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[skitter]

I bottled my Winter Ale the other day, smelled good. I used brown sugar so we will see how it turns out. Stupid me, I used too much sugar… did I ruin the whole batch?

More sugar = higher alcohol content, but thinner, more watery beer

 

[skitter]

Also, my pilsner tastes good but after two 750ml bottles I didn't even have a buzz… how do I figure the alcohol content?

You have to use a hydrometer and measure initial and final gravity to determine that. You can make loose guess based on ingredients but its not difinitive

 

[brewski09]

More sugar = higher alcohol content, but thinner, more watery beer

Not necessarily. There are plenty of beers that have sugar and are not thin or watery. In this case I would be concerned with carbonation levels as it sounded like the brown sugar was added at bottling.

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[skitter]

Not necessarily. There are plenty of beers that have sugar and are not thin or watery. In this case I would be concerned with carbonation levels as it sounded like the brown sugar was added at bottling.

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The belgian beers have sugar to purposly thin them out

 

[brewski09]

The belgian beers have sugar to purposly thin them out

Some , but not all. A lot of imperial IPAs have sugar additives too but still finish with a high residual sugar content. In order for sugar to make a thin beer you really also need a low mash temp and good yeast attenuation too. Thin watery beer is an art form best mastered by BMC IMHO.


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[boydster]

Sugar thins out a beer. That imperial IPA example would be thinner in body than the same recipe with an equal OG from an all-malt fermentable bill. Yes, low mash temp also helps make a thin beer, but to say that sugar doesn't necessarily thin out a beer is not true. Take 2 beers of any style with equal OG's, same mash temp, same recipe EXCEPT for one has 10% simple sugar and the other is just malt - the one with sugar will be thinner every time.

 

[skitter]

Sugar thins out a beer. That imperial IPA example would be thinner in body than the same recipe with an equal OG from an all-malt fermentable bill. Yes, low mash temp also helps make a thin beer, but to say that sugar doesn't necessarily thin out a beer is not true. Take 2 beers of any style with equal OG's, same mash temp, same recipe EXCEPT for one has 10% simple sugar and the other is just malt - the one with sugar will be thinner every time.

That was the point I was trying to make. Belgians and Imperial beers have sugar added specifically so that they won't be as thick due to the huge malt bill

 

[JACWagon]

Guess I'll just have to wait and see lol

 

[brewski09]

Thins out a beer compared to the EXACT same AG beer without it, sure. Makes a beer thin, no. Just because it's lighter bodied than it would be otherwise doesn't mean it would be considered this. A trend I've noticed the last few years is to add sugar and flaked oats. One to thin a beer out and the other to add body.

Boydster - take that beer with sugar in it and I bet at least 8 out of 10 times I can replicate it without the sugars by regulating my mash temp. Make the same exact beer with two different mash temps and you get two completely different beers too.

BTW, what recipes are you putting 10% simple sugars into (this is purely curiosity on my part now). Even heady topper doesn't use that percentage if memory serves me right.

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[boydster]

I don't put 10% simple sugars into my beers, it was an example. Replace 10% with ANY other number you like. Sugar thins out a beer. Less sugar thins it out less. Simple. Why do we add sugar? To bump up alcohol and decrease body, whereas adding additional malt will bump up alcohol and increase body because it won't be 100% fermentable like sugar is. Extract recipes sometimes use sugar to counter the fact that you can't control mash temp and thus, can't control fermentability of the extract. A IIPA made with extract almost always has plain sugar added for exactly that reason.

JACWagon, it doesn't mean you are going to have a thin and watery beer. That's not what I'm saying. Depending on how much sugar you used, it may not be very noticeable or it could make a dramatic change. My point is simply what I stated earlier - all other things equal in the fermentable bill, a higher sugar percentage means a thinner bodied beer, plain and simple.

 

[brewski09]

I don't put 10% simple sugars into my beers, it was an example. Replace 10% with ANY other number you like. Sugar thins out a beer. Less sugar thins it out less. Simple. Why do we add sugar? To bump up alcohol and decrease body, whereas adding additional malt will bump up alcohol and increase body because it won't be 100% fermentable like sugar is. Extract recipes sometimes use sugar to counter the fact that you can't control mash temp and thus, can't control fermentability of the extract. A IIPA made with extract almost always has plain sugar added for exactly that reason.

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be critical or attacking here, just engaging in a philosophical debate about methods of making the best bet possible.

Fair enough on the 10% being arbitrary. I thought maybe you were making american lagers. While a malt increase won't be 100% fermentable, you can still make up for that with the mash temp in most cases. Also, efficiency can play a huge role here. When you have a higher efficiency on the mash the finished beer feels thinner to me.

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[boydster]

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to be critical or attacking here, just engaging in a philosophical debate about methods of making the best bet possible.

Fair enough on the 10% being arbitrary. I thought maybe you were making american lagers. While a malt increase won't be 100% fermentable, you can still make up for that with the mash temp in most cases. Also, efficiency can play a huge role here. When you have a higher efficiency on the mash the finished beer feels thinner to me.

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Agreed, and I think we are probably of the same mindset. I get that you can still have a full bodied beer when using sugar. Looking back at the first post I saw in this discussion, I guess I can't tell if JACWagon added the brown sugar as priming sugar and used to much, or if it went into the boil, or even how much was used? If you added it as priming sugar, I'd be more worried about bottle bombs than thin beer. I probably missed something from earlier in the thread though.

I bottled my Winter Ale the other day, smelled good. I used brown sugar so we will see how it turns out. Stupid me, I used too much sugar… did I ruin the whole batch?

 

[brewski09]

I think it's priming sugar

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[TemplarBrewer]

Ok so ready to start batch 2 the patriot lager kit from MB. The light beer turned out great biggest hit at my Super Bowl party where my hawks kicked some bronco butt. Anyway, I got a 5 gal Carnot for 2nd stage and bottling, also bought some additional hops to add in. Opinions I'm asking for are should I do the hops in the primary stage and if so when should I add it or do I do it secondary stage? First time I'm trying this so need some advice. Tyia


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[brewski09]

Ok so ready to start batch 2 the patriot lager kit from MB. The light beer turned out great biggest hit at my Super Bowl party where my hawks kicked some bronco butt. Anyway, I got a 5 gal Carnot for 2nd stage and bottling, also bought some additional hops to add in. Opinions I'm asking for are should I do the hops in the primary stage and if so when should I add it or do I do it secondary stage? First time I'm trying this so need some advice. Tyia


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Are you talking about dry hopping or doing a hop steeping when you add the extract? If you are talking about dry hopping, I do it in secondary.


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[TemplarBrewer]

Are you talking about dry hopping or doing a hop steeping when you add the extract? If you are talking about dry hopping, I do it in secondary.


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I'm down to try either which would be better, and how much should I use for either or?


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[jimmyjjohn]

MR BEER ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!! Ive been using it for about 30 years, and will never brew 5 gal batchs. Mr. Beer makes WAY better beer than any kit, extract, or all grain batch. Well, ok, Im kidding.. BUT, Mr Beer is what got me into home brewing and for that I tip my hat to you Mr. Beer, you have wetted my appitite for the thrill of home brew. So all of you that have them, use them. And when you run out of refill kits that you bought, order, or buy some upgraded stuff and get to brewing some 5 gal batches. Extract with steeping grains. You wont be sorry. I plan on using my Mr. Beer to make a batch of Alpenwein(sp)...Or possibly some smaller test batches of beer, possibly some that dont require a secondary like a wheat beer, or hef...(I think thats what I heard about those two beers anyway) But I am also a newbie, and this site is great and I hope you dont take too much flack about Mr. Beer, we all have to start

 

[Blake_Smash]

Hello everyone,

As I sit here I realize that on friday I can finally put my beer into the fridge :rockin:.

That being said, I had a few questions, I noticed over the weekend that there was still some priming sugar on the bottom of the bottles. Do I invert them a few more times to mix the sugar back into the beer, or is it to late for that and it will just ferment out over the next week?

Second, I am planning my next MR Beer Brew. Going to make the Octoberfest. (friend of mine moved up to 5 gal and gave me his kit.) I was thinking about doing some of the things everyone has mentioned and taking this kit to the next level. Since I already have one of the refills I thought I could go to the Mr. Beer site and order the deluxe refill kit.

It comes with a can of hopped extract, a brewmax LME soft pack (smooth), and sanitizer. So I would be using 2 cans of extract and the LME soft pack (I don't have a LHBS so im out of luck on ordering DME unless I get it from somewhere else. This refill seemed to have everything except that.)

Will the LME have the same effect on the beer as the DME? or am I better off paying for the standard refill somewhere else (amazon) and finding the DME online? Also how would I handle using 2 cans of extract?

Thank you all for being so helpful. I can see that this is one hobby that is going to consume me and I'm only still a noob who hasn't even taken the big leap yet.

 

[brewski09]

I'm down to try either which would be better, and how much should I use for either or?


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It really depends on what you are going for on a flavor profile. If the patriot lager is anything like a Sam Adams, I would add in some caramunich steeped at 150 for 30 minutes and then add hops with it and in secondary dryhopping. Make a nice malty amber pale ale or ipa. It would take a decent amount of hops though. 1\2 to 1 oz at both points.

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[brewski09]

Hello everyone,

As I sit here I realize that on friday I can finally put my beer into the fridge :rockin:.

That being said, I had a few questions, I noticed over the weekend that there was still some priming sugar on the bottom of the bottles. Do I invert them a few more times to mix the sugar back into the beer, or is it to late for that and it will just ferment out over the next week?

Second, I am planning my next MR Beer Brew. Going to make the Octoberfest. (friend of mine moved up to 5 gal and gave me his kit.) I was thinking about doing some of the things everyone has mentioned and taking this kit to the next level. Since I already have one of the refills I thought I could go to the Mr. Beer site and order the deluxe refill kit.

It comes with a can of hopped extract, a brewmax LME soft pack (smooth), and sanitizer. So I would be using 2 cans of extract and the LME soft pack (I don't have a LHBS so im out of luck on ordering DME unless I get it from somewhere else. This refill seemed to have everything except that.)

Will the LME have the same effect on the beer as the DME? or am I better off paying for the standard refill somewhere else (amazon) and finding the DME online? Also how would I handle using 2 cans of extract?

Thank you all for being so helpful. I can see that this is one hobby that is going to consume me and I'm only still a noob who hasn't even taken the big leap yet.

Are you sure it's sugar on the bottom and not sediment? Should be sediment at this point. If you are using the plastic bottles, are they firm? I would try one before deciding what to do with the others.

The lme and DME are liquid and dry versions of the same thing. The Mr beer lme might be a little different because It may have different malts for a "better" beer flavor profile. As for what it's going to do for you, I am a little confused exactly what you are using in your recipe if you order the Mr beer stuff. Could you clarify what your recipe is? Is it 2 cans of hopped extract?

For what it's worth, there are a lot of homebrew websites out there to order from, so you aren't out of luck not having a brick and mortar store.

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[beer_30]

Hello,

In the video of Mr. Beer brewing it says to stir before pitching the yeast, but in the written directions it says to stir after pitching the yeast.. Can someone tell me which it is?

Thanks

 

[Blake_Smash]

The bottles are very firm. I can get a little bit of a squeeze if i use lots of force but they spring right back out. It could be sediment, It kind of looks like sugar in the bottom of the bottles so thats what I thought it was (in the little bumps on the bottom, its a compact and a light tan/ almost white color)

I should have clarified, I know that DME and LME are the same but I have seen debates as to the effectiveness of LME vs DME and whether LME actually does much so that was my question. The Mr. Beer LME's were smooth, pale, golden, robust.... They also have smooth and pale in DME.

As of this morning I was looking at using 2 cans of hopped extract as my recipe. But I just discovered that Mr. Beer actually has some recipes on their site using their ingredients. So I am now looking at using one of them as a template. However I will have 2 cans of Hopped Extract to use (even if some of them call for one) so I guess the next question is, will it ruin the recipe if I use both cans (going to guess I should follow the recipe)?

The recipes I am looking at have suggested lager times between 2 weeks and 4 months... just so I don't look like a moron, thats cold bottle conditioning right?

I'm looking at doing either Mr Beer's "Rose's Rambling Red" Recipe or the "Munich Malt Monster" Recipe

the Malt Monster calls for 2 cans. But the Rambling Red calls for 1. So If I decide to do the red I could just use one can and save the other for another batch I guess.

Here are the links to the recipes:
http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/1312/nm/Munich_Malt_Monster_Recipe1

http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/1210/nm/Rose_s_Rambling_Red_Recipe1

 

[brewski09]

Hello,

In the video of Mr. Beer brewing it says to stir before pitching the yeast, but in the written directions it says to stir after pitching the yeast.. Can someone tell me which it is?

Thanks

Both? You have to stir the malt extract in. You don't really have to stir the yeast in after though. This is more like cooking than baking. You do follow a recipe, but you can call an audible here and there without screwing it up. RDWHAHB

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[SulBruin3]

How can i reduce the bitterness in the mb Summer seasonal refill? Add more malt?

 

[brewski09]

How can i reduce the bitterness in the mb Summer seasonal refill? Add more malt?

It's based on 2 gallons, so dilute it. I would also add I hopped malt extract so it so it still still tastes good.


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[Blake_Smash]

Just an update on my sugar vs sediment post, it is sediment. So I am going to put them in the fridge friday.

As I said above i'm planing my next brew with Mr. Beer. I want to use one of their slightly more involved recipes (that uses LME OR DME & Hops in addition to their can o extract)

Both recipes involve lager times... I am still a little shaky on what that means. Am I fermenting at the temps they tell me too and then bottling and leaving the bottles in the fridge to cold age or am I fermenting and then storing the LBK in the cold before bottle carbing them? (sorry for the noob question)

Thanks in advance for being so helpful everyone

 

[ericbw]

Just an update on my sugar vs sediment post, it is sediment. So I am going to put them in the fridge friday.

As I said above i'm planing my next brew with Mr. Beer. I want to use one of their slightly more involved recipes (that uses LME OR DME & Hops in addition to their can o extract)

Both recipes involve lager times... I am still a little shaky on what that means. Am I fermenting at the temps they tell me too and then bottling and leaving the bottles in the fridge to cold age or am I fermenting and then storing the LBK in the cold before bottle carbing them? (sorry for the noob question)

Thanks in advance for being so helpful everyone

Lagering is in the LBK while it is fermenting. Before bottling.

 

[uatuba]

Well, after reading a discussion about mash temps and added sugar in the Mr. Beer thread (still not sure where that came from), I'll advise you to make sure you wait a solid two weeks before putting the bottles in the fridge if you used carbonation drops. If you used cane sugar as recommended by Mr. Beer, I'd wait three just in case.

As far as cold aging, you will accomplish the same either in the LBK or in bottles if it's an ale you brewed with ale yeast. If it's a lager, then you need to actually lager in bulk.

At one point, Mr. Beer kits had a habit of calling different things "lagers" when in reality they were ales because they used ale yeast and didn't require true lagering.


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[trefilov22]

Going to brew this, this afternoon just because I have an empty LBK right now, Any suggestions on additives or changes I can make to it to make a better brew than just the basic can? I haven't brewed this one before. Thanks!

 

[brewski09]

Going to brew this, this afternoon just because I have an empty LBK right now, Any suggestions on additives or changes I can make to it to make a better brew than just the basic can? I haven't brewed this one before. Thanks!

What are you brewing? I think the general consensus is that using a better yeast, adding DME, and some form of hopping makes most of the kits better, but I can't recommend that without knowing what you are brewing.

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