. . . a couple people weren't happy with the results. There are three possible explanations for this that I can think of:
1. You did it wrong. Read the instructions more than once. If you just follow the directions, you're going to get decent beer.
2. The kit contained old/mishandled extract & yeast.
3. Your expectations were set too high. It's not going to make a 35 point beer, but it will be decent if you follow the directions.
A few comments on the above:
1) Definitely a possibility. It's amazed me over the past 30 plus years the number of customers that have come in and bought more or less the same ingredients and yet ended up with noticeably different results. Procedure is important!
2) Possible but probably not probable. Malt syrup does get old if left on the shelf and the color darkens noticeably with age. Yeast will likely go before the syrup, but the shelf life is something like 2 years.
3) The most likely of the three IMHO. I tasted a lot of initial MB batches that customers have brought in over the years and have been underwhelmed myself. I don't think the main problem is the quality of the HME or the dried yeast provided, so much as the quantity (at least of the HME). Frankly, 1.2 lbs. of malt extract for 8 liters of beer is very light in my opinion, especially if you are hoping for import/craft beer results. Two cans will produce a noticeably better beer (unless you prefer standard domestic beer). I see that Mr. Beer is beginning to release some larger cans (1.8 lbs) and I expect that the results will be noticeably better. Replacing the booster with more malt is a good start.
Other potential pitfalls include:
4) Fermentation temperature. We're probably extra sensitive to this on the Gulf Coast, but temperatures in the upper 70's & low 80's will yield noticeably inferior results. Sometimes this is difficult to avoid in the six months of the year that we call summer down here. If possible, choose cooler temperatures (62° - 70°F). You'll be glad you did.
5) Age. Many beginning homebrewers underestimate just how much the flavor of homebrew improves with adequate aging. What tastes like crap at a week or two in the bottle may taste MUCH better at three to four weeks, and absolutely great at two to three months. FWIW I've noticed this difference is even more pronounced on homebrews with a relatively high percentage of adjuncts (e.g. sugar, booster, honey, etc.). If you use a whole package of Booster in a batch, that's 13 oz. of adjunct versus only 19 oz. of malt extract (actually, if you remove the moisture from the syrup, it would closer to 16 - 17 oz. of dried malt extract). You're approaching 45 - 50% adjuncts. Hopefully MB will move toward those larger cans and dump the Booster in the future. Better flavor, fuller-body, quicker aging. Can I have an "Amen" from the choir?
Scott Birdwell
DeFalco's Home Wine & Beer Supplies
Houston TX