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I am not sure why there is all this hate for Mr. Beer. Are these people hating because they grew up brewing beer? Was there never a time when they were new to home brewing? Did they wake up one day and say, "Hey, I am going out and spending several hundred dollars on fermenters, kegs, bottles, mashing stuff, 55 pound bags of grain, ...."

I have to know why these people are hating on it. We all had a calculator before we bought a laptop. We all rode a bike before we drove a car. And we all looked at tranny porn before moving on to bestiality. . . Wait I may have gone too far.

I never had a Mr. Beer. But I know people who got started that way. And most of my money is spent on things that MIGHT lead to a new hobby, which is what a Mr. Beer kit is.



*applauds*

:mug:
 
I like it too. I started on Mr. Beer. I will explain why I hate on it now, though.

Mr. Beer costs the same as a "real" starter kit from a hbs
Mr. Beer charges a ridiculous amount for ingredients and supplies
Mr. Beer refills are even more then the original system, yet the after the initial purchase of a real starter kit, the ingredients go way down from hbs
If every batch tasted as bad as my 3 Mr. Beer batches, I would not brew anymore. Yes, it is fun, but ya gotta enjoy the finished product.

It is a gateway drug tp the brewing addiction, to be sure. But if I knew then what I know now, I would not have wasted my $$$.


Last and not least.....I hate "BOOSTER". :D
 
Last and not least.....I hate "BOOSTER". :D

Well if you read thsi thread, you would see that we say to get rid of the bosster, and toss a pound of dme in instead...and we also have mentioned on here about doing 2.5 mr beer sized batches with the same ingredients 5 gallon brewers us in thie batches...including brewing ALl grain, on the stove....

This thread is mostly about getting beyond the expensive kits and applying the same techniques that a lot of us who do 5 gallon or greater sized batches do.
 
I started with Mr. Beer about 2 months ago. I've recently purchased a 5 gallon starter kit from Austin HBS. There would be a learning curve here either way.

From everything I've read, nobody likes MB Booster. I suspect it may be harming Mr. Beers' popularity. But then again, the whole shebang is a way for a Noobie such as myself to learn brewing basics without herniating a lumbar disc or breaking the budget.

The MB brew keg is versatile. It fits in an ice chest for cheap fermentation temp. control and its shape is well thought out. I think that's why experienced brewers use it for test batches. And as Revvy said, the keg is just a fermenter and the choice of ingredients is up to the brewer.

Yep. My first batch of Mr. B ale--the starter kit that uses Booster, tastes like Bud Lite with Splenda. I suspect using DME and good quality yeast would have made it more drinkable. But I could just have easily messed up a 5 gallon batch on my first try.
 
Okay. I read through the first 12 threads and decided I should post.

I got MrBeer for an early bday present from the wife. She was tired of me talking about homebrewing and broke down and spent the $30. I was excited to get the Pale ale.

Got home, and found out I got the Canadian Ale instead. Oh well. I am originally from Maine, so I was used to Cdn Ales.

I just brewed my first batch about 30 minutes ago. I read that I'm supposed to wait longer and I have the patience for it.

My problem is this;
The directions said to warm up the malt. I thought I did. I poured that into the water/booster mixture like the directions said. But the directions didn't say to mix it. So I poured all THAT into the keg (per directions). Well when I was done I had quite a bit of the syrup/malt stuff left in the pan. I did my best to get what I could out and into the keg.

Is it going to come out funky that I wasn't able to get as much of the syrup/malt stuff as possible?

I'm finally glad that I got this and I hope that I can get the nack of it. I've read and read for months and months. I just want to start with baby steps and that's why I went with the Mr.Beer/FisherPrice starter kit.

Thanks for all!
 
Living in a dry county, surrounded by dry counties, surprizingly, I know exactly zero people here who homebrew.

There is a long time LHBS twenty miles away, and of course, I've met a few home brewers there, but none of my normal circle of friends and relatives brew or ferment.

So, I guess that it is only normal that the only dis-ing of Mr. Beer that I've ever heard, has come from this site.

And, this hasn't really been been anyone here, being critical themselves, that I can recall, it has just been some who have been referencing the flack from others.

I have to say that I think the overall impact of Mr. Beer on this country has been wonderful!

I plan to pick a kit up as soon as I run across one, just to add the odd-sized fermentor to my arsenal, if nothing else.

Pogo

BTW - I do have a 3-gallon carboy that I plan to use if I run across a re-fill kit before I find a complete kit.
 
An update--I just cracked a bottle of the Mr. B ale that's been cold conditioning in the fridge for a few days. The difference is dramatic. Most of the cidery taste is gone and it its quite drinkable. Hardly an award winner, but not bad either.

I'm thinking that if this had been done with DME instead of the $#*% Booster and a better yeast, results might have been even better.
 
Is Mr. Beer the same thing as "The Beer Machine"? I remember seeing infomercials on these like 15 years ago. The sell the Beer Machine in Cabelas!
 
Is Mr. Beer the same thing as "The Beer Machine"? I remember seeing infomercials on these like 15 years ago. The sell the Beer Machine in Cabelas!

No it is not, although they are similar products. Both produce half size batches from a canned pre-hopped kit, and they look sort of similar. Mr. Beer is bottle based and Beer Machine is essentially a mini keg. The Mr Beer fermenter doubles as a dispenser, it holds pressure for natural carbonation and uses co2 cartridges for dispensing.
 
Finally broke out my Mr. Beer that my wife got me for X-mas. Anyways tonight will be 7 days of fermenting. I've read some other post that say let it sit a little longer, so I'm thinking I shouldn't bottle it until probably Sunday which will be 10 days in the keg.
 
Finally broke out my Mr. Beer that my wife got me for X-mas. Anyways tonight will be 7 days of fermenting. I've read some other post that say let it sit a little longer, so I'm thinking I shouldn't bottle it until probably Sunday which will be 10 days in the keg.

Actually the longer you wait, the clearer and better tasting the beer will be. I typically leave all my beers in the fermenters (regardless of size) for 3-4 weeks then bottle...if you at least leave it for 2 weeks, your beer will be much clearer and crisper tasting, plus you wil gaurentee that it is finished fermenting....Without taking a hydrometer reading the only way to make sure fermentation is complete is to let it sit...then the yeasts will clean up the mess they made during fermentation.

This is a game of patience....

:mug:
 
I have had my West Coast Pale ale in the Mr. Beer fermenter for two weeks, and tasted it. It had a pretty cidery taste to it, but I bottled it since most posts I've seen recommend 14 days or so.

My temperature was 64 to 68 degrees.

Should I have waited a few more days or a week? I only wonder because the Mr. Beer instructions say it shouldn't taste sweet after 7-10 days.

I looked it up and saw that a cidery taste could also mean contamination. Is that just standard green beer flavor that will go away in the bottle with time?

I too started with a Mr. Beer kit. The West Coast Pale ale always tasted cidery to me. I've brewed that kit twice. The second time I added hops to see if it would change the profile and it tasted like hopped cider. It was drinkable, but it would've discouraged me if it had been the first. The stout kit was awesome though. My LHBW sells the kits for $8 and change so I sometimes pick one up and add adjuncts to see how it would taste.

If you're not going to upgrade to a 5 gallon batch, then there are some great tips here. Use DME instead of the starter. You can also combine two of the cans instead of the sugar. Pitch both packets of yeast though.
 
I've brewed 3 Mr. Beer kits so far: West Coast Pale Ale (standard w/booster), American Devil IPA, and the Shillelagh Stout recipe.

The only one of the three in the ready zone is the WCPA. And it does indeed have a cidery taste. However, I notice it's improving with cold conditioning. Drinkable, but I don't think it will ever be a real winner.

Standard advice on Mr. Beer blogs is either not to use Booster for more than 1/3 of fermentables, or to avoid it in lieu of DME or LME. You may also have better luck with a better quality yeast, such as S-05, S-04, or one of the Danstars.

I just bottled up a keg of Mr. Beer's Shillelagh Stout. It tasted like smooth coffee just from the keg--hopefully a good sign.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
i started with mr beer and consider reading this thread a rite of passage :) thanks to the advice i went with LME instead of the booster and some liquid ale yeast from the LHBS on my last batch of red ale.. tasted way better than the WCPA before bottling... it carb'd for a week and now has conditioned for one... only two more weeks to go... i'm cold conditioning some and warm conditioning others... wonder if it'll make a difference... the beer did sit in the primary for about 2-3 weeks before bottling

thanks to everyone for all the great advice in this thread... i'm slowly working my way up... next up is a 5gal batch of cooper's ipa
 
i've just started my first home kit brew, it says to put the yeast in at 18--21 degrees, but its still 25, is safer to put it now or wait untill it has dropped lower
 
i've just started my first home kit brew, it says to put the yeast in at 18--21 degrees, but its still 25, is safer to put it now or wait untill it has dropped lower


Sorry noone answered...I just got home...by now I'm sure it cooled and you pitched it...but yeah, if you can get it as close to 21 degrees or less that is optimal...
 
I just cracked my second bottle of Mr. Beer's 'Shillelagh Stout' Recipe. Two observations:

As someone has said, avoid using root beer soda bottles. The flavor is almost permanent in the plastic. The 1st bottle was a root beer bottle and after extensive washing, soaking in baking soda and holding the stout for almost a month, the empty bottle STILL smells like root beer. The stout also had a 'grassy' aftertaste. Not sure root beer flavor was the cause.

BUT....The second bottle (drinking it now) is honestly very very good! It needs conditioning and maybe tweaking. It tastes like a gourmet coffee. I am pleasantly surprised. :)
 
So I have brewed one batch of Imperial Stout from a Munton's Kit and am ready to give it a go again as I was very pleased with the results. :) This time I am brewing it in a reletively cold house because of the oil prices :(
What's the best temp and what can I get away with? I am in no hurry so an extra day or a week is no big deal. The instructions say 65-70 but I also hear 75. Typically the temp is about 60 in my house.
 
I'm still a noob but I'll chime in.

From everything I have heard and read, 60-65 degrees is near optimum for most ales. In fact, your fermentation will probably have fewer off flavors than if brewed at higher temps. And the inside of your fermenter may be warmer than ambient if the yeasties are really working. Just don't let it get too cold (about 55 degrees ?). This could set the fermentation process back.

Good luck
 
+100 on what Yeoldebrewer has posted, my Mr. Beer batches tasted much better when kept at 65 degrees or a little less. The first two batches I made were at 75-78 and both had the same strange taste to them - it went away when I started fermenting cooler.
 
:mug:

I started brewing with Mr. Beer a few weeks ago and have enjoyed my first creation. I felt like Tom Hanks in Castaway when he finally made fire. I ran around the house yelling "I MADE BEER!"

I have friends who brew and I was embarrassed at first that I used Mr. Beer... but now... I MADE BEER. and it was good!

I have very little patience and to be able to have a batch of beer brewed in a few weeks was great for me.

Maybe some day I will be more advanced. all I know is... I MADE BEER.
 
Mr. Beer can be fun and brings a lot of folks into the hobby. You also have more options with the Mr. Beer fermenter and extracts than just their kits and recipes.

Welcome to the hobby.:mug:
 
Ok so i'm doing my 2nd batch of mr. beer, and it's been fermenting for a while now.

I got tied up with work and school, and it's been in the fermenter for 4 weeks now. I'm planning to bottle tonight, but i was just wondering if there's any chance that the length of time sitting will be a problem.

Is the yeast still active and ready to carb once i add priming sugar and bottle?

Thanks guys.
 
Ok so i'm doing my 2nd batch of mr. beer, and it's been fermenting for a while now.

I got tied up with work and school, and it's been in the fermenter for 4 weeks now. I'm planning to bottle tonight, but i was just wondering if there's any chance that the length of time sitting will be a problem.

Is the yeast still active and ready to carb once i add priming sugar and bottle?

Thanks guys.

I leave ALL my beers in the fermenter for a month, it makes them nice and clear and clean tasting...and yest there's plenty of yeast left for priming...Just bottle them and forget them for a month (if you're using the plastic 22 ouncers) and all will be well...

:mug:
 
This thread is here to welcome and encourage. We all know it is like tinned spaghetti compared to Momma's Special Recipe but let's encourage people .

It's here to help the new members not for the experts to put people off before they start.

(That's why I've edited and deleted a couple of posts)
Please feel free to start a "We want to kill MR. Beer thread"

Hey, I started with Mr Beer too, back then I didn't know they had a forum for home brewing let a lone what AG brewing was. I was just happy I was making beer.
 
Howdy all, long time lurker first time poster here! I received a MB kit from my lady last Christmas and we brewed a suprisingly nice wheat beer.

I'm looking to step it up, however, and make my own IPA. With your help, this will most likely be the intermediate step between MB and a much nicer setup. From what I've read in this thread, the best results are achieved by a mixture of the MB ingredients and substituted ingredients. I was looking at http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/671/nm/Junk_Yard_Dog_IPA1. I assume I will need to substitute the yeast and use malt extract instead of the booster; also, would it be a good idea to put up some different hops from my local brewstore? I'm really wanting a DHF 60 minute type IPA but I'm not sure if that's possible with a MB kit. We shall see..

haha, I'm pretty much a noob but I have the feeling doing this IPA will really help me get into it, so any and all help is appreciated.
 
I'm new to home brewing too. But definitely lose the Booster for either liquid or dry malt extract. I believe that dry malt extract would need some boiling time.

Correct about the yeast also. Fresh liquid yeast is the best (haven't tried it yet) but excellent dry yeasts are available. Consider one of the Safale dry yeasts by Fermentis or a Danstar product--Nottinghams or Windsor. Cooper's Gold also has fine rep.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Oddly enough it is because of Mr. Beer that I got into the hobby, but not in a way that you might think.

My wife knew that I was interested in brewing as a hobby, so we purchased Mr. Beer for Christmas. We never actaully used it, in fact it's still sitting in the box in our basement, but the mere fact that we had the ability to brew really piqued both our interests, so my wife and I took a class in brewing that our local brew shop owner held. After that we looked at the Mr. Beer kit and thought NAW we'll order a starter kit online and try that.

The rest they say is history. 4 years later I could not imagine doing such a small amount of brewing. Oddly enough a few months ago I was cleaning my computer desk drawer, and found the Mr. Beer instructions. I kind of laughed and my wife asked what was so funny. I showed her and she started laughing as well.

So thanks Mr. Beer, for creating the Monster you see before you. :rockin:
 
Years ago I bought one of those 'Beer-in-a-Bag' outfits and it came out like crap. A couple other attempts with beer making thingys didn't fair much better.

Then early this spring I saw a Mr Beer kit on sale at the local BevMo and said, "why not?" Three weeks later I tryed one of the bottles I brewed and it was fantastic. And I learned a hard lesson- I should have started another batch right away because I ran out real quick.

Now, I've moved on to 5gal brewing and steeping but I still keep a backlog of the Mr. Beer Pale Ale (it seems it only tastes the best done in the Mr Beer fermenter).

I recently started kegging with a 2 1/2gal Korny and have (yes) kegged a few Mr Beer batches; force-carbed, great.
 
Years ago I bought one of those 'Beer-in-a-Bag' outfits and it came out like crap. A couple other attempts with beer making thingys didn't fair much better.

Then early this spring I saw a Mr Beer kit on sale at the local BevMo and said, "why not?" Three weeks later I tryed one of the bottles I brewed and it was fantastic. And I learned a hard lesson- I should have started another batch right away because I ran out real quick.

Now, I've moved on to 5gal brewing and steeping but I still keep a backlog of the Mr. Beer Pale Ale (it seems it only tastes the best done in the Mr Beer fermenter).

I recently started kegging with a 2 1/2gal Korny and have (yes) kegged a few Mr Beer batches; force-carbed, great.


Awesome!!!
 
I just got my Mr. Beer kit as part of our Wedding Gifts!!! What a gift! I am already so sucked into this its not funny! I have a Canadian Draft that will be ready to bottle Sun. and two more brews waiting to go! I have already set the wheels in motion to get my 5 Gal. kit for X-Mass... I will keep you guys up to date with the Draft!!! Wish me luck!
 
Assuming they ship quickly, if I was to order now, would I have beer ready for xmas?
33ebd5b07dc7e407752fe773eed20635.gif
:fro:
 
Assuming they ship quickly, if I was to order now, would I have beer ready for xmas?
33ebd5b07dc7e407752fe773eed20635.gif
:fro:

You'd be cutting it close.....but possibly....One thing that would help would be NOT to use the 22 ounce plastic bottles that come with the kit, and grab a case of glass 12 ouncers, a bottle capper and crown caps..

In a 12 ounce bottle it takes ABOUT 3 weeks at 70 degrees to carb up...the larger pet bottles that come with the kit could possibly take longer...

You need to figure 7-10 days in the fermenter and 3 weeks in the bottles at 70 degrees storage.
 
Im planning on 2 weeks bottled in my cloaset and 1 week in the fridge... Is that alright.. It was in the keg for 2 weeks before I bottled!
 
Im planning on 2 weeks bottled in my cloaset and 1 week in the fridge... Is that alright.. It was in the keg for 2 weeks before I bottled!

I usually is necessary to store you beers above 70 degrees for three weeks in order for them to carb and condition...then fridging them...if you chill them too soon, the yeasts go dormant, and don't cab and condition the beer..
 
Took a pull off the Canadian Draft that had been in the keg 14 days!!! It was awsome! Smelled like beer and tasted like a nice flat beer!! Preped and filled the Bottles. Did my clean and San...to the keg. Then brewed the next batch of Nut Brown Ale! I can't wait for the Draft to be ready... Im gonna wait 2 weeks in the closet and then 1 in the frig. It will be 2-2-1! I cant wait the last week
 
my first mr beer batch (lager mix) tasted like champagne, anybody know what may have caused this? the only thing i did differently from the instructions was let the bottles of beer sit out room temp for a few days instead of refrigerating. any recommendations on getting a more real beer taste?
 
my first mr beer batch (lager mix) tasted like champagne, anybody know what may have caused this? the only thing i did differently from the instructions was let the bottles of beer sit out room temp for a few days instead of refrigerating. any recommendations on getting a more real beer taste?


Yeah...read this thread..It's full of recommendations...that's sort of the point of it. :D
 
I just got my Mr. Beer kit in the mail today.I have an Octoberfest Vienna Lager kit. I also have 1lb of light wheat DME and 1lb of dark DME. which one would be better to use with this?
 
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