brew (it was 5 gallons) long before it matured. We all did that with the first one. Just keep in the back of your mind that the longer you hold out, the better the result will be. Welcome to the obsession!!!

Click to expand...

well i figure what i'll do is see about 8 days later (a week from yesterday) if the majority of fermentation has finished, then ill move to bottle condition (im thinking ale temp for a while) and wait until I go back to school (1/14) to try em or at least move em to the fridge.

whatcha think

Like many others I started with MR. Beer, its a good introduction to home brewing or should I say it whets your appetite. My wife just gave me a MR. Pickle for Christmas --- can't wait till I graduate to 5 gallon batches.

I just got my Mr. Beer kit and have started making my first brew with it. As much as i think its a great starter kit i would love to get a real setup. I have my garage that i can set something up with. I am thinking of starting to get together what i would need to do some much larger batches, and much more in debth. I dont know where i should start to upgrade and take the next step. My favorite beer is yuengling but i cant get it in my area, so i would like to make a clone of it. Im not sure where to go with brewing, i know i will really enjoy it because i love to try new beers. I just dont want to get over my head. There is so much info on this site alone that its kinda overwhelming on even where to go from such a basic kit like the Mr. Beer. Anyone that was in this position that has moved forward that can give me a little direction on where i should head twords so i can start buying my new equiptment.

Thanks in advance
Kyle

HT_Installer said:

I just got my Mr. Beer kit and have started making my first brew with it. As much as i think its a great starter kit i would love to get a real setup. I have my garage that i can set something up with. I am thinking of starting to get together what i would need to do some much larger batches, and much more in debth. I dont know where i should start to upgrade and take the next step. My favorite beer is yuengling but i cant get it in my area, so i would like to make a clone of it. Im not sure where to go with brewing, i know i will really enjoy it because i love to try new beers. I just dont want to get over my head. There is so much info on this site alone that its kinda overwhelming on even where to go from such a basic kit like the Mr. Beer. Anyone that was in this position that has moved forward that can give me a little direction on where i should head twords so i can start buying my new equiptment.

Thanks in advance
Kyle

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.

If you want a good understanding of the process, there are several books you can purchase, or you can read How to Brew free online.

A basic starter kit can be found from one of the major online suppliers or at your LHBS (Local Homebrew Supply), if you have one available.

Northern Brewer

Austin Homebrew Supply

More Beer

I'd also recommend getting a large aluminum or stainless steel brewpot. (8-10 gal). You could use a smaller one and do partial boils, but if you get addicted, you'll want a big pot eventually.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

OK, I'm a lazy sack of crap right now and I refuse to read through the posts in this thread, so hopefully this wasn't mentioned already...

My local CVS has a bunch of Mr. Beer kits that are marked down right now. They had been in stock in the, "I don't have a f___ing clue what to buy for a certain someone this Christmas" aisle, and by the looks of it, only a couple of them sold. My slothful nature was not conducive to stopping and looking to see what the price tag actually said, but I recall it was an ORANGE price tag, which usually means 50% off or better. YMMV. They were right next to those chocolate fountains that make me sick to my stomach.

So if anyone wants to make some mediocre beer, knock yourself out. But they usually turn the clearance items over pretty quickly so you better jump on it.

Thanks im going to read that tonight. It looks real good because i have been looking for something like that so i can use the clone i found for the yuengling but i dont understand any of it at this point. My goal is within a few months have enough info so that i can make this with success.

Beer's Name: Cumberland Brews\' Yuengling Clone Style: Ale (American Premium Lager)
Original Gravity: 1.116
Final Gravity: 1.029
Alcohol content: 11.47%
Calories (per 12 oz.): 390
Total IBU (Bitterness): 52
SRM (color): 30



Ingredients: (portions for a 5 gal. batch)
0.66 lbs. Dextrine malt (cara-pils) All grain
0.66 lbs. Dextrine malt (cara-pils) All grain
0.33 lbs. American crystal 10L All grain
0.33 lbs. American crystal 10L All grain
3.5 lbs. Amber Malt syrup
3.5 lbs. Amber Malt syrup
3 lbs. DME (Amber)
3 lbs. DME (Amber)
1 oz. Cascade (pellet% AA) Boil time 60 min.
1 oz. Cascade (pellet% AA) Boil time 60 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade (pellet% AA) Boil time 30 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade (pellet% AA) Boil time 30 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade (pellet% AA) Boil time 5 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade (pellet% AA) Boil time 5 min.
1 oz Irish Moss
1 oz Irish Moss
0.42 oz. Edme Ale Yeast Yeast (Ideal ferm. temp: 65-75°F)
0.42 oz. Edme Ale Yeast Yeast (Ideal ferm. temp: 65-75°F)
Directions:
Steep grains to 170-180 degrees F. Swish well & remove bag, allow to drain, DO NOT SQUEEZE BAG! Bring wort to boil and add extracts as normal. Boil time is 1 hour. Add hops as shown. Add Irish moss last 15 minutes of Boil.

Although this recipes is utilized to be fermented as an ale, it is called a \"Lager\" clone since it tastes darn near like Yuengling.

Keep in mind-
I don\'t know what is up with this recipe generator but CARA PILS should be grains.
The yeast should be 1 pack of SUPERIOR. I forget the weight of the yeast, but it is one pack.

Color should be closer to 9.08 °SRM (it\'s not nearly as dark as shown on this page)

here is a link if what i posted doesnt make sence.
http://www.homebrewhome.com/recipe.php?view_recipe=1&recipe=139&view=1

After some more digging i found what i was looking for....

http://homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=48466

Well the West Coast Pale Ale has been sitting/fermenting in the keg for the last 14 days, I just bottled them and they are going to sit outside of the fridge for a week, then in the fridge for a good 14 days...

I'm super anxious to sample it, but i'd rather reserve myself and wait until they are ready...

So in order to make my time useful, I bought 2 gal of 100% apple juice tonight, some brown sugar and some yeast and we're going to brew up some apfelwien!!

WOOT!

I'll keep you all up to date.

im so stoked there is a yuengling recipe! i have had the joy to try it while in philly and DC, and would love to be able to drink it since they dont sell anywhere north of NY.

1) 10 or 14 days before bottling?
2) glass bottles or will plastic bottles still taste ok?
3) what is the current ABV % for each bottle i pour?
4) how can i increase the ABV% if its not enough?

right now, i'm brewing west coast pale ale (favorite beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale).

1. the instructions say a week, I suggest two at least.
2. I used plastic bottles for my Mr Beer batches. I'm a newbie and I was scared of bottle bombs. You want to pour it into a glass before drinking, but the plastic seems fine so far.
3. I don't remember for sure...check the instructions, I think it may tell you.
4. Not enough for what?

Silviakitty said:

4. Not enough for what?

Click to expand...

Not enough to getcha drunk!!


Seriously though, as silvia said, if you follow the directions from the Mr. Beer kit you should have 3.7% ABV if brewing a WC Pale Ale with booster. If you doubled with two cans of extract in place of the booster it would go up to about 4.6%. I have mine WCPA brewing right now with the extract and booster, and I figure I'll tweak a recipe with some different sugars/fermentables or whatnot after I see how this batch comes out.

Good Luck!

My wife got me the Mr Beer kit for Christmas this year with "High Country Canadian Ale" included with it. I cooked up my first batch today and have it fermenting now. I don't think I have ever tried a beer similar to this, so I am curious to see how it turns out. What beer would be in this category? My favorites are red ales and stouts, so I ordered some refills from those categories. If everything goes well, I hope to upgrade to a better kit soon.