Mr Beer - Read all about it and ask questions

[wolfej50]

Just opened my very first batch of homebrew, a Mr. Beer Aztec Cerveza. It was drinkable and my tasters all said that it was good. They may have just been polite, but I am almost out, so people continued to drink after the first taste. For my second batch I bought a bottling bucket. I just bottled my second batch (Czech Pilsner) and it was much easier with the bucket. The first batch had some carbonation inconsistency between bottles. I think the bucket will help with that. I'm about ready to brew my third batch, American Porter, and that may be the last batch using Mr. Beer LME. My wonderful wife just bought an 8 qt pot and I see partial boils in my future.

 

[MikeBergan]

I just wasted so much money on Mr Beer when I first started, and every one of them was crap in a can, of course this was 8 years ago, so maybe they're better now ?? .......But good luck Mike !....

I have used a few of their kits over the last 2-3 years, and they were not that bad. After talking to a few people who have been using variations of the kits for many years, the opinions were that they had been getting betterand were much improved from what they used to be, so I imagine that the quality is MUCH different than what you experienced all those years ago. Mr. Beer was recently acquired by Cooper's, as well, and there have been additional changes to the kit ingredients and additions to the line. They no longer use the 'booster' sugar and some of their kits now come with the HME base and additional pellet hops, as well as additional LME/DME depending on the kit recipe.

I make no claims that these kits are super beer, and I do realize that we all have different tastes and preferences; that said, the Mr. Beer products are an entry point to the brewing world for many people, and a way for them to take those first steps on the path to greater knowledge and brewing skills.

If I hadn't been given the kits I now have, I would be working on all extract and extract/specialty grains batches, since I don't really have a good area to set up for all-grain yet. I decided to use these last few kits and try to see what I could do with them to make them unique and better than the simple basic recipe's.

 

[dstranger99]

^

Be sure to do this : Keep your Mr Beer Kegs, don't toss them out like I did when I went to carboys, buckets, etc. You will end up wanting them again for something, and I had 2 I tossed........

 

[MikeBergan]

^

Be sure to do this : Keep your Mr Beer Kegs, don't toss them out like I did when I went to carboys, buckets, etc. You will end up wanting them again for something, and I had 2 I tossed........

Yep, I figured to keep hold of them for experimental small batches, or for trying things 2 ways on a given batch (like making a 7 gallon total size batch and doing 5 gallons one way in the main carboy, and 2 gallons hopped a different way, or with different adjuncts etc in the Mr. Beer keg).
I don't think I have heard anyone bitch EVER about having too many fermentation vessels available.

 

[skitter]

I have had good luck with the process listed in my sig for modifying Mr Beer kits, I only use them when given to me but I enjoy the outcome more than a kit by itself

 

[brewski09]

Okay, so we've established that Mr beer kits can be used to make good beer if you know what you are doing. Anyone have any recipes? I'll look for mine tomorrow (have to dig out my hand written notes as my online recipe got jacked up)

 

[skitter]

Recipes using Mr Beer kits or recipes for Mr Beer fermenters? I got both

 

[MikeBergan]

Recipes using Mr Beer kits or recipes for Mr Beer fermenters? I got both

Skitter,
You got any interesting IPA or regular Pale Ale type extract recipe's sized for the 2-2.5 gallon Mr. Beer fermenter, then?
I want to try a couple things out on smaller batches, before I put the time/money into a full 5 gallon recipe in the new carboy setup I got. Figure I should make sure I have a beer I like before I stick myself with 5 gallons of it.

 

[brewski09]

I was thinking we could post a couple of recipes using me beer extracts on here to give people some idea what can be done with the existing ingredients I they want to improve them.


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[bpgreen]

Skitter,
You got any interesting IPA or regular Pale Ale type extract recipe's sized for the 2-2.5 gallon Mr. Beer fermenter, then?
I want to try a couple things out on smaller batches, before I put the time/money into a full 5 gallon recipe in the new carboy setup I got. Figure I should make sure I have a beer I like before I stick myself with 5 gallons of it.

Are you interested in extract only or extract+steeping grains? I think adding grains gives you a bit more flexibility, but if you want to stick to extract only, we can come up with something.

I usually do partial mashes because when I saw the instructions for a partial mash, they didn't seem that different from the instructions for steeping grains, but I know some people find mashing a little intimidating.

 

[MikeBergan]

I am good with steeping grains. and could, probably, handle partial mash at this point, except for a lack of decent heat source for the larger amounts of water. For now I am stuck using our gas stovetop, until I get some more space to set up something with a larger burner. I doubt I can get more than a couple gallons of water to the boil on what I have now.

 

[bpgreen]

I am good with steeping grains. and could, probably, handle partial mash at this point, except for a lack of decent heat source for the larger amounts of water. For now I am stuck using our gas stovetop, until I get some more space to set up something with a larger burner. I doubt I can get more than a couple gallons of water to the boil on what I have now.

I do partial mash 5 gallon batches on the stove top. I do the boil in a 12 qt pot using the wort from the mash and add the extract at flameout. This improves hop utilization and also avoids carmelization of the extract.

This is just off the top of my head, but I could run the numbers in BeerSmith this evening if you need. Get an ounce of a high alpha bittering hop (centennial, nugget, etc), an ounce of cascades, 4 oz of C-60 and 3 lbs of extract. If you're using LME, you can add it after the boil and just stir to dissolve. You may need to add DME a little before the end of the boil to get it to dissolve (I get LME in bulk, so it has been a long time since I've used DME, but I seem to remember having trouble getting it to dissolve if I didn't boil it). If you want to do a partial mash, you can substitute some two row for part of the extract. I like using either US-05 or Nottingham. If you use liquid yeast, I'd go with WLP-001 or Wy056 (US-05, WLP-001 and Wy056 are all the Chico strain).

Crush the C-60. Heat a gallon of water to 160F. Put the steeping grains in a porous bag (there are muslin bags available for this, or you can use a paint strainer). Add the steeping grains. Let them steep for 30 minutes. If you're doing a partial mash, extend the time to an hour. Take the grain bag out and let it drain. Some people will squeeze the bag, but others say this leads to astringent flavors.

If you're doing a partial mash, use this for the hop boil. If you're only steeping, add about 1/2 lb of the extract. Stir until the extract dissolves. You may need to heat it a bit to get it all dissolved. If you're using LME, make sure there's none sitting on the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 oz of the bittering hop and turn the stove on high. If you're using DME, watch for boil overs. Actually, with the hops, you may get some foaming with LME also, but not as much as with DME.

When it starts to boil, start a timer for 40 minutes. When the timer goes off, add the rest of the bittering hop. Set a timer for 13 minutes. When the timer goes off, add 1/2 oz of the cascades. seal the remaining cascade hops (preferably with a vacuum sealer) and put them in the freezer.

Set the timer for 7 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the pot from the heat, add the extract and stir until it dissolves.

Cool it to about 80F and put it in the fermenter. Add enough cold water to bring it to the level you want. Aerate and add the yeast. Ferment it close to 60F (you can go even lower if you're using Nottingham). Let it ferment for two to three weeks. A week before you're done fermenting, add the rest of the cascade hops. Bottle or keg as usual.

This is sort of an APA (or maybe getting into IPA territory) along the lines of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (but not intended to be a clone).

 

[brewski09]

Skitter,

You got any interesting IPA or regular Pale Ale type extract recipe's sized for the 2-2.5 gallon Mr. Beer fermenter, then?

I want to try a couple things out on smaller batches, before I put the time/money into a full 5 gallon recipe in the new carboy setup I got. Figure I should make sure I have a beer I like before I stick myself with 5 gallons of it.

I've got a basic pale ale recipe that's my house brew. I'll look at beersmith and post the extract, partial mash/steeping grains, and all grain versions later this weekend.


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[jimmyjjohn]

I did start a batch of Appliqueing for her so now she has something to look forward too. She likes beer but has gotten a gluten sensitivity and really can't drink it anymore. She loves wine and hard cider so I thought I would get a batch of Appliqueing going and maybe carbonate half of it. But she already told me that I will need to back sweeten it as she is not a dry wine kind of gal.

 

[brewski09]

If she is only sensitive and can tolerate a little gluten look into this stuff for her.
http://www.whitelabs.com/other-products/wln4000-clarity-ferm



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[skitter]

Skitter,
You got any interesting IPA or regular Pale Ale type extract recipe's sized for the 2-2.5 gallon Mr. Beer fermenter, then?
I want to try a couple things out on smaller batches, before I put the time/money into a full 5 gallon recipe in the new carboy setup I got. Figure I should make sure I have a beer I like before I stick myself with 5 gallons of it.

I typically do malt forward beers, still can't stand a lot of hops. Ill try different IPA's but havnt had much luck...

My fav right now is 3.5lb 2 row, 6oz Honey Malt, mashed in 10qt (BIAB) @155 for 60m. Top up to 3g to boil. .2oz Motueka preboil, .2oz Motueka at 10min, and .1oz at whirlpool/chill.

Easy session beer, nice tropical hop taste that balances out with the Honey Malt

 

[brewski09]

This is my single hop pale ale recipe. its pretty basic, but has become one of the favorites that i brew (and one of the easiest)

2.5 gallon batch - target sg=1.050-1.054, target fg=1.014, ibu=35 (rager), srm=14, 5% ABV

1 lbs Caramunich I (Weyermann) (51.0 SRM) Grain 1 26.7 %
2.1 oz Caramel Malt - 60L (Briess) (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 3.5 %
1.0 oz Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) Grain 3 1.6 %
1.0 oz Caramel Malt - 80L 6-Row (Briess) (80.0 SRM) Grain 4 1.6 %
steep the crushed specialty grains in 150F water for 30 minutes to extract the sugars and "sparge" through a fine mesh kitchen strainer until the runnings are looking pretty clear. you can advance the technique when you get comfortable with it, but this is a simple "batch sparge" technique that will get you close to what you need to be.
2 lbs 8.0 oz LME Pilsen Light (Briess) (2.3 SRM) Extract 5 66.7 %
i dilute my extract and add for the whole boil. if you add at the end, you will increase your hop utilization, so be aware of that.

2.00 g Chinook [11.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 7.1 IBUs
this is a very small addition to help hot break. still a fair amount of ibu though. sub with anything you want, just account for the difference in ibu as needed.
1.00 Items Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 7 -
1.00 Items Yeast Nutrient (Boil 20.0 mins) Other 8 -
21.00 g Chinook [11.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 15.0 IBUs
21.00 g Chinook [11.60 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 10 12.5 IBUs
late hops contribute a lot to flavor and aroma, but not too much to ibu so you can use a ton. this is an ounce and a half at the end.
1.0 pkg Nottingham (Danstar #-) [23.66 ml] Yeast 11 -
14-28.00 g Chinook [11.60 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
i go 3.5 days dryhopping on all my beers now. smooth and delicious. great aromatics. the chinook will give you tropical pina-colada like tones so adjust this according to your thoughts on that.

use any yeast you want, i'm just a fan of light british qualities. The US-05 is a great yeast in this beer, especially if you are entering into any comps. If you use the entire 3.3lb of briess extract, you end up with a 6% IPA, so bump the IBU to at least 45 for that. I use this as a template for trying new hops (some have been great, some not so much) or a new specialty grain (a good 4oz is plenty to see what it will do for you unless its something like aromatic/honey malt). the briess cbw pilsen light extract is essentially 80-90% pilsner malt and 10-20% dextrine/carapils malt. I like to use pilsen light lme because the golden light lme has too many caramel malts in it already for me to get the profile i like. i've been told this recipe doesn't have enough crystal/caramel malts in it by some, but its a pale ale and i don't think it should have that many. double them if you think it needs it after brewing once.

no awards with this one, but plenty of requests for more from my friends. this one is ready to bottle in 10-14 days from brewday. throw some ice packs on it for a day or so before bottling to get it as clear as possible.

i use hop union hops because i am lucky enough to have them as my LHBS supplier. only use good hops or this won't be a good beer.

 

[unionblade]

How's it going boys, real beginner at cerveza brewing, fermentation went well and I transferred to pressure vessel putting in 85g of brewing sugar admittedly I didn't boil this in a pan before therefore brewing sugar straight in a pressure vessel, a week later I decided to do 6 bottles and fridge them, (spoonful of brewing sugar in each bottle) 3 days down the line I can't see any signs of carbonation.... Help boys?!? Thanks for your attention

 

[brewski09]

You need to let them condition at room temp (70f) for a couple of weeks to be carb carbonated. Either take them off the fridge or give them more time e where they are at.

 

[mdbrewer1]

I'm pretty sure I've seen this discussed in the past, but it has been a little while since I read the thread. I believe I made it through the entire length of the thread at the time, but can't remember if this particular idea has been discussed.

I have a 5 gallon batch of Centennial Blonde in my fermenting bucket and would like to do half of it over blueberries for another week. My current line of thinking is to let it ferment for 2 weeks in the bucket and then toss my blueberries into one of my LBKs and fill it almost all the way to the top to eliminate most of the head space and then cover with saran wrap and a rubber band.

I'd like to get some feedback from experienced LBKers. Would the addition of blueberries cause some additional fermentation causing the saran wrap to pop off? Should I try screwing the lid back on in addition to the saran wrap? If I pull from the top of the bucket when transferring to the LBK, would that keep most of the yeast from getting into the LBK and help lessen the potential issue of restarting fermentation? I've never added fruit to any of my previous 5 batches, so I'm not sure what I should expect.

Thanks!!

 

[bpgreen]

I'm pretty sure I've seen this discussed in the past, but it has been a little while since I read the thread. I believe I made it through the entire length of the thread at the time, but can't remember if this particular idea has been discussed.

I have a 5 gallon batch of Centennial Blonde in my fermenting bucket and would like to do half of it over blueberries for another week. My current line of thinking is to let it ferment for 2 weeks in the bucket and then toss my blueberries into one of my LBKs and fill it almost all the way to the top to eliminate most of the head space and then cover with saran wrap and a rubber band.

I'd like to get some feedback from experienced LBKers. Would the addition of blueberries cause some additional fermentation causing the saran wrap to pop off? Should I try screwing the lid back on in addition to the saran wrap? If I pull from the top of the bucket when transferring to the LBK, would that keep most of the yeast from getting into the LBK and help lessen the potential issue of restarting fermentation? I've never added fruit to any of my previous 5 batches, so I'm not sure what I should expect.

Thanks!!

I've never done what you're describing, but from a practical standpoint, the blueberries have sugar in them that is fermentable. It will ferment no matter what. If you try to transfer less yeast, the year will multiply as necessary and ferment the sugar. If you bottle early, the sugar will ferment in the bottle. Don't try to play tricks. Do the transfer and give enough additional time to finish fermentation.

Along those same lines, skip the saran wrap. Since the sugar in the blueberries will ferment, the extra co2 needs to vent.

I assume that your bottling the rest of the batch when you do the transfer, right? Because you don't want to leave it exposed to air.

 

[brewski09]

I make a blueberry Mead and can confirm that blueberries will ferment. This may cause your plastic wrap to pop off. Also notable, plastic wrap is not an oxygen barrier (neither is the LBK actually) so this will only serve to keep infectious organisms out.

 

[mdbrewer1]

I've never done what you're describing, but from a practical standpoint, the blueberries have sugar in them that is fermentable. It will ferment no matter what. If you try to transfer less yeast, the year will multiply as necessary and ferment the sugar. If you bottle early, the sugar will ferment in the bottle. Don't try to play tricks. Do the transfer and give enough additional time to finish fermentation.

Along those same lines, skip the saran wrap. Since the sugar in the blueberries will ferment, the extra co2 needs to vent.

I assume that your bottling the rest of the batch when you do the transfer, right? Because you don't want to leave it exposed to air.

Thanks. That's what I was figuring from what I've read. I appreciate the response.

Yes, I plan on bottling the rest of the batch that day.

 

[mdbrewer1]

I make a blueberry Mead and can confirm that blueberries will ferment. This may cause your plastic wrap to pop off. Also notable, plastic wrap is not an oxygen barrier (neither is the LBK actually) so this will only serve to keep infectious organisms out.

Thanks. That's good to know about the saran wrap.

 

[JimbobFFC]

Hi All,

after a little advice as to whether I ruined my beer!
I started a few months ago with Mr Beer and now have 3 5 Gallon batches under my belt as well as three Mr beers.

I bought an extract/steeping grains kit for an Old Speckled Hen clone (http://www.brewuk.co.uk/beerkits/old-speckled.html), split the batch and used my LBK. The first half of the batch came out fine, but I threw away the instructions accidentally. I brewed the other half on Sunday evening, but only used half a kilo of malt and didn't add any sugar. Fermentation started overnight as I had thick Krausen in the morning.

Did I ruin my beer, or will it just be a little thin/watery?

Here's my ingredients:

14g Challenger Hops
5g Golding Hops
8g Crushed Black Malt
150g Crushed Crystal Malt
500g Light dried malt extract (realised I should have used a kilo)

And the forgotten 200g of sugar!

Thanks in advance!

 

[MikeBergan]

Hi All,

after a little advice as to whether I ruined my beer!
I started a few months ago with Mr Beer and now have 3 5 Gallon batches under my belt as well as three Mr beers.

I bought an extract/steeping grains kit for an Old Speckled Hen clone (http://www.brewuk.co.uk/beerkits/old-speckled.html), split the batch and used my LBK. The first half of the batch came out fine, but I threw away the instructions accidentally. I brewed the other half on Sunday evening, but only used half a kilo of malt and didn't add any sugar. Fermentation started overnight as I had thick Krausen in the morning.

Did I ruin my beer, or will it just be a little thin/watery?

Here's my ingredients:

14g Challenger Hops
5g Golding Hops
8g Crushed Black Malt
150g Crushed Crystal Malt
500g Light dried malt extract (realised I should have used a kilo)

And the forgotten 200g of sugar!

Thanks in advance!

Overall, you will end up with something that looks like what you were trying to brew, it will probably be quite a bit more bitter tasting(depending on hop boil time), and will be a lot thinner and very 'weak' as far as ABV. As to whether that is a 'ruined' batch depends on whether you feel the result is drinkable.

Without a little more info on exact recipe process, like steeping time/boil time and volume used, timing of addition of hops and extract; I can't plug it in to Beersmith very effectively, to give you exact numbers.

It may be possible to add in the extra malt and sugar now, since you just started fermentation; that may help get the ABV up some (not sure how much it would change the body, post-boil. I am not experienced enough to know exactly how well that will work... maybe someone else can give some input??

 

[JimbobFFC]

Thanks Mike. Steeped for 30 at 155, bigger hops for one hour and half hour for the smaller amount. 2.25 gals

I did wonder about just dissolving some sugar and dme in a pint or so and adding it in.... Anyone able to advise if this would work or ruin the batch further?

TIA

 

[MikeBergan]

ok, Beersmith gives me this for numbers:

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.020
Est Final Gravity: 1.005
IBU: 43
Color: 10.4 SRM
Estimated ABV: 2.0%

Using a style of English Pale Ale, you are ok on IBU and color, but WAY down on gravity and ABV. Also, I used Crystal 60 malt, since you didn't say which exact one, so the color may be different.
You might check the forums for threads related to adding sugar or extracts to the ferment, in case no one pipes in here. IF I get some time, I will look too, and send you a PM if I find anything.

 

[JimbobFFC]

Thanks again. I've added another 500g of dme and 200 of sugar, and am crossing my fingers!

 

[brewski09]

Just heat it up to 160-180 and cool it down to 70 or less (whatever your ferment temp is minus a couple of degrees) and pour it in. Maybe shake it to aerate before adding it in. It can be a thick syrup kind of mixture if you want.


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[MikeBergan]

I am pulling my Mr. Beer setup out and going to do a couple of batches, but I need a little help in deciding the 'right' way to go about it.

For the first run, I have:
1 can Bewitched Amber Ale HME
1 'Robust' LME SoftPack
1 pound Briess Traditional Dark DME
Safale US-05 yeast

1/2 oz each Glacier & Liberty pellet hops

This all comes as a 'recipe kit' from Mr. Beer and the instructions basically say to put about 4 cups of water in a pot to boil, remove from heat, add all the ingredients (with the hops in a hopsack), mix well, and then pour into the fermenter with some cold water to make a total of 8 1/2 quarts.

This doesn't seem right to me, since the recipe is supposed to result in a "dark, roasty, and bitter... hop forward IPA"

Shouldn't I need to boil the whole batch (or at least some part of it) with the hops for at least 20-30 minutes to get some of that IPA bitterness?

ok, so I bottled this today. Tasted pretty decent on the gravity sample, so I am looking forward to it getting carb'd up and ready to drink.

I did up each of the hops to an ounce each, total, using 1/2 of the hops at 30 minutes boil and half tossed into the LBK (in a hopsack).

Got 12 full 22 oz bottle out of it plus another that was a couple ounces short.
OG was 1.80 and FG was 1.026 ... I think that will work out to about a 7.2% ABV... I guess the US-05 worked better than the MR. Beer yeast, because they say the beer should be about 5.9%. Oh well, darn... I guess I'll have to 'suffer'

 

[MikeBergan]

Oops, silly me.
I forgot that the DME was an extra... that is where the additional ABV cam from.

Here is a linky to the kit I used as the base, if anyone wants to look.
http://www.mrbeer.com/vlad-the-impale-ale-recipe

 

[JimbobFFC]

small problem, in my haste to try and correct my error, I just dumped DME and sugar in without boiling. Created a load of fizz and spilled over the lid of the LBK.

Hopefully I'll avoid an infection, but if not I guess it's all part of the learning curve - and it's 'only' 2.25 gallons (

 

[bpgreen]

small problem, in my haste to try and correct my error, I just dumped DME and sugar in without boiling. Created a load of fizz and spilled over the lid of the LBK.

Hopefully I'll avoid an infection, but if not I guess it's all part of the learning curve - and it's 'only' 2.25 gallons (

It would have been better if you had brought the DME and sugar to a boil, then let it cool.

Having said that, you're probably ok. DME and sugar are both somewhat hostile to bacteria and fungi because they are so dry. There is a potential for spores to stay viable, but if I were you, I'd let it ferment and just monitor it. If it's infected, the taste will be off (depending on what infected it, it may be ok or downright nasty) and it may ferment more than expected, but nothing that infects the beer can kill you or make you sick (other than if you get sick because it tastes really bad). If it is infected, you'll need to do a very thotough job of cleaning/sanitizing the LBK and you'll want to keep track of which LBK it was because sometimes things can seep into the plastic and infect future batches.

 

[MikeBergan]

My batch (mentioned last in post #5831) has been aging for a week now, time to lock the cellar door and tie myself down, so as not to rush in and grab bottle to chill.... must.... wait...

 

[SkidR0we]

Hi there,

I just ordered a MR Beer kit from amazon, which I intend to eventually use as a fermenter for 2 gallon all grain BIAB batches. However, I do have a couple of questions regarding bottling directly from the spigot. I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but it seems like the kit I ordered has a different spigot from the ones discussed earlier in the thread.

1) Will a bottling wand easily attach to the spigot? I assume I'll have to purchase some tubing to attach the two together. Or do I need to get a proprietary bottle wand?

2) Does beer bottled directly from the spigot turn out alright? Some say it will get oxygenated, but in reality, is this something to be concerned about?

3) Do you need to tilt the fermenter in order to bottle all the good stuff? Or is the spigot at just the right place where you don't need to worry about this? I'd hate pouring half the trub into my last couple beers.

4) Does anyone here batch prime directly in the Mr. Beer fermenter? How has that worked for you, and how do you go about it? I will likely bottle prime, but if this is something that works well I may consider it.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

 

[bpgreen]

Hi there,

I just ordered a MR Beer kit from amazon, which I intend to eventually use as a fermenter for 2 gallon all grain BIAB batches. However, I do have a couple of questions regarding bottling directly from the spigot. I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but it seems like the kit I ordered has a different spigot from the ones discussed earlier in the thread.

1) Will a bottling wand easily attach to the spigot? I assume I'll have to purchase some tubing to attach the two together. Or do I need to get a proprietary bottle wand?

The newer spigots need a short piece of food grade tubing to attach a wand.

2) Does beer bottled directly from the spigot turn out alright? Some say it will get oxygenated, but in reality, is this something to be concerned about?

If you use the bottling wand, there's no need to worry about oxygenating. You can minimize oxygen without the wand, but you may get some oxygen if you do it this way.

3) Do you need to tilt the fermenter in order to bottle all the good stuff? Or is the spigot at just the right place where you don't need to worry about this? I'd hate pouring half the trub into my last couple beers.

I don't use the LBK much anymore, but when I did, I'd prop the front up so the trub would settle to the back.

4) Does anyone here batch prime directly in the Mr. Beer fermenter? How has that worked for you, and how do you go about it? I will likely bottle prime, but if this is something that works well I may consider it.

I wouldn't recommend that. You won't be able to mix teh sugar without stirring up the trub. If you want to batch prime, use a separate container (a second LBK or a Slimline).

 

[brewski09]

Hi there,

I just ordered a MR Beer kit from amazon, which I intend to eventually use as a fermenter for 2 gallon all grain BIAB batches. However, I do have a couple of questions regarding bottling directly from the spigot. I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but it seems like the kit I ordered has a different spigot from the ones discussed earlier in the thread.

1) Will a bottling wand easily attach to the spigot? I assume I'll have to purchase some tubing to attach the two together. Or do I need to get a proprietary bottle wand?

2) Does beer bottled directly from the spigot turn out alright? Some say it will get oxygenated, but in reality, is this something to be concerned about?

3) Do you need to tilt the fermenter in order to bottle all the good stuff? Or is the spigot at just the right place where you don't need to worry about this? I'd hate pouring half the trub into my last couple beers.

4) Does anyone here batch prime directly in the Mr. Beer fermenter? How has that worked for you, and how do you go about it? I will likely bottle prime, but if this is something that works well I may consider it.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

1) it probably will but you will have to much trub in my experience.
2) see number 1

3) I cold crash it with ice packs in a cooler before racking to my bottling bucket. Fermenting on a light tilt may allow for bottling from the fermenter.

4) I prime the whole batch in my bottling bucket. I wouldn't prime each bottle unless you are using conditioning tablets. It's too unpredictable.

 

[MikeBergan]

My batch (mentioned last in post #5831) has been aging for a week now, time to lock the cellar door and tie myself down, so as not to rush in and grab bottle to chill.... must.... wait...

Ok, after some chatting back and forth with a couple other people, decided to go ahead and chill this batch...

First sampling is being done now, after about 30 hours chill-time...

Head formation was nice, smooth creamy head, but not much retention; also, no lacing on the glass as I drink it down... guess I need to work on the steep to help there, maybe some carapils?

Very nice chocolate/roasty aromas.
The beer seems just a tad over-carb'ed but not much. There is a bit less hop aroma than I would like, though the bitterness is there, and it has a nice mouth-feel midway between a black lager/IPA and a stout maybe?

definiltely happy how this turned out.

 

[gweim]

Has anyone ever made the Blackperry Trio Mr. Beer recipe? I've been searching everywhere for some reviews or tips but haven't found any. I've made a few other mr beer kits that have been terrible so was about to make the jump to real equipment and better kit when I realized I had got the stuff for this a few months back.

Anyone know if it comes out well?

Should I buy a different yeast than what mr beer provides?

They give a big temp range to ferment at. Anyone have an idea of what temperature I could shoot for?

I'm sick of making bad mr beer and then not wanting to homebrew for a few month so any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks