Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[Justibone]

on a side note i am lining up a porter to go into the fermenter in a couple weeks time (my turkish marzen has another week in the fart chamber) and was wondering if i was crazy to want to dryhop some hallertau on top of bittering with challenger,

Dry hop = aroma.

Bittering hops (30+ min. of boil) will only very, very rarely clash with aroma hops. Have at it!

plus would dark brown sugar or molasses be better in a porter - am looking for color as well as potential caramel flavor with the sugar choice.

Brown sugar does leave a little flavor behind, but not much. I haven't tried molasses, but I'd give that a shot in a porter before I did brown sugar. The brown sugar is just too fermentable, and it ends up drying the beer out, which is fine for a stout but not what I picture as being best in a porter.

please just wait longer than 2 weeks to crack your first HB.

+1,000,000,001

 

[Darklordenron]

i don't know what everyone's rush is to get into their first MrB HB. i keep seeing posts by poor guys who are bummed about a cidery or shallow taste profile -
so to all the anxious, bit-chomping n00bs out there - and for the love of yeast flatulence please just wait longer than 2 weeks to crack your first HB.

Nice 3rd post. I see you're anxious to help out already.

 

[gtlaw10]

that's me - capt. anxious! i just wanted to encourage patience as a n00b myself - patience, i may add, that was humbly gleaned from this fantastic thread.

"Brown sugar does leave a little flavor behind, but not much. I haven't tried molasses, but I'd give that a shot in a porter before I did brown sugar. The brown sugar is just too fermentable, and it ends up drying the beer out, which is fine for a stout but not what I picture as being best in a porter." - Justibone

Thanks for the advice - come september i will have to let you know how molasses turns out.

 

[Bassman]

So today I was at Bed, Bath & Beyond and they had Mr. Beer Deluxe kits for $5.99 and an International 3 pack for $15. So for 21 bucks I got a Mr. Beer setup. I already have a 5 gal. setup for brewing but I have been too busy to brew a "proper" batch and have been curious about trying Mr. Beer.

So if you're near a Bed, Bath & Beyond, you may want to see if they have this same sale.

I'm looking forward to brewing my first Mr. Beer this week.

 

[Ringmaster]

it puts out decent beer, just be warned your going to have to deal with a little more sediment.

 

[K5MOW]

So today I was at Bed, Bath & Beyond and they had Mr. Beer Deluxe kits for $5.99 and an International 3 pack for $15. So for 21 bucks I got a Mr. Beer setup. I already have a 5 gal. setup for brewing but I have been too busy to brew a "proper" batch and have been curious about trying Mr. Beer.

So if you're near a Bed, Bath & Beyond, you may want to see if they have this same sale.

I'm looking forward to brewing my first Mr. Beer this week.

WOW great price.

Roger

 

[jb721]

So SWMBO got me a Mr Beer for Christmas and I haven't had time to do anything with it yet but I've been doing some homework and I decided I'm going to skip all the MrB ingredients and pick up stuff from LHBS. Can I just pick a 5 gal recipe that sounds good and scale everything down by 2/5 to get a MrB sized recipe or should I stick to a recipe that is already MrB sized? Thanks!

 

[bpgreen]

So SWMBO got me a Mr Beer for Christmas and I haven't had time to do anything with it yet but I've been doing some homework and I decided I'm going to skip all the MrB ingredients and pick up stuff from LHBS. Can I just pick a 5 gal recipe that sounds good and scale everything down by 2/5 to get a MrB sized recipe or should I stick to a recipe that is already MrB sized? Thanks!

You can certainly scale a 5 gallon recipe and do 4/5 of it in the Mr Beer fermenter. You can also slightly overfill the Mr Beer keg. It holds 2.4 gallons when filled to the bottom of the Q in the word Quart, so you could fill to that level, use 1/2 of a 5 gallon recipe and end up with a slightly more flavorful beer that is a little higher in alcohol than the original.

 

[Monkey55]

There's nothing wrong with their kits. Use 1lbs of DME or LME instead of their booster. It's a good way to get familar with brewing. Plus, you just might make your better half happy that you're using yor b-day present.

To answer your question, divide the recipe in half and fill the Mr. Beer fermenter to the bottom of the "Q." That'll get you 2.5 gallons.

E

 

[jb721]

You can certainly scale a 5 gallon recipe and do 4/5 of it in the Mr Beer fermenter. You can also slightly overfill the Mr Beer keg. It holds 2.4 gallons when filled to the bottom of the Q in the word Quart, so you could fill to that level, use 1/2 of a 5 gallon recipe and end up with a slightly more flavorful beer that is a little higher in alcohol than the original.

Sweet Thanks!

I guess I'll end up getting enough stuff at LHBS to make the Canadian (I think) that came with MrB and then some stuff for a follow up... probably some kind of ale. I'm jumping in with both feet! Saturday will be brew day for the Canadian. I'm sure I'll have more questions for you but hopefully not too many. Lots of answers in this thread and I haven't even read half of it. Cheers!

 

[jbsg02]

Sweet Thanks!

I guess I'll end up getting enough stuff at LHBS to make the Canadian (I think) that came with MrB and then some stuff for a follow up... probably some kind of ale. I'm jumping in with both feet! Saturday will be brew day for the Canadian. I'm sure I'll have more questions for you but hopefully not too many. Lots of answers in this thread and I haven't even read half of it. Cheers!

I would suggest buying some star san and using a malt extract instead of the booster it comes with. Also, I'd recommend picking up a better yeast and avoid using the Mr. Beer yeast. Don't overpitch though, if you buy a packet meant for a 5 gallon batch, don't use it all, you only need about 3.5 grams

 

[Justibone]

Don't overpitch though, if you buy a packet meant for a 5 gallon batch, don't use it all, you only need about 3.5 grams

Have you had a negative effect from overpitching?

I would think pitching dry yeast meant for 5 gallons into only 2.4 gallons would be just fine.

 

[AR-Josh]

I would suggest buying some star san and using a malt extract instead of the booster it comes with. Also, I'd recommend picking up a better yeast and avoid using the Mr. Beer yeast. Don't overpitch though, if you buy a packet meant for a 5 gallon batch, don't use it all, you only need about 3.5 grams

I pitched an entire packet of coopers yeast into my last Mr Beer batch and it is fine. Now I bet two packets of coopers yeast would be too much in a Mr Beer sized batch.

 

[Nova5]

So SWMBO got me a Mr Beer for Christmas and I haven't had time to do anything with it yet but I've been doing some homework and I decided I'm going to skip all the MrB ingredients and pick up stuff from LHBS. Can I just pick a 5 gal recipe that sounds good and scale everything down by 2/5 to get a MrB sized recipe or should I stick to a recipe that is already MrB sized? Thanks!

Look into this section of Mr Beer's site. Their recipes section is pretty good. Just avoid the Refills section.

http://www.mrbeer.com/category-exec/category_id/14

 

[Bassman]

I'm planning on making my first Mr. Beer this Sunday. I have some DME, if I decide to substitute DME for Booster do I just use the same amount by weight?

 

[Monkey55]

I'm planning on making my first Mr. Beer this Sunday. I have some DME, if I decide to substitute DME for Booster do I just use the same amount by weight?

No. Use 1lbs DME instead of the booster.
Acutally, you can add the DME and still use the booster or add 2lbs of DME.

I have batch in the fermenter where I used a can of Mr. Beer (because I had it), 2lbs of DME, and a packet of Safale US-05

E

 

[bpgreen]

Booster gets a bad rap, but I think it's only partially deserved. Booster doesn't add anything to the beer except for alcohol. A lot of people think that it thins the beer out, but I suspect they come to that conclusion after making one batch with 1 HME and one Booster, then making another batch with 1 HME and 1 UME. The second beer is fuller, so they conclude that the Booster thins the beer. It's not that the Booster thinned the beer, it's that the UME added more body. I wouldn't buy Booster by itself, but I often buy standard refills (especially when they're on clearance or the 4 for 3 deals on Amazon). I then do a partial mash (or add LME that I get in bulk at the LHBS) and add hops. When I have Booster, I add it. I've made batches with just LME (sometimes with additional grains) and hops with no booster and I've made batches based on standard refills with Booster. The Booster doesn't detract; it just doesn't add body or flavor.

As far as overpitching goes, you have to overpitch a lot to adversely affect the beer. If you're going for a beer with lots of esters, you wouldn't want to overpitch, but otherwise, you'd need to pitch a lot more than a full packet of US-05 to cause problems (there is a point at which it becomes a problem, but it's not at 11.5 g of dry yeast for a 2.13 or 2.4 batch). When I've used the pitching calculator at mrmalty, it usually tells me to use about 6 grams for one of my batches, which is just over 1/2 packet. I generally use 1/2 packet at a time, but I've used a full packet with no problems.

 

[Kealia]

+1 to bpgreen's comments.

If you're trying your first MrB batch, I would recommend using the one can of HME + 1lb DME before straying too far.

 

[AR-Josh]

+1 to bpgreen's comments.

If you're trying your first MrB batch, I would recommend using the one can of HME + 1lb DME before straying too far.

I agree. I would actually suggested that you make the Mr Beer batch the way it says to. Then when you do another batch (which you will) and use the 1lb DME instead of the booster you'll see the difference.

 

[jbsg02]

Have you had a negative effect from overpitching?

I would think pitching dry yeast meant for 5 gallons into only 2.4 gallons would be just fine.

I used a whole packet of US05 in a 2 gallon batch and had an off taste that I assume would be yeast bite.

 

[Kealia]

What was the recipe, what was your fermentation temp and how long did you ferment, carb and condition?

 

[bpgreen]

I used a whole packet of US05 in a 2 gallon batch and had an off taste that I assume would be yeast bite.

It's unlikely that the off taste was due to the yeast. a full packet of Us-05 is more than you need, but it's not nearly enough to cause problems. Since it has more yeast in it, it will ramp up to a point where there are enough viable yeast cells to ferment faster than if you used a smaller amount, but the results of that are a quicker fermentation, not off tastes. It takes a lot more than that to lead to problems from overpitching.

What was the recipe you were making? What was your fermentation temperature? If you have a stick-on or probe thermometer, that's best because it can be quite a bit different from the room air temperature.

How long did you ferment?

How long was it in the bottle at room temperature?

How long was it in the refrigerator?

Can you describe the off flavor?

 

[jbsg02]

It's unlikely that the off taste was due to the yeast. a full packet of Us-05 is more than you need, but it's not nearly enough to cause problems. Since it has more yeast in it, it will ramp up to a point where there are enough viable yeast cells to ferment faster than if you used a smaller amount, but the results of that are a quicker fermentation, not off tastes. It takes a lot more than that to lead to problems from overpitching.

What was the recipe you were making? What was your fermentation temperature? If you have a stick-on or probe thermometer, that's best because it can be quite a bit different from the room air temperature.

How long did you ferment?

How long was it in the bottle at room temperature?

How long was it in the refrigerator?

Can you describe the off flavor?

There was a heavy yeast sediment in the bottom of the bottles, much much more than when I used the smaller Mr. Beer yeast packet. I have a stick on thermometer on the Mr. Beer fermenter and it stays at about 65 degrees. I only fermented for 2 weeks in the primary and probably should have left it longer to drop out more. I had gotten advice on here that over-pitching yeast could lead to off flavors like yeast twang. I just bought a 3 gallon better bottle and airlock for my 2.5 gallon batches, so I will plan on letting it sit in primary for atleast 3 weeks

 

[Kealia]

The only way the spent yeast/trub would provide a yeasty taste in this instance would be if it was drank - meaning the yeast itself. If there was a lot in the bottles as you indicated, then what you tasted was the yeast itself, not any off flavors from it.

This would have occurred if you used less yeast and poured that into your glass - or drank from the bottle.

Things that can help:
1) Tilt the keg back during fermentation - this helps the trub settle away from the spigot and reduces transfer during bottling

2) Let it ferment for three weeks. Using the S-05 I've found that it gets pretty compact after three weeks and helps reduce transfer as well

3) Cold crash - put the whole keg in the fridge for about 3 days to help settle out any other floating particles and to help facilitate the trub coagulating. At the end of 3 days in the fridge you really have to try and get it out!

In the end, the only thing the yeast contributed to the taste (from what I can tell) is more yeast in the bottle which ended up in your mouth.

For the bottles you have, let them sit in the fridge for a week to help settle the yeast that is in them and then pour carefully into a glass and you shouldn't have that taste.

 

[jbsg02]

The only way the spent yeast/trub would provide a yeasty taste in this instance would be if it was drank - meaning the yeast itself. If there was a lot in the bottles as you indicated, then what you tasted was the yeast itself, not any off flavors from it.

This would have occurred if you used less yeast and poured that into your glass - or drank from the bottle.

Things that can help:
1) Tilt the keg back during fermentation - this helps the trub settle away from the spigot and reduces transfer during bottling

2) Let it ferment for three weeks. Using the S-05 I've found that it gets pretty compact after three weeks and helps reduce transfer as well

3) Cold crash - put the whole keg in the fridge for about 3 days to help settle out any other floating particles and to help facilitate the trub coagulating. At the end of 3 days in the fridge you really have to try and get it out!

In the end, the only thing the yeast contributed to the taste (from what I can tell) is more yeast in the bottle which ended up in your mouth.

For the bottles you have, let them sit in the fridge for a week to help settle the yeast that is in them and then pour carefully into a glass and you shouldn't have that taste.

I just bought a 3 gallon better bottle, bottling bucket, and bottling wand so my bottling technique will be a lot better and won't be getting so much yeast in my brews, and a new IPA recipe that im excited about!

 

[Kealia]

Good deal - just didn't want you to think that you over-pitched the yeast and caused a problem.

All is good.

 

[pirate_brew]

I just brewed my second batch in Mr Beer last night. My first batch was a Blonde Ale with just the booster and included Mr Beer yeast. Within about 12 hours, I had about an 1/8" of krausen that stayed for several days. It's been 12 days and I still have a slight foamy looking head on the batch with about 1/8" or so of trub visible in the trench in bottom of the keg. I tasted it at 8 days and it is beer, a bit young and flat but beer.

The batch I brewed last night (I have two kegs) was the west coast pale ale with a can of pale export UME, a cup of honey, a teaspoon of fresh ginger, 1/4 ounce of saaz hops, and 1/2 a pack (5-6 grams) of Safeale US-05 yeast. Within 10 hours, I had about a 1/2" of krausen and more trub than my other keg has at 12 days. When I got home this evening, 22 hours or so after capping the keg, I have a huge foamy head with foam touching the top of the keg and the trench is almost full of trub plus a good bit of what looks to be trub on the lower side of the rounded bottom part of the keg walls.

My question is 1)was there a problem with the first keg since there is so little trub and I still have a bubbly head on the liquid(but no bubbles rising) and 2)is there an issue with the speed at which the second keg is fermenting, the size of the krausen and the large amount of trub in the keg? I know every mix is different and there's alot more sugar in the second keg, but waiting and learning is the hard part. Thanks for the help.

 

[Monkey55]

..
My question is 1)was there a problem with the first keg since there is so little trub and I still have a bubbly head on the liquid(but no bubbles rising) and 2)is there an issue with the speed at which the second keg is fermenting, the size of the krausen and the large amount of trub in the keg? I know every mix is different and there's alot more sugar in the second keg, but waiting and learning is the hard part. Thanks for the help.

1) Nope. Every batch will act differently. When I first started brewing with Mr. Beer, I thought the same thing. I think Revy pointed out that every batch can be different. You can have split a 5 gallon batch in half and use the same exact yeast, and they may have different characteristics even though they are side by side.

2) Nope again. Some are fast and some are slow. Typically higher temps will kick off fermentation faster. Find a spot in your house where the ambient temp is lower than 68* because your brew will be fermenting 5* to 7* higher than that. Under 70* is a safe zone. If go a little over, you'll probably be ok, but lower is better.


I have 2 Mr. Beer fermenters and I LOVE them. I think you will too. I started using recipes that are on this site and I just cut them in half. I bottle and brew about twice a month. I try to do bottle & brew on the same day so that it doesn't seem like I'm always "working" at it.

I have 24 1L PET bottles so I keep up with my pipeline. Well.. at least try to keep up.. .


E

 

[bpgreen]

1) Nope. Every batch will act differently. When I first started brewing with Mr. Beer, I thought the same thing. I think Revy pointed out that every batch can be different. You can have split a 5 gallon batch in half and use the same exact yeast, and they may have different characteristics even though they are side by side.

2) Nope again. Some are fast and some are slow. Typically higher temps will kick off fermentation faster. Find a spot in your house where the ambient temp is lower than 68* because your brew will be fermenting 5* to 7* higher than that. Under 70* is a safe zone. If go a little over, you'll probably be ok, but lower is better.


I have 2 Mr. Beer fermenters and I LOVE them. I think you will too. I started using recipes that are on this site and I just cut them in half. I bottle and brew about twice a month. I try to do bottle & brew on the same day so that it doesn't seem like I'm always "working" at it.

I have 24 1L PET bottles so I keep up with my pipeline. Well.. at least try to keep up.. .


E

Another thing to consider is that there may not be as much trub as it appears there is. I've seen it form along the sides and appear to be almost halfway up, but in fact it just hadn't finished settling. US-05 tends to form a very compact trub that is almost gel-like in consistency, so just give it time to settle more. You may want to prop the front up (an old DVD case works well) to make sure there's no trub blocking the spigot, just in case.

 

[pirate_brew]

1) Nope. Every batch will act differently. When I first started brewing with Mr. Beer, I thought the same thing. I think Revy pointed out that every batch can be different. You can have split a 5 gallon batch in half and use the same exact yeast, and they may have different characteristics even though they are side by side.

2) Nope again. Some are fast and some are slow. Typically higher temps will kick off fermentation faster. Find a spot in your house where the ambient temp is lower than 68* because your brew will be fermenting 5* to 7* higher than that. Under 70* is a safe zone. If go a little over, you'll probably be ok, but lower is better.


I have 2 Mr. Beer fermenters and I LOVE them. I think you will too. I started using recipes that are on this site and I just cut them in half. I bottle and brew about twice a month. I try to do bottle & brew on the same day so that it doesn't seem like I'm always "working" at it.

I have 24 1L PET bottles so I keep up with my pipeline. Well.. at least try to keep up.. .


E

Another thing to consider is that there may not be as much trub as it appears there is. I've seen it form along the sides and appear to be almost halfway up, but in fact it just hadn't finished settling. US-05 tends to form a very compact trub that is almost gel-like in consistency, so just give it time to settle more. You may want to prop the front up (an old DVD case works well) to make sure there's no trub blocking the spigot, just in case.

Thanks for the quick answers. That was what I was thinking, but just need reassurance. It's very interesting how the two batches are behaving so differently.

 

[bpgreen]

Thanks for the quick answers. That was what I was thinking, but just need reassurance. It's very interesting how the two batches are behaving so differently.

Interesting, but not all that surprising if you understand what is happening.

You have several things in play that are affecting these differences.

For one thing, you've got more fermentables in the second batch.

For another thing, you're using a yeast that is known for vigorous fermentation and high flocculation. In the first batch, the yeast is not as vigorous and isn't known for its flocculation.

You also used about 3 times as much yeast in the second batch as in the first batch.

The surprise would be if the two acted the same.

 

[Justibone]

Congratulations! You are now an amateur microbiologist.

If you think they are interesting now, just wait until you do some crazy stuff later on.

 

[Gruven96]

I brewed a MB batch with Canadian Draft, 1lb Light DME, 1 cup Honey, 1 tsp Ginger, .75oz Saaz and Safale-05 on 2/2/11. It is in the MB keg right now. I also have a 3gal glass carboy to use for a secondary. I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this weekend and was debating weather I should rack it to the secondary now or if it would be ok in the MB keg? By the time I get back and get to it again it will have been in the MB keg for approx 20 days. Any thoughts?

 

[bpgreen]

I brewed a MB batch with Canadian Draft, 1lb Light DME, 1 cup Honey, 1 tsp Ginger, .75oz Saaz and Safale-05 on 2/2/11. It is in the MB keg right now. I also have a 3gal glass carboy to use for a secondary. I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this weekend and was debating weather I should rack it to the secondary now or if it would be ok in the MB keg? By the time I get back and get to it again it will have been in the MB keg for approx 20 days. Any thoughts?

I've never used a secondary so I don't know the timing on it. I've left a number of batches in the Mr Beer fermenter for 20 or more days with good results.

 

[Tallmanbrewer]

I brewed a MB batch with Canadian Draft, 1lb Light DME, 1 cup Honey, 1 tsp Ginger, .75oz Saaz and Safale-05 on 2/2/11. It is in the MB keg right now. I also have a 3gal glass carboy to use for a secondary. I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this weekend and was debating weather I should rack it to the secondary now or if it would be ok in the MB keg? By the time I get back and get to it again it will have been in the MB keg for approx 20 days. Any thoughts?

Either way will make beer! One week in the primary is common so I would move to secondary before you leave so you can bottle it when you get back! Let us know how it turns out

 

[rycov]

the thing with mister beer is that it is an open fermenter. as in, it doesn't have an air lock. it relies on small spaces in the threads of the cap to let excess co2 out. i wouldn't worry too much about 20 days or so in there as there will be a "blanket" of co2 sitting atop the beer for a while. but i wouldn't leave it much more than three weeks. (and then it maybe ok. that would just be my paranoia not knowing how long that "blanket" would stay there)

 

[AR-Josh]

I brewed a MB batch with Canadian Draft, 1lb Light DME, 1 cup Honey, 1 tsp Ginger, .75oz Saaz and Safale-05 on 2/2/11. It is in the MB keg right now. I also have a 3gal glass carboy to use for a secondary. I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this weekend and was debating weather I should rack it to the secondary now or if it would be ok in the MB keg? By the time I get back and get to it again it will have been in the MB keg for approx 20 days. Any thoughts?

It'll be fine. I talked with a friend recently that is regularly leaving his Mr Beer kits in the fermenter for a month or so.

 

[MadCat]

I brewed a MB batch with Canadian Draft, 1lb Light DME, 1 cup Honey, 1 tsp Ginger, .75oz Saaz and Safale-05 on 2/2/11. It is in the MB keg right now. I also have a 3gal glass carboy to use for a secondary. I'm going to be out of town for a week starting this weekend and was debating weather I should rack it to the secondary now or if it would be ok in the MB keg? By the time I get back and get to it again it will have been in the MB keg for approx 20 days. Any thoughts?

I left my first batch in for 22 days and then let it bottle condition for 21 days, and it turned out great. Doesn't seem like there is a need for a secondary.

 

[Gruven96]

Thanks guys! I decided to secondary and then I can bottle when I get back. I'll let you know how it turns out. This is my 1st MB with DME instead of booster too!

 

[pirate_brew]

My super-fermenting second batch ended up overflowing and coming out the side vent of the keg a couple of times. No big deal other than losing a little beer and having to clean the krausen (dried to a paste) off the side of the fermenter. I'm set to bottle the first batch tomorrow so I'm excited to learn the next step.