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Revvy said:
If there's stuff on the bottom, that means it's working...It's called trub...Basically it's yeastpoop :D It means the yeasties are eating the sugar and turning it into precious necter!

Never abort a beer...Always see it through to the bottle conditioning process...


Yeastpoop! That sounds delicious. Thanks for the prompt response, I can't wait for it to be done.
 
CAsch said:
Yeastpoop! That sounds delicious. Thanks for the prompt response, I can't wait for it to be done.

You wanna see something cool? If your next beer is going to darker than what's in the fermentor...instead of using the yeast packet...pour your new wort on top of the old cake!

You'll see really active fermentation.
 
Now that I invested in better brewing equipment, I’ve been wondering what to do with my mr beer keg.

Why don’t we send in pictures of our mb kegs taken in unusual places, you know, like as a passenger on an airliner, used as a bobber on a fishing line, tied under a saint bernard’s chin…
 
Do not adjust your set. Your eyes are fine (unless you've had a couple too many home brews recently). My camera's auto focus is broken...

This is what I love about Mr. Beer. He's such a sneaky little devil! I have a small cabinet in my home office that used to be for copy paper and other office ephemera but it's secretly been converted into a mini Mr. Beer brewery which SWMBO doesn't even know exists (yet) So, I can just swing my chair around and see how my children are fermenting :)
mrbhoqm0.jpg
 
Thwizzit said:
Do not adjust your set. Your eyes are fine (unless you've had a couple too many home brews recently). My camera's auto focus is broken...


That's brilliant! Thanks for posting. So when are you gonna install the in cabinet webcam, so you can peek in on your children even whilst at work???? :D
 
Thwizzit said:
Do not adjust your set. Your eyes are fine (unless you've had a couple too many home brews recently). My camera's auto focus is broken...

This is what I love about Mr. Beer. He's such a sneaky little devil! I have a small cabinet in my home office that used to be for copy paper and other office ephemera but it's secretly been converted into a mini Mr. Beer brewery which SWMBO doesn't even know exists (yet) So, I can just swing my chair around and see how my children are fermenting :)
mrbhoqm0.jpg

Yeap I gotta agree thats super stealth! you get some points for creativity on this one!
 
I almost got busted today by SWMBO because she's got bionic hearing (no joke) and the Apfelwein is bubbling away and I guess it's making a high pitched squealing sound (which I can't hear because I can't hear anything) and whenever she comes in my office she asks me what that sound is and has to hold her ears because it gives her a headache....
 
Wow, I've never had much respect for Mr Beer people, but you have changed me on a fundamental level. keep us posted!:rockin:
 
Now SWMBO keeps asking me why I'm saving all of these swing-top Grolsch bottles... i wonder how much longer I can hold out...
 
me and my buddy just started last month, plan on 4 more batches before we go 5 gal. some time early next month probably. so far so good tired the Canadian draft and west coast pale ale. can't wait to make some hoppy beer.

100_0361.jpg
 
this is sitting around in the bathroom??
you don't have any skunking issues with light getting into your beer?
no issues with the pop bottles holding pressure?
 
shafferpilot said:
Wow, I've never had much respect for Mr Beer people, but you have changed me on a fundamental level. keep us posted!:rockin:

LOL! Thanks :) I have a few more weeks before I can drink my first batch and about two months for my Apfelwein. It's tough just starting out and having to play the waiting game but I'm looking forward to being at the point where I have my stash of drinkables as well as my next batch conditioning and one in the fermenter so I can get into the cycle and it will just keep rolling :)
 
FEARDIZ said:
this is sitting around in the bathroom??
you don't have any skunking issues with light getting into your beer?
no issues with the pop bottles holding pressure?

lol yea its in a bathroom in the basement that no one ever uses. the only time the light comes on is too handle the beer. the pop bottles are pretty much equal to the mr beer bottles, since they are still conditioning at this point we have only opened 4 bottles and once the pop bottle had less than the mr beer and the next try the pop bottle had more fizz than the mr beer bottle. jury still out i guess.
 
I am about to start my third batch of MB, and have been picking up pieces for a "big boy" beer kit while enjoying my first two batches of MB.

I am adding hops and a can of LME to this third batch and want to do a secondary ferment before I bottle. My questions are:

1. Can I use my new 5 gal primary with this 2.5 gal recipe, or will there be too much head space (if there is a such thing)?

2. Since I am only using half the bucket's capacity, is there a need to put the lid on tight and use my airlock? My guess to this is that I can either leave the lid slightly cracked and not use the air lock (kind of what you have with the MRB keg when you put the top on loose and let it vent through the slotted lip) OR put it on tight and use the airlock.

When the beer is done in the bucket, I am transferring it to the MRB keg for awhile and will then use its tap to bottle.

Sound like a plan?
 
431brew said:
I am about to start my third batch of MB, and have been picking up pieces for a "big boy" beer kit while enjoying my first two batches of MB.

I am adding hops and a can of LME to this third batch and want to do a secondary ferment before I bottle. My questions are:

1. Can I use my new 5 gal primary with this 2.5 gal recipe, or will there be too much head space (if there is a such thing)?

2. Since I am only using half the bucket's capacity, is there a need to put the lid on tight and use my airlock? My guess to this is that I can either leave the lid slightly cracked and not use the air lock (kind of what you have with the MRB keg when you put the top on loose and let it vent through the slotted lip) OR put it on tight and use the airlock.

When the beer is done in the bucket, I am transferring it to the MRB keg for awhile and will then use its tap to bottle.

Sound like a plan?

1) That's a little too much headspace for my comfort zone. You're talking over half the volume of your carboy....I don't know how much co2 is produced in a typical 5 gallon batch of beer, let alone the fermenting of half that amount...you really want to make sure the the outgassing of c02 fills the entire non beer space of whateever your are fermenting/conditioning in, and pushes the oxygen and other gunk away...That's why you usually use a 6.5 gallon carboy as a fermenter for 5 gallon batches....only 1.5 gal headspace to fill with co2.

2) Contrary to the mr b setup...you really want a tight fermenter with an airlock....If you have a problem openning your tight bucket lid consider picking up one of those lid opening tools. They have them at your LHBS, but you can also find them at big box hardware stores for opening plastic paint and paste buckets.
 
Thanks, Revvy. I was thinking it was too much too, about a gallon too much. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of bubbling action from the MRB kit ingredients, so was afraid it wouldn't push the oxygen out.

Could I flip my plan and use the MRB keg as the primary and the 5 gal as the secondary for this batch, or would this be a screw up, too? Maybe I just need to order another container.

I have two more MRB recipes to use before I go to 5 gal batches, so I don't really want to buy a 3 gal fermenter just for these next two batches.

Thanks, again....
 
431brew said:
Thanks, Revvy. I was thinking it was too much too, about a gallon too much. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of bubbling action from the MRB kit ingredients, so was afraid it wouldn't push the O2 out.

Thanks, again....

You're welcome...

It's so hard to tell with the current incarnation of MR B whether or not there's any action, it just doesn't really bubble. (I hate that they got rid of the lid with the airlock...I think that's done the worst damage for our little fermenter.)
 
431brew said:
Could I flip my plan and use the MRB keg as the primary and the 5 gal as the secondary for this batch, or would this be a screw up, too? Maybe I just need to order another container.

I have two more MRB recipes to use before I go to 5 gal batches, so I don't really want to buy a 3 gal fermenter just for these next two batches.


Can you give me your two cents on this?
 
431brew said:
Can you give me your two cents on this?


I'm still not comfortable with 2.5+ gallons of headspace for the secondary. I don't think that a 2-2.5 gallon batch of beer would produce enough co2 in the secondary to put a protective cushion on it....You may be fine, but I dunno.

Honestly? I wouldn't bother with a secondary for the mister beer batches...I would instead go 2 weeks in primary, then bottle and condition for 3-6 weeks to let the beer clear. But that's just my opinion...You could spend 2 bucks on some irish moss, and add 1 tsp to the boil.
 
431brew said:
Can you give me your two cents on this?

Keep it simple if you don't have the equipment. I'd just leave it in the keg for 2-3 weeks if it cranking at the right temp.

At 2-3 weeks taste it and ask yourself this. Use the spigot and a shot glass. Does it taste like sweet or like warm yeasty beer? If its sweet wait, if its warm beer, bottle.

Definately wait for 6-8 weeks before drinking.
 
Thanks, guys. I got in from work early and was going to brew as I outlined a few posts ago. However, taking your advice because I do not want to ruin my beer with the extra headspace.

I need to round up more supplies this weekend. I have enough stuff to think about brewing something, but not enough to do anything:

I have a 5-6 gal fermenter, but not enough ingredients for 5 gal beer.

I have ingredients for 2 1/2 gal brew, but have some already in the MRB keg.

I have 2 1/2 gals of apple juice, a pound of sugar, and some yeast, but same problem as before.....my bucket is too big and the little keg is full.

Kind of like being teased by a girl....:(
 
431brew said:
Thanks, guys. I got in from work early and was going to brew as I outlined a few posts ago. However, taking your advice because I do not want to ruin my beer with the extra headspace.

I need to round up more supplies this weekend. I have enough stuff to think about brewing something, but not enough to do anything:

I have a 5-6 gal fermenter, but not enough ingredients for 5 gal beer.

I have ingredients for 2 1/2 gal brew, but have some already in the MRB keg.

I have 2 1/2 gals of apple juice, a pound of sugar, and some yeast, but same problem as before.....my bucket is too big and the little keg is full.

Kind of like being teased by a girl....:(

For $5, go to Lowes or Home Depot, maybe the local grocery store and get a 3 gal water bottle!!
The water is good for brewing too. Its the blue bottles with PET or PETE and a 1 inside the triangle.

I brew 2 gal batches in 3 gal PET bottles all of the time. I never use the MRB keg for fermenting, just bottling.

The 3 gal jug can take a carboy cap w/ an airlock. If you don't have one sanitize some tin foil then wrap it over top and let'er rip!!!

:mug:
 
my first batch is at 10 days in the keg and there is stuff floating on top with thick stringy looking stuff hanging into the beer. Is this normal or did something go wrong?
 
CAsch said:
my first batch is at 10 days in the keg and there is stuff floating on top with thick stringy looking stuff hanging into the beer. Is this normal or did something go wrong?

That's not normal. Sounds like an icky infection. do you have a digital camera? pics help a ton in identifying something like this.
 
Schlenkerla said:
For $5, go to Lowes or Home Depot, maybe the local grocery store and get a 3 gal water bottle!!
The water is good for brewing too. Its the blue bottles with PET or PETE and a 1 inside the triangle.

I brew 2 gal batches in 3 gal PET bottles all of the time. I never use the MRB keg for fermenting, just bottling.

The 3 gal jug can take a carboy cap w/ an airlock. If you don't have one sanitize some tin foil then wrap it over top and let'er rip!!!

:mug:


Thanks, Schlenkerla. I will try Lowes or Home Depot. My small town grocery store has the 3 gal water bottles, but they are #7's.

My goal for the weekend: Get a 3 gal container! (Maybe two.)
 
That's what I was afraid of. I can try to see if I can get a picture of it, it's hard to see through the sides of the keg. Could this also be related to the fact that my mix is over 2 years old?:eek:
 
CAsch said:
That's what I was afraid of. I can try to see if I can get a picture of it, it's hard to see through the sides of the keg. Could this also be related to the fact that my mix is over 2 years old?:eek:

Also take a pic through the top...so we can see what's on the surface...Put a light behind the fermetor when you take a side pic. Try to get us as many diff angles and pics as possible.

If it's infection, it would be more the result of a problem with your sanitization procedures, or something getting in when you had the lid off, rather than a 2 year old mix (unless the can was swollen or something).

It's really really hard to get an infection in beer.. So I'm not ready to call it an infection without more info. And to be able to see some pics. Stringiness is usually a sign of infection...But what looks "Stringyy" to you might not to someone who's actually seen an infection. It could be parts of the Krausen starting to drop.

What was your recipe? Was there any fruit involved?

Does it smell bad?
 
There was no swelling of the can. Actually looking at it this morning I was only able to see one spot that looked like what I was talking about. I tried to get a picture of it , but it is hard to see. No fruits or anything added I used a WCPA and followed the directions. It doesn't smell bad it actually smells like caramelized sugar.

Really hard to see it, but the hanging stuff is on the right in the picture. The left side is the back of the keg with my crappy flash light up against it.


the only way to get a top pic was with the lid off.


Color
 
i did it was off for a picture then immediately back on, never even left my hand.
 
Did you taste it, cause that'll tell you more than anything.

If the stringy "stuff" is roapy, then you'ld have problems that you could smell and it would taste pretty bad.

It looks OK to me, but taste it. That really is the key.
 
just tasted it. It tastes ok. Flat, but that is to be expected. If it looks ok and tastes ok and has been in for 10 days, do you think its ready for bottling?
 
CAsch said:
just tasted it. It tastes ok. Flat, but that is to be expected. If it looks ok and tastes ok and has been in for 10 days, do you think its ready for bottling?

Yep...I'd go ahead an bpttle if there's no nasty taste to it...and give the bottles 3 weeks to carb and condition.
 
Thanks for helping me out guys. The beer is now bottled and sitting in a box in the hall closet. :)
 
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