Husband wants Mr. Beer for Father's Day, BUT...

[Revvy]

A mr beer is a fermenter, nothing more. And the recipes/kits are no better or worse than any other. They just really have a stigmata attached to them that is largely unfounded. An inexperienced brewer is bound to make crappy tasting beer regardless of whether it's with a Mr Beer kit, or a 150 dollar rig, it's not the method or the gear that makes good beer it's the brewer. And inexperienced brewers are going to tend to blame the Mr Beer rather than simply acknowledge that it was their inexperience that did it.

People have submitted mr beer beers in contest and won, and posted on here about it.

It's really about technique and uttilizing the tips and tricks covered on here in terms of yeast pitch rate, temp control, patience and good sanitization. We have an entire thread devoted to making the best beer possible with mr beer, here, but ANY tip mentioned on this forum to make great beer is applicable to Mr Beer as well as 5 gallon kits.

Mr beer is a gateway for many folks. It's a low cost way of dipping his feet in the hobby and seeing if he likes it. I would buy him a kit, and provide him with the link I posted as well as info on the stickeys and other beginner info on here as well.

THEN if he likes it, he will progress at his own pace. If he wants more gear he will then start getting it.

But don't be dissuaded by the negativity, just like the rest of the world, negativity whehter it's founded or not, is always louder than positive things, and if you look around with open eyes, you will see plenty of people are making great beer out of the little brown keg and enjoying it.

 

[BryceL]

I would also recommend checking out morebeer.com for their kits. They have good quality equipment and ingredients, I use them all the time. You are in Riverside which happens to be where they have one of there showrooms. I suggest checking out their site and then going in to talk to them. Tell them what you are interested in and your budget and I'm sure they will work with you to get you set up. I'm about an hour away so I usually order online but I've been in there a couple times and they are always friendly.

MoreBeer
1506 Columbia Ave
Riverside, CA 92507

 

[supermoth]

I would recommend a full 5-gallon kit. If he ends up enjoying brewing, the equipment in the kit will be more useful over the long run. If he doesn't get into it, the full stuff will probably be easier to offload on craigslist than a Mr. Beer.

Also, since you're in Riverside, you might think about going to your local MoreBeer store and talking with the people who work there. If they're anything like the guys in Concord (my closest MoreBeer), they'll be super helpful and friendly, and they'll probably help you get the most appropriate setup for your husband.

 

[ArcLight]

Try Midwest Supplies. They have a great starter kit that gives you all you need and more, plus an ingredient kit to start brewing right away. It's in your price range.

I started with Mr. Beer. I didn't really care for the beers I made, the ingredients were so-so. (To save money just buy the Mr Beer Fermenter direct from Mr Beer, along with a few premium refils - you dont need to pay for the other stuff which you dont need).

Midwest has an EXCELLENT groupon for a very good starter kit and a recipe.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/groupon-homebrewing.html

 

[KevinM]

In addition to the midwestsupplies link and their video.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/groupon-half-off-home-brew-kit-249950/
(Again, per post in there, if you're set to somewhere in Wisconsin as a default, click the location you have where there's a dropdown arrow, click W and choose Milwaukee to see the groupon.)

 

[smalliewader]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/groupon-half-off-home-brew-kit-249950/

Seems like a no brainer for starting out. Purchase additional equipment later as you progress.

Actually, some friends of ours started out this way recently. They are hooked and adding on to the equipment regularly.

 

[Bill33525]

Investing in good equipment is usually the key to enjoying success no matter what you are doing. Additionally, good stuff can always be resold to recover some portion of the investment. Upgrading equipment over and over can be more expensive than getting the good stuff initially.
Finally, look at Craigslist or maybe eBay for some deals. Contact the local brew club to see if anyone is parting with something you can use. Good luck,, home brewing is very rewarding.

 

[governorkc]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/groupon-half-off-home-brew-kit-249950/

Seems like a no brainer for starting out. Purchase additional equipment later as you progress.

+1 on the groupon!

 

[dallasdb]

If you live in Riverside you HAVE to go to MoreBeer. Those guys have great prices and will help you find a great beginner's kit.

http://morebeer.com/search/103661/beerwinecoffee/coffeewinebeer/Riverside_Showroom

 

[Fennis]

There is nothing wrong with a Mr. Beer kit. I also started out with a Mr. Beer kit, and while I did move on within a few months to a larger 5 gallon setup, it was mostly because it was the same cost to get the ingredients for a 5 gallon batch, and you get double the amount of beer.

That being said, go with the groupon deal. At under $80 including shipping, you cannot go wrong. It might be about double the cost of a Mr. Beer starter kit, but if you think he will even remotely like brewing beer, this is the way to go. If you decide to go for it, start saving your beer bottles now! He will need about 50 12oz bottles per batch. My wife just loves the fact that our basement is starting to look like a bottle redemption center, but until I get the money to start kegging, its bottles for me.

 

[Homercidal]

I advise a full basic kit instead of the Mr. Beer. I think Mr. Beer kit is great if you are buying for someone and aren't sure if they want to do it. But you said your man has asked for a kit and a basic kit is going to be MUCH better for much longer than Mr. Beer.
They are more flexible, make more beer at a time, and generally produce better beer. he will be happier and I doubt very much you will be returning it any time soon. (if he likes beer that is...)

 

[nspringstead]

I would recommend the Groupon from Midwest Today. Just go to groupon and change city to Milwaukee. For $64 plus $12s/h you get a beginner kit, 1 beer kit and $25 gift card. Quite a deal for a beginner.

 

[PIGMAN]

FYI, the basic kit + recipe kit at Midwest can frequently be found on Groupon for $64 + $12 shipping.

It's being featured now on the Groupon Milwaukee site.