The Big and Easy Bottle Brew

I just got one of these from my LHBS for being one of the first ten to critique his new website. I couldn't find a homepage, but here's a description from a retailer's site: http://www.royalgrape.ca/beerdetails.html

To sum it up, it's basically pre-hopped wort, not concentrate, in a two litre PET bottle. It comes with with a second cap that has a yeast pellet in it. The second cap has a pressure release valve of some kind in it to keep the bottle from exploding while it ferments. Apparently this valve will retain enough pressure so that the, ahem, beverage... remains carbonated when fermentation is complete.

You let it ferment for one to two weeks depending on temperature but not lower than 66 degrees (for a red lager!). After a week or so (!) you cool it for at least 12 hours and then have a go at it. They caution you to make sure it's cool before you open it. I guess that's to make sure you don't insert the first half up your nostrils and eyelids.

So for those of you that said you can't make beer in a week (depending on temperature of course) the Big & Easy Bottle Brew begs to differ.

This has got to be aimed at kids. I can't imagine why any adult would bother with this. I got it for free so I don't know how much he charges for it, but one website says it's $4.99 for the equivalent of a six pack. Now I seriously doubt my supplier would sell this to kids, but I don't think it would be illegal. Technically it's not an acoholic beverage.

You know, I just noticed that the second cap with the pressure relief valve is attached by heat shrink to the mouth of the bottle and the shrink does not provide a complete seal around the bottom of the cap. It's open to the air and no mention is made of sanitization at all. It's kind of hard to see when it's all together so maybe there's a pull tab or something inside protecting the cap from wild yeasties and nasty organisms. I guess I'll find out soon.

I think I may let it sit longer than a week or two. Maybe after that amount of time is passed, I'll defy the instructions and put it into my keezer for awhile. Then again, I think I'll just line it up with the other two liter bottles I made from the real beer that wouldn't fit in the kegs.

And I thought Mr. Beer was bad (from personal experience, mind you).

Why not just by a hopped wort, add water and yeast.
23l for $30

compared to 2l for $5 (23L for $75) of this "crap"

One of my friends actually bought this to see what it was all about. It didn't turn out that bad. I wouldn't encourage people to "homebrew" this way seeing as you don't do anything but add the yeast capsule and wait but I think it would be fun to put my own wort in there and give it to non brewers as a gift.

I buy these on a regular basis which supplements my pipeline. The beer is not bad, ready in 2 weeks, and cheaper than a six pack where I live. I've never had one that was bad and I think it has its place for someone who wants a tasty beer and can wait a couple of weeks.
Everyone who writes negatives about this shouldn't without trying it first. Unless I've gotten really lucky in never having one not work but I don't think so. I think they're pretty reliable.

They gave out a couple of these at the last homebrew comp I was at. I'm interested in how well it would work, it'd be a good way to be people into the hobby, gift for someone only slightly interested, etc.

Maybe I need to order a test bottle...

I wrote a more detailed response about this product in an other thread that came up when I google searched tonight. It was a cerveza thread.

I'll just say I really enjoy this beer.
I buy it all the time and while it may not be for beer experts or connoisseurs I gotta think the average guy will like it.
And hey for less than $5 why not find out for yourself?
I really enjoy this product.