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Does anyone have a list of mini fridges that will hold the mr. beer keg? I would like to pick up a used one to ferment in, (too hot in the summer) but don't want to be suprised if it doesn't fit in there. Any favorite mini's that can hold within range without adding a temp control unit would be helpful too!
 
Just measure your keg and take the dimensions when you go fridge shopping. Don't forget to check Craigs List and yard sales. If you have the space used full size fridges can be found pretty cheap (often free for the taking) and will give you room to expand.

Most fridges cannot be set warm enough for ale fermenting so you will probably have to go with some type of external controller. Here is a cheap one that I use on my brew fridge.
 
Hello all. I recently picked up a Mr. Beer kit from the local Goodwill for $6.50. I figured why not at a price like that. It appeared unused and had everything but the booster pack included. Anyway, I have my first beer fermenting right now. I replaced the booster with about .6lbs (275 grams to be exact) of amber dry malt extract. I added most of the DME as the water was heating. When it came to a boil I removed it, added the can and the remaining DME, returned it to a boil, then removed it from heat, added it to the rest of the water, waited, added yeast, waited, stirred vigorously, and then stuck it in a cabinet.

Anyway, by the next morning (Sunday) it had developed a large head of krausen. I sampled it last night (from the tap) and it already tastes like beer to me. What is the likelihood it will take two weeks to finish given that?
 
Seth, I'd recommend waiting... at least two weeks. There are many reasons, but the best one is that aging really works with beer.
 
Let your beer ferment a full 14 days and stop taking samples during fermentation, especially after it appears that things have calmed down. When you draw beer out the tap air enters the lid. This is not too bad when fermentation is going strong and producing CO2 which protects the beer but once fermentation slows you really do not want to suck oxygen into the fermentor.
 
as everyone else said, wait :)

i too however did the same thing on many occasions with my mr. beer. it turned out just fine (well... as good as it was going to) without any issues. if i could turn back time, i would have just let it sit. but i got anxious and wanted to try... the bottles are now still sitting in the closet as they truely do get a lot better when aged.

i have found they tend to be extremely carbonated and for me dry. i added honey to mine so i'm sure that contributes to the dry factor, but following the instructions for adding table sugar for carb should be substituted imo.

a few pages back someone suggests using mixing a corn sugar solution and allowing that to do the carbing. once again, if i could turn back time i would have probably done that as well.

either way, it's a mr. beer so you're not going to mess anything up in most cases. enjoy your brew :mug:
 
well cracked open my first bottle the other day of my red ale and tast was not to bad but it did seem week and lacking body, was about 2 1/2 weeks in the keg, 2 weeks in the bottles and a couple days in the fridge will it get much better ? it's drinkable just seems to be lacking much body ?
 
Which red ale did you brew? Was it the basic Bewitched Red Ale? I find the basic Mr. Beer recipes to be simple and lacking body. Things got much better when I stopped using booster and sugars (cane sugar, corn syrup, honey...). The Mr. Beer recipes that use two cans of malt extract are noticeably better.
 
Whats a good house ale to keep on tap? We already keep IPAs around. I was thinking about an Amber. I'm basically looking for an easy drinking beer with good mouth feel and evenly balanced on hop/malt. Thoughts?
 
Vuarra said:
Seth, I'd recommend waiting... at least two weeks. There are many reasons, but the best one is that aging really works with beer.
Click to expand...

I second Vuarra's comment for Seth, cmccul1, and most everyone else. I have now done about 20 batches of Mr. beer since February. The longer you wait the better your results.

I currently leave it in the keg for 4 weeks, bottle, carbonate for 3 weeks at 70 degs, condition for another 4 weeks at a minimum (some batches require 6 months), then load into the fridge for at least a week before opening.

I know this is bad when you don't have a pipeline going, because it is soooo hard to wait, but your patience will be rewarded exponentially with time. So instead of chomping at the bit waiting, get three or four more kegs (I use the 3 Gal reusable water jugs) and get a pipeline going so the wait is not as bad.
:ban:
 
Has anyone had success with the Mr. Beer Red Ale?? I did my usual 1 lb of DME (amber this time instead of light) and Notty yeast in place of the Mr. Beer yeast. Usually it turns out decent, if not spectacular. However, I'm really not feeling this one. It's still young. So, age might improve it. Also, I've been having some hot ferments lately, fermentation fridge here I come, but, honestly, this one isn't my favorite.
 
I'd blame the hot ferment - if you're not keeping it below 70 or so you will not get the best possible product. IMO Nottingham is especially nasty when fermented hot. It will probably improve some with age, but the sooner you get those fermentation temps under control the better your beer will taste.
 
ifishsum said:
I'd blame the hot ferment - if you're not keeping it below 70 or so you will not get the best possible product. IMO Nottingham is especially nasty when fermented hot. It will probably improve some with age, but the sooner you get those fermentation temps under control the better your beer will taste.
Click to expand...

I think part of it is definitely the fermentation temperature. I had a five gallon porter batch that fermented too hot, despite my efforts with a tub of water, ice, and a t-shirt around the fermenter. It has a similar background flavor to the Mr. Beer red ale. Since I used different water sources and different fermenters for the two batches, I'm thinking it's linked to the high temps.
 
A few months ago I tested out a Mr. Beer recipe kit and fermenter to write a review for my website. Mr. Beer is definitely a great way to get into homebrewing, and even casual hobbyists who prefer to not get too involved with larger setups, can brew decent beer, consistently, as often as they like. Highly recommended. As a homebrewer for 10+ years, all-grain and extract, I still plan to use Mr. Beer on occasion as a way to try out various styles without too much investment, and just to make a quick brew. :)
 
I have plenty of equipment but never brewed beer--sooo you folks say the a mr beer kit will tickly my home brew fancy.
i bought a capper about 6 month ago because i really want to do some--all grain but the size of the batches is more than i know what to do with.

do they make 1 gallon bottles that will hold beer pressure????
 
slowpokescotty said:
I have plenty of equipment but never brewed beer--sooo you folks say the a mr beer kit will tickly my home brew fancy.
i bought a capper about 6 month ago because i really want to do some--all grain but the size of the batches is more than i know what to do with.

do they make 1 gallon bottles that will hold beer pressure????
Click to expand...

They make one gallon plastic bottles that will hold carb pressures, but I don't know about glass.
 
Well I took the plunge and bought my Mr. Beer kit 2 weeks ago and haven't looked back since. I just bottled yesterday after letting it sit for 2 weeks. I got through those 2 weeks just fine but now I'm getting antsy. How long does it usually take before the bottles start to firm up?
 
slowpokescotty said:
i intend to give it away --if i buy gallons and decide to make a 5 gallon batch, i would certaintly buy some 12 ounce bottles to keep for myself.

thanks for metioning that point.:)
Click to expand...

but once you pour one, you stir up the yeast sediment in the bottom. You don't want to pour a beer, drink it, and then come back and pour another one. You'll want to pour the entire gallon into a pitcher, so you don't stir up all the yeast sediment. Now, I love beer, but I can rarely drink a gallon in a one hour session.

I like 22 ounce bottles- the perfect size! Great for a one-beer night.
 
jeffistpope said:
Well I took the plunge and bought my Mr. Beer kit 2 weeks ago and haven't looked back since. I just bottled yesterday after letting it sit for 2 weeks. I got through those 2 weeks just fine but now I'm getting antsy. How long does it usually take before the bottles start to firm up?
Click to expand...

Wait three weeks. They'll be hard before then, but not ready to drink. After three weeks, put one in the fridge and then try it the next day.
 
YooperBrew said:
Wait three weeks. They'll be hard before then, but not ready to drink. After three weeks, put one in the fridge and then try it the next day.
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking of doing the 2-2-2 method. would it be better to change it to 2-3-2 or what combination works best since I just bottled after 2 weeks of it sitting in the mr. beer.
 
Due to lack of fridge space; my last few batches have gone 2-6-drink (after fridged for 48hrs). These were my best beers so far.
 
Funniest thing is that my first batch was 10 days from dry yeast packet to kidney filtration. Now, I don't even mark when each beer was made, so I think they're about 2 - 6 months, and stay in bottles for another few.

This is an issue for me, so I've recruited some neighbours to help with the consumption issue. The only bad thing about this is that my major housework seems to be getting done itself. :ban: :cross:
 
I started with MR Beer, as a matter of fact I have two fermentation barrels. I use mine for experimenting. Right now I have a bock that I am experimenting with, using different yeasts and different temperatures and times. It is much less heartbreaking to chuck out two gallons rather than five.
I called it my BE not for Barium Enema but rather Bock Experiment.
Keep your kits as you might want to pass them off to another up and comer, or you may want to use them to lager, or experiment with etc.
Happy Brewing on Saturday, its fun and the smell is wonderful.
 
Hey all. I have a quick question, something that I havent seen addressed anywhere about mr brew, in videos, posts or reviews.

Ok, so the airlock i see in other brewing kits, to let the carbon seep out..(is it carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide?) ne who, the mr beer doesnt seem to have an airlock (i havent recieved it in the mail yet) So im curious, how does this work, is an airlock necessary? Since its only 2 gallons and the extra air room, is the pressure not gonna be significant?

The reason i ask this, is because i bought some of the extract kits etc. and I know that i will eventually want to move onto starting from the beginnning with malts, hops, etc etc. and i would like to be able to ferment that in the mr beer container. Reason i went with the mr beer is money reasons, still in college, live at home, room size, etc. etc. (i actually didnt buy the kit, i found you could just buy the fermenter for 10 bucks, bottles for 14, so i wound up spending 24 on the "kit")

Anywho, any responses would be greatly appreciated!


Also, anyone living in the louisiana lafayette area? I'm wondering if theres any stores i can go to to find hops and stuff. Also, Any recommendations on how to search for those type of stores?
 
candlejackstraw said:
Hey all. I have a quick question, something that I havent seen addressed anywhere about mr brew, in videos, posts or reviews.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's gotta be in these 139 pages. No airlock needed, lid is vented, fermentation causes pressure and keeps the nasties out without actually pressurizing the kegs.

Look in the pages of BYO or Zymurgy for LHBS locations.

-OCD
 
candlejackstraw said:
Hey all. I have a quick question, something that I havent seen addressed anywhere about mr brew, in videos, posts or reviews.

Ok, so the airlock i see in other brewing kits, to let the carbon seep out..(is it carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide?) ne who, the mr beer doesnt seem to have an airlock (i havent recieved it in the mail yet) So im curious, how does this work, is an airlock necessary? Since its only 2 gallons and the extra air room, is the pressure not gonna be significant?

The reason i ask this, is because i bought some of the extract kits etc. and I know that i will eventually want to move onto starting from the beginnning with malts, hops, etc etc. and i would like to be able to ferment that in the mr beer container. Reason i went with the mr beer is money reasons, still in college, live at home, room size, etc. etc. (i actually didnt buy the kit, i found you could just buy the fermenter for 10 bucks, bottles for 14, so i wound up spending 24 on the "kit")

Anywho, any responses would be greatly appreciated!


Also, anyone living in the louisiana lafayette area? I'm wondering if theres any stores i can go to to find hops and stuff. Also, Any recommendations on how to search for those type of stores?
Click to expand...


I second Beerocd, the lid is vented, the small slits up the side of the threads create an exhaust port for the CO2 to escape and because the lid overlaps, then the nasties can't climb back up and in. Femrentation creates CO2, not CO and thus the CO2 is heavier than air and oxygen and pushes the rest out of the keg without pressurizing. That said, if you krausen (foamy top during fermentation) gets carried away and clogs the vents, I have heard that the little keg can pressurize and pop the lid off. Very messy if that happens.

Happy Mr. Beer brewing. Welcome to the addiction.
 
Good, bad, or otherwise, the deed it done.

Okay, first, I'm not new to brewing, just to this board. I've done extract brewing off and on since the early 90's. So, to make a long story short, I got distracted by life, and along the way lost the equipment. But this 5 gallon carboy, the sole survivor of an earlier era, has been sitting here staring at me... so now, I'm in a new Townhome, in a new town, and got the bug again. Only this time, due to space constraints opted for the Mr. Beer route. I thought to myself, Self, how bad could it be? I already had some background.

I then found this site, and this tread specifically. After reading through it, it got me jazzed up. Then today my MB came in the mail. I had already made a trip to the LHBS and picked up a pound of Light DME and some US-05. I found a lovely little fermentation spot in the lower bathroom, inside the cabinet. (I would have used the spare bedroom, but in a couple weeks, I'm getting married..... thank you, thank you... and we have to host the new Mother In Law. I don't want the fermenting process interrupted by curiosity.) And since my birthday is in the middle of November, I figured I didn't have time to wait until after the Big Day.

So, today, I used the ever popular WCPA, 1# DME, and the whole package of US-05 yeast. I added the DME to the water, began to bring it slowly to a boil, and just before boiling poured in the LME, while whisking away. I prefer a whisk. Boiled for just a few minutes then pitched the baby wort to the MB keg (filled partially with cold water and some ice). Topped off with more water to 8.5 quarts... and using the 'wrist on the side of the keg' method, I found the temps to be close to room temps... low 70's if I had to guess. So I pitched the yeast and after a few minutes whisked again. The whole shebang is now resting comfortably in the cabinet. (Yes I wished it goodnight, thank you).

I also have a room thermometer tucked away under there too. The temps will be pretty consistently in the mid 70's. Maybe as high as 78. I know this can be a little high, but I'm not worried.

I drew a shot glass worth of the wort (before the yeast pitch) for tasting. Had to be done. It has amazing flavor, despite being utra-green.

I plan to ferment 3 weeks, bottle condition for 3 more, then refrigerate for 1 before I consider them 'finished'. Of course only tasting will determine the outcome, but have I missed anything obvious? Since, this is my first homebrew in quite a few years, I'm gonna consider myself a noob again.

I am slowly gathering my 5 gallon brew equipment stash, again, but realistically, as long as I'm in this Townhome, I don't see having the room to use it. (Will be here until the end of the school year... roughly May). So until the day I can spread out a little, the MB keg will be my little buddy.

Oh, and one last thing, since I finished this batch about 5pm Eastern Time, I am thinking of calling it Equinox Pale Ale (though there is nothing special about the recipe).
 
Your Equinox Ale should be done well before three weeks if you have it in the mid 70's. All of mine have finished with room to spare in two weeks when fermented at 68f. I would ferment for 2 weeks, carbonate for 2 weeks and then let them sit in the fridge for 2 weeks. WCPA, especially if made with booster or sugar, seems to need extra conditioning time to mellow but with your DME it should be ready with 2 weeks conditioning.
 
pilotdane said:
I would ferment for 2 weeks, carbonate for 2 weeks and then let them sit in the fridge for 2 weeks. WCPA, especially if made with booster or sugar, seems to need extra conditioning time to mellow but with your DME it should be ready with 2 weeks conditioning.
Click to expand...

jollytim wanted to ferment for 3 weeks, bottle condition for 3 weeks and refrigerate for a week. You suggest a 2/2/1 schedule. I am new to this hobby and everything I read says more time is better. Is there a reason the 2/2/1 schedule is better for this ale or would jollytim's 3/3/1 schedule produce just as good a beer.

Just trying to learn.

Dan
 
There'll be limits to how much better time can make it. If you are happy to wait 3/3/1 then it's be a good thing to do or 2/3/1 would be a good compromise.
 
Orfy said:
There'll be limits to how much better time can make it. If you are happy to wait 3/3/1 then it's be a good thing to do or 2/3/1 would be a good compromise.
Click to expand...

Just to help me understand, the extra time won't hurt it though...right?

I am brewing my first homebrew (other than a MRB kit). It is a Nut Brown Ale and I plan on 3 weeks in the primary, 2 weeks in the bottle and 1 week in the fridge before drinking.
 
The extra week won't hurt anything. But in this case, if it's a matter of diminishing returns, I'm not opposed to bottling after 2 weeks. We were at the tail end of the seasons' last heatwave apparently, and for the first 3 days of fermentation, it was in the mid to upper 70's in my brew cabinet. Had REAL active fermentation, about 1 inch of krausen... awesome. Then the heatwave broke, and now it's in the low 70's to upper 60's in there. Still have a pretty good 'island' of krausen, but activity has lessened. It's only been a week, so there is still plenty of action in there.... just not as obvious.

Don't know, now, if I'll wait the 3 weeks or not... we'll see how I feel about it after 2. Of course any advice or input is welcome.
 
ScubaDan you've had too much bottom time. I recommended 2-2-2. Longer is generally better but when you are new to brewing why add an extra couple weeks to the process with minimal benefit.


Step 1:
3 weeks fermenting should not hurt but it is getting close to autolysis time. I've had good results with S-05 fermenting in two weeks up to OG 1.06 (67f air temp, 70f peak wort temp) so I'm comfortable with two weeks. That said, I have not fermented hot so I don't know how long it will take the yeast to clean up their mess at higher temperatures. That first 3-4 days of fermentation is the most critical so really try to keep the temperatures down during that time. If you can't keep fermentation temperatures down for the whole fermentation time try to hold them down for the first 3-4 days, than you can let the temperature rise without much penalty. Generally though, you are not screwed untill you get into the upper 70's or 80f but if you want your beer to beat something from the microbrew aisle keep the temeperatures under control.

Fermenting long enough is critical. Yeast make good alcohol and bad stuff in the first several days. Then they spend the rest of the time reworking their poo making things better. If you let the yeast sit too long on the trub they turn into savage cannibals and start making nasty things (autolysis). Generally I think 3 weeks is the borderline. Longer than that and you need to get the beer off the trub.

Step 2:
I like to bottle at least one PET bottle so I can squeeze to keep an eye on the carbonation pressure. If you are carbonating in a room warmer than 66 you are safe with two weeks but three weeks will not hurt. The CO2 is formed during the warm carbonation period but it will not totally dissolve into the beer until you give it the cold conditioning (water can hold more dissolved gasses when cold).

Step 3:
This is the one step where I really notice the time difference especially with extract brews. I like some all grain brews early but two weeks cold conditioning really helps take the edge off an extract brew. It is a good learning experience to drink one after a day or two cold conditioning just to learn what young tastes like. Extract brews tend to have a certain, subtle "bite" that mellows away with time. Your beer may be good at a week but it will be even better after two or three.
 
pilotdane said:
ScubaDan you've had too much bottom time.

Step 1:
3 weeks fermenting should not hurt but it is getting close to autolysis time. Generally I think 3 weeks is the borderline. Longer than that and you need to get the beer off the trub.
Click to expand...

The first one I kept cuz it sounds funny.

Step 1 - is WAY false. Do a search on autolysis on the site. I've gone 2 months - no problems. Not on purpose - just life gets in the way sometimes.

Step 2 & 3 - good tips.


-OCD
 

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