New Brewer observations

[skyace00]

I just wanted to share my recent observations since i have jumped into this great new hobby. To get some background, I recently started brewing in January, with the purchase of a "Mr.Beer". Now this is where my observation start, and let me preface this by saying I am not knocking Mr Beer, but maybe some helpful criticism. I brewed 2 kits, a weisen and the canadian ale. Honestly they were not undrinkable, but certainly wouldnt be something I shared with friends. The first being the weisen I actually dumped most of it.

But what I will give Mr Beer credit is it opened my eyes to the beer process and excitement of brewing, as even while the second kit was fermenting. I pieced together a full 5 gallon kit and embarked on one of my favorite styles, a hefeweisen. Well I just opened my first test bottles, and I was blown away by one of the best beers I have ever had. Not just saying that because its my baby but several people agreed.

My observation is if a beginner like myself can put together a simple extract, and it turns out great, why couldnt mr beer put these ingredients in their kits to promote a better finished product. Do they use lesser grade ingredients to cut cost?

 

[Zamial]

1st Welcome to the addiction.

2nd Welcome to HBT!

3rd Most folks here do not use Mr. Beer anymore. There is a sticky at the top of the Beginners section that is specifically for Mr.Beer.
The ingredients are lacking and they rush you to bottle, this allows them to sell you more kits... You can also make your own kits, I am pretty sure the Mr. Beer thread is "all inclusive" on this subject.

IMO if you feel you have out grown your Mr.Beer you can upgrade to a slightly larger system pretty cheap if you have a DIY spirit. Please do not think I am saying good beer can not be made with a Mr.Beer but it will take some doing and venturing away from their prefab kits from what I hear. (I have never done a Mr.Beer)

I wish you the best of brewing!

EDIT: I see you are moving away from Mr.Beer...so take that for what it is worth I guess...lol.

 

[aubiecat]

Welcome to the addiction.
It doesn't take long for it to snowball.
I just started brewing in January and I'm already up to a PID controlled electric BIAB system, a temp controlled fermenting cabinet, DIY stir plate and a pressure cooker to can starter wort and sterile water. No end in sight.

 

[skyace00]

Welcome to the addiction.
It doesn't take long for it to snowball.
I just started brewing in January and I'm already up to a PID controlled electric BIAB system, a temp controlled fermenting cabinet, DIY stir plate and a pressure cooker to can starter wort and sterile water. No end in sight.

I think the "Brotherhood/Sisterhood" here and at the LHBS makes it so much more fun as well. Especially for the DIY in everyone

 

[VTDuffman]

I just wanted to share my recent observations since i have jumped into this great new hobby. To get some background, I recently started brewing in January, with the purchase of a "Mr.Beer". Now this is where my observation start, and let me preface this by saying I am not knocking Mr Beer, but maybe some helpful criticism. I brewed 2 kits, a weisen and the canadian ale. Honestly they were not undrinkable, but certainly wouldnt be something I shared with friends. The first being the weisen I actually dumped most of it.

But what I will give Mr Beer credit is it opened my eyes to the beer process and excitement of brewing, as even while the second kit was fermenting. I pieced together a full 5 gallon kit and embarked on one of my favorite styles, a hefeweisen. Well I just opened my first test bottles, and I was blown away by one of the best beers I have ever had. Not just saying that because its my baby but several people agreed.

My observation is if a beginner like myself can put together a simple extract, and it turns out great, why couldnt mr beer put these ingredients in their kits to promote a better finished product. Do they use lesser grade ingredients to cut cost?

Mr. Beer Kits are designed to be idiot proof, and for the most part they are. They're just not going to produce the best beer you ever drank if you do it the way they have in their instructions. But if you brew any beer that way, it's not going to be very good.

There's nothing wrong with their extracts IMHO, as long as it's fresh, but that goes for any extract. the big problem is their yeast. It's designed for a really big temperature range and they don't give you enough of it. This stresses things out and produces off-flavors.

Really though, if you use a Mr. B fermenter, Mr B extracts, and follow proper brewing procedures (santizing, ferment temps, *waiting*) and use a better yeast, the only thing you can't do with a Mr B setup is make 5 gals of beer.

 

[skyace00]

There's nothing wrong with their extracts IMHO, as long as it's fresh, but that goes for any extract. the big problem is their yeast. It's designed for a really big temperature range and they don't give you enough of it. This stresses things out and produces off-flavors.

I agree 100% there is def the off flavors, Since i started putting together my on ingredients I have been using liquid yeast and it does exactly what I want

 

[texasbrewer73]

To me, Mr. Beer is nothing more than a gateway kit. I have no experience using one, but when I see their website, packaging, pricing, etc, it all appears to welcome the casual person to brewing who doesn't want to do anything more than throw some ingredients together, wait, then drink.

I would doubt that Mr. Beer beers would ever win a competition (similar to not winning an art contest with paint by numbers), but more importantly, its the first of many steps in learning the homebrewing process for some.

If anything is lesser grade, I would say the equipment is lacking. The shelf life of the ingredients may come into play too, but I think the equipment is the biggest sandbag. As with many things, if you can enjoy the process and patience associated with brewing, you'll eventually graduate to better equipment, ingredients, etc.

 

[jIM_Ohio]

I started with Mr Beer many years ago and just upgraded to a better kit and partial mashing in 2012.

Mr Beer's bottling technique is better/more consistent (I had one batch with 50% flat beers, and the 4-5 I made with Mr Beer never had that issue). Granted maybe I missed something, as I have not had that bottling problem the last 4 batches...