Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[Bountyjack]

Aw, thanks on that info. But what about 6 gallon Glass carboy versus 6 gallon bucket plastic? Is it just personal preference or is there a reason why you should use one or the other?

 

[bzwyatt]

6 gallons leaves room for head space.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both glass and plastic, and much discussion/argument/debate about it all.

Glass lasts longer, plastic can get dirty/scratched. Glass shatters and is heavy, not so with plastic.

You can see through glass, not plastic.

If you want more info, there are plenty of threads about it out on the forum.

Sent from my SPH-L520 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Bountyjack]

Yes, new at this app also. There is a lot of useful information about glass vs plastic under the search topic. Thank you for your help.

 

[brewski09]

Anyone have experience with the classic American light lager refill? Just got another keg on clearance and it came with the refill kit...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[skitter]

Read the sig! Lol, same kit used.

edit: your on the mobile app, might not be able to see it.

Check it out here: http://skittersmurf.us/index.php/skittbrewing/106-makingthebestofmrbeer

 

[Zepth]

Through my line of work I end up acquiring many an unwanted piece of furniture, unique glassware, art, and a brand new unused Beer Machine from the Great Canadian Micro Brewery Co. Which from all I can tell it is a very similar product to the famed Mr Beer. I jumped at the chance to get it, since my condo (apartment style) doesn't have a great deal of room for a full scale operation - or so I thought.

I later simply brought many of the old equipment my father had laying around and used it, and still see that sealed Mr Beer clone sitting in the closet. Now I see this thread and some people looking back at how it's a great starter, and pining for their good old days as a rookie. And this poor kit has now had two owners that never gave it any attention. Should I run a batch through, just to give this kit the life it deserves? Should I hope that a third owner can give it the love it never felt? Should I stop acting like it's sentient?

 

[skitter]

Beer is a living growing thing and needs to be respected, it has a mind of it's own and, like a fire, can get completely out of control at the moment we don't pay attention.

Yes it's sentient

 

[Bigarcherynut]

Approaching 2 weeks fermentation on Saturday. I've been able to hold a pretty constant temp of 66 degrees with a few dips to 64. I check it everyday and on Tuesday when I shined the flashlight into the side could tell it was clearing up. At that time I could still see a bubble surface every couple of minutes. Checked tonight and although there are dime size colonies of tiny air bubbles I did not see any new bubbles surface. I did notice what I have read and believe to be yeast colonies about the size of a pin head fall to the bottom. Hope this sounds right.

Should I let this ferment longer than 2 weeks? Not sure exactly when fermentation is complete. If I smell around the cap it smells like beer.

 

[skitter]

You can, I usually don't, I havnt fermented anything big enough that it took over 2 weeks to do. I'm doing the miller light clone in the recipes sectoon right now and at 5 days its about petered out. I still need to dry hop in a secondary and add some stuff but normal recipes are 2 weeks and then bottle

 

[Bigarcherynut]

You can, I usually don't, I havnt fermented anything big enough that it took over 2 weeks to do. I'm doing the miller light clone in the recipes sectoon right now and at 5 days its about petered out. I still need to dry hop in a secondary and add some stuff but normal recipes are 2 weeks and then bottle

So will I gain anything by letting it go another week? I know from what I have read I need to be patient but just not sure how to visibly tell when it's done. I guess over time I may read things better.

 

[skitter]

It pays to let the yeast clean up their own by-products. Try for yourself, bottle this one at 2 weeks, bottle your next at 3 weeks and see if you can taste a difference. I wouldn't bother though on a simple beer.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

OK, I did a bunch of extract brewing in the 90's, but sold all my gear when I moved in 2003. Fast forward to this fall and, sort of as a joke, I wanted to brew a batch of beer. Not wanting to get/store the whole setup again, I bought a Mr. Beer and a West Coast Pale Ale kit (didn't want what I assumed was the swill made with the stock kit).

So...I followed all the instructions. The fermentation seemed to go well, lots of activity which died down after about 10 days. After 15 days I bottled. It came with a packet of priming sugar drops so I used those (2 per bottle per the instructions on the package of drops).

I then let them condition at room temp (the plastic bottles got firm like a 2 liter pop bottle) for 2 weeks and for another week in the fridge.

What I ended up with is barely carbonated and sweet tasting (other than that, not horrible) I'm guessing the yeast didn't work on the priming sugar as vigorously as it should, resulting is less carbonation and residual sugars.

Any options or am I stuck with what I have?

 

[skitter]

In that case you can let it sit longer, the longer it sits the more the yeast will degrade the sugar. Let it ride, beer often gets better with age. I know mine dry out and taste better as they go.

 

[TemplarBrewer]

Just bottled my first batch about a week and a half ago waiting to open on Super Bowl Sunday. Want to try some more customization on my next which is the patriot lager kit from MB. Any ideas or suggestions for my first tip toe into experimenting?

 

[SaguaroMan]

I have never owned a Mr. Beer kit in my life, but I still give it credit for getting me into brewing.

I saw one in a store a few years ago and said "Wow, I'm going to have to buy one of those -- I had no idea that I could brew my own beer."

Same with me, I've seen them at BevMo and thought the same thing. I later googled homebrewing and saw a few LHBSs near me and the rest is history

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[skitter]

Just bottled my first batch about a week and a half ago waiting to open on Super Bowl Sunday. Want to try some more customization on my next which is the patriot lager kit from MB. Any ideas or suggestions for my first tip toe into experimenting?

Hey bro, I had both the ACL kit and the PL kit for christmas. Doctored them bot up the aame way described a few posts back by me or you can check my sig

 

[evaug004]

I'm new myself but have had help from a coworker who has been brewing for awhile. Not sure conditioning in the fridge is good. Once you bottle with the priming sugar I place mine in a dark place at room temp and leave for 2 weeks. I think that once you add the sugar you still have some active yeast that work with the sugar so placing it in the fridge may halt any activity. I could be wrong. Best of luck

 

[skitter]

There is a week by week video posted on here someplace, 2 weeks in the bottle is ok, but 3weeks is better for carbonation

 

[powerguard18]

I am brand new to this so bare with me
I am a long time beer drinker and i have an old mr beer kit Prob 1yr old I got it for christmas last yr and i never tried it out
Is the stuff in it still good? I was thinking of trying to use it this weekend

2nd question if i do use it is tap water ok or should i get bottled spring water

3rd quesion the olny stainless pot i have is a giant stock pot should i just go and buy a small 3 Qt pan

 

[bzwyatt]

A big pot is good. 'Giant' might be overkill, but you're just heating water and stirring in extract with MrB, so as long as you can get it from the pot to the LBK, you're good.

Your tap water is probably not going to infect your beer, but it probably has enough treatment chemicals to impart indesirable flavors. Get bottle water to be safe and avoid off flavors. Or carbon filter it.

The extract will be darker than when it was fresh and probably has had some flavor change, maybe some staling, but it is good to make beer. Try it and see what you think.

 

[powerguard18]

is it necessary to sanitize the pot

 

[brewski09]

OK, I did a bunch of extract brewing in the 90's, but sold all my gear when I moved in 2003. Fast forward to this fall and, sort of as a joke, I wanted to brew a batch of beer. Not wanting to get/store the whole setup again, I bought a Mr. Beer and a West Coast Pale Ale kit (didn't want what I assumed was the swill made with the stock kit).

So...I followed all the instructions. The fermentation seemed to go well, lots of activity which died down after about 10 days. After 15 days I bottled. It came with a packet of priming sugar drops so I used those (2 per bottle per the instructions on the package of drops).

I then let them condition at room temp (the plastic bottles got firm like a 2 liter pop bottle) for 2 weeks and for another week in the fridge.

What I ended up with is barely carbonated and sweet tasting (other than that, not horrible) I'm guessing the yeast didn't work on the priming sugar as vigorously as it should, resulting is less carbonation and residual sugars.

Any options or am I stuck with what I have?

Pull it out to room temp for another week our two. It doesn't sound like the year is done yet. You may find investing the bottles helps with walking the year back up as they are surely dormant at this point.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[brewski09]

Just bottled my first batch about a week and a half ago waiting to open on Super Bowl Sunday. Want to try some more customization on my next which is the patriot lager kit from MB. Any ideas or suggestions for my first tip toe into experimenting?

I would do an IPA with it. Add dry malt extract and hops to it. You can also add a better yeast than what is supplied. Use your imagination here. Just know if you boil the hopped Mr beer extract it will get more bitter. It should already have a decent malt profile though.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[brewski09]

A big pot is good. 'Giant' might be overkill, but you're just heating water and stirring in extract with MrB, so as long as you can get it from the pot to the LBK, you're good.

Your tap water is probably not going to infect your beer, but it probably has enough treatment chemicals to impart indesirable flavors. Get bottle water to be safe and avoid off flavors. Or carbon filter it.

The extract will be darker than when it was fresh and probably has had some flavor change, maybe some staling, but it is good to make beer. Try it and see what you think.

Boiling the water will get rid of the chlorine. I would carbon filter and then boil for 15 minutes myself. Do an extra litter of water when you do this. Pre-boil the "top up" water.

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[brewski09]

is it necessary to sanitize the pot

If you are boiling for 15 minutes then it just has to be cleaned and well rinsed so there is no residual soaps on it. I use Star San for sanitizing my gear when it's not being boiled with first.

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[powerguard18]

Wow all this cleansing and sanitizing I feel like Walter White making a Meth batch
how did the monks do it yrs ago without all this sanitizing

 

[kevron]

Prayer... Lots of prayer...



and mead...

They weren't worried about infections back then because having every batch taste exactly the same wasn't a requirement. Getting tipsy, and drinking beer because the water made everyone sick, was the goal.

Now we like our batches to taste as close to the same as possible. An easy way of doing this is to make sure there is nothing in there we don't specifically want in there.

 

[Jahvon09]

A friend of mine has the Mr. Beer kit, but he hasn't used it in a while. Trying to get him to make some more, but he just hasn't yet.

 

[skitter]

Make him a home-grown kit. 3lbs Light LME and an ounce of Perle hops and your off

 

[npaine12]

Beginner Mr Beer Question:

I have already followed the directions once and those are in bottles. I have two more cans of hopped malt extract. I want to get my Mr Beer phase over with and get on with the real deal, but I don't want to throw out something that could hypothetically turn into beer. Can I use both cans in one batch? In my mind that would make a really flavorful high alcohol beer ...what does reality have to say about it? And what else would change (would I need more yeast, less/more fermentation time, less/more priming sugar etc)?

Thanks

 

[skitter]

Look back a few pages and you will see that exact discussion

 

[powerguard18]

here is a question
the instructions in the Mr Beer kit say to boil the booster then remove from heat and add the can and stir
it does not say to return to a boil yet i read a lot of recipes and advise about brewing and it always says to boil the wort. should i have return my mr beer to the stove for a boil before i poured it in the keg?
(This is my very first try at a brew)

 

[skitter]

here is a question
the instructions in the Mr Beer kit say to boil the booster then remove from heat and add the can and stir
it does not say to return to a boil yet i read a lot of recipes and advise about brewing and it always says to boil the wort. should i have return my mr beer to the stove for a boil before i poured it in the keg?
(This is my very first try at a brew)

The reason you normally boil the wort is to add bitterness from the hops. Your Mr. Beer kit is pre-hopped, you boil it it will be much more bitter than intended.

Just pour it into the hot water and then add to keg as directed

 

[brewski09]

The reason you normally boil the wort is to add bitterness from the hops. Your Mr. Beer kit is pre-hopped, you boil it it will be much more bitter than intended.

Just pour it into the hot water and then add to keg as directed

I like to sanitize the can of extract and the can opener when doing a no boil like this.

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[skitter]

I like to sanitize the can of extract and the can opener when doing a no boil like this.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

As will I, hot star-san dunk until needed

 

[brewski09]

As will I, hot star-san dunk until needed

I was reading somewhere that you don't want to use hot/warm water for star-san. I don't know if it has any validity, but its worth considering.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[skitter]

I dont do hot hot, just hot enough to thin out the LME using the heat

 

[powerguard18]

sorry 1 more question
if this batch works then i am thinking of try a deluxe Mr beer stout
it comes with a hopped and unhopped extract
when would you add the unhopped extract i assume you add it with the HME
and do you still use the booster pack
I am a big stout fan by the way
this message board is so great I cant thank you guys enough for your constant support

 

[skitter]

Hopped is always added at the end of a boil. If the directions say to add the booster and LME pre-boil, then do so, but do not add the HME at the boil, it will end up too bitter.

Most Mr. Beer kits have you bring the water up to a boil, turn off heat, add the ingredients, stir, and then add to keg. Is it the same for that one? I would suggest using a whisk to stir everything vigorously in order to introduce as much oxygen to your beer as you can for healthy fermentation. Remember, the more fermentables you have, the higher your krausen can get.

What are the directions on the kit? That would give me something to work with.

 

[powerguard18]

I am guessing the new instructions will come with the new order?
should i order up some corn sugar for bottling or is table sugar just fine for the first batch