Just starting - looking for lots of help

[offenbeckerm]

Hello all...this is Matt. I got a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas has it has spawned a monster. By this, I mean that my first beer will taste monstrous, but I can also see myself approaching a level of unhealthy addiction for this hobby.

After doing a lot of reading and not much brewing (beyond my initial Mr. Beer kit - which looks to resemble Busch Lt. - yuck), I'm considering trying the following:

I'd like to use my Mr. Beer fermenter to produce a 2.5 gallon batch of summer ale (which seems like a pretty easy recipe). Note: I'm dividing all ingredients by 2 for the half batch.

Day 1:
-Boil 3gal of H2O, remove from heat, and dissolve Lt. LME (3.3 lb)
-Resume heat and wait for boil. Begin adding hop pellets (.25 oz hattertau)
-Boil .5 hour and add another .25 of same hops
-Boil another .25 hour and add another 1/8 oz. of same hops
-At the end of 1hr boil, cool rapidly to about 80 degrees.
-Pour into my fermenter (Mr. Beer)...pitch yeast, seal, and wait for fementation. Then I have some time to plan the next stage.

Of course, all that I've read points me toward sanitizing everything completely prior to any of the above steps...I have the following questions:

1 - Do you think this will work in the Mr. Beer fermemter? (I know that ideally, I'd do a full batch with legit equipment, but I'd like to get my boiling, fermenting, and bottling chops before I turn my house into a full-fledged chemistry lab) The Mr. Beer kit obviously bypasses the airlock idea; is this a huge deal to a beginner like myself or just something that will improve my quality as I become more comfortable with the more sophisticated equipment?
2 - Will it taste DECENT, or will I pour it down the drain when complete?
3 - I've read in several places that it's tough to "over-yeast" so I think I should still use the full packet for the half batch. Correct?
4 - If you think it's got a chance, what holes do you see in my plan or suggestions for improvements do you have?

I'm relying on this whole internet thing for most of my knowledge since I don't have any friends that are experts. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Matt

 

[thood6]

It will work fine in Mr. Beer. It is indeed hard to over pitch and you will be fine with the full pack.

The recipe that you posted will make drinkable beer. However I have some suggestions I would like to add as you are moving from Mr. Beer.

Try getting some specialty grains to steep before your boil really helps with flavor and color.

3.3 lbs seems a little light on fermentables and only puts you around the 3.8 percent mark.

Look into late extract additions it really helps flavor.

Finally get the temp down to 65 before pitching and use premium dry or liquid yeast.

I know it can be daunting at first, but you'll get it. Good luck!

 

[Sayers]

James Spencer uses the Mr. Beer Unit quite a few times in his podcasts, basic brewing radio and basic brewing video.
I recommend watching and listening to them for some great info, especially the earlier episodes. I learned a lot from him when I first started out.

 

[offenbeckerm]

Thanks for the help in both regards...

Sayers - I will check out the Spencer material - great advice.

thood6 - Very valuable comments. I'll certainly get a little more extract to add to the boil and I might pick up some specialty grain to steep before the boil. That doesn't seem too complicated - I've made tea before.

 

[rayfound]

Word of warning on brewing bigger beers in Mr Beer fermenter - it does not seal. The lid does not seal - it has two little slots that allow CO2 to escape, so they don't have to spend $ on an airlock. If you brew a beer that gets a high Krausen, it is going to come out of there and make a mess everywhere, so keep your fermenter in some kind of bin/tub/bathtub for easy cleanup.

 

[The_Cleveland_Brew_Shop]

6.5 gallons buckets are used for 5 gallon batches because the need for head room as the beer ferments. I am not aware if the Mr. Beer Kit would give sufficient space for a Krausen to form or if it would blow over. A fermenting bucket is about 8 bucks and an Air lock is 1.50. If you want to continue the hobby it would be worth every penny.

 

[offenbeckerm]

Thanks for advice re: size of fermenting bucket. I actually have a 5gal and 6.5gal that are pretty much ready to roll. I'll need to do a bit of research on how to actually use the airlock, but I imagine it's not rocket surgery. As for the size of the batch, does anyone know if it would be bad to ferment a 2.5 or 3 gallon batch in a 5 gallon fermenting tank? Lots of extra oxygen in there...

 

[thood6]

Thanks for advice re: size of fermenting bucket. I actually have a 5gal and 6.5gal that are pretty much ready to roll. I'll need to do a bit of research on how to actually use the airlock, but I imagine it's not rocket surgery. As for the size of the batch, does anyone know if it would be bad to ferment a 2.5 or 3 gallon batch in a 5 gallon fermenting tank? Lots of extra oxygen in there...

Those would do fine in that bucket. The fermentation produces so much CO2 that it drives off the oxygen. If you were going to do a secondary you need as little headspace as possible, but for primary fermentation you are fine.