Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[Justibone]

...They have a huge stack of ail pales...

We used my bottling bucket to make 4 gal. of sangria for SWMBO's friend Jeff's last party... it went before the keg was finished, which was way better than last year when the keg was dry by 9:00.

I agree, you need to use Austin homebrew or another online retailer. (I don't use Austin, I use a place here in Indiana and I get pretty much next-day delivery.)

 

[completegeek]

Holy Hell! Finally. Read. Whole. Thread. That took a while. Learned a lot though. I've only done one MRB batch, but they turned out so well that I'm already eyeballing a 5 gallon starter kit from Midwest Supplies.

Here's to my new obsession!

 

[Chris6]

Just bottled my first batch, I used a tube attached to the spigot then used a bottling wand, had a few leaks if the tube was not held in place but I felt a lot less oxygen was let into the bottles than just using the spigot. Also that spigot needs to be replaced but I guess I will just wait for a 5 gallon.

 

[DonutMuncher]

Haha, I'm impressed completegeek. I just joined up here a few weeks ago too.. I read about 30 pages worth in this thread but couldn't make it any further

Nice to hear that using the bottling wand helped out, Chris. I was reading about how you were thinking about doing that. I just bottled my first batch of Mr. Beer about 10-12 days ago, and just used the spigot. I was careful to hold the bottles nearly sideways to let the beer flow down the side.. a little tedious perhaps.. I'm guessing a bottling wand would probably be more helpful.

 

[Chris6]

The only problem with that spigot is that it dispenses the liquid so slow that it wasn't flowing through the tubes fast enough. And also a locking spigot would be nice. But why waste your money if your just going to upgrade.

 

[DonutMuncher]

Yeah, I could see that. When I was bottling, it was taking a realllly long time because of the slow pour rate out of the spigot. And I agree.. not having a locking spigot makes it a bit annoying

 

[bovineblitz]

I broke my bottling wand and while waiting to get a new one have just been using my autosiphon for bottling in the meantime... just put the tube into the bottom of the bottle and pinch the hose to stop the flow. Works great.

 

[olathecat]

Ok, made it through about 25 pages and skipped to the end of the thread so I apologize if this has been answered. I got a Mr. Beer kit for my birthday from my Mom at a garage sale. Had most of the stuff, but after reading a little online I decided to go get some fresh yeast and some corn sugar because the sugar that came with the kit was dry and hard. The brew store owner said that I could use the corn sugar as priming sugar, but the Mr. Beer instructions say to use table sugar and specifically says NOT to use corn sugar.

My question is: Should I trust the store owner or the instructions? I'd normally go ahead and trust the store owner, but the fact that the instructions mention specifically not to prime with corn sugar has me questioning what to do.

Sorry for what may seem like a dumb question.

Thanks!

 

[Shooter]

You can prime with corn sugar, but you normally wouldn't use the same amounts listed for table sugar in the Mr. Beer guide. You'd use slightly more. There's no problem using either one.

 

[HatchetJack]

I have bottled about 16 MB batches using the recommended 3/4 ounce of table sugar. All turned out great with exeption of being a little overcarbed in my opinion. I am going to back it down to 1/2 ounce and see how that goes. Some MB brewers have reported using the 1/2 ounce sugar cubes or dominos dots with good success. I was referring to the 12 oz bottles of course so you would need to make adjustments depending on the size of bottles. I have not tried the corn sugar.

 

[frazier]

HatchetJack, I'm confused by your measurements. Generally, a 5-gallon recipe calls for 3/4 cup of priming sugar (approximately 5 ounces) per batch, or one ounce per gallon. But you are adding 3/4 ounce for a two gallon batch and getting too much carb??

 

[HatchetJack]

My apologies, 3/4 teaspoon not ounces, per 12 oz bottle. I meant teaspoons, sorry.

 

[DonutMuncher]

My first batch of MrB turned out great! I had a beer after the 2-week conditioning mark, and another after the 3-week conditioning mark. Significant difference in taste.. it was almost slightly cidery at two weeks but that went away for the most part after another week. I'm going to let it sit to 4 weeks to try the next bottle.

My question is this.. I made the blonde ale that came with the kit, which was a can of LME plus the booster. I want more beer flavor. I think the kit is a little watery, and I'm thinking that's because I only had one can of malt extract. So if I want to make a better beer using the cheap Mr. Beer kits (I still have one or two more cans of LME to make).. should I add a second can of LME to the batch, or should I add dried malt extract instead? Which would taste better? Can you mix LME and DME in the same batch?

And I assume for light ales and lagers, if I chose DME, I could use a generic light DME?

 

[HatchetJack]

2 cans makes a much better beer depending on which refill. Some of the stronger versions may be too bitter for your taste. It all depends on what you like to drink. Some of the guys at Mrbeerfans.com swear by two cans of wcpa for a first brew. Most guys dont use that booster. 1lb of DME plus one can of the lighter mixes will make about a 4.0 beer and will be much tastier than the booster. You can also step it up a notch and steep some crystal 20 or really do about anything you want to in the MB fermenter. You can split a 5gallon kit between 2 fermenters, downsize an award winning recipe and keep it all stovetop in the kitchen.

 

[Justibone]

I want more beer flavor. I think the kit is a little watery, and I'm thinking that's because I only had one can of malt extract. So if I want to make a better beer using the cheap Mr. Beer kits (I still have one or two more cans of LME to make).. should I add a second can of LME to the batch, or should I add dried malt extract instead? Which would taste better? Can you mix LME and DME in the same batch?

I could use a generic light DME?

Either more fermentables or less water. Less water creates hopping issues - and you get less beer.

If you add more DME you will get more "malty" flavor. If that is the flavor you like, then yay! If you are missing some bitterness or aroma a little bit of hops added could be what you are looking for. (To simplify a lot - for bitterness add the hops early in the boil, for aroma add them at the very end.) Hops are a strong flavor, it doesn't take much to overdo it, but then again some people think it is literally impossible to overdo hops.

Generic light DME would probably do about the same as your booster, IIRC. If you don't mind the extra complexity boiling some grain in a grain bag could add a lot of flavor to your beer.

Anyways, my condolences to your SWMBO -- you are probably hooked!

 

[jhans24]

New to the forum, and homebrewing, and I have a question.

This is the very frst batch I've brewed. I'm using the Whispering Wheat with the booster. It has been fermenting for about 10 days and I plan on bottling Monday, day 15. I crushed and added three cloves at the start of fermentation. I have a question about adding lemon and when. Two days ago I took a 1/2 cup of Ketel One vodka and have a quarter lemon soaking in it. I've read the time to pour the vodka in is at bottling and toss the actual lemon. Won't this cloud up the mixture right at bottling time? Should I add today and let it settle for 3 more days? Or am I so far off track I shouldn't do either.

Thanks,
Josh

 

[Justibone]

Wheat beers should generally be somewhat cloudy. I think if you are following an established recipe, there is value in that, but if you decide to do things your own way then I say go for it. Experimentation is at the heart of this hobby.

 

[jhans24]

No recipe, just making it up as I go. Of course I have pulled a lot of info from this message board so hopefully I don't butcher it too bad.

 

[DonutMuncher]

Thanks Hatchet and Justi. I think I'll give extra DME a shot in future batches to see the difference from the booster. I also ordered some better mixes from Amazon that come with two cans of malt instead of one. Maybe they'll be more like what I'm looking for

And yeah.. I am pretty fortunate that SWMBO actually likes beer. Now I just have to make beer she enjoys too

 

[Chris6]

Just a question, I've been using glass brown bottles for a while, but i would like to use some plastic bottles for some cases. My school is strict on beer but I want to leave beer in my fridge. Could I use like a pepsi bottle or soda bottle just so I can hide them? Or do I need a specific bottle?

 

[bovineblitz]

Just a question, I've been using glass brown bottles for a while, but i would like to use some plastic bottles for some cases. My school is strict on beer but I want to leave beer in my fridge. Could I use like a pepsi bottle or soda bottle just so I can hide them? Or do I need a specific bottle?

Any bottle that contained soda will work just fine. Make sure you rinse it out really well because it can be tough to get soda flavors out.

 

[Justibone]

Just a question, I've been using glass brown bottles for a while, but i would like to use some plastic bottles for some cases. My school is strict on beer but I want to leave beer in my fridge. Could I use like a pepsi bottle or soda bottle just so I can hide them? Or do I need a specific bottle?

You can use those bottles. I've used 2 liters before, and the main issue was drinking all that beer before it went flat! (Reopening and closing the beer multiple times will cause the carbonation to dissipate.) Don't use root beer -- the flavor is supposedly really difficult to get out and it can affect your beer. If you make a lighter beer it might look a lot like carbonated ice tea, and a stout would look like cola... you'll have to experiment to find out what works.

The problem with clear and green bottles is that the beer can skunk in light.

 

[Bmorebrew]

I use them all the time - 1 liter bottles are great, even 2 liter bottles for when I'm bringing beer to a party. As long as you plan on drinking it all right then there should be no problem, these things were designed for pressure.

 

[HatchetJack]

I try to bottle at least one 2 liter sprite bottle per MB batch. I brought 4 of them on vacation and no problem staying carbed till the next day after being opened. Also, those little feet/stands act as wells capturing the yeast ect..

 

[Chris6]

Allright that sounds good, now I have another question. I want to start making some difficult batches. One of my favorite beers is Hefeweizen, I've tried one from Cape Cod Brewery, It had a very nice Clove and Banana taste, a very good beer.

I wanted to try to make that. The Mr. Beer does have a recipe that's similar(Hefe or Belgium Blanc). How would I incorporate the clove and banana into the recipe? Would I add it when I am creating the wort? Or just throw it in the fermenter?

Thanks

 

[frazier]

The clove and banana flavors are a byproduct of the yeast at particular fermentation temperatures. I would recommend finding a 5-gallon recipe here that sounds good - or try to google an extract-based clone of the beer you like. Then scale it down by a factor of 0.4, and order the stuff you need, including decent yeast. Not only can you easily improve upon the MrBeer kits this way, but you'll save money and start practicing for doing full batches.

 

[Chris6]

I mean I know cloves, bananas, and orange peels are sometimes added, but i did check and they are produced from a special type of German yeast. Interesting. I know in the Mr. Beer recipes they always tell to add the cloves and orange peels, must be because that crappy yeast isn't doing much.

 

[FromZwolle]

I mean I know cloves, bananas, and orange peels are sometimes added, but i did check and they are produced from a special type of German yeast. Interesting. I know in the Mr. Beer recipes they always tell to add the cloves and orange peels, must be because that crappy yeast isn't doing much.

they give you a neutral, broad spectrum yeast that doesn't give any flavors off. you'll need to get yeast elsewhere if you want a more authentic taste.

 

[Chris6]

Then scale it down by a factor of 0.4, and order the stuff you need, including decent yeast. Not only can you easily improve upon the MrBeer kits this way, but you'll save money and start practicing for doing full batches.

I like this idea, I found a couple good recipes at midwest supplies If I were to cut a 5 gallon in half would it work? I wouldn't want to have that little bit left. And if I did cut it in half would one packet of yeast still work?

6 lb. Wheat liquid malt extract,
1 lb. of Light DME,
8 oz. Carapils specialty grains,
1 oz. Tettnang hops,
yeast(many choices),

 

[rniles]

This is my favourite hefe recipe for a Mr. Beer sized batch. 2.4 gallons is the bottom of the Q at the 8.4 Quart line. Any good wheat LME would do, I use Breiss. Ferment at 62 degrees.


Recipe: Weizer Than Before (Hefe #3)
Brewer: Robert Niles
Style: Weizen/Weissbier
TYPE: Extract
Taste: (46.0) Extremely good. Very pleased. Clove/bananna perfect.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 2.40 gal
Boil Size: 3.53 gal
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 5.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 13.2 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.30 lb LME Wheat Bavarian (Briess) (4.0 SRM) Extract 95.38 %
0.16 lb Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.62 %
0.30 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 11.0 IBU
0.10 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (20 min) Hops 2.2 IBU
1 Pkgs Weihenstephan Weizen (Wyeast Labs #3068) Yeast-Wheat



Notes:
------
Crush and steep Munich 10L in 3.5 cups at 150 deg for 20 mintues
Bring 6 qts H2O and 1.3 of LME to a boil adding steeped wort. At hot break add .3 oz of hops for 60 mins At 20 mins add .1oz of hops
At 5 mins add remaining LME.
Cool to pitching temp and fill keg to 2.4 gallons.
Ferment @ 62 deg

 

[Stickshaker]

It had a very nice Clove and Banana taste, a very good beer.



Thanks

Somewhat off topic, but if you like that flavor try a Victory Golden Monkey. Damn!

 

[Chris6]

This is awesome total price for this is just as much as Mr. Beer refill. Now just two more questions (Sorry newb)
1) To activate the Wyeast Activator just pop the pouch and give it a few hours(about 3?)
2) What size pot would you suggest using. Should I invest in the 5 gal?

 

[Chris6]

Also found a 5 gal at midwest for 28 is that good?

 

[zerowatts]

I have never done this, have wanted since high school days. I am curious about Mr. Beer... Their website has the Brewmaster's Ultimate for around $169 (16 gallons if all goes well). I know so many people have had their start with Mr. Beer. I read the first 22 pages of this thread before I realized it was 180 pages thick!

I am a big boy now and have a little money for my hobbies, considering I have money for the hobby, should I avoid Mr. Beer and get right into some equipment or is Mr. Beer the expected first move?

 

[HatchetJack]

Most people that start with the MB products eventually move away from their refill
kits and start splitting 5 gallon batches, creating their own ect...so you could just
get by with buying a couple fermenters and scraping up the brew tools and pots at
the dollar store. The great thing about MB is you can brew stovetop, stay indoors and
the fermenters are easy to clean up in the sink. Starting with a 5-6 gallon brew kit is
going to put you outside or in the garage with burners and more equipment. You could
spend 20 bucks plus shipping on a couple fermenters and see if you like the hobby. If
you do, you can move on to bigger equipment and if not your are not out much. I have
5 of the fermenters and have no desire to get any bigger in the hobby other than
splitting all grain batches which I'm working on now.

 

[Tumbleweed]

So!

I'm yet another of those sorts who recieved a Mr. Beer kit as a gift from some thoughtful minded family. So, last night, I went ahead and brewed up a batch of the Pale Ale, or, uh, tried to.

Y'see, when I was moving it, I knocked the spigot- and this caused the washer to get out of place- so the thing started leaking. I tried to tip it up on its end so I could try to fix it, but the TOP lid started leaking too.

So, trying not to panic, I poured the mixture back into the boil pot (which was cool by this point) so I could fix it, and then I put it back into the Mr. Beer.

Now that it's like 14 hours or so later, when I look at the Mr. Beer, there's...some bubbles on the surface, but it doesn't look like it's bubble-ing. Should I add more yeast?

Also- going back to the top lid- is that lid supposed to be airtight, or not? I recall somewhere on the directions it said something about 'vents' or something. Could it be that I've gotten a defective one? Or did I just not screw the cap on tight enough?

Thanks again for the help! My apologies if the questions I'm asking are answered somewhere in the 180 or so pages of thread I haven't read yet.

 

[zerowatts]

Most people that start with the MB products eventually move away from their refill kits and start splitting 5 gallon batches, creating their own ect...

That is what gets me. I am looking through the Mr. Beer website and the refill kits cost more ounce per ounce than a imports by the case. So there is no savings. Don't get me wrong the hobby fascinates me, but not if it is not only faster to go buy beer, but cheaper to do it too? The True Brew IPA kit was $69 to produce 2 gallons. That is considerably more than a case of Bud.

If I knew what I was doing, what to buy and where to buy it, can you brew a few gallons for less than $20? How low can the price get doing it yourself?

...splitting all grain batches...

Is this the harder method, the cheaper method, the most efficient method? Everyone seems to talk about splitting all grain.

 

[Yooper]

That is what gets me. I am looking through the Mr. Beer website and the refill kits cost more ounce per ounce than a imports by the case. So there is no savings. Don't get me wrong the hobby fascinates me, but not if it is not only faster to go buy beer, but cheaper to do it too? The True Brew IPA kit was $69 to produce 2 gallons. That is considerably more than a case of Bud.

If I knew what I was doing, what to buy and where to buy it, can you brew a few gallons for less than $20? How low can the price get doing it yourself?

Is this the harder method, the cheaper method, the most efficient method? Everyone seems to talk about splitting all grain.

There are tons of threads talking about costs, so I won't deal with it thoroughly, except to say that extract is much more expensive than grain. So, I don't think it's possible to make a good 5 gallon batch of beer for under $30 or so. I think it's about $12 for 3 pounds of extract (you'd need two) and about $3 for an ounce of hops, and maybe $3 for grain. You may be able to do a "cooper's kit" for $15 for 6 gallons, but the quality of the beer is lacking.

Most of us brew our own for a variety of reasons- the fun, the ability to get beer types not available in our area, the variety, the satisfaction, etc. And while I can make a big batch of beer for $15 (all grain, buying in bulk), money saving really isn't a factor. There are always costs- fuel, equipment, etc. Also, some commercial beer is cheap- $11 a 30 pack for microswill. However, if you like $10 six-packs, brewing your own would be cheaper than that.

 

[zerowatts]

You may be able to do a "cooper's kit" for $15 for 6 gallons, but the quality of the beer is lacking.

You just saved me from my first mistake. I was going to order that tonight to get my feet wet!

if you like $10 six-packs, brewing your own would be cheaper than that.

That I do, and again it's not that I am so concerned with cost, but on the other hand I certainly don't wanna spend $69 per batch and have my first 3-4 batches undrinkable. I am interested in the hobby itself, beer in my basement is just a big plus. Ya' know I don't get into the habit of buying cars and trying to body work myself for the same reason, I don't want to waste money on something I cannot do successfully. I just worry that Mr. Beer is too simplistic if I wanna really learn how to do it.

 

[HatchetJack]

Tumbleweed, your lid is fine. The fermenter has notches in the threads and
releases co2 when it reaches a certain pressure inside. It will leak if turned
sideways or upside down because of the liquid pressure.

Fermentation may take 24 hours or so but you already have foam so that
is good. You need to keep the fermenter cool. Heat will build up during
fermentation and can put all kinds of bad flavors in your beer. Dont look
for a lot of bubbles, it's mostly yeasts swimming around.
I keep mine cool by submerging the fermenter in a 48 quart cooler with
sanitized water up to the beer level. I add a 12 oz frozen water bottle
twice daily and it stays about 69 degrees.