Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[shoreman]

I picked up a mr beer for small batches and just brewed a Belgian golden this weekend. A couple questions:

1. What's the longest you can leave it in primary without any o2 getting in?

2. How tight should the cap be on?

3. How long do you cold crash in fridge before bottling?

Thanks in advance I think this is a great small batch vessel.


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[skitter]

I tighten the cap just till it gives resistance, and have left it on the cake for a month with no issues. I don't cold crash

 

[brewski09]

I picked up a mr beer for small batches and just brewed a Belgian golden this weekend. A couple questions:

1. What's the longest you can leave it in primary without any o2 getting in?

2. How tight should the cap be on?

3. How long do you cold crash in fridge before bottling?

Thanks in advance I think this is a great small batch vessel.


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1) if you leave it in there for a few weeks you are fine. I don't think I would age anything in it purposefully, but I've made a full length 120 minute clone in the keg which takes like 2 months.

2) it screws on and let's air pass. Don't worry about it. Just screw it on until it's on and don't crank on it.

3) you could get away with 3 days, but if you like to do a week, then go with that. I actually use a second keg and do a secondary like full size kits would be designed for most times.

 

[shoreman]

Thanks for the quick replies guys - appreciate it.


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[mikeyboy]

Hey guys, I'm new to the homebrew scene, want to make it my new hobby, I've done a kit batch, turned out pretty well, was a bitter, got a pilsner kit on the go now but did it with 1kilo of brewing sugar and 1 kilo of beer enhancer, looks Like it's a slow start to fermentation but it's bubbling away happily, (og) read at 1.056 so be relatively strong which I was going for just after some tips and advice, much appreciated.

 

[kevron]

Best advice for a new brewer. (Myself included cause I am on my... 5th? batch..) Leave it alone!! Don't mess with it until at least 2 weeks. Bottle it, and leave it alone for at least 2 weeks. Then leave it in the fridge for AT LEAST a week.

I like all over new brewers was too anxious for the first brew. I let it set 2 weeks after seeing all the experienced guys on here practically yelling to leave it 2 weeks. Then I bottled and left it 2 weeks. Except for 2 bottles which I only left one week. Put them in the fridge for 2 days then drank them. They were... OK at best... The rest were left to carb for 2 weeks. Put them in the fridge then I had 1 a day for the next couple weeks. The longer they sat in the fridge the better they were. It was VERY noticeable. After 2 batches I scaled up. I buy coopers or muntons kits and I use a Icing bucket I got from the Bakery. I will go All Grain when I have the space to do so. Still can't keep enough on hand at the moment. The Mrs. enjoys the brews almost as much as I do... So they go rather quickly.

 

[brewski09]

Best advice for a new brewer. (Myself included cause I am on my... 5th? batch..) Leave it alone!! Don't mess with it until at least 2 weeks. Bottle it, and leave it alone for at least 2 weeks. Then leave it in the fridge for AT LEAST a week.

I like all over new brewers was too anxious for the first brew. I let it set 2 weeks after seeing all the experienced guys on here practically yelling to leave it 2 weeks. Then I bottled and left it 2 weeks. Except for 2 bottles which I only left one week. Put them in the fridge for 2 days then drank them. They were... OK at best... The rest were left to carb for 2 weeks. Put them in the fridge then I had 1 a day for the next couple weeks. The longer they sat in the fridge the better they were. It was VERY noticeable. After 2 batches I scaled up. I buy coopers or muntons kits and I use a Icing bucket I got from the Bakery. I will go All Grain when I have the space to do so. Still can't keep enough on hand at the moment. The Mrs. enjoys the brews almost as much as I do... So they go rather quickly.

Look up brew in a bag (BIAB) for an intermediate all grain step that doesn't take more/a ton of space.

 

[skitter]

Look up brew in a bag (BIAB) for an intermediate all grain step that doesn't take more/a ton of space.

^^ This, with the Mr. Beer sized batches you can get a $12 16qt SS pot from Walmart + Paint Strainer bag for $5 per 2 pack and your able to do all-grain. My Paint Strainer bags are holding up really well, still on my first one, havn't opened the 2nd out of the pack yet. I wrap/belt with a blanket, my pot for 90 minutes and only lose 1-2 degrees temp. Still wanting to grab a 5g Igloo for simplicity.

 

[ericbw]

Hey guys, I'm new to the homebrew scene, want to make it my new hobby, I've done a kit batch, turned out pretty well, was a bitter, got a pilsner kit on the go now but did it with 1kilo of brewing sugar and 1 kilo of beer enhancer, looks Like it's a slow start to fermentation but it's bubbling away happily, (og) read at 1.056 so be relatively strong which I was going for just after some tips and advice, much appreciated.

If these are pre-hopped kits, then the best thing is just to be patient. Leave it in the fermenter longer than you think, then let it condition in the bottles warm for longer than you think. Then refrigerate longer than you think.

 

[GPSaxophone]

I brewed the Mr Beer classic light (came with the kit) and it tasted OK. Next I bought the American Lager. While that was going, I went back and tried one of the light beers and wow was it better. Looks like just a couple of weeks more in the bottles made all the difference. Total time for the first batch was 4 weeks (2 in the fermenter and 2 in the bottles). The second tasting was after 4 weeks in the bottle.

With the lager, I didn't sample it until 5 weeks had passed (2 fermenting and 3 in the bottle) and it was good right away with no noticeable difference a couple of weeks later.

Yesterday my beginner's brew kit arrived, so I have a couple of buckets, a carboy, and various other parts. I'll be brewing my first 5 gallon batch this week.

Thanks to Mr. Beer for getting me started. I mean, dang it, why did you have to get me started?

 

[scootdog]

Is there a for sale section?


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[brewski09]

Is there a for sale section?


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There is a for sale section on the homebrewtalk site if that's what you are talking about.

 

[shaggyman07]

"First fermentation at 72-74 F. Hold for 4 days. Whirlpool, drain trub at day 4, 5, and 6. On day 4 start secondary fermentation. Light body will floculate fast with terminal gravity approaching near 1.0. Cold condition 2 weeks at 33-36F."

What does that mean? I am new and all I know is to put it in the carboy and check the gravity until I get what I want. I don't know what drain tub whirlpool means. I get that it needs to finish cold after the gravity is reached; is this saying the fermentation time is 4 to 7 days?



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[brewski09]

"First fermentation at 72-74 F. Hold for 4 days. Whirlpool, drain trub at day 4, 5, and 6. On day 4 start secondary fermentation. Light body will floculate fast with terminal gravity approaching near 1.0. Cold condition 2 weeks at 33-36F."

What does that mean? I am new and all I know is to put it in the carboy and check the gravity until I get what I want. I don't know what drain tub whirlpool means. I get that it needs to finish cold after the gravity is reached; is this saying the fermentation time is 4 to 7 days?



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Okay. So this is a little bit of a cluster to me too. As I read it there are multiple steps here. 1) ferment at 72-74 for 4 days. That's a little warm to me unless you are using a Belgian or farmhouse/saison yeast (maybe a wine yeast too). 2) whirlpool (exactly what it sounds like. Gently make a whirlpool) the beer and drain the trub (that malt, hop, and yeast sediment on the bottom of your fermenter) over the next three days. I would not do it this way. Rack (siphon) your beer into another fermenter like you are getting ready to bottle and let it sit there without doing anything to it for a few days. The way described in the post will add oxygen which can and likely will add off flavors if done in this manner. 3) the OP seems to be misusing terminology here. "Light body flocculation" won't change your finished gravity more than a couple points if at all. That is still fermentation activity. A finished gravity of 1.000 is where a Mead our wine should finish, not a beer. On that note, what is this a recipe for? 4) chill it down for a couple of weeks to let it clear all the way. This is actually a common practice but not required. I like to use it if I can though. Makes for a clearer finished product with less sediment on the bottom of the bottle.

Hope that helps. I strongly suggest picking up a copy of the complete joy of homebrewing as it will give you a strong foundation of knowledge to interpret posts like the original with.

 

[shaggyman07]

It is the Castle News Ale from beersmith. It has stopped off-gassing and I am going to take a gravity reading. I pitch it in Easter. I am thinking about racking it to a second carboy if the gravity does not change in 3 days, for a second fermentation. I have herd this will help the flavor and clarity. This is my first 5 gallon brew. Was using extract in a MrBeer and decided to go all grain in glass. I bought 4 carboys and a crap ton of supplies so I guess I have jumped, sink or swim.


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[brewski09]

Sounds good. I also like to throw an ice pack on the mr beer keg to cool it down and get an even more clear finished beer.


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[uatuba]

Whirlpooling during fermentation? What the hell? Those instructions are a load of crock.

Where did that advice come from?


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[shaggyman07]

Beersmith. So I went to check the gravity and dropped a part into the carboy. Thankfully it had stopped off gassing so I racked it into another carboy for secondary fermentation. The gravity reading was 1.05.


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[brewski09]

Huh. I'll have to look at the recipe. Brad at beersmith gives good advice. I would think this was a user recipe.


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[brewski09]

Okay. Found it (finally). I would be careful of that fermentation temp with the wlp005 unless you like your beer to taste like active bread yeast smells. I recommend a fermentation temp of 68. I also don't know why the guy says the gravity should approach 1.0. This beer would more than likely finish near 1.010 on the low side, even with a really good fermentation. Cross out the whirlpool and drain trub part. I bet the person that wrote this has a conical fermenter. Even so, I'm not sure a whirlpool is warranted. Looks somewhat close to Newcastle, but I think the recipe that BYO published a few years back with the 2 beers blended is awesome and fun to make (that's code for a pain in the rear). Turned out great, just not worth my time to make again.


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[ThomasO]

I gave away my Mr Beer kit and bottles at Christmas to try to help somebody else get started. Then my wife gave me 3 Mr Beer starter kits for Christmas. I made the Bavarian Weis and am enjoying it now, but am looking at doing something else with the Irish Stout kit, perhaps adding oatmeal or something. I bought a 3-gallon glass carboy to work with in place of the LBK. Just trying to sort out what I can add to make the stout more than what it starts as. Thanks for the suggestions.

Tom Oxley

 

[skitter]

Coffee, Oatmeal, all good items

 

[brewski09]

I gave away my Mr Beer kit and bottles at Christmas to try to help somebody else get started. Then my wife gave me 3 Mr Beer starter kits for Christmas. I made the Bavarian Weis and am enjoying it now, but am looking at doing something else with the Irish Stout kit, perhaps adding oatmeal or something. I bought a 3-gallon glass carboy to work with in place of the LBK. Just trying to sort out what I can add to make the stout more than what it starts as. Thanks for the suggestions.

Tom Oxley

If you want to add oats to it make sure you mash them with a base grain. I like using Maris otter when I do this. Try about a half pound of each for starters on the Mr beer sized batch.

 

[ericbw]

You can do almost anything, including steeping extra crystal (C120, C80), more chocolate, or coffee malt. Adding coffee. Mashing base + oats. Or mashing wheat. Just be sure to add the extract at the end and not boil it too long.

 

[JimbobFFC]

Hi,
first time poster here, please go easy on me!
I bought Mr Beer a month or so ago, and have Canadian draft in it's second week of bottle conditioning after 16 days fermenting.
I bought some refills(pretty hard to source MRB refills in the uk, and next to no variety), I could only find Cowboy and an American Light. Turns out the cowboy was 3 months or so out of date...

I mixed both cans, added a pound of DME (but ditched the booster), and then used both sets of yeast. It seems to be fermenting nicely, masses of Krausen on day two...

My first question is, what's the likelyhood of this combination resulting in drinkable beer?
My second is, I've also ordered some hops which I was considering chucking in when they arrive tomorrow, should I brew these up or just chuck 'em in?

Thanks in advance!

 

[skitter]

Hi,
first time poster here, please go easy on me!
I bought Mr Beer a month or so ago, and have Canadian draft in it's second week of bottle conditioning after 16 days fermenting.
I bought some refills(pretty hard to source MRB refills in the uk, and next to no variety), I could only find Cowboy and an American Light. Turns out the cowboy was 3 months or so out of date...

I mixed both cans, added a pound of DME (but ditched the booster), and then used both sets of yeast. It seems to be fermenting nicely, masses of Krausen on day two...

My first question is, what's the likelyhood of this combination resulting in drinkable beer?
My second is, I've also ordered some hops which I was considering chucking in when they arrive tomorrow, should I brew these up or just chuck 'em in?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome! And you should have a drinkable beer from your experiment, it's more or less what I would have done.

As for the hops, wait till the krausen has died down for a day or 2 and then dry-hop with some of the hops you bought. I wouldn't use over .5oz in a tea-ball.

Only time I have dry-hopped was after 2 weeks of fermentation, I added the hops and let it continue another week before bottling.

 

[bpgreen]

Hi,
first time poster here, please go easy on me!
I bought Mr Beer a month or so ago, and have Canadian draft in it's second week of bottle conditioning after 16 days fermenting.
I bought some refills(pretty hard to source MRB refills in the uk, and next to no variety), I could only find Cowboy and an American Light. Turns out the cowboy was 3 months or so out of date...

I mixed both cans, added a pound of DME (but ditched the booster), and then used both sets of yeast. It seems to be fermenting nicely, masses of Krausen on day two...

My first question is, what's the likelyhood of this combination resulting in drinkable beer?
My second is, I've also ordered some hops which I was considering chucking in when they arrive tomorrow, should I brew these up or just chuck 'em in?

Thanks in advance!

As skitter already pointed out, that should be fine. For future batches, you can get a kit designed for 5 gallons and use half of it. I used to overfill to the bottom of the Q in the word Quart. That was 2.4 gallons on my LBK (there can be some variance from keg to keg, so measure yours).

 

[kevron]

Coopers owns MrB. The coopers cans are twice the size as the Mr.B cans. So if you are already doubling up Mr.B cans you could always dump 1 coopers can into your LBK instead. Coopers should be easier to get than Mr.B. My second batch in my LBK was a Coopers Irish stout with 2 lbs of LME. I split the can and the LME between 2 batches. Turned out great. I have a 2 liter of it left that is sitting in a dark place for another few months or so.

 

[brewski09]

Hi,
first time poster here, please go easy on me!
I bought Mr Beer a month or so ago, and have Canadian draft in it's second week of bottle conditioning after 16 days fermenting.
I bought some refills(pretty hard to source MRB refills in the uk, and next to no variety), I could only find Cowboy and an American Light. Turns out the cowboy was 3 months or so out of date...

I mixed both cans, added a pound of DME (but ditched the booster), and then used both sets of yeast. It seems to be fermenting nicely, masses of Krausen on day two...

My first question is, what's the likelyhood of this combination resulting in drinkable beer?
My second is, I've also ordered some hops which I was considering chucking in when they arrive tomorrow, should I brew these up or just chuck 'em in?

Thanks in advance!

You can dry hop during the end of fermentation. You are supposed to get stone fruit flavors from it. I've yet to try it as I'm still dialing in my recipe I want to try it out on.

I don't know what the cowboy is supposed to be, but I assume a coors type beer, so these should meld together fine. You can dry hop with anything, but some varieties will work better than others. What hops do you have coming? Cascade comes to mind as a great option. I also really like Chinook. Gives a mild pine followed by a nice Peña collada like tropical note. I would go with .25-.5oz (7-14g) in the Mr beer sized keg for the first try. I do 3-5 days and then bottle. As soon as it smells tasty, you can bottle it. If you can get some really fresh easy kent Golding's, that could be nice as well. No matter what you do, I like to bottle a couple and then dry hop so I better understand what my additions have done for future reference.

 

[MarathonMurse]

Hi,
first time poster here, please go easy on me!
I bought Mr Beer a month or so ago, and have Canadian draft in it's second week of bottle conditioning after 16 days fermenting.
I bought some refills(pretty hard to source MRB refills in the uk, and next to no variety), I could only find Cowboy and an American Light. Turns out the cowboy was 3 months or so out of date...

For future reference, check out the recipe section here. A TON of recipes have extract versions listed. You can brew any of these just as easily as a MR. B refill, at less cost and with better results.

Careful though, it's a slippery slope toward steeping specialty grains, then skipping the extract entirely and going all-grain.