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Christ872 said:
Bonzo~

I made a Saison using Orange-Blossom Honey. One of the best recipes I have done. I saved it on Hopville. Would you care for it? It's a Mr. Beer sized batch and you can get all of the ingredient off of any online homebrew website...you don't "need" an LHBS.

That would be awesome if you could share the recipe. Thanks!
 
Hear! Hear! for Mr. Beer!

I had been wanting a Mr. Beer kit(or similar home brewing kit) for the lase 4 years or so and my mother finally got me one for my birthday back in July.

I made the brew that came with the kit and it turned out Cidery because the instructions didn't tell me to use corn sugar not table sugar(or so my LHBS guy tells me).

I just bottled A Half batch(read: Mr. Beer sized Batch) of Brewers best IPA, and made the second batch.

On the second batch I added 1/2 the Hops(First batch is a Hop-acolypse) and may secondary ferment. Those were my first Grain and Extract brews.

I also decided to make an All-grain 1-Gallon batch of maple-oatmeal Chocolate Stout using the left over Grain from the second batch and a canister of Quaker Oats(the pre-beer is nice and super-sweet with maple, Cinnamon, and nutmeg notes).
 
I have decided to buy a second 2 gal Mr Beer keg instead of buying a 5 to 6 gallon system to bump up my production. If I use a 4lb can and make two batches for a total of 4.5 gallons, should that give me a better batch of beer? I noticed with the deluxe and premium Mr Beer kits they have extra LME...I love the Mr. Beer kegs and can leave them up on my dining table to stay cool and off the floor...
 
JRParker wrote:
"I made the brew that came with the kit and it turned out Cidery because the instructions didn't tell me to use corn sugar not table sugar(or so my LHBS guy tells me)."


Your LHBS is trying to sell you something, namely corn sugar. The problem with MrB kits and getting "cidery sweet" beer is not the sugar. It is that you either didn't leave the beer in the LBK long enough (2-3 weeks) or that you didn't let the beer carb/condition long enough at room temps in bottles (4 weeks).

Most seasoned brewers on the MrB forum website go by the 3-2-2 rule of thumb which means 3 weeks in the LBK, 2 weeks carbing (room temp) and 2 weeks conditioning (room temps). the general consensus is that this is the best method to obtain good brews. Patience is a virtue.

:mug:
 
I have decided to buy a second 2 gal Mr Beer keg instead of buying a 5 to 6 gallon system to bump up my production. If I use a 4lb can and make two batches for a total of 4.5 gallons, should that give me a better batch of beer? I noticed with the deluxe and premium Mr Beer kits they have extra LME...I love the Mr. Beer kegs and can leave them up on my dining table to stay cool and off the floor...

Nice to have the two lbks going. You can....

1. Do one large batch and split it between the two lbks.

2. Do two different batches and increase variaty.

3. Use same recipie, and split batch to experiment with, different yeasts, or hops.

4. Fit both in my smaller dorm style fridge to keep ferment temps constant.
 
JRParker wrote:
"I made the brew that came with the kit and it turned out Cidery because the instructions didn't tell me to use corn sugar not table sugar(or so my LHBS guy tells me)."


Your LHBS is trying to sell you something, namely corn sugar. The problem with MrB kits and getting "cidery sweet" beer is not the sugar. It is that you either didn't leave the beer in the LBK long enough (2-3 weeks) or that you didn't let the beer carb/condition long enough at room temps in bottles (4 weeks).

Most seasoned brewers on the MrB forum website go by the 3-2-2 rule of thumb which means 3 weeks in the LBK, 2 weeks carbing (room temp) and 2 weeks conditioning (room temps). the general consensus is that this is the best method to obtain good brews. Patience is a virtue.

:mug:

The other thing that causes cidery flavors is high fermentation temperature. Keeping your fermentation temp below 70 will help your beer immensely, also fermentation temp will be 5 or more degrees higher than the temperature in the room.

The problem with simple sugars (table sugar or corn sugar) is that it will lighten both the flavor and body of the beer allowing those off flavors to shine through, when used in large amounts. The small amount used during bottling doesn't cause this problem, though, whether it's table sugar or corn sugar.
 
The other thing that causes cidery flavors is high fermentation temperature. Keeping your fermentation temp below 70 will help your beer immensely, also fermentation temp will be 5 or more degrees higher than the temperature in the room.

The problem with simple sugars (table sugar or corn sugar) is that it will lighten both the flavor and body of the beer allowing those off flavors to shine through, when used in large amounts. The small amount used during bottling doesn't cause this problem, though, whether it's table sugar or corn sugar.

Another perspective: The basic kit that used to come with MrB was the West Coast Pale Ale + Booster. If that was what you brewed, then by nature it is going to be a bit cidery due to the ratio of malt versus adjunct. It's a bit too high in that design, but that kit does teach you the process of making beer. Their new kits have more malt and they have ditched the Booster so you get a 'better' beer.
 
The other thing that causes cidery flavors is high fermentation temperature. Keeping your fermentation temp below 70 will help your beer immensely, also fermentation temp will be 5 or more degrees higher than the temperature in the room.

The problem with simple sugars (table sugar or corn sugar) is that it will lighten both the flavor and body of the beer allowing those off flavors to shine through, when used in large amounts. The small amount used during bottling doesn't cause this problem, though, whether it's table sugar or corn sugar.

Do you have any links that point to high temperatures leading to cidery flavors?

From everything I've read, higher temperatures produce fusel alcohols and that cidery flavors are due to acetaldehyde.
 
It was early august when I brewed/Fermented my Mr. Beer Kit; so while it was in my basement it may not have been terribly cool.

Also I did only ferment it 1 week and only conditioned it for 1-2 weeks(first to last bottles opened).

I have a split batch of Brewers best that the first sampling(from the conditioning bottles) has not had any Cider flavor(just lots of Columbus hops).


Also, all of the replies so quickly is why I love this forum.
 
Also I did only ferment it 1 week and only conditioned it for 1-2 weeks(first to last bottles opened).

I can tell you from just recently starting with Mr. Beer that this was your problem. I did the WCPA and even gave it the 2-2-2 before I ever open the first bottle. However, when cleaning out the fridge I found a half a bottle that must have belonged to SWMBO because there was not way I would have left it there unfinished like that. Well I am glad she did because this bottle must have had an extra 2 month over the other bottles, and the difference was night and day. Where the first bottles were ok, this one was actually good. The moral of this story is that experience shows that 1 week is not enough time for any step in the Mr. Beer process, and that enough time can work magic on even the basic recipe kit.
 
I have a WCPA kit that was part of my initial Mr Beer kit purchase.

Can anyone recommend an ingredient set/grainbill to "fix" it up a bit? I want to use it up, rather than just toss it and buy something else.

I am thinking of trying to do a partial/mini mash addition and possibly a little bit of hops thrown in; to increase body and mouthfeel.

Also, I am not a big fan of beers that are overly citrus-y and would like to work on that a bit.. I know the WCPA has a flavor that tends that way, and would like to tone it down a bit, and maybe up the maltiness.

The basic recipe that I have right now is the kit itself, with the booster; and I have an extra pound of Munton's Plain Light DME I could use.
Plan is to use the Safale US-05 yeast I have, rather than the standard Mr Beer yeast pack.

What would I use for grains in a normal size (2.5 gallon) Mr Beer batch to help with the above?
 
Mike, in addition to adding your DME and to get a little more mouthfeel and flavor you could steep around 4oz carapils (for mouthfeel and head retention) along with the same amount of crystal 40 or 60 (just becuase they are my personal favorites) for some added color and caramel flavors. If you like a toasty or bready flavor some Victory malt is a good addition as well. Now these suggestions are per my tastes and you might get far different suggestions from others.
 
I have a WCPA kit that was part of my initial Mr Beer kit purchase.

Can anyone recommend an ingredient set/grainbill to "fix" it up a bit? I want to use it up, rather than just toss it and buy something else.

I am thinking of trying to do a partial/mini mash addition and possibly a little bit of hops thrown in; to increase body and mouthfeel.

Also, I am not a big fan of beers that are overly citrus-y and would like to work on that a bit.. I know the WCPA has a flavor that tends that way, and would like to tone it down a bit, and maybe up the maltiness.

The basic recipe that I have right now is the kit itself, with the booster; and I have an extra pound of Munton's Plain Light DME I could use.
Plan is to use the Safale US-05 yeast I have, rather than the standard Mr Beer yeast pack.

What would I use for grains in a normal size (2.5 gallon) Mr Beer batch to help with the above?

The three together should give a bit more of a malty WCPA, if you wanted to change the hop profile a bit, maybe a little Chinook, at flame out, or 5min.
 
I have a WCPA kit that was part of my initial Mr Beer kit purchase.

Can anyone recommend an ingredient set/grainbill to "fix" it up a bit? I want to use it up, rather than just toss it and buy something else.

I am thinking of trying to do a partial/mini mash addition and possibly a little bit of hops thrown in; to increase body and mouthfeel.

Also, I am not a big fan of beers that are overly citrus-y and would like to work on that a bit.. I know the WCPA has a flavor that tends that way, and would like to tone it down a bit, and maybe up the maltiness.

The basic recipe that I have right now is the kit itself, with the booster; and I have an extra pound of Munton's Plain Light DME I could use.
Plan is to use the Safale US-05 yeast I have, rather than the standard Mr Beer yeast pack.

What would I use for grains in a normal size (2.5 gallon) Mr Beer batch to help with the above?

If you want to add hops to up the biitterness, then you need to change the Mr. Beer process up a bit and go for a full boil. If you just want to add them for aroma/flavor, you could just add them directly to the ferementer (dry hop) after fermentation has ended (or is around 90% complete)

You can add malt body and flavor by steeping any adjunct grains you fancy. Wheat, rye, crystal, etc...

GL!
 
In case nobody here is aware, MrBeer is blowing out some of the 'old' malts that they have. I say 'old' in terms of recipes since they are now selling the new MrB malts made by Coopers, not age.

They are going fast: linky.
 
MikeBergan said:
I have a WCPA kit that was part of my initial Mr Beer kit purchase.

Can anyone recommend an ingredient set/grainbill to "fix" it up a bit? I want to use it up, rather than just toss it and buy something else.

I am thinking of trying to do a partial/mini mash addition and possibly a little bit of hops thrown in; to increase body and mouthfeel.

Also, I am not a big fan of beers that are overly citrus-y and would like to work on that a bit.. I know the WCPA has a flavor that tends that way, and would like to tone it down a bit, and maybe up the maltiness.

The basic recipe that I have right now is the kit itself, with the booster; and I have an extra pound of Munton's Plain Light DME I could use.
Plan is to use the Safale US-05 yeast I have, rather than the standard Mr Beer yeast pack.

What would I use for grains in a normal size (2.5 gallon) Mr Beer batch to help with the above?

I can say from experience, if you search there is a recipe for simply dry hopping with 1/2oz of williamette hop pellets. I went a little further and added some amber DME and lightly boiled the hops for 10 mins. After 2 weeks bottled aged/carbed for 3 weeks then put in the fridge for another 3. GREAT Extract brew. I tried a bottle every week from the day I fridges on by the 3rd week it was night and day. I will never question the patience again.
 
Mike, in addition to adding your DME and to get a little more mouthfeel and flavor you could steep around 4oz carapils (for mouthfeel and head retention) along with the same amount of crystal 40 or 60 (just becuase they are my personal favorites) for some added color and caramel flavors. If you like a toasty or bready flavor some Victory malt is a good addition as well. Now these suggestions are per my tastes and you might get far different suggestions from others.

I agree wholeheartedly on the CaraPils and Crystal malt. I've been adding Crystal 60 to my extract brews (steeped 30 minutes at 155) for the caramel/color and it's working wonders. Too bad the Mike doesn't like citrus flavors.....this one would go great with a Cascade or Centennial hops boil. Victory is an interesting suggestion. I haven't thought about adding that to a WCPA before................hmmmmm. Maybe a good experimental batch in my future!

Regarding steep size, I've been adding 2 to 4 oz of Crystal 60 - depending on the intended look/color of the end product. 2 oz if the base beer already has a higher SRM and 4 oz if it doesn't. Along with that I've been using 1 Lb to 1.75 Lb of DME added to the basic MrB HME can.
 
I've heard of the 2-2-2 rule but must tell you I have never heard anyone refer to the 3-2-2 rule. In fact Palmer says that you should move the primary off the yeast cake after the fermentation phase is finished......2 weeks normaly.

JRParker wrote:
"I made the brew that came with the kit and it turned out Cidery because the instructions didn't tell me to use corn sugar not table sugar(or so my LHBS guy tells me)."


Your LHBS is trying to sell you something, namely corn sugar. The problem with MrB kits and getting "cidery sweet" beer is not the sugar. It is that you either didn't leave the beer in the LBK long enough (2-3 weeks) or that you didn't let the beer carb/condition long enough at room temps in bottles (4 weeks).

Most seasoned brewers on the MrB forum website go by the 3-2-2 rule of thumb which means 3 weeks in the LBK, 2 weeks carbing (room temp) and 2 weeks conditioning (room temps). the general consensus is that this is the best method to obtain good brews. Patience is a virtue.

:mug:
 
vnzjunk said:
I've heard of the 2-2-2 rule but must tell you I have never heard anyone refer to the 3-2-2 rule. In fact Palmer says that you should move the primary off the yeast cake after the fermentation phase is finished......2 weeks normaly.

I 3-2-2 all the time. Never had any issues and I get amazing clarity without any additives.
 
I'm pretty sure that 2-2-2 originated on the Mr Beer Fans forum. Each of the twos had a different meaning there. The first two was fermenting in the LBK. The second two was carbonating/conditioning at room temperature in the bottle. The third two was cold conditioning in the refrigerator.

There was also a rule of thumb that you should ferment for 1 week per fermentable, up to a maximum of three weeks, so the refills should ferment for two weeks, but if you added to them, you should bump it up to three weeks.

On the Mr Beer forums, the thinking changed. Since the yeast slow way down at refrigerator temperature, more emphasis was put on warm conditioning, so the third two was also at room temperature. At some point, a lot of people started fermenting for three weeks instead of two. Some people started expanding that to the carb/condition stages, as well, going to a 3-3-3. Others went with a 3-2-2.

I used to downplay the benefits of cold conditioning, but after leaving some beer in the fridge while I was on a business trip, I decided that cold conditioning has definite benefits. My minimum is two weeks in the fermenter, two months at room temperature and a week in the refrigerator.

I use a hydrometer, so the time in the fermenter could stretch if there's a problem, but I've found that if I aerate properly and pitch enough yeast, it's rare that I need to ferment for more than two weeks.
 
Mike, in addition to adding your DME and to get a little more mouthfeel and flavor you could steep around 4oz carapils (for mouthfeel and head retention) along with the same amount of crystal 40 or 60 (just becuase they are my personal favorites) for some added color and caramel flavors. If you like a toasty or bready flavor some Victory malt is a good addition as well. Now these suggestions are per my tastes and you might get far different suggestions from others.

Mike, I really agree with this. I was a big fan of Mr Beer, and made some very respectable beer with it. The one complaint is that the MRB kits tended to have a watery mouthfeel. Carapils helped with this a lot. I think OClirBrew's suggestion is the next step you should make to get the improvements your looking for in the MRB kits
 
Mike, in addition to adding your DME and to get a little more mouthfeel and flavor you could steep around 4oz carapils (for mouthfeel and head retention) along with the same amount of crystal 40 or 60 (just becuase they are my personal favorites) for some added color and caramel flavors. If you like a toasty or bready flavor some Victory malt is a good addition as well. Now these suggestions are per my tastes and you might get far different suggestions from others.

Ok this is what I ended up using:

The Mr. Beer WCPA HME
Mr. Beer Booster

4 oz Carapils
6 oz Crystal 60
1 LB Muntons Plain Light DME
0.5 oz Sterling hops at 20 mins
0.5 oz Sterling hops at 5 mins
0.5 Whirlfloc tab at 15 mins

Yeast is 1 pack Safale US-05

The grains steeped for 45 mins at 155 prior to doing the boil.
OG is 'just' off from the expected - came in at 1.047, calc site said 1.048

smells awesome and looks like it should
 
Mike, the changes you made should result in noticeably better beer...I did the same things as I graduated from batch to batch.

The next thing I did was lose the booster. Noticed quite an improvement after that as well.
 
Mike, the changes you made should result in noticeably better beer...I did the same things as I graduated from batch to batch.

The next thing I did was lose the booster. Noticed quite an improvement after that as well.

That was actually my plan for the next batch... skipping the booster in favor of additional DME.
Is it basically a 1 to 1 swap by weight? or more DME needed to equal out?
 
That was actually my plan for the next batch... skipping the booster in favor of additional DME.
Is it basically a 1 to 1 swap by weight? or more DME needed to equal out?

I'd use a pound of DME. That's a little more than a bag of booster, but I think it's a good amount.
 
I actually went onto Hopville's beer calculus site, and played around with the numbers.

Link: http://beercalculus.hopville.com/recipe


Basically it came up as just under a pound of DME to get the same OG.
Thanks bpgreen for the answer that confirms what I saw there.

Now I just need to find some good clone recipe's for the types of beer I want to drink. If I find ones for beers I like, I can plug em into the calc and see what numbers it gives, so I can start learning what my 'taste' preferences actually have in SRM and IBU etc.
 
Just thought I'd say hey and introduce myself. I've been reading this forum for about 6 weeks and just started with a Mr. Beer kit. I just tasted my first brew and was very pleased and excited! I just had to tell someone :) Finally after years of thinking about it, I stopped into my local Homebrew store and picked up a Mr. Beer kit. I wanted to make sure I was going to enjoy what I brewed so after reading some advice on this forum, I purchased some fresh yeast(Safale US-05) and since I prefer some hoppiness I picked up some Cascade hops. I strayed from the directions a bit and during the booster boil I steeped some crushed orange peel. I then added the LME and brought it to a boil for 15 mins. During that time I added the hops. I did a quick cool and pitched at about 75 degrees. Fermented in primary for 15 days and then bottled. I did use the table sugar and bottle primed. I conditioned for 2 weeks at about 68-70 degrees and decided to pop one bottle in the fridge after that for 5 days. I just opened and poured a glass and damn! It turned out great! I can taste a hint of the orange and get a nice hop finish. I can only imagine after a couple more weeks of conditioning how nice it will be. Plenty of carbonation, really nice color and head...I am thrilled with the results. I've already ordered Northern's deluxe 5 gal kit with primary, secondary glass carboys and bottling bucket. Picked up a 20 quart kettle today, a hydrometer and some bottles and other supplies from the local brew store. Can't wait to start my 2nd batch. It will be an Irish Red Ale with some grain steeping. I guess it's safe to say, I'm hooked! Great advice here and I look forward to spending a good bit of time here.
 
I started earlier this year with 5gal extract. Moved to 10gal all-grain. I "happened" upon a Mr. Beer kit for the bottles to make root beer for my son. Found no use for the keg fermenter until just recently I decided to start making small "sample batches". Gonna knock the rust/dust off of it and put it to use. THANK YOU MR. BEER!:rockin:
 
I use the LBK all the time for 'test' batches. Easy to keep cool or lager in a dorm fridge too. I wish is was a tad bit bigger but it works fine for me. I have a few 2.5 gallon corny's just for these test batches.
 
I have done 5 gal batches when I lived at home with my parents. When I moved out and into an apartment with SWMBO I picked up a mr beer kit due to space restrictions.

I found it made decent beer with some modifications (using DME instead or in addition to booster, additional hops/spices) I was planning on moving back to 5 gal batches now that we have moved into a single family house, however I have still been using the mr beer kit. I have been brewing more often, differed batches, and testing recipes.

I feel using the smaller size of the mr beer kit has ultimately made me a better brewer. As I said their recipe kits are decent, with some modifications they can be good or great.

I will dust off the 5 gal kit someday, but until then I will keep brewing I the LBK. Well even after the 5 gal kit comes out I will still test recipes in the mr beer for sure. Half the 5 gal recipe and you lose less if it goes bad.

Just my $.02. Good brewing(no matter how large your batch is)
 
Been reading the thousands of posts and have learned alot. Like everybody else, My Old lady gave me a MR Beer Kit for my brithday. The kit came with three kits, I decided of the three my least favorite was probable the Aztec Mexican Cerveza and if I screwed it up it wouldn't be the end of the world. As far as I know, I followed the instructions to the letter, except I kept it in the keg for two and a half weeks. My intention was to leave it in for three weeks, but at two weeks three consecutive days hydrometer readings were unchanged and tand myLHBS (local is a relative term, I live in the middle of nowhere) told me that if that was the case to go ahead and bottle it. So leaving with a case of glass bottles, caps and a capper I went home and bottled my beer.. My intention was to let it sit there for three weeks. However, after two weeks I may take a couple bottles and put them in the fridge, just to see how it comes out. And leave the rest for at least four weeks I know have Oktoberfest in the fermenter. Can't wait to try my first "brew".

Conditioning: Aztec mexican cerveza
Fermenting: Oktoberfest
 
Welcome RB!

Yep, common practice is what's called the 2+2+2 method. 2 weeks in the keg, 2 weeks carbonating and 2 weeks conditioning. But most of us (when we're new and haven't learned patience yet) tend to crack into one or more early. Most likely the last one left will be the best tasting, and you'll wish you had let the whole batch sit that long! I've had my eyes on that new cerveza recipe, please let us know how it turns out. I just bottled a batch of Prince Ludwig Lager and it was not bad tasting on bottling day.
 
The day I bottledI took a taste and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. One of the reasons I'm going to do one bottle at a time is so I can (hopefully) see the difference for myself. My wife says she's created a monster! Already I'm thinking of starting some Irish Stout now so it will be good and ready come St PAtrick's Day. She likes those fruity type drinks, I thought I'd try Cherry Wheat to appease her.
 
You may want to keep a log and keep track of the taste. You will learn a lot by re-reading those notes and seeing how what flavors developed or mellowed in what time period. Plus keeping notes helps you learn from your mistakes. I now know that I hate Hallertau hops and I'll never use them again!
 
Thanks. I've read that somewnere before and have already started Brewer's log in Excel. I plan on doing that wiht every batch I brew and especially when I start getting dreative with my own stuff. But for now I'm content to play with my Mr Beer recipes as is until I get the hang of the basics.
 
Ok this is what I ended up using:

The Mr. Beer WCPA HME
Mr. Beer Booster

4 oz Carapils
6 oz Crystal 60
1 LB Muntons Plain Light DME
0.5 oz Sterling hops at 20 mins
0.5 oz Sterling hops at 5 mins
0.5 Whirlfloc tab at 15 mins

Yeast is 1 pack Safale US-05

The grains steeped for 45 mins at 155 prior to doing the boil.
OG is 'just' off from the expected - came in at 1.047, calc site said 1.048

smells awesome and looks like it should


Bottled the above this evening. FG was 1.014, so I guess it ended up around a 4.4% ABV nice gold to copper color and tasted decent on the try I took from the gravity sample.
Now to bottle condition a couple weeks and see what I REALLY end up with.
 
Would you suggest collecting all the supplies yourself of buying a kit online that already has everything?

It's my very first attempt at brewing and I didn't know if they kits are worth the money. I know that Mr.Beer is pretty popular but is it worth it?
 
If you're going Mr Beer, just keep your eyes open for deals. Right now on Amazon you can get a kit with a fermenter, 8 - 1L bottles, labels, a book and 2 batches of beer for $45 shipped. That's not too bad.

Especially going into the Christmas season, if you have one near you check out Bed Bath & Beyond or Kmart/Sears. They often put them on sale this time of year.

If you're looking to do extract or all grain 5 gallon batches, Midwest Supplies has a great kit that is often on Groupon for less than $100 and you get most of the stuff you'll need to get started.
 
Would you suggest collecting all the supplies yourself of buying a kit online that already has everything?

It's my very first attempt at brewing and I didn't know if they kits are worth the money. I know that Mr.Beer is pretty popular but is it worth it?

If you're just starting, I'd stick with pre-made kits. Once you get a little experience and some understanding of the role of hops vs malt vs adjuncts, you can start branching out more and designing your own recipes.

Mr Beer refills tend to be a bit more expensive than other options, but they're nice from the standpoint of making a quick and easy brew day.

With a Mr Beer refill, you put some cold water in the fermenter, bring some water to a boil, add the extract, stir, add to the water in the fermenter and top off.

If you're making your own, the steps are more complicated, depending on whether you're doing an extract with hop boil, extract with steeping grains, partial mash, all grain, etc.
 
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