Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[Soulshine2]

Just before I was about to get the AG started I went looking through Mr Beers refills. I noticed a lot of the ordinary refills didn't have the booster and the similarly formulated deluxe refills do. Might have to do with what style kit you get too. I figured if I was going to spend $18-$25 on a refill kit to just go right to AG for the same or a few dollars more and have something really brewed.

 

[slym2none]

Except for my super-hoppy IPAs, I wouldn't spend even $15 on most of my AG 2.5G batches. I think I got a batch of Centennial Blonde in for under or right at $10, but I don't use any Cascade in it, it's an all-Centennial beer. For this sized batch, it's just easier to use all Centennial. One of the best beers I have ever made, according to everyone who drank some.

 

[Davevjordon]

I got my feet wet with fruit wines. I made several batches... 3 of them were 5 gallons each. But beer is what I've been wanting to brew for years. I built a keezer and got all my equipment except a wort chiller. I will be using two keg gels for HLT and brew kettle, and got a 10 gal cooler for a mash tun. So I want to eventually be making 10 gal batches. I know, I know... I should plan on making a few 5 gal batches first so if it doesn't work out, then it's not double the quantity of liquid disappointment. I'd love to hear some advice on 10 gal batches though. And wonder if you literally just double the quantity of all ingredients of a 5 gal recipe, to make a 10 gal batch?

 

[SkyChild5]

I made my first batch of beer using the Mr. Beer Northwest Pale Ale kit. I was trying to make a honey pale ale but it didn't turn out the way I wanted. My beer came out dark and not sweet. It had the amount of head and carbonation that I like but not the color or flavor I wanted. I wanted a sweet ale like a Belgian. I used a cup of honey and the cascade hops. Should I leave out the cascade hops?

 

[Lefou]

Honey will dry out your beer and add alcohol content.
For Mr. Beer, the best way to sweeten a brew is use a yeast with less attenuation, add maltodextrins in liquid form, or steep lighter crystal malts. Maybe a combination of them, if you want.

Hops are bittering and aroma ingredients. They're also a mild preservative and a foam enhancer in the right amounts. It's the unfermented malt that really influences your perception of beer sweetness.

 

[bpgreen]

I got my feet wet with fruit wines. I made several batches... 3 of them were 5 gallons each. But beer is what I've been wanting to brew for years. I built a keezer and got all my equipment except a wort chiller. I will be using two keg gels for HLT and brew kettle, and got a 10 gal cooler for a mash tun. So I want to eventually be making 10 gal batches. I know, I know... I should plan on making a few 5 gal batches first so if it doesn't work out, then it's not double the quantity of liquid disappointment. I'd love to hear some advice on 10 gal batches though. And wonder if you literally just double the quantity of all ingredients of a 5 gal recipe, to make a 10 gal batch?

You'd probably get better responses of you started a new thread for this, rather than piggybacking on a thread catering to a fermenter that makes small batches, but you can make a 10 gallon batch by doubling a 5 gallon recipe, just add you can make a 2.5 gallon batch by cutting a 5 gallon recipe in half.

 

[AnnaEA]

LBK - put a fermentation lock into the round lid? dasHusband got it for me so I do need to use it at least once.

 

[Oginme]

LBK - put a fermentation lock into the round lid? dasHusband got it for me so I do need to use it at least once.

The notches in the rim of the LBK act to limit the influx of air while the beer is fermenting. In order for an airlock to work, you will need a soft gasket for the lid to fill in those notches.

Beyond that, it is a personal choice. I have not put airlocks on mine so that I can stack them in my fermentation chamber and I have not had a problem with noticeable oxidation (cardboard, wet paper) in the short term (4 to 6 months) after bottling.

 

[AnnaEA]

Thanks! I think I'll use it for experimenting with cask conditioning.

 

[SkyChild5]

Honey will dry out your beer and add alcohol content.
For Mr. Beer, the best way to sweeten a brew is use a yeast with less attenuation, add maltodextrins in liquid form, or steep lighter crystal malts. Maybe a combination of them, if you want.

Hops are bittering and aroma ingredients. They're also a mild preservative and a foam enhancer in the right amounts. It's the unfermented malt that really influences your perception of beer sweetness.

Thank you but I don't know how to do any of that. I am a beginner. Is there an easy way to make sweet beer that is not a lite beer?

 

[SlitheryDee]

Lactose is used to sweeten some stouts because yeast won't ferment it. There are other sugars that are unfermentable as well. Another option is to add your honey just before bottling and then pasteurize the bottles (submerge them in sufficiently hot water) once they have reached your desired level of carbonation, but before all the honey has been consumed. To me, all that feels like far more advanced techniques than what Lefou was suggesting though.

 

[Lefou]

There are loads of ways to make sweet beer ... what's your preference? There are loads of kits geared for beginning brewers - the hard part is sorting what you want and making sense of the information overload.
A "sweet" beer is anything over a specific gravity near 1.012, but that's me. Better palates and noses are out there.

A great way to progress is learning about all the different malts and yeasts available, then applying them to your chosen recipes with proper methods. Oh, and don't forget water - it's one of the most important parts of your beer. You'll find tons of recipes online from experienced people. Once you figure out how they did it, you'll be doing your own ingredients in no time.

 

[ericbw]

Thank you but I don't know how to do any of that. I am a beginner. Is there an easy way to make sweet beer that is not a lite beer?

Can you get grains? If so, steeping crystal malt is easy even for a beginner.

Get a paint strainer bag at Home Depot. The small size.

Put your crushed crystal malt in the bag and steep it like a tea bag while the water heats. 20 minutes should do it, but take it out when the water gets to about 160.

You can also hear it till it's steamy, turn off the heat and steep 20 minutes, then carry on with the Mr. beer directions.

Does that make sense?

I would suggest 3-8 oz of crystal 20 (still yellow/gold beer) or crystal 40 (more amber colored).

A Belgian yeast will also make it fruity like a Belgian.

Do you need more complete directions?

 

[SkyChild5]

I have brewed 3 batches with the Mr Beer kit and recipes. I think each batch gets better. I'm learning a lot. It allows me to explore all the different types of beer with out a lot of hassle.

 

[SkyChild5]

Yes. I understand your instructions. I was thinking about getting the Belgian recipe liquid malt. I do think it is what I want. One flavor I am looking for is chocolate without the red pepper. I used ginger in the ole mole stout recipe. I got a good flavor and the ginger felt good on my throat but a lot of sediment. I used orange juice and brown sugar in the Bewitched and that tastes good. I just would prefer a light color beer with a full flavor. I love mead and have been making mead. I thought a honey ale would be my perfect beer. If I add the honey before bottling, it will continue to ferment. Won't the bottles explode? I was thinking that I should just out the additional hops that was in the horse's ass honey ale recipe and use the Belgian malt instead of light beer malt. I am attaching pictures of the 3 batches. 1st is the honey pale ale. 2nd is the chocolate stout. 3rd is the orange brown sugar amber.

 

[Lefou]

Honey is an interesting ingredient.
It's a great yeast food, and yes, you CAN use it to prime bottles for carbonation - BUT ... it's much easier to use as an extra ingredient when you feel the need for a bit of extra gravity and a bit more alcohol by volume.
Think of it as an expensive, very fermentable form of LME or sugar. I've used it that way in a pinch, but won't use it to bottle carb because I'd rather use sugar (cheaper) or glucose tabs because I have them on hand.

If you'd like a honey essence in your brew, try steeping a small amount of Gambrinus Honey malt. It gives you the non-fermentable sugars and aromas for way less expense than the honey might. Keep in mind the honey malt has a darker color, so if you decide to use it, it will caramelize and darken your beer.

 

[Lefou]

Mr. Beer is an excellent gateway brewing kit, but once you learn more and go beyond steeping to larger extract brews and partial mash, you'll need to acquire some basic tools - like an affordable triple scale hydrometer and measuring cylinder. I wanted more control and flexibility in creating beer.
...and I needed to know "why".
That was my line of progression, anyway. Once I learned how the grains, hops, and yeasts played together, it was time to learn basic water chemistry for simple homebrewing. That soon led to all grain ... and THAT'S when the fun of acquiring "things" and knowledge really started.
I read everything I could get my hands on for hours at a time for almost a year and a half, realizing there was a lot to learn.

 

[ericbw]

Yes, don't add honey after fermenting. As someone said, honey malt gives the honey flavor, I've heard. Never used it.

Looks like you're getting comfortable with the process.

Try the Belgian yeast. Is there a Mr. Beer Belgian kit? Where do you get you're ingredients?

 

[SkyChild5]

Yes. There is a Mr Beer Belgian extract, color 2, very light. It wouldn't matter if it got darker with honey. The Northwest recipe did darken.

I did buy a hydrometer and column\ vial. Actually, I had to buy 2 because the first one got smashed by the post office. I am not sure I should use it. I don't really care if it has high alcohol content. I care about flavor.

 

[ericbw]

There are a number of reasons to use the hydrometer. It will give you an idea about the beer, and you can tell when it is done. But if you're using extract, you can make assumptions and it's ok.

Are you looking at the Leggy Blonde Mr. Beer recipe? Or the Belgian Blanc? Or something different? The Leggy Blonde actually looks like it would be a pretty full flavor beer that's light color, and it's pretty straight forward.

BUT the Belgian Blanc recipe is a good recipe to get you into some slightly more advanced stuff - dry hopping and adding spices. Personally, I would probably do that one.


If you really want honey: Do the Leggy Blonde, but swap one pack of LME for 8 oz of honey.

 

[ajohns23]

I'm looking to brew a Honey and Oak infused ale in the next month. As of right now, I've never used oak in any recipes. Can anyone offer up some suggestions? Boil time? Pairing with hops and malts? Leaving the oak during fermentation?

I appreciate any advice.

Cheers.

 

[SkyChild5]

I do want honey but maybe I should get the Grand Bohemian instead of Belgian. Grand Bohemian is lighter in color.

 

[ericbw]

I do want honey but maybe I should get the Grand Bohemian instead of Belgian. Grand Bohemian is lighter in color.

Do you want light - like a "normal beer?" The Grand Bohemian by itself looks really light. If you add honey to it, it will probably seem higher alcohol, and maybe "thinner." I think of that as less full tasting.

What commercial beers do you like and want it to taste like?

 

[ericbw]

I'm looking to brew a Honey and Oak infused ale in the next month. As of right now, I've never used oak in any recipes. Can anyone offer up some suggestions? Boil time? Pairing with hops and malts? Leaving the oak during fermentation?

I appreciate any advice.

Cheers.

I think you'd want to add the oak after primary fermentation, as if you fermented and then aged in a barrel. Not in the boil, I don't think.

These days, almost anything can be "barrel aged," but I think stronger/higher alcohol works better.

Are you looking for a specific recipe?

 

[SkyChild5]

Do you want light - like a "normal beer?" The Grand Bohemian by itself looks really light. If you add honey to it, it will probably seem higher alcohol, and maybe "thinner." I think of that as less full tasting.

What commercial beers do you like and want it to taste like?

I don't want to thin the beer. I want to add more flavor. I dislike lite beer. I want a beer that is thick but not dark or bitter. Commercial beers that I like are Heineken, Lowenbrau and Samuel Adams. Lowenbrau was my absolute favorite for years, crisp clean taste.

 

[SkyChild5]

I think ericbw is right - that you want to age after fermentation. I found a short thing about it on another website, www.craftbeer.com/styles/barrel-aged-beer. I had looked online at wood barrels but wanted to know more about conditioning before changing from bottling beer. I bought a mini keg but still want to get an oak barrel.

The ad for oak infusion spirals says to add them when bottling and the flavor reaches full in two weeks.

 

[Lefou]

I try to keep my beers below 6%.
It's just easier on me and the yeast. Higher gravities yield more alcohol, and with that, you may have to take your personal tolerance for that into account and age longer.

I'm older.
Maybe one -or even two tripels with food - is all I'll chance. Victory Brewing makes a Golden Money around 9.5% and it's pretty potent for me. I bought a sixpack last October and still have four left. With this ABV, it's no problem storing for an extended period of time.

 

[SkyChild5]

I watched a video about adding the honey in a secondary fermenter. Has anyone added both honey and oak in the second ferment? Ajohns23 might be able to get both things he wants. He could add diluted honey and an oak spiral infuser to a secondary fermenter. It takes 2 weeks for the honey to ferment and in that 2 weeks the oak flavor would go into the beer. The recipe used 3 pounds of honey diluted with a cup of water and poured into a 5 gallon carboy. Then they added racked beer. You could probably throw in oak spirals before putting on the airlock. Just a thought.

 

[ericbw]

If you add honey to the secondary, it will ferment. 3 pounds in a 5 gallon batch would add about 2% alcohol to the finished batch. You'll get some honey taste but not a lot.

 

[ericbw]

I don't want to thin the beer. I want to add more flavor. I dislike lite beer. I want a beer that is thick but not dark or bitter. Commercial beers that I like are Heineken, Lowenbrau and Samuel Adams. Lowenbrau was my absolute favorite for years, crisp clean taste.

Ok, good comparisons. You want either a lager if you can OR a cream ale or blonde ale. If you hop 3 times, 60 minutes, 30 min, and 0 min, you get full, round flavor.

My fave is base with 5% Vienna and 5% crystal 20. Triple hopped.