Mr. Beer Vienna Lager Kit for $4.78

[HossTheGreat]

Just thought I'd share that target.com has a Mr. Beer Vienna Lager kit on clearance for $4.78 w/free shipping if you use your Target card ($3.99 otherwise). It's usually $15.99, so not a bad deal. I've never brewed anything from Mr. Beer before, but for $5 I picked one up just for the heck of it.

Mr. Beer Octoberfest Vienna Lager Refill Pack : Target

 

[HopSong]

Before I enter an order.. how expensive was shipping? UPS or USPS? Some companies allow free shipping if you pick it up at the store.. don't know how Target works.

 

[ronclark]

Nice price. I've never done Mr. Beer kits before. They are 2 gallon kits if I am correct. 10 bucks for a 4-gallon brew isn't a bad price with fermentables and all included. I might have to nab a couple.

 

[HossTheGreat]

Before I enter an order.. how expensive was shipping? UPS or USPS? Some companies allow free shipping if you pick it up at the store.. don't know how Target works.

I have a target card that I paid with, so it was free shipping. Otherwise it would have been $3.99. The site says available online only, so I doubt you could pick it up in store.

 

[ronclark]

I grabbed 4. I figure it is good for two batches close to the size of what I have been making. It's easy enough, cheap enough, and enough people come to my house that will help drink it. If I don't like the first batch much, I have plenty of ingredients around the house that can make the second batch better. Cheers.

 

[HossTheGreat]

I grabbed 4. I figure it is good for two batches close to the size of what I have been making. It's easy enough, cheap enough, and enough people come to my house that will help drink it. If I don't like the first batch much, I have plenty of ingredients around the house that can make the second batch better. Cheers.

From what I've read most people say to go ahead and discard the booster and sub in some DME instead.

 

[ronclark]

From what I've read most people say to go ahead and discard the booster and sub in some DME instead.

That's fine as well. I have a 50 pound bag of light DME on the way from a group buy. I'm guessing I can spare a bit. Thanks for the heads up though. Any advice to make my been more drinkable is always appreciated.

 

[HossTheGreat]

Looks like it's sold out now.

 

[Ogri]

The Oktoberfest, Vienna lager is a pretty damn good beer, IMHO.

Have recently tried a couple of bottles from a batch that was brewed on 10th October, bottled first week of November. tastes really good. 9 liter batch With the ingredients listed below.

2 cans HME (2 X 550 gr), 1 pack booster ( 355 gr) , 2tblspns Manuka/clover honey. 1 sachet Safale S-04 @ 11.5 gr.
Primary fermenter for 24 Days, bottle priming 2.5 tspns per 1000 ml.

My wife, who doesn't drink, AT ALL, and usually thinks all beer tastes crap, even acknowledges its merits.

 

[HossTheGreat]

The Oktoberfest, Vienna lager is a pretty damn good beer, IMHO.

Have recently tried a couple of bottles from a batch that was brewed on 10th October, bottled first week of November. tastes really good. 9 liter batch With the ingredients listed below.

2 cans HME (2 X 550 gr), 1 pack booster ( 355 gr) , 2tblspns Manuka/clover honey. 1 sachet Safale S-04 @ 11.5 gr.
Primary fermenter for 24 Days, bottle priming 2.5 tspns per 1000 ml.

My wife, who doesn't drink, AT ALL, and usually thinks all beer tastes crap, even acknowledges its merits.

Do you know if the yeast that comes with it is truly lager yeast, or if it's actually ale yeast? What temp do the instructions say to ferment at?

 

[Ogri]

The yeast that's included with the Mr. Beer kit is an ale yeast. I've had good results with the beers I've done with only Mr. beer yeast but I always used at least two, sometimes three, packets of the stuff. The best before date is written on the bottom of the cans so if it's past, or close to, that then just use another yeast of your preference.

IIRC the Mr. Beer yeast temp range is 68 to 74F

 

[HossTheGreat]

Looks like it's back in stock online. Same price.

Mr. Beer Octoberfest Vienna Lager Refill Pack : Target

 

[Sheldon]

I have brewed with Mr Beer at the start and I do have to say you can make some really good beer with the kits.

 

[ronclark]

I'm finally using some of these up today. I have a Belgian Dubbel fermenting and enough free bottles to start something else while that beast ferments.

I am using 2 cans with one booster (12.5 ounces of Corn Syrup Solids) and 1 lb. of DME in place of the second booster. I am also steeping .25 lbs. of Melanoidin Malt and .25 lbs. Caramel Malt 60L for 30 minutes. Let's see how this turns out in a month or so after the fermentation and bottle conditioning are complete.

Thoughts? Hopefully so approving ones on this since the grains are already steeping.