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Exactly what I was going for. My first, off the cuff recipe in the beer so it doesn't really matter too much. If I end up with anything the SWMBO likes at all, then it's a win for me. If I actually like it, then that's a bonus.

So, no booster then, some pilsner LME, crystal 20 or wheat malt, and Amarillo hops? I think an oz of hops oughtta do it, right? Is 2 pounds about right on the LME? How bout the grains?

Amarillo hops are really good for aroma in an IPA. If you want to make something SWMBO will like, go for the orange peel and wheat malt. If you want to make something like a hybrid IPA, go for the pilsner malt and amarillo aroma hops.

Rule of thumb: 1 lb. fermentables per gallon ~ 5% ABV. So, 2 lbs. + MrB is going to be a bit strong, but still alright. Add some extra hops to offset the sweetness of the malt, unless you buy more pre-hopped extract like MrB uses.

2nd Rule of thumb: grain often gives 60-70% the sugars of the equivalent weight of malt extract. Some people optimize their systems to get more, but 60% is a good guesstimate, so 1.7 lbs roughly equals 1 lb.

3rd Rule of thumb: steeped grains should not exceed 6 oz. per gallon, but as little as 2 oz. per gallon is pretty good. This isn't a hard-and-fast rule, but just a little something I tend to follow when making up recipes.

4th Rule of thumb: don't stick your thumb in the beer. No, really. They used to do that to check the temperature of the mash. They really, really did. :D
 
Haha. I like the 'will probably be drinkable' response. What is the biggest difference between a Mr. Beer kit and other kits?
As said, Mr Beer includes hops already in their liquid malt extract. It's really designed to be as simple as humanly possible. Provided your sanitation is solid, there's very little you can do to mess it up.

They include a West Coast Pale Ale kit with their starter sets. It's pretty much their cheapest refill kit and doesn't included as much malt or hops as their other refill kits. It's just a cheap kit to start you off with. My batch was about equal to any of your common commercial products, like Miller or Bud. Their premium two-can kits are tasty.

Check out the premium and deluxe starter sets on Amazon. They're pretty cheap on there. Get the one that already includes the plastic bottles. Think it's like $25 shipped. Stick with Mr Beer for awhile. Maybe 3-4 batches minimum. Then upgrade if you feel the need. Honestly, I see no reason for myself. You can steep grain and add additional hops if you'd like with Mr Beer. And my drinking doesn't keep up with 5 gallons of brewing.
 
In addition to the premium and deluxe MrB kits, there are the brew master recipes where they use MrB items and other ingredients found at the grocery store. I have a few of those lined up ready to brew once the fermenter opens up. I'm excited to try the triple and the cranberry maibock.
 
Yes the Mr. Beer kits are perfect to experiment with. If you find a recipe that you like, do it in a 5-6gal.

On the subject of kegging and force carb: I've heard it is actually cheaper to get 5-6gal kegs than 2-3gal because soda companies 99% of the time use 5-6gal kegs so they are always easier to find. So get like the 6gal bucket kits like from Northern Brew. Then purchase the 5gal keg and CO2 tank to force carb.
 
Stokes_ said:
Question:

Would it be better for me to start out with Mr. Beer, or just go ahead and get a more advanced kit?

I started with the Mr. Beer kit as a gift two years ago and ended up getting another fermentor I started doing five gallon kits split between the two fermentors since then I have gotten a bottling bucket, and three five gallon buckets for five gallon kits/recipes.

I still use the Mr. Beer fermentors for their seasonal refills nice easy quick a d very tasty for a simple kit. Plus I am getting ready to do my first all grain batch using the Mr. Beer fermentor a 2.5 gallon BIAB recipe single infusion with a sparge .

Very useful fermentor for smaller batches
 
Yes the Mr. Beer kits are perfect to experiment with. If you find a recipe that you like, do it in a 5-6gal.

On the subject of kegging and force carb: I've heard it is actually cheaper to get 5-6gal kegs than 2-3gal because soda companies 99% of the time use 5-6gal kegs so they are always easier to find. So get like the 6gal bucket kits like from Northern Brew. Then purchase the 5gal keg and CO2 tank to force carb.

You can force carb smaller amounts of beer in a larger keg. CO2 fills the headspace, so no worries. :tank:

I've been very disappointed with my kegged beers. My bottled beers have always been better. YMMV.
 
Hey what are some ways I can keep trub out of my bottles?

1)Cold crash 2 days before bottling
2)Whirlfloc Tablets during make-up
3)Irish Moss during make-up
4)Unflavored gelatin?

Any others? Just checked on my bottled Witty Monk. It has about a week left of warm conditioning and already has nearly a 1/2" of trub at the bottom of each bottle. And I could see it floating around due to me picking up the bottle to view it.
 
Question:

Would it be better for me to start out with Mr. Beer, or just go ahead and get a more advanced kit?

I found myself asking the same question a few months ago. I opted for the Mr. Beer. I'm glad I did. I've learned an awful lot about the basics of brewing from Mr. Beer. My first basic batches were fair/good. Then I stepped up to their premium batches and recipes, and have made some very good beer. I'm getting ready to start my 6 and 7th batch...

So while I'm going to be stepping up shortly, I think the time and money I spent on Mr Beer was very worth it. I learned a lot, made batches better than BMC beer, had some fun with it, and will still be able to use a lot of the Mr. Beer equipment after I step up.

And I made beer!:ban:
 
Hey what are some ways I can keep trub out of my bottles?

1)Cold crash 2 days before bottling
2)Whirlfloc Tablets during make-up
3)Irish Moss during make-up
4)Unflavored gelatin?

Any others? Just checked on my bottled Witty Monk. It has about a week left of warm conditioning and already has nearly a 1/2" of trub at the bottom of each bottle. And I could see it floating around due to me picking up the bottle to view it.

Unless you pasteurize your beer, filter it and force carbonate, you're always going to have some trub.

But there are ways to reduce the amount of trub in the bottles. 1/2 inch seems pretty excessive to me.

Cold crashing is supposed to reduce the amount of trub you get. I've never done it, though, so I can't say for sure.

I've read that if you're doing extract beers, you should avoid things like whirfloc, gelatin and Irish moss. I think you can also run into problems carbonating if you use those in conjunction with cold crashing. I'm going from memory on that, though and I could easily be wrong.

I rarely have very much trub in my bottles. When I use the Mr Beer fermenter, I prop the front of it up with several empty CD cases so that the trub settles to the rear. I ferment for two weeks, then transfer to a priming container, along with priming sugar that I've boiled in a small amount of water. I try not to get any trub from the fermenter into the priming container. If I do get any, it's spread among all of the bottles instead of ending up in the last one or two that I fill.

Using an autosiphon instead of the spigot may also help reduce the amount of trub that goes into the priming container.

I warm condition for 4 months or more, then put the beer in the fridge for a minimum of a week (I'm considering extending this).

The end result is that most of my beers have very thin layers of trub and the trub that is in them is very compact. As a result, I can almost always pour the full bottle out without getting any trub in my glass.
 
I was going to batch prime my stout i have in a few days and was thinking about using brown sugar. I was hoping for some advice on how much to use for a regular 2.4-2.5 gal batch.

Also, would that give a fuller tighter head than using cane/table sugar? How much cane/table sugar would I use for the same thing? Thanks.
 
Just ordered the Mr Beer seasonal all malt refill. http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/987

I was able to apply 2 discount codes and knock the price down from $21.95 to $13.17

First code was FG0212 and the second discount code was FG0212B

That's great. I just checked it out and will work for me. I think I'm going to pass though and do a partial mash for my next brew.
 
Don't forget, it also knocks down the price of everything else as well. $8 and change for the Orchard cider refill isn't terrible.
 
Just took a hydrometer reading of my 2nd batch of Whispering Wheat that I added a lb of wheat DME to and ditched the fromunda yeast for Danstar Munich. After a week at around 65 degrees I'm at 1.018. There was quite a bit of CO2 in the sample and took over 30 minutes for the sample to go flat enough to get an accurate reading since bubbles kept pushing the hydrometer up. Anyone else ever experience this? My last batch of Whispering Wheat did the same thing.
 
I've been lurking on here for about a week and I have a couple of questions. I started my very first batch with MrB and the WCPA. I just hit the 14 day mark and I'm ready to bottle.

1) I plan to pick up some dextrose. Where can I find the appropriate amount to add to the bottles (1L bottles)?

2) Would I benefit from racking to and using a bottling bucket? If so, how do I go about that?

3) I'm a little concerned about reacting badly to accidentally ingested yeast. Would it be bad to filter before I bottle what I have now?

Many thanks!
 
...1) I plan to pick up some dextrose. Where can I find the appropriate amount to add to the bottles (1L bottles)?...
When I bottle primed I just used the recommended 1 1/3 teaspoon.

...2) Would I benefit from racking to and using a bottling bucket? If so, how do I go about that?...
I prefer batch priming, but either works in the short term. In the long term you will batch prime. :)

...3) I'm a little concerned about reacting badly to accidentally ingested yeast. Would it be bad to filter before I bottle what I have now?...
What is the basis for your concern? While not generally a problem I guess there is some reason it could be for some.
 
When I bottle primed I just used the recommended 1 1/3 teaspoon.


I prefer batch priming, but either works in the short term. In the long term you will batch prime. :)


What is the basis for your concern? While not generally a problem I guess there is some reason it could be for some.

In addition to the professor's comments, when you naturally carbonate, you need the yeast to be there to consume the sugar and turn it to CO2.
 
I was going to batch prime my stout i have in a few days and was thinking about using brown sugar. I was hoping for some advice on how much to use for a regular 2.4-2.5 gal batch.
I like to use the TastyBrew bottle priming calculator to figure out priming amounts:

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

There are many out there on the 'net that are similar as well. (Modern) Brown sugar is just table sugar + a little molasses, so treat it as table sugar (sucrose) for measuring purposes.

Also, would that give a fuller tighter head than using cane/table sugar? How much cane/table sugar would I use for the same thing? Thanks.
No, your priming sugar will not affect the head or mouthfeel of the beer; that's determined by the mash, grain bill, and boil - which are all done for you w/ Mr Beer kits (and most other extract kits). You MAY notice a slight flavor difference (some swear they can), but the priming sugar really is such a minor component of the beer that it's not really doing much except providing enough food for the yeast to carb up your bottles.
 
Just took a hydrometer reading of my 2nd batch of Whispering Wheat that I added a lb of wheat DME to and ditched the fromunda yeast for Danstar Munich. After a week at around 65 degrees I'm at 1.018. There was quite a bit of CO2 in the sample and took over 30 minutes for the sample to go flat enough to get an accurate reading since bubbles kept pushing the hydrometer up. Anyone else ever experience this? My last batch of Whispering Wheat did the same thing.

I don't tend to take samples after only a week, so I haven't experienced that.

Do you use an airlock? Because heavy (for a fermenter) carbonation suggests that the air is having a hard time escaping. The loose-lid-method of MrB should prevent that.

How cold was the beer? Colder beer holds more gas in solution.

The wheat might also be to blame.

Sounds like not-too-serious a problem to me. Just let it sit for another week (or two) and all will be well. :)
 
I don't tend to take samples after only a week, so I haven't experienced that.

Do you use an airlock? Because heavy (for a fermenter) carbonation suggests that the air is having a hard time escaping. The loose-lid-method of MrB should prevent that.

How cold was the beer? Colder beer holds more gas in solution.

The wheat might also be to blame.

Sounds like not-too-serious a problem to me. Just let it sit for another week (or two) and all will be well. :)

I am still using the Mr Beer at the moment. Maybe I will loosen the lid a little. The beer is around 68. It's about as cold as I can get things considering my house is always 75. The sample tasted great though.
 
i like to use the tastybrew bottle priming calculator to figure out priming amounts:

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

there are many out there on the 'net that are similar as well. (modern) brown sugar is just table sugar + a little molasses, so treat it as table sugar (sucrose) for measuring purposes.

No, your priming sugar will not affect the head or mouthfeel of the beer; that's determined by the mash, grain bill, and boil - which are all done for you w/ mr beer kits (and most other extract kits). You may notice a slight flavor difference (some swear they can), but the priming sugar really is such a minor component of the beer that it's not really doing much except providing enough food for the yeast to carb up your bottles.

+1
 
I don't tend to take samples after only a week, so I haven't experienced that.

Do you use an airlock? Because heavy (for a fermenter) carbonation suggests that the air is having a hard time escaping. The loose-lid-method of MrB should prevent that.

How cold was the beer? Colder beer holds more gas in solution.

The wheat might also be to blame.

Sounds like not-too-serious a problem to me. Just let it sit for another week (or two) and all will be well. :)

I'd agree. Back the lid off by about 1/4 turn to let the CO2 escape. I had one MrB batch (one of their seasonals IIRC) that was highly carbed after 10 days. 10 days later it was normal so just let it ride.
 
I am still using the Mr Beer at the moment. Maybe I will loosen the lid a little. The beer is around 68. It's about as cold as I can get things considering my house is always 75. The sample tasted great though.

Yes, looking at ways to keep cool, so I can keep brewing in the coming months. In Phoenix here.
 
Yes, looking at ways to keep cool, so I can keep brewing in the coming months. In Phoenix here.

A lot of people use a swamp cooler, but with the spigot on the keg I am hesitant to do that. I use a cooler that the Mr Beer fits in with frozen water bottles and I can get it down around 10 degrees cooler than the house. I had the cooler laying around unused so that was a cheap easy fix for me. I am switching to larger batches and will be using a swamp cooler with my better bottle. I just recently joined the Arizona Society of Homebrewers (ASH) and they have been great. There is a meeting this Thursday at 7pm at Rose Marketplace in Scottsdale you should go to to get a feel for it and try a bunch of homebrew. :mug:
 
Just ordered the Mr Beer seasonal all malt refill. http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/987

I was able to apply 2 discount codes and knock the price down from $21.95 to $13.17

First code was FG0212 and the second discount code was FG0212B

Don't get too excited about stacking codes- apparently, they don't like it. If it was a small order, they will probably fill it without a problem.
A couple weeks ago, I stacked several codes that were all active, and the Mrbeer.com shopping cart let it go through. Ended up with 80-90% off or more on most items.
Seemed too good to be true, but the cart was taking all of these active codes at once- score!
Put in a big order (several hundred dollars after discounts), and got a phonecall an hour later from a Mr. Beer customer service rep- she offered to take off all but one of the coupons and charge me the additional, or cancel.

I opted to cancel.

I understand where they're coming from, $1 malt kits is probably a good deal less than Mr. Beer is paying for them, but they need to fix the site so it stops promising what they're unwilling/unable to deliver.
Hell, I probably have a case there, legally, but no way would it ever be worthwhile to pursue.

TL;DR: If you stack codes, you might get your order cancelled- the bigger the order, the more likely they catch it and call you.
 
Honestly, I think it's fair of them to restrict in that manner. Also, posting a code like this in a forum is good way to get that code locked. Most are meant for the individual recipient and not meant for multiple redemptions.
 
Honestly, I think it's fair of them to restrict in that manner. Also, posting a code like this in a forum is good way to get that code locked. Most are meant for the individual recipient and not meant for multiple redemptions.

I'll make it a point to never share such classified information again.
 
Don't get too excited about stacking codes- apparently, they don't like it. If it was a small order, they will probably fill it without a problem.

It was just the seasonal mix. I just got the email from them telling me it shipped.
 
I'll make it a point to never share such classified information again.

I have proper security clearence. You can share with me.;) Kidding. I just placed an order to brew 5 of their brew master recipes and am moving on to 5gal extract brewing, so I'm done with Mr. Beer kits.
 
I have proper security clearence. You can share with me.;) Kidding. I just placed an order to brew 5 of their brew master recipes and am moving on to 5gal extract brewing, so I'm done with Mr. Beer kits.

I've done the 5 gallon thing a decade ago. I like the smaller batches that I get with the Mr Beer. I can buy the refills locally so that's a plus. I'm sure I'll still get the occasional wild hair and do a 5 gallon batch now and then.
 
I just took another gravity reading on my Bullseye ale. Been in the fermenter for just over two weeks. OG was 1.064. A few days ago it was 1.022. Tonights reading was 1.018, and still bubbling. This one's gonna be good.
 
When I bottle primed I just used the recommended 1 1/3 teaspoon.


I prefer batch priming, but either works in the short term. In the long term you will batch prime. :)


What is the basis for your concern? While not generally a problem I guess there is some reason it could be for some.


Thank you very much. Funny you mention long term, even at this stage I can tell I'm going to be hooked on home brewing and itching to upgrade in the not so distant future.

My concern is actually for my father and brother who have rather sensitive digestive systems. I'll probably just make sure I pour carefully, or if they are real worried, filter into the glass when the time comes.
 
Thank you very much. Funny you mention long term, even at this stage I can tell I'm going to be hooked on home brewing and itching to upgrade in the not so distant future.

My concern is actually for my father and brother who have rather sensitive digestive systems. I'll probably just make sure I pour carefully, or if they are real worried, filter into the glass when the time comes.

If you condition long enough, more stuff precipitates out. And after it precipitates out, as it sits on the bottom it compacts. this happens to some extent at room temperature and to a greater extent in the fridge. I usually keep my beer in the bottle at room temperature for about 4 months and in the fridge for a week or two. Most of the time, I can pour all the beer out of the bottle without getting any trub at all.
 
That was some FAST shipping on the part of Mr.Beer. I ordered the seasonal pilsner on Monday evening...UPS just dropped it off. I wasn't even going to dial in the fridge downstairs to the lagering temp until this weekend. Looks like I'll be doing that yet this evening.
 
I'll make it a point to never share such classified information again.

Easy tiger, I was actually trying to help you out here too.
I work with a lot of companies' marketing departments and when they start getting multiple redemptions on unique codes they tend to lock them down. This can happen in a matter of minutes sometimes and you'll find yourself not being able to take advantage of the code either.

On a lighter note, I have to agree with your sig line 100%. A lot of my family is on the job. :mug:
 
Honestly, I think it's fair of them to restrict in that manner. Also, posting a code like this in a forum is good way to get that code locked. Most are meant for the individual recipient and not meant for multiple redemptions.

I agree, it's fair to restrict it... but it's unfair for them to make their shopping cart accept it, and then cancel them individually. They promised one thing through the cart, then told me it was going to be more.
If they'd told me it was a pricing error that was fixed, I might even understand, but obviously someone else just stacked codes and got through... so that's not the case.
It's a crappy way to conduct business.
 
Alright, just tried a bottle of my Split Rock Red Ale and the color/clarity is nice, aroma is okay, but the beer itself seemed a little flat/fizzy for my liking --- almost like soda. Is my mistake too much sugar when carbonation or just need more time to mature? My actual fridge date is next Thursday, I cheated and had one early. Ingreds/Date are below.

1 Can Red Ale HME
1 Can Mellow Amber UME
1 Pouch Booster
Muntons Prem Brew Yeast (6 grams)

Brewed 1-12-12
Bottled 2-1-12 (cane sugar w/Mr Beer sugar tool)
Condition Start 2-15-12
Projected Drink Date 3-2-12

Tried one 2-23-12 and seemed flat and too fizzy. Just time or possibly too much carbonation?
 
Alright, just tried a bottle of my Split Rock Red Ale and the color/clarity is nice, aroma is okay, but the beer itself seemed a little flat/fizzy for my liking --- almost like soda. Is my mistake too much sugar when carbonation or just need more time to mature? My actual fridge date is next Thursday, I cheated and had one early. Ingreds/Date are below.

1 Can Red Ale HME
1 Can Mellow Amber UME
1 Pouch Booster
Muntons Prem Brew Yeast (6 grams)

Brewed 1-12-12
Bottled 2-1-12 (cane sugar w/Mr Beer sugar tool)
Condition Start 2-15-12
Projected Drink Date 3-2-12

Tried one 2-23-12 and seemed flat and too fizzy. Just time or possibly too much carbonation?

by flat and too fizzy do you mean it had no head?
 
by flat and too fizzy do you mean it had no head?

It had some head but the taste didn't seem full and when drinking it almost had too much fizz. It wasn't a crisp beer, it reminded me more of a soda aftertaste. I know that isn't a great description. :) I think it needs more time to mature, I just don't know if 1 more week is enough.
 

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