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experimenting with mr beer

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smitty868

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so i am in the process of my first batch with a mr beer kit i pruchased, making the pale ale. reading the labels and the instructions, i read that the beer i am making is only a 3.7% beer. i am quite accustomed to the higher gravity ipa's. question- is there anything that i can do to raise the content, without ruining my batch?:mug:
 
Get dme or lme.

Those mr beer kits are pricy for what you can actually get using dme,hops yeast seperatly,but its a good start, just pricey for what you actually get.
Or just consider this a session beer and next one get some northern brewer/midwest/7bridges stuff.
Although you could add some corn sugar and maltodextrin which is what their boosters consist of, i think i can buy those at my food coop even. DME would be best. Unless you could do a partial mash with some base grains.
 
so, corn sugar and maltodextrin is what i should use to raise the content? if so, how much and when do i add it? i am making a 2 gallon batch. next thing....i am as ignorant as they come, so what is dme?
 
Dry malt extract would be best(DME). I wouldnt use too much corn sugar and malto.I dont have expericnence with maltodextrin but i would say not to use more than 1# alltogether.Probably1/4- 1/3# corn sugar then whatever for the maltodextrin-i dont know like 1/4-1/2 #. Corn sugar will dry it some but the malto should give it some body with unfermetable dextrins.Since its a pale ale you may get away with it, but if you add too much corn sugar you may get some unbeer like qualities to your beer, or even alcoholy, even cidery if too much.
Personally i would leave it and brew it, and consider it a session beer, then just learn for your next batch. I like having some low abv beers around they are a nice break from the others.
But in general all you have to do is add more dry or liquid malt extract to it keeping it beerlike- raising the abv. If you have a hombrew store nearby you can get a pound of it, but you could get by with just a half pound making it a 5%er maybe adding a pound may get you more into the 6-7 % range,more like 6 maybe.
 
Dry Malt Extract. It will add more grain content to you your beer--higher gravity without watering down the maltiness like just adding sugar will.
 
I would get food grade buckets and forget the Mr Beer system. You can probably get a food grade bucket at your nearest bakery...they often use lots of corn syrups/molasses for pastries etc...The buckets are foodgrade and safe to use and will be thrown out or reused at the bakery.

Good luck. Mr. Beer is okay but your better off making a nice 5 gallon batch your first time.
 
Being that it's your very first time, I think it's best if you just let it ride...Forget about the alcohol content. Just get yourself familiar with the process of making beer using the Mr. Beer kit and instructions. Mr. Beer is a good beer brewers starting platform IMO. I started with one. I don't think you want to start tinkering with modifying the ingredients your first time up, it may cause you to ruin the batch. If you want to make beer with a higher ABV, Mr. Beer sells many different kits on their website, if you wish to stay with it for a little while.
 
You could still make good beers with mr beer fermenter, just getting a few pounds of dme or lme,some steeping grains,grain bag,and hops. Later on for future batches. Saving some money as well buying them seperatly.Or even do all grain BIAB easily on the stove
top
You dont have to go out and buy more equipement just yet unless you wanted to.Just the ingredients.
 
thank you all for the suggestions. however, i do think that for the first round, i will just sit and let it be. next batch...i might experiment a wee bit. i do have a local homebrew store up here in cartersville, so i plan on stopping in and checking it out.
 
ignorant question...dme, do i add it when i am boiling the wort, or add afterwards when you add the sugar?
 
Put a little less water in the Mr. Beer (1.75 instead of 2 gal) and it will come out stronger and probably taste better too.
 
ignorant question...dme, do i add it when i am boiling the wort, or add afterwards when you add the sugar?

Add it with the can, though you probably should boil it for a while. I assume the Mr. Beer is a short boil.
 
Since your making a pale ale, a thing to consider is if your raising the abv,your also going to get less ibu's.I would hate to have this start getting confusing on you but if its a short boil already and you do decide you want to add like 1/2-1 pound dme, then you may want to boil that with some hops, which would mean you have to know the aa's of the hop to get the ibus you want for a 60 min boil.You also have to configure evaporation loss in the boil with your water for your 2 gallon beer. But i would just consider a 45 min boil with a small amount of hops.You have that to consider also, so if this is getting to confusing for you know, i would just brew this as is, then learn what you need to do -read How to Brew online or get the book.Learn it before you brew it. Or if you do change it,work with us before changing it/guessing and brewing it yourself.If you add to this kit your basically making your own recipe and you should know how to go about all of it first before just throwing stuff in.Not trying to sound harsh- there are just some things you need to know first.
I couldnt have made a better decision than to spend a few months here researching before deciding what to get and how to go about brewing it. Happy Brewing!
 
Despite what some say, I would keep the Mr Beer eqpt.. I'd like one and keep looking on Craigslist for one nearby. I would like one for making test batches.. and I'd like one for making something like root beer. But, test batches would be my first choice. What do they work out to.. about 2.5 six packs? Not bad for experimental brews.
 
If you get a full 2 gallons it should be like 18-20 beers,not shure if those fermenters are 2.5 giving you 2 gallon volume,but i do 2 gal fermenters giving me roughly 16 beers(1/3 of a 5 gallon batch) which are also perfect for those tap a draft little kegs.Ive only bottled though, i cannot imagine keeping my beer in one of those like i do bottles for as long as i do.Plus i dont care to have to drink the same beer over and over.
 
Despite what some say, I would keep the Mr Beer eqpt.. I'd like one and keep looking on Craigslist for one nearby. I would like one for making test batches.. and I'd like one for making something like root beer. But, test batches would be my first choice. What do they work out to.. about 2.5 six packs? Not bad for experimental brews.

Me too, I ended up getting a 2 gallon bucket to ferment small batches, but still kind of want a Mr. Beer.
 
Easy to do all grain BIAB electric stove top as well.I actually did a BIAB full boil- all grain electric stove top double small batch doing over 3 gallons. I figured if im pitching liquid yeast,im shure as hell not going to waste it.Using 2-2 gallon fermenters.
 
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