Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[Randolf]

WOW Brewdude.Sounds like you have concrete plans.That's a pretty big undertaking.Keep us in the LOOP as to how you are progressing.Good Luck and Brew Strong. Cheers!

 

[joe39]

I'm brewing an ale for the first time. It has been in the fermenter for 3 weeks, the air lock quit bubbling about one week ago, but checking again today I can still see small bubbles coming up in the brew. So, is this a sign that it might be to early to bottle? should I wait until there is no activity? Or just do hydrometer readings?

Thank you for your suggestions

 

[olephart]

Hydrometer readings. When there is no change over a couple of days, it's probably done.
Cheers🍻

 

[martiniw2olives]

I think Brewdude is having fun with this community

 

[ericbw]

I'm brewing an ale for the first time. It has been in the fermenter for 3 weeks, the air lock quit bubbling about one week ago, but checking again today I can still see small bubbles coming up in the brew. So, is this a sign that it might be to early to bottle? should I wait until there is no activity? Or just do hydrometer readings?



Thank you for your suggestions

Hydrometer. Sometimes the bubbles are just gas escaping, not new gas being produced.

3 weeks should get it done, though.

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Hey all!

I am a new brewer. I have been making wine for years now, my wife bought me a Mr. Beer for xmas. If she would have asked, I would have told her to just buy me a couple of carboys, but the money is spent lol.

I put the american ale kit to ferment today. Couple of quick questions The instructional cd that came with the kit was less than helpful. Should I let the the wort set in the fermenter for 14 days? then after that, Bottle it with the carbonation tabs that came with it. Then bottle for how many weeks? How long will this stuff last on the shelf? I doubt it will last too long before I drink it. I have already ordered some more 6.5 gallon fermenters from NB. I have never brewed beer before, but mine wine making gear will be a good fit for it... I mean you can always have more stuff right?

 

[olephart]

Hey all!

I am a new brewer. I have been making wine for years now, my wife bought me a Mr. Beer for xmas. If she would have asked, I would have told her to just buy me a couple of carboys, but the money is spent lol.

I put the american ale kit to ferment today. Couple of quick questions The instructional cd that came with the kit was less than helpful. Should I let the the wort set in the fermenter for 14 days? then after that, Bottle it with the carbonation tabs that came with it. Then bottle for how many weeks? How long will this stuff last on the shelf? I doubt it will last too long before I drink it. I have already ordered some more 6.5 gallon fermenters from NB. I have never brewed beer before, but mine wine making gear will be a good fit for it... I mean you can always have more stuff right?

I let it go for 2 weeks, (although the instructions say 2 to 3 weeks), and then start checking the gravity with a hydrometer, (do you have one for wine making?). If there's no change over a couple of days it's done. Then bottle condition for another two weeks, checking after a few days to see if the bottles are getting hard, i.e. carbing up.

I eventually bought a bottling wand and tubing at my LHBS, less foam when bottling.

I think that sugar cubes have about the same amount of sugar as the carbonation tabs.

Btw, those briess 3.3 lb canisters or 3 lb bags of dried malt, (at your Local HomeBrew Store), are just the right size for the MrBeer kegs, just pick out the hops and yeast you want to use.

Also check out the Biermacht app for your phone, there's a forum here about it. I've learned a lot about making recipes using the app.

Cheers

 

[jmcdaniel0]

I let it go for 2 weeks, (although the instructions say 2 to 3 weeks), and then start checking the gravity with a hydrometer, (do you have one for wine making?). If there's no change over a couple of days it's done. Then bottle condition for another two weeks, checking after a few days to see if the bottles are getting hard, i.e. carbing up.

I eventually bought a bottling wand and tubing at my LHBS, less foam when bottling.

I think that sugar cubes have about the same amount of sugar as the carbonation tabs.

Btw, those briess 3.3 lb canisters or 3 lb bags of dried malt, (at your Local HomeBrew Store), are just the right size for the MrBeer kegs, just pick out the hops and yeast you want to use.

Also check out the Biermacht app for your phone, there's a forum here about it. I've learned a lot about making recipes using the app.

Cheers

I will look up that app. What is the shelf life of the beer after it is bottled? Will it go bad?

 

[even420]

Can I use soda annd yeast to brew

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Can I use soda annd yeast to brew

If you mean Like Carbonated sode like Coca Cola, I dont think so. Its crammed full of preservatives.

However,

I just checked on my first batch of home brew, it is fermenting away, i gave it alittle shake to see if it would tighten up, and sure enough that little keg got tight, and boy could I smell the yeast working. Im getting excited now.

 

[brewshki]

Can I use soda annd yeast to brew

You definitely can. It has sugar in it so the yeast should eat away at it. It probably won't be very good but it could happen.

 

[ronb454]

I started with Mr. Beer several years ago. It was a comfortable way to dip my toe in the lake to see what home brewing was like. I have not done a full start from scratch all grain boil but I did get a couple kits that partial grain and extract kits and they are in the bottles now.

I like the Mr. Beer and I think I even like the results better than what I got with the partial grain kits. Now that Mr Beer has 6 gallon offerings I may buy one of those kits to try. It is all fun for me anyway. I am diabetic so I cannot drink much of what I make. Once in a while I have to count my friends so I put the "free beer" sign out with the requirement "Bring Your Own Pretzels."

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Hey all,

So My Mr. Beer batch was at 14 days on Saturday. I am out of town until atleast Wednesday. Is it going to be ok until then?

 

[ronb454]

Hey all,

So My Mr. Beer batch was at 14 days on Saturday. I am out of town until atleast Wednesday. Is it going to be ok until then?

I would say yes. It will do it's thing until it is all done and then it will be waiting patiently for you to bottle. As long at the temps are steady and no one has messed with it it will be good to go.

 

[jmcdaniel0]

Good Deal! I thought it would be ok, but i wanted double check.

I have a pretty good set up on fermenting. I took a grow tent i bought at a yard sale which is 100% light proof and insulated. I placed a small heater in there and a 6 inch duct fan attached to an ink bird, and it keeps the ambient temp right on 62 degrees +\- a degree. ill eventually be getting a chest freezer so i can do real lager, but im not that far yet.

 

[ronb454]

Good Deal! I thought it would be ok, but i wanted double check.

I have a pretty good set up on fermenting. I took a grow tent i bought at a yard sale which is 100% light proof and insulated. I placed a small heater in there and a 6 inch duct fan attached to an ink bird, and it keeps the ambient temp right on 62 degrees +\- a degree. ill eventually be getting a chest freezer so i can do real lager, but im not that far yet.

I live in an apartment complex that is strict on their safety rules and I have to ask if I want to buy and plug in a small fridge. I had one before I moved here but took an 8 month hiatus to Texas and sold a lot of stuff that I couldn't get in my storage area. My fridge stayed in the storage for over 2 years and when I finally got around to asking this new landlord if it was ok to use, they said they would get back to me. I think they meant, we turn our back to you...

But, I want to get another one and since I pay my utilities myself, I will plug one in and using my Johnson Control Temp regulator I will use less juice than if used as a fridge. That will be my Lager maker and wine cellar and maybe a cheese cave. It may not hold a lot but it will do what I need it to do at very low cost. The control cost almost as much as the little fridge but saved a ton of money.

 

[jmcdaniel0]

I live in an apartment complex that is strict on their safety rules and I have to ask if I want to buy and plug in a small fridge. I had one before I moved here but took an 8 month hiatus to Texas and sold a lot of stuff that I couldn't get in my storage area. My fridge stayed in the storage for over 2 years and when I finally got around to asking this new landlord if it was ok to use, they said they would get back to me. I think they meant, we turn our back to you...

But, I want to get another one and since I pay my utilities myself, I will plug one in and using my Johnson Control Temp regulator I will use less juice than if used as a fridge. That will be my Lager maker and wine cellar and maybe a cheese cave. It may not hold a lot but it will do what I need it to do at very low cost. The control cost almost as much as the little fridge but saved a ton of money.

Absolutley! I was in the same boat. I was renting up until a while ago, we finally decided it was time to buy a house.

Now I have no landlord, but the Commander in Chief is still the final say, So time will tell. I am a big lager fan, and I know the extract kits that say they are lager, typically are lager like, but use ale yeast. I am a avid wine maker, so More wine storage is always a plus!

 

[ronb454]

Absolutley! I was in the same boat. I was renting up until a while ago, we finally decided it was time to buy a house.

Now I have no landlord, but the Commander in Chief is still the final say, So time will tell. I am a big lager fan, and I know the extract kits that say they are lager, typically are lager like, but use ale yeast. I am a avid wine maker, so More wine storage is always a plus!

My SWMBO split in 01 so I be free to do as I do and brew as I brew...with the aforementioned limitations. But I am a sweet talker and the property manager has a sweet tooth and a taste for wine...I think a stick of homemade summer sausage, a pound of homemade cottage cheese, a bottle of Pinot Noir from my own personal whinery and a box of chocolate covered cherries from Dollar General (don't tell I went cheap, ok?) should get me my ok I need for the little fridge. If not, I will have to just show her my smile. BAHAhahaha...as if.

 

[jmcdaniel0]

hahaha charm her!

 

[Soulshine2]

Hello, I'm new in here . I have a knack for finding new/unopened Mr Beer kits at the local Goodwill shop for $5 . After looking up what just the plastic keg costs,or even the cans of LME I'm doing ok (I think) . I have yet to brew but I will be soon. I also bought a kit from a Lakewood Farms that has 2 beer brew kits in it. So right now I have supplies to make a Canadian lager, an American Light , an Amber and a Pilsner . Quite a variety I think.
Are these kits as easy as they read or is there something else I should be doing or buying to make them better. Seems like theyre a sanitize,heat water ,add the stuff , pitch yeast and wait, rack off into bottles , add sugar and yeast and wait some more. Sounds way too easy to make anything drinkable. Any help is appreciated. Thanks and Prost !

 

[ronb454]

Hello, I'm new in here . I have a knack for finding new/unopened Mr Beer kits at the local Goodwill shop for $5 . After looking up what just the plastic keg costs,or even the cans of LME I'm doing ok (I think) . I have yet to brew but I will be soon. I also bought a kit from a Lakewood Farms that has 2 beer brew kits in it. So right now I have supplies to make a Canadian lager, an American Light , an Amber and a Pilsner . Quite a variety I think.
Are these kits as easy as they read or is there something else I should be doing or buying to make them better. Seems like theyre a sanitize,heat water ,add the stuff , pitch yeast and wait, rack off into bottles , add sugar and yeast and wait some more. Sounds way too easy to make anything drinkable. Any help is appreciated. Thanks and Prost !

I know they are pretty good. I am not a beer connisewer (hehe) but I know what I like and Mr Beer kits are as easy as they say. It never hurts to starte easy and then progress to more complex kits as you gain confidence and experience.

I started with them and still use them. I know there are many who like them and many who do not, so, try it.

You may or may not like it but for the money you paid and the possibility they are long out of date, ya get what you pay for. If you follow the directions, you won't go wrong. You may even have fun.
Cheers
rb

 

[Soulshine2]

I'm sure I will. 3 years ago I got into growing my own tobacco (cigar,pipe and chew)and I'm addicted to that too.

 

[ronb454]

I'm sure I will. 3 years ago I got into growing my own tobacco (cigar,pipe and chew)and I'm addicted to that too.

I am told that tobacco without all the crap added by the big producers is very good and not near as dangerous as the commercial stuff.

Brew on.

 

[Roger12345]

Hi all, new brewer here.

I bought a hydrometer for SG readings but it takes about 5oz to get the reading (I drew the sample from the spigot into a graduated cylinder). I drank the 5oz, waste not, want not. It tasted like flat beer which I understand is a good sign.

Can I open the LBK to dump it back in or is that a no no? A few readings from these small batches can get significant. How about opening the top and just dropping the hydrometer in and reading it that way? So much to learn!

Thanks!

 

[Randolf]

Hey Roger12345,welcome to the addiction. FWIW, I've been homebrewing off and on since 1995 and have never even owned a hydrometer.Here is what I do.Allow the brew to ferment in the LBK for 3 weeks.Bottle it.Let it condition at room temperature for a month.
After a month, put 1 or 2 in the fridge for 2 days and then enjoy.I wouldn't recommend putting the sample back in b/c when you open the lid, you can get all kinds of airborne bacteria in your brew that could spoil the whole batch.Again,that's my procedure.Good luck and cheers.

 

[Roger12345]

Thanks, appreciate the response. Makes sense.

 

[brewski09]

Hi all, new brewer here.

I bought a hydrometer for SG readings but it takes about 5oz to get the reading (I drew the sample from the spigot into a graduated cylinder). I drank the 5oz, waste not, want not. It tasted like flat beer which I understand is a good sign.

Can I open the LBK to dump it back in or is that a no no? A few readings from these small batches can get significant. How about opening the top and just dropping the hydrometer in and reading it that way? So much to learn!

Thanks!

I wouldn't dump it back in, it would suck to infect a batch because you're trying to be frugal. Better to get a refractometer and use the finishing gravity calculator at Sean Terrill's website.

 

[brewski09]

Are these kits as easy as they read or is there something else I should be doing or buying to make them better. Seems like theyre a sanitize,heat water ,add the stuff , pitch yeast and wait, rack off into bottles , add sugar and yeast and wait some more. Sounds way too easy to make anything drinkable. Any help is appreciated. Thanks and Prost !

The American light and Canadian light should be basically the same beer, not sure about the Pilsner.

Yes, the kits are as easy as they say. I'd pitch the old yeast into the trash and spend a couple of bucks on good dry yeast. The cleaning stuff they include isn't really a sanitizer but should work well enough for a couple batches until you get addicted and invest more in brewing. Wait longer than the minimum, I always had better luck with 2-3 weeks before bottling. Keep the temperature controlled, just below 70f, to keep off flavors (think proofing bread) away. Oh, and don't bother adding more yeast into the bottles, there will be plenty in suspension with the turnaround on these kits. But yeah, drinkable is what you get with these kits.

 

[slym2none]

The One Step that MB gives out is a sanitizer, they just haven't gone through the federal regulations to get it labelled that way.

Also, it's very good at dissolving glue on bottles.

 

[ericbw]

The American light and Canadian light should be basically the same beer, not sure about the Pilsner.

Yes, the kits are as easy as they say. I'd pitch the old yeast into the trash and spend a couple of bucks on good dry yeast. The cleaning stuff they include isn't really a sanitizer but should work well enough for a couple batches until you get addicted and invest more in brewing. Wait longer than the minimum, I always had better luck with 2-3 weeks before bottling. Keep the temperature controlled, just below 70f, to keep off flavors (think proofing bread) away. Oh, and don't bother adding more yeast into the bottles, there will be plenty in suspension with the turnaround on these kits. But yeah, drinkable is what you get with these kits.

I agree - time is the key to making better Mr. Beer. Keep it cool (low room temperature in the winter - like 65 if you can), and wait 2-3-4 weeks before bottling. Then wait a solid 2 weeks at least with the bottles at room temperature. Then refrigerate for AT LEAST 3 days, but if you can wait a week, it's even better.

So they advertise that you can make beer in 2 weeks, but it's really more like 6-7 to make good beer. And if you like it, you can also learn to use the kit as a base and tweak it with extra grains or hops.

The yeast was usually known as not very good, but since Coopers bought them, the yeast might have improved? I used to use Coopers yeast packets anyway because they seemed better than Muntons, and they cost like $1.75 instead of $3-4 like Safale, etc.

It's a great way to start, and if it's crappy, you can dump it and start over - you're only out $5!

 

[itsjustmedkt]

I still use Mr. Beer, plus I have purchased the equipment and do extract brewing as well as all grain... just getting into that part. My brother in law uses only Mr beer and he creates his own recipes. He makes some really good beer! The point is, Yes, Mr Beer is different than extract or all grain brewing. But as stated so many times here, it has introduced a lot of people to brewing beer, which is a wonderful thing! Brew on people!!!!

 

[TonyKZ1]

^^I agree 100%, Brew on People!

 

[moots]

I started with a Mr. Beer kit in 2015. I bought the kit with a gift card that I had received. The kit has served me well so far. For my needs/wants this is the perfect size for me. Brewing in small batches like this has enabled me to brew a wider variety of beers than I could with an all grain set up.
They offer a wide variety of refill kits, recipes (up through partial mash) . They also sell a wide variety of grains, and other additions, along with different yeasts. They also seem to be adding, and working to make equipment, and recipes better.
Having this kit has allowed me to enjoy the hobby of home brewing beer. It has also allowed me to refine my process, which I do on every batch that I make. From this forum, and others, I have gotten great advice on how to do things in the process, and improve what I am already doing.
I plan on keeping my small kit for a long time to come.

 

[BubbaMan]

Well, it begins.
Yesterday I bought a complete, unused but quite old Mr Beer kit for only $5 at a local thrift shop.
This is my first attempt at brewing beer. The beer is West Coast Pale Ale, and although I could not find a date on the can or yeast the kit included a Mr Beer catalog dated 2007 (LOL!).
I followed the directions carefully, both the directions that came with the kit and a YT video from Mr Beer...quite simple, pretty quick and kinda fun!
I've wanted to try my hand at this for 20 years now, and I am pretty excited to see how this works out! In spite of its' age, I can tell that there is a lot of action going on inside the fermenter already!

 

[slym2none]

Using Mr. B hopped LME that old is probably not going to turn out well. I speak from experience on that. It will be beer, but it probably won't taste that good.

Good luck!

 

[meridianomrebel]

Well, it begins.
Yesterday I bought a complete, unused but quite old Mr Beer kit for only $5 at a local thrift shop.
This is my first attempt at brewing beer. The beer is West Coast Pale Ale, and although I could not find a date on the can or yeast the kit included a Mr Beer catalog dated 2007 (LOL!).
I followed the directions carefully, both the directions that came with the kit and a YT video from Mr Beer...quite simple, pretty quick and kinda fun!
I've wanted to try my hand at this for 20 years now, and I am pretty excited to see how this works out! In spite of its' age, I can tell that there is a lot of action going on inside the fermenter already!

Congrats on starting the hobby. The bad news - that old extract is not going to taste good at all. I started with Mr Beer and found a couple of old cans sitting around and figured "why not". Once it finished fermenting, I took a taste and dumped it immediately. It tasted exactly like celery. Those cans do have an expiration to them for a reason.

 

[slym2none]

I had a can of the ALL that was only two years out of date off of a CL buy. I figured I'd mess with it some, added some LME, rye, and a couple of C hops.

Even the first beer I made where I fermented too warm for the first 12-14 hours tasted better than this beer. Dumped it after trying a few over some weeks' time.

 

[BubbaMan]

Congrats on starting the hobby. The bad news - that old extract is not going to taste good at all. I started with Mr Beer and found a couple of old cans sitting around and figured "why not". Once it finished fermenting, I took a taste and dumped it immediately. It tasted exactly like celery. Those cans do have an expiration to them for a reason.

I get it. Still, I'm one of those guys who can't throw anything away, lol!
I'm out nothing except a little time and water and it gave me a sort of "test run" to go thru the steps.
I ordered a nice fresh Diabolo IPA refill and will have it next week...I like IPA's. I welcome suggestions regarding which Mr. B's refills are the best (I like most kinds of beer).

 

[slym2none]

Thanks for recognizing my contribution.

You are welcome.

 

[Soulshine2]

I've had these 2 Mr Beer kits ($5 Goodwill buys)for a little while. If you're following my other post about this being another expensive hobby .
I was a little skeptical about if these would even produce anything drinkable but after acquiring a viable yeast from my LHBS ,I made the kits on Valentines day with their included ingredients of LME (Canadian Lager and Classic American Light)and pitched the Safale-05 . The krausen has been going great . This morning, actually minutes ago , I tasted each by dispensing from the spigots to a shot glass, only about 1/2 oz of each . I took the first sip expecting something rancid that I'd want to spit out immediately.... I have to say I am not only amazed it even did anything but quite impressed. The molasses looking syrup I poured from the cans to make wort and poured to plastic brown barrels has fermented and turned into an amber golden tinted and somewhat already clear beer with a low amount of carbonation. I can just imagine with another few days ,the priming sugar and a couple weeks of conditioning it being actually drinkable.
Its "on" now.