Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[kc9eci]

I put the WCPA in the fridge today, bottled the Vienna lager. I kind of like the bottling process. Very Zen compared to some of the things I've spent time doing over the years.
I've got a Canadian whatever it is mix in the fermenter now along with a can of pureed tart cherries and a bit of honey. I've got another Vienna lager to start but I'm thinking of doing that with raspberries and I've got the Irish stout mix on deck but I'm going to wait until I go by the LHBS and can grab a can of UME to do an all malt version.

 

[dmoore714]

I just washed and sanitized 40 bottles tonight. I can agree with you there.

 

[kc9eci]

I did some counting and found that I was going to be short of bottles so I'm drinking some Spotted Cow in an attempt to remedy that situation. I even let my wife have one.

Meanwhile, the one part of the Mr Beer and bottling process that I don't care for is the spigot. I'd like to get a spigot that locks open and one of those spring loaded filling wands. I swear I saw something like that for sale on the Mr Beer web pages, but for the life of me can't find it now.

 

[Justibone]

What is a good nonfermentable? And where to get it? I will be starting a cider next week and want to be ready!

Lactose is non-fermentable. It is not quite as sweet as sucrose, but it is still kinda sweet and pretty sticky. Add it slowly, and taste as you go so you don't overdo it.

 

[Justibone]

I've got a Canadian whatever it is mix in the fermenter now along with a can of pureed tart cherries and a bit of honey.

That might dry the beer out a bit. The carbonation from primary fermentation can also scrub the aromatics from the cherries, which is why most guys put the fruit into a secondary (or at least after the most vigorous part is over). The honey won't likely leave much flavor behind, unless you used a particularly flavorful type (orange blossom, etc.).

I've got another Vienna lager to start but I'm thinking of doing that with raspberries and I've got the Irish stout mix on deck but I'm going to wait until I go by the LHBS and can grab a can of UME to do an all malt version.

A lager with raspberries should be pretty good, but know that it will not be sweet. Usually when one does the fruit, one backs off a bit on the bitterness. Just my $.02!

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I did some counting and found that I was going to be short of bottles so I'm drinking some Spotted Cow in an attempt to remedy that situation. I even let my wife have one.

Meanwhile, the one part of the Mr Beer and bottling process that I don't care for is the spigot. I'd like to get a spigot that locks open and one of those spring loaded filling wands. I swear I saw something like that for sale on the Mr Beer web pages, but for the life of me can't find it now.

They are in the process of updating the spigot and wand assembly. IMO you are better off buying a 5 gallon bucket at Home Depot and a bottling spigot and wand from your LHBS so if you decide to move to larger batches you are good to go. I just did this myself and the total cost was around $12 which would be less expensive than the Mr Beer setup with shipping.

 

[kc9eci]

I grok what you're saying, but I really like the Mr Beer product so I don't mind sending them a little extra copper. At the end of the day it isn't going to break me and if it keeps them going that's just a bonus.

Great user name though OClairBrew, I'm not far from Eau Claire, WI.

 

[natefrog255]

The Mr Beer equipment so far as serviced its purpose with me. I've always had an interest in the brewing hobby and growing up as a career. The latter never played out but I decided to buy the Mr Beer kit last fall and have really enjoyed it. I've used the "How to Brew" book as my learning guide and everything is going very well. I think I may upgrade to the 6.5g pail/carboy within the next few months.

So far my best brew was a Cranberry Ale made with the MB Weizenbier. It came out very light/crisp and was very well received. It wasn't as 'wheaty' as I was expecting, which actually ended up being for the better maybe.

Others I made were...
Vienna ... turned out okay, learn the importance of time

Currently bottled and conditioning are...
Red Ale HME/Mellow Amber UME

Fermenting
Canadian Draft HME/Pale Export UME

 

[soccerdude71]

Lactose is non-fermentable. It is not quite as sweet as sucrose, but it is still kinda sweet and pretty sticky. Add it slowly, and taste as you go so you don't overdo it.

Are there any others? I know a couple people who are drinking my beer that are Lactose intolerant.

 

[soccerdude71]

Best advice: Don't add the cherries until 7 days into fermentation. Let the primary fermentation go hot and heavy and then add the cherries. More flavor will come through to the final product.

Will there be enough food for the yeast to finish up the fermentation without the cherries a week in?


thanks
G

 

[gtlaw10]

Thanks for the advice, I hope it turns out well. I followed most all of it with an adjustment to the hop use and times.

I boiled 6-8 cups water; added 1 can of the MB brown LME and stirred in; Kept on boil and added .5oz of columbus hops (about 12% aau) for 20min.; Continued on boil for 10 more min adding 1 can Stout HME and 2nd can of brown LME during final 5 min.; Poured wort to cool around 80deg. w/ water in keg; Pitched about 7g Nottingham dry yeast but followed MB directions (dumb) and didn't re-hydrate...just stirred vigorously in.

This showed signs of fermentation close to 24 hours. I am planning on leaving in ferm. for 3 weeks prior to bottling.

Additional advice on how this might turn out; best ways to prime (and what sugar to use); Hydrometer use; and was this a good yeast regardless of the incorrect way it might have been pitched.

Thanks for the help, only batch #2

it will definitely be beer!!! probably a fairly quaff-able beer.
the 20 min 1/2oz of columbus plus the HME will give you ~47ibu according to qbrew.
as for rehydrating your yeast, the debate is out there. benefits are lower lag times, and some people report better flavor(s). FWIW i don't rehydrate and am quite happy with the results - but since i'm only fermenting 2.4 gals at a time, i don't usually need a starter with liquid yeast as a single vial/smack pack has enough cells for most styles at this volume, nor do i need to worry about potential cell loss or not pitching enough viable dry yeast by not rehydrating prior to pitch. these two threads have some of the forum heavyweights tossing in their few cents:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/do-you-hydrate-dry-yeast-39949/index3.html

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/re-hydrate-not-re-hydrate-question-143136/
search the forum and make up your own mind re: rehydrating.

as for the vigorous stir, it's actually better for your yeast if you are vigorous, stirring enough to develop a good foam on the wort prior to pitching the yeast. this is the poor man's oxygenation step, instead of spending money on an aquarium pump, aeration stone, tubing, etc. oxyblasting the wort prior to pitching has been documented on the forum with extremely positive results, so while MrB instructions seem stupid, they're actually rather effective.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/i-completely-underestimated-role-oxygen-235663/

try to keep it somewhere with an ambient temp of 65-68 and you'll avoid some of the nasty notty esters.

hope it turns out well!!

 

[dmoore714]

Just picked up a small 2-gallon bucket fermenter from a friend. I'm thinking about doing my last Mr Beer recipe in it. What would it do to the recipe if I use all the ingredients, but in less water (2 gallons rather than 2.5)?

 

[Raenon]

Just picked up a small 2-gallon bucket fermenter from a friend. I'm thinking about doing my last Mr Beer recipe in it. What would it do to the recipe if I use all the ingredients, but in less water (2 gallons rather than 2.5)?

It'll make your wort a bit thicker, which will raise your ABV. Theoretically in those kinds of situations (cutting the water in a recipe) you might need to worry about checking that the yeast can handle the higher gravity and alcohol, but as long as you're following anything like the Standard or Premium kits from Mr. Beer, they'll still be WELL within the usable range of the yeast.

One thing I'd point out, using a Mr. Beer fermenter you're typically only filling to 8.5 qt, or 2.13 gallons (of which you leave behind about the half qt, generally bottling right around 2 gallons) , so it's even closer than you think, but you might want to check the _actual_ capacity of the brew bucket. If it's got lines for 2gallons plus space for krausen (which even the "fromunda" yeast can sometimes generate), you're good. If 2 gallons comes up to the brim, you'd need to reduce further, or you'll be stuck with extra wort.

 

[dmoore714]

It'll make your wort a bit thicker, which will raise your ABV. Theoretically in those kinds of situations (cutting the water in a recipe) you might need to worry about checking that the yeast can handle the higher gravity and alcohol, but as long as you're following anything like the Standard or Premium kits from Mr. Beer, they'll still be WELL within the usable range of the yeast.

One thing I'd point out, using a Mr. Beer fermenter you're typically only filling to 8.5 qt, or 2.13 gallons (of which you leave behind about the half qt, generally bottling right around 2 gallons) , so it's even closer than you think, but you might want to check the _actual_ capacity of the brew bucket. If it's got lines for 2gallons plus space for krausen (which even the "fromunda" yeast can sometimes generate), you're good. If 2 gallons comes up to the brim, you'd need to reduce further, or you'll be stuck with extra wort.

Thanks for the tip. No lines on the bucket, but I tried it out tonight. The 2-gallon bucket just barely held 8.5 quarts (with about 1/2 inch of airspace above the water line). I think I can stand to loose a little water without hurting anything. Thanks again.

 

[dmoore714]

PS - Look what came in the mail today! I already had the HMEs - West Coast Pale Ale and Whispering Wheat, and the standard boosters and yeast. I ordered this other stuff to kick them both up a notch. Mellow Amber and Golden Wheat UME, Sterling and Fuggle hops, and some Safale S-04 AND Safbrew WB-06 yeast. (and a hydrometer... finally!) I have a few ideas for how to put all these things together. For the WCPA, I was thinking something like this. I'll figure out something else to do with the rest. Open to suggestions.

My next question is about the yeast. The s-04 and wb-06 are 11.5 grams each, but the standard Mr.Beer recipe calls for about 2grams. Should I only use 2grams of the new stuff? Or can/should I use more?

 

[Kealia]

2 grams is severely under-pitching. You can either pitch half the pack (if you plan to use the other half within a week or so), or pitch the whole thing with no ill effects.

 

[gtlaw10]

My next question is about the yeast. The s-04 and wb-06 are 11.5 grams each, but the standard Mr.Beer recipe calls for about 2grams. Should I only use 2grams of the new stuff? Or can/should I use more?

+1 on 2 grams being an underpitch and splitting the packet in two. this is dry yeast we're taking about here though - so definitely feel free to tape up the leftovers and store in an airtight container in the freezer for extended periods. see e.g.: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/how-long-yeast-last-222393/ and https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/storing-dry-yeast-after-opening-190838/
as long as you can store it in a fashion that minimizes, as much as possible, exposure to air (full of moisture) you can store opened yeast packets in the freezer for months. i like to split dry packets too, i cut a corner off measure the 5.75g and then immediately fold over and tape shut, put into a freezer bag (the thicker walled ziplocks), squeeze as much air out as possible and seal, repeat for two bags of protection. but then again i am a cheap ass. at the end of the day dry yeast is so cheap in comparison to liquid that you might as well use the leftover as yeast nutrient and buy another bag (this assumes you have no cash flow problems).

 

[epc071]

. If it's got lines for 2gallons plus space for krausen (which even the "fromunda" yeast can sometimes generate), you're good. If 2 gallons comes up to the brim, you'd need to reduce further, or you'll be stuck with extra wort.

"fromunda" snicker. snicker. snicker

 

[dmoore714]

let me guess... "fromunda" the cap?

 

[Raenon]

let me guess... "fromunda" the cap?

Bingo

 

[Rbeckett]

Well, I am a happy camper. I brewed my first beer 2 1/2 weeks ago in a Mr Beer and bottled it yesterday. I'm genuinely impressed. Not only did it work it tasted pretty good for a first attempt. In the meantime while I was waiting for the yeast war to end I read Palmers book and perused anything beer and decided to go ahead and branch into bigger batches. So now I have a 6.5 gallon fermentor (ale Pail) and the neccessary ingredients for a hefe at the ready. When I get a day without Dialysis and/or doctor appointments I will boil off the second batch. So for 39 bucks I am hopelessly addicted already. Eventually gonna be an all grainer, I can see it now. I gotta weld up a brew sculpture and do some wiring and plumbing but that the easy stuff for me. In the interrim I will just have to entertain myself with extract brewing, Oh darn the bad luck huh? If you haven't done it and can't decide give the lowly mr beer a try, it's easy and fun and will get you hooked if your disposed to doing these kinds of things...
Bob

 

[Robeerto]

I got a Mr Beer delux for Christmas from my fiance too!!! Ok this is crazy I just brewed my first beer and joined this site and found a post from the exact same thing that happened to me "well my fiance got me a mr beer deluxe kit for x-mas , ive been wanting to learn about brewing and diy brewing", but the other guy was 2008! I started brewing early Jan 2012 and I have Cowboy Golden Ale in 1 liter PETE bottles and Red Ale in recycled glass bottles. The Golden Ale is ok and the Red Ale is better but I have a slight off taste that is like an olive taste in both. I think it may be from the no rinse cleaner??? i used the no rinse and dumped out for the brewing and bottles. I think next time I will rinse with hot water. I also went all in and purchased 5 gallon equipment. I have 5 gal Coopers IPA brewing now. Having a home brew now. :rockin:

 

[stevehardt]

let me guess... "fromunda" the cap?

lmao:d

 

[kc9eci]

Just tasted the Cider. Not bad. Light, crisp, nice apple finish. Not so impressed with the West Coast Pale Ale. It needs a bit more body I think.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Time really does heal most if not all things... Also, Mr Beer directions need to be shredded and burned on sight. I received my kit for Christmas from SWMBO and started my first batch, the WCPA right away. Reading the booklet from the premium kit, it told me I can add a cup of brown sugar to up the ABV. Sounded great!! Also, being in AZ and not knowing the importance of fermenting temps it fermented way too hot. Well, after 2 weeks in the LBK and 3 weeks in bottles it was super cidery and not good at all IMO. 2 weeks later, the cider flavor is still there, but much better. Most of batch 1 is already gone (my beer fund has become my brew fund and I am drinking it faster than I can brew it), but batch 2 just went in the fridge and is WAY better so the few I have left of batch 1 can sit and become decent. Patience is being learned, and a larger setup is being created to help the pipeline.

 

[Helm]

Time really does heal most if not all things... Also, Mr Beer directions need to be shredded and burned on sight. I received my kit for Christmas from SWMBO and started my first batch, the WCPA right away. Reading the booklet from the premium kit, it told me I can add a cup of brown sugar to up the ABV. Sounded great!! Also, being in AZ and not knowing the importance of fermenting temps it fermented way too hot. Well, after 2 weeks in the LBK and 3 weeks in bottles it was super cidery and not good at all IMO. 2 weeks later, the cider flavor is still there, but much better. Most of batch 1 is already gone (my beer fund has become my brew fund and I am drinking it faster than I can brew it), but batch 2 just went in the fridge and is WAY better so the few I have left of batch 1 can sit and become decent. Patience is being learned, and a larger setup is being created to help the pipeline.

Good to hear, I have read a lot of this thread and heard echoed that patience is key. I have thrown 2 of my one liter bottles of the WCPA in the garage (chicago) to condition after having them bottled for about 2 weeks, leaving the other 6 in warmer conditions. Currently have a stout in fermenter and cant wait. Hope each batch is better than the last.

 

[dmoore714]

Reading the booklet from the premium kit, it told me I can add a cup of brown sugar to up the ABV. ...Well, after 2 weeks in the LBK and 3 weeks in bottles it was super cidery and not good at all

Did the same thing on my first batch. I did a nut brown HME, and added a cup of brown sugar. Took a taste as I was bottling and it tasted very cidery. I'm hoping some time in the bottles will help.

 

[bpgreen]

Did the same thing on my first batch. I did a nut brown HME, and added a cup of brown sugar. Took a taste as I was bottling and it tasted very cidery. I'm hoping some time in the bottles will help.

Cidery tastes fade over time.

 

[dmoore714]

Started a batch of Mr Beer's Bullseye recipe last night. Used all the Mr.B ingredients, but subbed in half a pack of S-04 yeast instead of the cheap stuff. Also used less water than called for so I could do this one in a little 2-gallon bucket fermenter rather than the Mr.B keg.

Pitched the yeast dry last night. The airlock was steady bubbling away when I got up this morning. With my last batch I kept the room at a near-constant 68-70 degrees. I'm letting this one ferment colder... about 62 degrees.

I can already tell this batch is going to be hands-down better than my last.

 

[bpgreen]

Started a batch of Mr Beer's Bullseye recipe last night. Used all the Mr.B ingredients, but subbed in half a pack of S-04 yeast instead of the cheap stuff. Also used less water than called for so I could do this one in a little 2-gallon bucket fermenter rather than the Mr.B keg.

Pitched the yeast dry last night. The airlock was steady bubbling away when I got up this morning. With my last batch I kept the room at a near-constant 68-70 degrees. I'm letting this one ferment colder... about 62 degrees.

I can already tell this batch is going to be hands-down better than my last.

Since this is supposed to be an English style Ale, I think the S-04 is a good yeast choice. But you won't really get much contribution from the yeast if you ferment at 62. If you want the S-04 to contribute the esters associated with an English ale, I'd raise the fermentation temperatures to around 68.

If you're trying to brew a cleaner American ale, use US-05 and brew close to 60, but if you're keeping your temperatures at 62, you're really not getting the contribution from an English ale yeast that you want.

 

[vnzjunk]

I think they list the Cowboy as a 'lager' although it uses the same Ale yeast as the other starter kits and is not fermented at the colder temps that most 'true' lagers and lager yeast seem to require.

That cleanser should not be a problem taste wise especially if you let the bottles air dry. And once filled with wert, any remaining residue should be a small percentage of the total bottle. Elsewhere I read that the San Star type sanitizers break down into protean that is eaten by the remaining yeast also. The Red Ale does taste different than the Cowboy and maybe it is this 'normal' taste that you refer too.

Also with the cowboy, I found that the taste really improved from week 4-6 of conditioning and even more a week or so after that. Don't rush it if you can hold yourself back.

Good Luck and happy brewing!

 

[vnzjunk]

I like the 1 Ltr. PET bottles. Takes a smaller number of bottles to bottle up a batch and no capping required. I most generally drink more than a single 12oz bottle or 2 at a time anyway. Over a couple of days an opened bottle doesn't seem to go flat and remains at least partially carbonated. The cost you see at various homebrew supplies sources of approx $1.75 per bottle is a bit stiff. A nice alternative I hit upon is to use the brown bottles that are available in some grocery stores filled with pretty good root beer. I have been finding them for $0.99 a piece and on top of that you get the root beer to consume while you are waiting for the next batch of homebrew beer to finish.

I clean these by immediately rinsing them out with hot water after emptying either the root beer or homebrew. I then cap em and at bottling time I sanitize them with air dry sanitizing liquid. No problems with this procedure as of yet. I think that the rinsing stage before any remaining yeast/residue hardens inside the bottle helps.

 

[vnzjunk]

Its amazing what a couple of extra weeks of conditioning can do for an over sweetened/carbonated batch. I have seen a complete turnaround of results once the added time was allowed. On some occasions I was short of drinkable home brew so just had to have some. I blended the too sweet with some mostly tastless store bought major brew and ended up with a very drinkable end product in a pinch. Not the desired 'pure' home brew to be sure but a darn site better than the flavorless store bought brew.

 

[lagalaxy]

I am onto the bottling stage and the instructions suggest granulated white sugar but I'd rather not use white sugars because I don't trust it. I was thinking about using brown sugar or honey and I was wondering if the measurements stay the same when using a different sugar than white sugar.

 

[dmoore714]

I am onto the bottling stage and the instructions suggest granulated white sugar but I'd rather not use white sugars because I don't trust it. I was thinking about using brown sugar or honey and I was wondering if the measurements stay the same when using a different sugar than white sugar.

I didnt want to use granulated sugar either. Went to my local homebrew shop and picked up a small bag of actual priming sugar. It was affordable and seems to have worked really well.

Concerning using honey in lieu of priming sugar, see this thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-honey-839/

 

[bpgreen]

I am onto the bottling stage and the instructions suggest granulated white sugar but I'd rather not use white sugars because I don't trust it. I was thinking about using brown sugar or honey and I was wondering if the measurements stay the same when using a different sugar than white sugar.

What don't you trust about white sugar? Keep in mind that brown sugar is simply white sugar with some molasses added to it.

If you're measuring instead of weighing, it may be difficult to get the correct amount of brown sugar. It compresses when you pack it, so measurements are less precise than with white sugar. I'm not sure what measurements you'd use with brown sugar.

If I remember correctly, honey is about 80% fermentable, so you'd want to use a little more if you use it. In my opinion, the Mr Beer recommendations are on the high side. I'd suggest using an online priming calculator. http://www.screwybrewer.com has one on his site.

I've never primed with anything but white sugar and I've never had a problem.

 

[Mike37]

Yeah priming with honey or brown sugar is quite a bit different. FWIW I used a bit less table sugar than MrB recommends and it turned out great. My wife's uncle has tried everything under the sun to prime and still likes table sugar best. You could always get some priming tabs/cubes if you want to try that.

 

[gtlaw10]

I am onto the bottling stage and the instructions suggest granulated white sugar but I'd rather not use white sugars because I don't trust it. I was thinking about using brown sugar or honey and I was wondering if the measurements stay the same when using a different sugar than white sugar.

if you don't want to trust white sugars - that's fine - but you should definitely educate yourself on their use in brewing because historically and presently brewers use white sugars with great success, both as part of their wort and as a priming sugar. do a simple search on the forum for table sugar.
as for your actual question, treat brown sugar just like sucrose aka table/white sugar and honey just like cane sugar or dextrose. try using a priming calculator as well, here is my go to: http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html keep in mind the brown sugar will add a bit of molasses flavor to your brew (desirable in darker styles) while the honey will add nothing noticeable to people with normal palates.
happy brewing!

 

[lagalaxy]

When I said that I was mainly concerned about any chemicals that may be in the white sugar.

So would you guys suggest going ahead with white sugar or get priming sugar from a home brew shop? It's my first batch and I don't want to make mistakes. (Although I know mistakes are part of the fun and I don't want to take this too seriously I want it to be a fun hobby)

 

[lagalaxy]

Yeah priming with honey or brown sugar is quite a bit different. FWIW I used a bit less table sugar than MrB recommends and it turned out great. My wife's uncle has tried everything under the sun to prime and still likes table sugar best. You could always get some priming tabs/cubes if you want to try that.

Thanks to the help from the other members they gave me links to priming calculators which is very much appreciated.
I was wondering from your experience how much less sugar did you use?
I am using liter bottles and it tells me to use 2 1/2 tps.