Alternative ingredients for Mr. Beer

[Rapscallion Jones]

I'm about to start a new brew today, but I don't want use the Booster that the kits come with. What's a good alternative?

FYI: This is a Canadian Draft mix.

 

[Orfy]

DME or another tin of unhopped Mr Beer malt.

 

[RichBrewer]

How about honey if you can't get malt extract?

 

[Rapscallion Jones]

Alright, well that's sort of what I thought.

I'm flying blind here as I think the Mr. Beer kit oversimplifies the process. I'm about to run out to the shop to get some ingredients.

Any idea what sort of DME is appropriate for this brew? Thoughts on: Muton & Fison Amber Unhopped ???

Also, going to get some yeast at the shop, too. Wha's the difference between dry and liquid yeast?

How about honey if you can't get malt extract?

That's an idea!

 

[RichBrewer]

Alright, well that's sort of what I thought.

I'm flying blind here as I think the Mr. Beer kit oversimplifies the process. I'm about to run out to the shop to get some ingredients.

Any idea what sort of DME is appropriate for this brew? Thoughts on: Muton & Fison Amber Unhopped ???

Also, going to get some yeast at the shop, too. Wha's the difference between dry and liquid yeast?

I would get dried malt extract. Maybe a 1 pound bag. If you don't use it all you can close it up and use the rest in another batch.

Liquid yeast are supposed to be cleaner than dry. There is also much more variety in liquid yeast. If you are brewing a particular style of beer you can always find a liquid strain for it.
For general purpose I think Safale US-56 is a great dry yeast that is clean and ferments out well.
Let us know what you decided.

 

[Orfy]

Stick with dried yeast. It easier to use and give damn good results.
Liquid yeast is used to add flavour profiles for specific beers.

 

[Rapscallion Jones]

Alright, so I went by the shop looking for DME and the guy who runs the show told me that he had none. It's strange. I've been this place twice. The first time looking for fermentation buckets, the second for DME and both times he's had nothing. I also told him that I wanted to buy some yeast because I wanted to deviate from the ingredients that Mr. Beer provides.

His advice was substitute DME with a pound of honey. I made it pretty clear that I was brewing a half batch in a Mr. Beer and he told me I'd be fine. So I wound up bagging a bottle that weighed out to a little more than a pound. I also told him I was interested in liquid yeast and he asked me why. When I told him I just wanted to weigh my options and give liquid yeast a spin he went out back and got me a bottle of something called EasYeast that is produced here in New Hampshire. He was also quick to point out what Orfy pointed out above. I didn't ask many questions about it as I trusted his judgement. He did know ahead of time what I was brewing, so it's not like he took a shot in the dark. The guy has a reputation for being helpful. Once again, I asked him if I should just cut the bottle in half since I'm not doing five gallons and he told me to pitch the whole thing, which I did.

So two night ago I mixed it up. I dumped the whole thing into the keg, mixed it up vigourously and capped it off. It's sitting in a box in my closet right behind me. I've checked the progress and it looks to be fermenting nicely. Once again, I took a big whiff and got a good blast of carbon dioxyde. I also noticed the distinct scent of honey. I'm not sure how long to sit on this but I'm thinking that giving it a good four weeks in the keg. I'm still a little fuzzy on how long to leave it in the bottles, though, before I crack one. I noticed with my last batch of pale ale, that the condition has plateaued at three weeks.

 

[Orfy]

Very strange for a HBS to not have DME and ferementing bins. They are the main things required by brewers. And EasyYeast, wtf is that?
He should of suggested LME if he had no DME.
Honey is less fermentable, less predictable and takes longer to ferment. It's okay for an addition but I wouldn't use it as a main feremntable for a standard beer.

Saying that I'm sure your beer is going to turn out very well. It sounds like you'd benefit from a hydrometer if you are deviating from standard recipes.
MY advice to you is find a different HBS and get yourself 1 or 2 5 gallon fermenters and come play with the big boys.

 

[Rapscallion Jones]

Very strange for a HBS to not have DME and ferementing bins. They are the main things required by brewers. And EasyYeast, wtf is that?
He should of suggested LME if he had no DME.
Honey is less fermentable, less predictable and takes longer to ferment. It's okay for an addition but I wouldn't use it as a main feremntable for a standard beer.

Saying that I'm sure your beer is going to turn out very well. It sounds like you'd benefit from a hydrometer if you are deviating from standard recipes.
MY advice to you is find a different HBS and get yourself 1 or 2 5 gallon fermenters and come play with the big boys.

I'm talking about Stout Billy's in Portsmouth, NH. Any New Hampshire brewer who has been there will confirm it, but SB's is a disaster. It's just convenient for me because it's a half a mile from where I work. Any other HBS is a major investment of time in terms of driving.

The guy who runs the joint is a nice guy and it's obvious that he likes to talk shop, but you wouldn't know that it was homebrew shop just by looking at it. He's got **** everywhere. Empty bottles laying around, stuff stacked on top of other stuff. There's no organization. It's more like some guy's garage with a cash register next to the door. If you want something, you have to ask for it and so far he's struck out twice.

 

[lefteye]

if youve got it in a closet, four weeks might be too long in the primary - unless the closet is about 67*