Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[trefilov22]

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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MExican Cerveza!

 

[skitter]

Lol, I will keep to an extract mix of all-grain

 

[brewski09]

MExican Cerveza!

I've never even has this kit so I don't know for sure but I would likely add 1% ABV worth of extra light DME just to round it out. Use an online program to figure out just how much to add.

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[bpgreen]

Lol, I will keep to an extract mix of all-grain

What does that mean?

When you brew with Extract, you use DME (Dry/Dried Malt Extract) or LME (Liquid Malt Extract). When you brew all grain, you use no extract, only grains which you mash to extract the sugars.

Do you mean a partial mash (PM), which uses some grains that are mashed to augment the extract?

 

[TemplarBrewer]

Ok so patriot lager is in the keg gonna wait about a week then transfer to carboy to reduce sediment. Was thinking of adding some hops at that point. LHBS guy recommended hallertau I have 2oz of it. Thought? Recommendations? On how/when I should add this?


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[Blake_Smash]

Put my ACL in the fridge almost a week ago. Tried one 24hrs in (I Couldn't control myself), has a sour apple finish to it. (not very strong but present). Tried a second after 2 more days, sour apple taste had just about disappeared.

Beer is pouring into a glass with head and retaining it for a time. Taste is fine for an ACL. It's beer, I made it (with everyone in this threads help) and I am hooked. Have time to make 1 more batch before I take the bar in july. After that batch is done, Mr. Beer is going to be used to make small batches I screw around with new techniques in and I will be moving up to 5 gallon batches.

Thanks Again guys Cheers

 

[skitter]

Extract mix of my own or all-grain stupid phone

 

[gweim]

Hey all,

Brewed the Mr. Beer American Lager a few months back and now brewing the Hard Apple Cider kit. Hoping it goes well and I can get more into this.

I'm less than a week away from bottling and trying to make sure this works out decent enough that I don't get frustrated. I didn't do anything different than the Mr. Beer instructions to start, but is there anything I can do to make it better at this point? What would using brown sugar instead of white granulated when bottling do? Anything? Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[bzwyatt]

I've never used anything besides corn or cane sugar so I have no personal experience. I've brewed plenty of batches though - MrB, extract/specialty grains and all-grain, and I'd say one of the least significant things impacting a beer's characteristics is the source of carbonation, whether it is CO2 gas or some sugar source for conditioning/bottle priming.

Especially in the days when MrB was my kit, I don't think I would have noticed if I'd used brown instead of white sugar, and maybe nobody could tell a difference ever. The amount of flavor in half a teaspoon is probably negligible.

So wanting to try something different is cool, but I'd follow the best process to make the extract kit the way it is. Maybe next time try something different.

 

[brewski09]

Hey all,

Brewed the Mr. Beer American Lager a few months back and now brewing the Hard Apple Cider kit. Hoping it goes well and I can get more into this.

I'm less than a week away from bottling and trying to make sure this works out decent enough that I don't get frustrated. I didn't do anything different than the Mr. Beer instructions to start, but is there anything I can do to make it better at this point? What would using brown sugar instead of white granulated when bottling do? Anything? Any suggestions?

Thanks

Scroll back a couple of pages and read what skitter and I were talking about. The kit instructions are not that good. The brown sugar (as we know it Inge the states) is basically refined white sugar with molasses added back to it in the processing. With that said, it will add a light molasses flavor to the beer. Try some bottles with it. I did 2 bottles each with different sugars to learn what it will do.

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[gweim]

Scroll back a couple of pages and read what skitter and I were talking about. The kit instructions are not that good. The brown sugar (as we know it Inge the states) is basically refined white sugar with molasses added back to it in the processing. With that said, it will add a light molasses flavor to the beer. Try some bottles with it. I did 2 bottles each with different sugars to learn what it will do.

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Sounds good, would the amount I put in be the same for brown sugar vs refined white?

 

[boydster]

Sounds good, would the amount I put in be the same for brown sugar vs refined white?

They are very close, so you could probably just use the same amount with decent results. If you want to be precise, you can try this priming calculator, it's breaks down the amount for several different types of sugar:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/

If you are batch priming instead of bottle priming, you just need to figure out what fraction of a gallon each bottle is and enter that in for your volume (a liter is ~0.264 gallons, for example)

 

[bpgreen]

Hey all,

Brewed the Mr. Beer American Lager a few months back and now brewing the Hard Apple Cider kit. Hoping it goes well and I can get more into this.

I'm less than a week away from bottling and trying to make sure this works out decent enough that I don't get frustrated. I didn't do anything different than the Mr. Beer instructions to start, but is there anything I can do to make it better at this point? What would using brown sugar instead of white granulated when bottling do? Anything? Any suggestions?

Thanks

In my opinion, the time to make changes to improve the beer is when you're preparing the wort (with some exceptions such as dry hopping).

The purpose of the priming sugar is to give the yeast something to eat and convert to CO2. The amount used is so small that it's unlikely to do anything to change the flavor. I've only used white sugar and corn sugar to prime, but I can't imagine that changing the kind of sugar used for priming could make much of a flavor difference.

 

[gweim]

Thanks everyone, I will probably just use regular sugar or maybe try 1 with brown and see if I can tell the difference.

I just took a little sample from the spigot and it came out with a lot of sediment in it. Definitely would need filtered. This is probably because I lifted the LBK up to the counter to taste, but how do I avoid this happening when I go to bottle? I am thinking I could put it where I am going to bottle and prop up the front end slightly so the sediment falls to the back. Then in the afternoon when I bottle, gently put it back down flat and hopefully the sediment will stay in the back. Any other suggestions?

 

[bpgreen]

Thanks everyone, I will probably just use regular sugar or maybe try 1 with brown and see if I can tell the difference.

I just took a little sample from the spigot and it came out with a lot of sediment in it. Definitely would need filtered. This is probably because I lifted the LBK up to the counter to taste, but how do I avoid this happening when I go to bottle? I am thinking I could put it where I am going to bottle and prop up the front end slightly so the sediment falls to the back. Then in the afternoon when I bottle, gently put it back down flat and hopefully the sediment will stay in the back. Any other suggestions?

I never filtered. I always propped the front up and left it propped while bottling.

I suppose another option would be to open the spigot and let it flow until the sediment stopped.

 

[oneb]

One thing I like to do is brew up a batch in the Mr Beer keg, but after I pitch the yeast, I transfer to two one gallon carboys and attach blowout tubes to filter off the krauesen during primary fermentation. After 3-4 days put on two bubblers and watch the action. Rack to a bottling bucket to bottle. Stick with corn sugar and do batch instead of bottle. Enjoy a brew!

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[mcrow]

Just started out with a Mr. Beer kit and it's been fermenting for two weeks. Seems like a good starter set to get you the very basic idea of brewing and also the LBK could be reusable for small batching as well.

 

[skidoo2003]

i have brewed about 12 Mr Beer kits now and i always get the same result, decent beer, but a "green" taste to it. I am not sure why i am getting this off taste. any ideas? I have brewed many different types and added DME, LME, etc. all with the same slightly off flavor. the darker/hoppier beers disguise this off taste more, but i can still tell its there. i even did the hard cider beer and i am getting the same thing.

I follow the same process each time.
1. sanitizer everything (Mr. Beer sanitizer)
2. boil water
3. add HME (and others if adding)
4. fill LBK with water (spring water purchased from store)
5. add HME mixture to LBK
6. top off with more spring water
7. let sit until the temperature evens out
8. take a OG sample
9. add yeast
10. move to basement, wrap in blanket, let sit
11. take SG readings until they level out. when i taste the test tube sample, they taste a little "green" still also, but the readings are usually good.

bottling
1. sanitize everything
2. use vinator to clean bottles
3. add fizz drop or cane sugar to bottles
4. fill bottles
5. store in basement for 2-3 weeks

the things that i am thinking about trying on the next batch is:
1. Different yeast. always used the yeast from Mr. Beer. bought some others from LHBS to try on next batch.
2. Use Star San instead of Mr. Beer sanitizer. also thought about running bottles through the dishwasher on sanitize.

are reoccurring off flavors more commonly due to cleaning/sanitizing or the ingredients? i assuming more to do with sanitizing because it happens with multiple different recipes. i may have answered my own question, but any other ideas out there? I really want to make a good beer that others will want to drink also. so far, i haven't been able to make a "good" beer.

I picked up a Caribou Slobber 1 gallon kit to try next. thought maybe going to something besides the Mr. Beer kit might be worth a shot also.

Any/all comments welcome. Thanks!

 

[Bill837]

Hey all,

Brewed the Mr. Beer American Lager a few months back and now brewing the Hard Apple Cider kit. Hoping it goes well and I can get more into this.

I'm less than a week away from bottling and trying to make sure this works out decent enough that I don't get frustrated. I didn't do anything different than the Mr. Beer instructions to start, but is there anything I can do to make it better at this point? What would using brown sugar instead of white granulated when bottling do? Anything? Any suggestions?

Thanks

If this means you are following the recommended times, I think that one thing you can do is wait longer than they say. Let it sit at least two weeks in the LBK, I went three on all of mine, and three in the bottle. I always had very clear beer.

 

[brewski09]

i have brewed about 12 Mr Beer kits now and i always get the same result, decent beer, but a "green" taste to it. I am not sure why i am getting this off taste. any ideas? I have brewed many different types and added DME, LME, etc. all with the same slightly off flavor. the darker/hoppier beers disguise this off taste more, but i can still tell its there. i even did the hard cider beer and i am getting the same thing.

I follow the same process each time.
1. sanitizer everything (Mr. Beer sanitizer)
2. boil water
3. add HME (and others if adding)
4. fill LBK with water (spring water purchased from store)
5. add HME mixture to LBK
6. top off with more spring water
7. let sit until the temperature evens out
8. take a OG sample
9. add yeast
10. move to basement, wrap in blanket, let sit
11. take SG readings until they level out. when i taste the test tube sample, they taste a little "green" still also, but the readings are usually good.

bottling
1. sanitize everything
2. use vinator to clean bottles
3. add fizz drop or cane sugar to bottles
4. fill bottles
5. store in basement for 2-3 weeks

the things that i am thinking about trying on the next batch is:
1. Different yeast. always used the yeast from Mr. Beer. bought some others from LHBS to try on next batch.
2. Use Star San instead of Mr. Beer sanitizer. also thought about running bottles through the dishwasher on sanitize.

are reoccurring off flavors more commonly due to cleaning/sanitizing or the ingredients? i assuming more to do with sanitizing because it happens with multiple different recipes. i may have answered my own question, but any other ideas out there? I really want to make a good beer that others will want to drink also. so far, i haven't been able to make a "good" beer.

I picked up a Caribou Slobber 1 gallon kit to try next. thought maybe going to something besides the Mr. Beer kit might be worth a shot also.

Any/all comments welcome. Thanks!

More time in primary would likely help. I go 10-14 days minimum before bottling on a low gravity batch when I am pushing the timeline. The Mr beer yeast is absolute crap, use the other stuff you picked up. Do you know your fermentation temp? If not, get an LCD thermometer and apply it on the side down low. Keep your temps below 70f, but above 64f (depending on the yeast - some like to run a little cooler). Just out of curiosity, what yeast did the LHBS sell you? As for the star San, yes. Just yes. I don't think you have an infection though, just a little incomplete fermentation. The green apple you taste is acetaldehyde. Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

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[skitter]

You want to talk about somebody addicted to brewing in Mr Beer kegs... check out my blog in my sig and look at the latest article. I built a $30 fermentation chamber around the Mr Beer kegs

 

[uatuba]

You want to talk about somebody addicted to brewing in Mr Beer kegs... check out my blog in my sig and look at the latest article. I built a $30 fermentation chamber around the Mr Beer kegs

Have you ever tried crushing carapils with a rolling pin?


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[skidoo2003]

More time in primary would likely help. I go 10-14 days minimum before bottling on a low gravity batch when I am pushing the timeline. The Mr beer yeast is absolute crap, use the other stuff you picked up. Do you know your fermentation temp? If not, get an LCD thermometer and apply it on the side down low. Keep your temps below 70f, but above 64f (depending on the yeast - some like to run a little cooler). Just out of curiosity, what yeast did the LHBS sell you? As for the star San, yes. Just yes. I don't think you have an infection though, just a little incomplete fermentation. The green apple you taste is acetaldehyde. Good luck and enjoy the hobby.

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I left it in primary for 4 weeks. I usually leave it that long. My ferm temps are around 62. I used to have it in a room where it was around 70 and thought that could be a reason for the off taste, so was hoping the lower temp would help, but maybe went too cold?
I got a Safale 05 from LHBS. Should I look for something else that is better at my lower temps?


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[cheddarhed3]

That taste usually comes from not letting it ferment long enough or not letting it condition long enough.

To say I was a bit "antsy" with my first two batches would be an understatement. I went simply to the shortest date recommended and bottled. I would imagine an extra week or two would have done wonders.:fro:

 

[bpgreen]

I left it in primary for 4 weeks. I usually leave it that long. My ferm temps are around 62. I used to have it in a room where it was around 70 and thought that could be a reason for the off taste, so was hoping the lower temp would help, but maybe went too cold?
I got a Safale 05 from LHBS. Should I look for something else that is better at my lower temps?


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US-05 works great in the low 60s. If you pitch enough, you can even use it in the mid to upper 50s. At those temperatures, it ferments very cleanly, letting the malt and hops shine through.

As for the green taste, I think you probably just need to give it more time. After bottling, give it a month at room temperature, followed by at least a week (preferably two) in the fridge).

 

[brewski09]

You are fine with the us-05 at 62. The yeast sent out with the kit will make beer, just not good beer. Do the same thing on the next batch with the us-05 and you should have better beer.

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[skitter]

Have you ever tried crushing carapils with a rolling pin?


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Yes, did it my first brew

 

[BigFloyd]

US-05 works great in the low 60s. If you pitch enough, you can even use it in the mid to upper 50s. At those temperatures, it ferments very cleanly, letting the malt and hops shine through.

If you're going to pitch and ferment in the mid-upper 50's (beer temp), Nottingham would be a better choice than US-05. US-05 has a sweet spot at 64-65*F, but can throw off a distinct peachy flavor fermented below 64*F.

Nottingham ferments very cleanly (almost lager-like) around 55-58*F (with a later bump up to finish at 65), but you must keep it below 68*F when active or it gets funky.

 

[skitter]

I did mean the overall brewers blog link, not the Mr Beer link. It describes my process of building a chamber specifically for the Mr Beer kegs.

 

[skidoo2003]

US-05 works great in the low 60s. If you pitch enough, you can even use it in the mid to upper 50s. At those temperatures, it ferments very cleanly, letting the malt and hops shine through.

As for the green taste, I think you probably just need to give it more time. After bottling, give it a month at room temperature, followed by at least a week (preferably two) in the fridge).

this makes me feel better on my Caribou Slobber. i can't wait to get it started now. i am doing the 1 gallon batch, and it says to use half of the yeast packet. in my case is it better to pitch the whole packet? what negative effects can too much yeast have?