Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[skitter]

You want to talk about somebody addicted to brewing in Mr Beer kegs... check out my blog in my sig and look at the latest article. I built a $30 fermentation chamber around the Mr Beer kegs

 

[uatuba]

You want to talk about somebody addicted to brewing in Mr Beer kegs... check out my blog in my sig and look at the latest article. I built a $30 fermentation chamber around the Mr Beer kegs

Have you ever tried crushing carapils with a rolling pin?


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[skidoo2003]

More time in primary would likely help. I go 10-14 days minimum before bottling on a low gravity batch when I am pushing the timeline. The Mr beer yeast is absolute crap, use the other stuff you picked up. Do you know your fermentation temp? If not, get an LCD thermometer and apply it on the side down low. Keep your temps below 70f, but above 64f (depending on the yeast - some like to run a little cooler). Just out of curiosity, what yeast did the LHBS sell you? As for the star San, yes. Just yes. I don't think you have an infection though, just a little incomplete fermentation. The green apple you taste is acetaldehyde. Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

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I left it in primary for 4 weeks. I usually leave it that long. My ferm temps are around 62. I used to have it in a room where it was around 70 and thought that could be a reason for the off taste, so was hoping the lower temp would help, but maybe went too cold?
I got a Safale 05 from LHBS. Should I look for something else that is better at my lower temps?


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[cheddarhed3]

That taste usually comes from not letting it ferment long enough or not letting it condition long enough.

To say I was a bit "antsy" with my first two batches would be an understatement. I went simply to the shortest date recommended and bottled. I would imagine an extra week or two would have done wonders.:fro:

 

[bpgreen]

I left it in primary for 4 weeks. I usually leave it that long. My ferm temps are around 62. I used to have it in a room where it was around 70 and thought that could be a reason for the off taste, so was hoping the lower temp would help, but maybe went too cold?
I got a Safale 05 from LHBS. Should I look for something else that is better at my lower temps?


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US-05 works great in the low 60s. If you pitch enough, you can even use it in the mid to upper 50s. At those temperatures, it ferments very cleanly, letting the malt and hops shine through.

As for the green taste, I think you probably just need to give it more time. After bottling, give it a month at room temperature, followed by at least a week (preferably two) in the fridge).

 

[brewski09]

You are fine with the us-05 at 62. The yeast sent out with the kit will make beer, just not good beer. Do the same thing on the next batch with the us-05 and you should have better beer.

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[skitter]

Have you ever tried crushing carapils with a rolling pin?


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Yes, did it my first brew

 

[BigFloyd]

US-05 works great in the low 60s. If you pitch enough, you can even use it in the mid to upper 50s. At those temperatures, it ferments very cleanly, letting the malt and hops shine through.

If you're going to pitch and ferment in the mid-upper 50's (beer temp), Nottingham would be a better choice than US-05. US-05 has a sweet spot at 64-65*F, but can throw off a distinct peachy flavor fermented below 64*F.

Nottingham ferments very cleanly (almost lager-like) around 55-58*F (with a later bump up to finish at 65), but you must keep it below 68*F when active or it gets funky.

 

[skitter]

I did mean the overall brewers blog link, not the Mr Beer link. It describes my process of building a chamber specifically for the Mr Beer kegs.

 

[skidoo2003]

US-05 works great in the low 60s. If you pitch enough, you can even use it in the mid to upper 50s. At those temperatures, it ferments very cleanly, letting the malt and hops shine through.

As for the green taste, I think you probably just need to give it more time. After bottling, give it a month at room temperature, followed by at least a week (preferably two) in the fridge).

this makes me feel better on my Caribou Slobber. i can't wait to get it started now. i am doing the 1 gallon batch, and it says to use half of the yeast packet. in my case is it better to pitch the whole packet? what negative effects can too much yeast have?

 

[bpgreen]

If you're going to pitch and ferment in the mid-upper 50's (beer temp), Nottingham would be a better choice than US-05. US-05 has a sweet spot at 64-65*F, but can throw off a distinct peachy flavor fermented below 64*F.

Nottingham ferments very cleanly (almost lager-like) around 55-58*F (with a later bump up to finish at 65), but you must keep it below 68*F when active or it gets funky.

Nottingham is actually what I usually use at that temperature range, but the guy who was asking has US-05 and it will work in those temperature ranges (and will ferment almost as cleanly as notty). The Fermentis PDF on US-05 now lists the temperature range as 53.6-77 with the ideal range as 59-71.6. I recently fermented a beer that had a 1.094 OG at about 58 using US-05 (two packets rehydrated in a 5 gallon batch) and it brought it down to 1.024.

 

[bpgreen]

this makes me feel better on my Caribou Slobber. i can't wait to get it started now. i am doing the 1 gallon batch, and it says to use half of the yeast packet. in my case is it better to pitch the whole packet? what negative effects can too much yeast have?

Using too much yeast actually can have undesirable effects, but it takes A LOT of yeast to get to the point where you're really overpitching, especially if you're not rehydrating. A full pack of US-05 is not overpitching in a Mr Beer sized batch.

 

[BigFloyd]

this makes me feel better on my Caribou Slobber. i can't wait to get it started now. i am doing the 1 gallon batch, and it says to use half of the yeast packet. in my case is it better to pitch the whole packet? what negative effects can too much yeast have?

A whole 11g packet would be a significant over-pitch in a one-gallon batch, but OK for a full LBK (2.3-2.5 gallons). Half of a packet in one gallon would be the better option.

More important is to pitch it on the cool side (low 60's) and keep the beer temp in the low-60's for at least the first 4-5 days. After that, you should let it come up in temp to finish.

 

[bpgreen]

A whole 11g packet would be a significant over-pitch in a one-gallon batch, but OK for a full LBK (2.3-2.5 gallons). Half of a packet in one gallon would be the better option.

More important is to pitch it on the cool side (low 60's) and keep the beer temp in the low-60's for at least the first 4-5 days. After that, you should let it come up in temp to finish.

Good catch. I missed the part where it was a 1 gallon batch.

 

[MikeBergan]

I recently found a Mr. Beer large plastic bottle on the shelf in my garage. It is from a batch I brewed about 1 1/2 years ago, I believe. Somehow, it got shuffled onto a shelf when we moved and I never noticed it.
My question is; not being sure what exactly it has gone through temperature-wise, would it be safe to chill it down for a few days and then drink it? I am curious to see what the long aging has done to its' flavor, but am leery of getting sick if something may be off.

Should I attempt ??? or just dump/discard it? Also, what about the plastic bottle itself? will that be ok after a good washing out? or do I need to throw it as well?

 

[brewski09]

Smell it and see if it's any good. My guess is it will be oxidized as hell, bit you never know. The beer nay have a sour infection too, but not too likely. If it smells good, then bottle some and see how it goes. If it smells sour but not vinegary, you may have struck gold add it should still be drinkable if you like sours. Good luck.

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[powerguard18]

mr beer update

started out with a 1-2 yr old mr beer kit from my basement that i got forchristmas
I used the booster and the extract with the 1-2 yr old yeast packet that came with it
followed the directions
spent 14 days in the mr beer keg (not much fermentation happening)
used skitter method of bottling http://skittersmurf.us/index.php/skittbrewing/106-makingthebestofmrbeer
spent 4 weeks in the bottles
just poured my first one it looks like smells like and tastes like beer. Not sure if there is any alcohol in it but seems drinkable
it even has all the tiny little bubbles coming off the bottom like any other beer. I am a little impressed and may try this again but with a more complicated recipe than a mr beer kit

 

[MikeBergan]

Smell it and see if it's any good. My guess is it will be oxidized as hell, bit you never know. The beer nay have a sour infection too, but not too likely. If it smells good, then bottle some and see how it goes. If it smells sour but not vinegary, you may have struck gold add it should still be drinkable if you like sours. Good luck.

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Let me clarify, it is already bottled, in one of the large (1 liter?) Mr Beer bottles. I just lost track of this individual bottle, and it has been on a shelf in my garage. The temp in there was mostly uncontrolled (ranging, at a guess from low in the 40's to high in the 80's or so, maybe a bit higher in summer) and it has been there for about a year.

This would have been from a wheat beer kit that I did and it has been bottled/primed and should be carbonated just fine (feels plenty stiff, so it seems to have held).

 

[uatuba]

Smell it and see if it's any good. My guess is it will be oxidized as hell, bit you never know. The beer nay have a sour infection too, but not too likely. If it smells good, then bottle some and see how it goes. If it smells sour but not vinegary, you may have struck gold add it should still be drinkable if you like sours. Good luck.

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It's already bottled...he's talking about one of the 1L bottles that come with Mr. Beer kits. It's probably a LOT better than it would have been had he opened it as soon is often suggested in those kits.

 

[bpgreen]

I recently found a Mr. Beer large plastic bottle on the shelf in my garage. It is from a batch I brewed about 1 1/2 years ago, I believe. Somehow, it got shuffled onto a shelf when we moved and I never noticed it.
My question is; not being sure what exactly it has gone through temperature-wise, would it be safe to chill it down for a few days and then drink it? I am curious to see what the long aging has done to its' flavor, but am leery of getting sick if something may be off.

Should I attempt ??? or just dump/discard it? Also, what about the plastic bottle itself? will that be ok after a good washing out? or do I need to throw it as well?

If you were careful with sanitation and not oxygenating, it should be fine. Plastic bottles aren't as impermeable as glass, so there a possibility that it's not fully carbonated any more and may be a little stale, but should be OK.

Even if it got infected and our oxygenated, it'll still be safe to drink.

If it's infected, you don't want to keep the bottle, but if it's stale, you're good to keep it.

 

[brewski09]

Let me clarify, it is already bottled, in one of the large (1 liter?) Mr Beer bottles. I just lost track of this individual bottle, and it has been on a shelf in my garage. The temp in there was mostly uncontrolled (ranging, at a guess from low in the 40's to high in the 80's or so, maybe a bit higher in summer) and it has been there for about a year.

This would have been from a wheat beer kit that I did and it has been bottled/primed and should be carbonated just fine (feels plenty stiff, so it seems to have held).

sorry, missed the bottle part of the post (i see it when i went back to read it again). be careful of a highly pressureized bottle when you open it (open it in the sink with a cup to pour into immediately and maybe a plastic one to cover it with if it starts spraying out everywhere - i've had this happen before when i overcarbonated my beer). if it is overcarbonated, you can burp it like a soda that has been shaken to release some of the pressure, then chill it again to settle the sediment, and then drink it (likely the next day). if you capture some of what sprays out, you will have an idea if this is good or not. i wouldn't suspect infection in a bottle, only the kegs, so ignore that part. if it used a wit beer yeast, the temps should be fine because they kick off some interesting flavors at higher temps. if not, it may still taste fine. i'm curious what you find out and I would definitely try it if it were mine.

 

[MikeBergan]

Thanks all for the input... I feel much better about the upcoming taste test.

As one of our members sig block quotes says (paraphrased here).... I mean, I am gonna drink it anyway, but is it ok?

I was mostly concerned about something that might make me sick, but it seems I should be ok, and I WILL post a result comment once I do try it... Probably be a couple days, I have it chilling in my beer fridge now, but want to give it a good 3-5 days at least

 

[skitter]

I try my beer at a week, I also try to let it go 3 weeks in the bottle... doesn't happen sometines

 

[Walzenbrew]

I used my Mr Beer keg as a apfelwein/cider fermenter for quite a while. It worked great, but the "green apple" flavor rubs off really easy if you ever use it for beer after makin cider.


New to Homebrewing? Guides, How To, and Advice:

Http://thebeginnersbrew.com


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[MikeBergan]

Thanks all for the input... I feel much better about the upcoming taste test.

As one of our members sig block quotes says (paraphrased here).... I mean, I am gonna drink it anyway, but is it ok?

I was mostly concerned about something that might make me sick, but it seems I should be ok, and I WILL post a result comment once I do try it... Probably be a couple days, I have it chilling in my beer fridge now, but want to give it a good 3-5 days at least

Well, I tried it... results were NOT very good. It was carb'ed but there was not much for foam retention and it had a funny off taste tart and a bit sour. I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe it.

 

[brewski09]

If it was just the kit with no modifications it was probably a mild residual acetaldehyde green apple taste. Thx for the input though.


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[ddavis7426]

1st time brewer.
Kit was 1-2 years old, followed Mr Beer directions- did not used a thermometer when I pitched the yeast. I did however, use very, very cold water before adding the wort to the Mr Beer.

I did not see any bubbling at all for 2 weeks. Just prior to 2 weeks, I did see what I would describe as water beginning to slow simmer, or like fizzing of a Pepsi etc. but no large bubbles on top of the wort. I did see some kausen? and/or fast moving particles on top of the wort the prior 2 weeks- I would say it looked much like a shooting star across the sky the way the particles moved around.

The bottom of the keg had about a 1/4 inch layer of trub (I guess) after the first week. After a week I did see some solid particles on top of the wort. Have maintained a temp of 68 degrees and kept the keg inside a dark cabinet.

After 11-12 days I have finally begun to see bubbles forming on the top of the work.

My brew is a Cowboy Golden Lager.

Does it take this long to ferment?

Could I have other problems (bad yeast, too little yeast, to warm temp when I pitched etc)?

How much longer should I wait as I will be at the 3 week period in another 5 days ( but it looks like it just started to ferment)?

 

[skidoo2003]

1st time brewer.

How much longer should I wait as I will be at the 3 week period in another 5 days ( but it looks like it just started to ferment)?

Best thing to do to find out for sure what's happened is to buy a hydrometer and check the specific gravity. Even though you didn't get an original gravity, you should be able to get an idea of if it's stuck or not.


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[brewski09]

Does it smell sour? If not I would say you just got lucky. What's the temp now? I use LCD thermometers like for a fish tank on the side of the keg to tell this.


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[ddavis7426]

I have a digital thermometer located inside the cabinet with the keg (not on the side but it is beside it) It has been at 68 degrees since day 1.
Dont know if sour or not- I havent tried it.

Does it smell sour? If not I would say you just got lucky. What's the temp now? I use LCD thermometers like for a fish tank on the side of the keg to tell this.


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[brewski09]

I have a digital thermometer located inside the cabinet with the keg (not on the side but it is beside it) It has been at 68 degrees since day 1.
Dont know if sour or not- I havent tried it.

You may find that when you take the temp of the actual bet it may vary from that ambient temp by several degrees, but that would not have been an issue for your fermentation. If anything it should have taken off like crazy. Depending on the year you may have some mild of flavors and aromas if it's too warm. Think bread yeast as our is proofing. I would check the gravity and see how it is at this point. I think you most likely has one of two things. The year fermented without any krauesen or its never really took off.

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[ddavis7426]

Gravity today is 1.020
It tastes well, sorta like flat beer but it had sort of a little bite of some sort(not hoppy).
*******Correction edit: at 68 degrees ambient temp and calibrated at 60 degrees the correct specific gravity is 1.021********

Mr Beer tech support said OG was approx.1.036 and Final G 1.009

You may find that when you take the temp of the actual bet it may vary from that ambient temp by several degrees, but that would not have been an issue for your fermentation. If anything it should have taken off like crazy. Depending on the year you may have some mild of flavors and aromas if it's too warm. Think bread yeast as our is proofing. I would check the gravity and see how it is at this point. I think you most likely has one of two things. The year fermented without any krauesen or its never really took off.

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[brewski09]

Does it smell like green apple? I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. I would personally pitch new yeast and drink it quickly once it's done. You might have shocked the yeast by adding when the wort was still too hot for it. That could have stressed it out to the point it wouldn't work right.


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[Jahvon09]

Yeah, on my Brewdemon fermenter, the manual says to to add a gallon of filtered cold water to the fermenter first, then the hot wort, and then another gallon or so of cold filtered water up to the 8.5-qt mark.

Doing it this way also helps keep the fermenter from being deformed or warped as a result of the hot wort. so it's cold, hot then cold again.

Then I am to check the temp and make sure that the whole thing is comfortably cold before adding the yeast, which it usually is.

 

[ddavis7426]

Day 20 today-tastes much, much better today. Gravity down a bit but still not 1.009. I am gonna give it 1-2 more days at least in the keg. After my original post a few days ago, I did give the keg a very very gentle rock (not really a shake) and the bubbling stopped
.
What will it do for me as far as clarity of the brew if I move the keg to the fridge the next 1-2 days or should I just stick with 2-2-2- rule??

 

[brewski09]

Day 20 today-tastes much, much better today. Gravity down a bit but still not 1.009. I am gonna give it 1-2 more days at least in the keg. After my original post a few days ago, I did give the keg a very very gentle rock (not really a shake) and the bubbling stopped
.
What will it do for me as far as clarity of the brew if I move the keg to the fridge the next 1-2 days or should I just stick with 2-2-2- rule??

What is the gravity now? When you rocked it you could have simply degassed the co2 in solution. If you are done with the fermentation another couple of days at fermentation temps will let all the extra compounds get cleaned up by the yeast an then you can do a chilled secondary if you want. The theories here are varied. I don't use the same process every time last beer I only did a primary, I dry hopped 4 days, and chilled to about 50 with ice packs. Turned out fantastic.


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[SulBruin3]

Need advice. Brewed 5 gallons of blond ale in 2 mr beer kegs for 3 weeks. Bottle primed and conditioned 4 weeks at temp of low 60s. Cold in New England. Tried one and no carbonation and sweet. Should I leave alone for couple more weeks and hope they get better or should I open them and add some yeast to get carbonation???

 

[skitter]

Sounds like your yeast is completely shot

 

[brewski09]

The yeast isn't necessarily shot. Nottingham is supposed to be great in the low 60's but mine crapped out at 62.5F. Raise the temp a little an you will be fine. I target 68F for my yeast. If you listen to the can you brew it show, Jamil recommends going as high as 80F for slow carbonations.


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[bpgreen]

The yeast isn't necessarily shot. Nottingham is supposed to be great in the low 60's but mine crapped out at 62.5F. Raise the temp a little an you will be fine. I target 68F for my yeast. If you listen to the can you brew it show, Jamil recommends going as high as 80F for slow carbonations.


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Nottingham crapped out at 62.5? I've used it at 55 with no problems (although I'll usually give a batch 3 weeks in the fermenter at 55).