Quickest brew.

[TheBeerKid]

A buddy and I are just dipping into brewing. We have started a very dark stout and won't be ready for a couple months. Are there any recipes that only take 2 or so weeks from start to finish? We want our own beer sooner

 

[ahaley]

A buddy and I are just dipping into brewing. We have started a very dark stout and won't be ready for a couple months. Are there any recipes that only take 2 or so weeks from start to finish? We want our own beer sooner

Oh ya lol, I started in mr. Beer and that takes 1 week ferment, 1 week carb. And it makes 2 gallons, but it's not the best...

 

[TheBeerKid]

What is Mr. Beer?

 

[henrybeggs]

What is Mr. Beer?

Search it on google homie, it's a kit. A lot of Hefeweisens take relatively little time to make. There's also a recipe on the site for a panic button extract Hefeweisen that is apparently pretty good and really quick.

 

[TheBeerKid]

Ah I see. Were trying to stay away from extracts. But I guess it'd be worth a shot. Thanks

 

[ahaley]

Ah I see. Were trying to stay away from extracts. But I guess it'd be worth a shot. Thanks

It's a kit for people with no brew skill.. You boil water. Dissolve this. Dissolve that. Pour into fermenter. Add water to 2 gal line. Add yeast. Wait 7 days.
Literally 2 things to dissolve. LME and a "booster"

 

[henrybeggs]

It's a kit for people with no brew skill.. You boil water. Dissolve this. Dissolve that. Pour into fermenter. Add water to 2 gal line. Add yeast. Wait 7 days.
Literally 2 things to dissolve. LME and a "booster"

Nothing wrong with Mr. Beer! It is a great way for people to become familiar with the brew process. Also it's cost permissive for most, so you aren't feeding too much money into brewing before you 're even sure you like it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, that being said I'm totally jealous that you can avoid extracts, I haven't got the equipment for it. From what I've seen though and made there is nothing wrong with an extract brew, especially if you are brewing something just to get a taste of home brew quickly and cheaply. Adding specialty grains also helps to maybe compensate for a lack of complexity. Basically, IMO there is nothing wrong Mr. Beer nor extract brewing.
Let me know if you disagree, I love a good debate
Thanks

 

[Yooper]

Basically, IMO there is nothing wrong Mr. Beer nor extract brewing.
Let me know if you disagree, I love a good debate
Thanks

Except that the Mr. Beer beers don't taste very good, that is.

Anyway, back to the topic- usually some super quick beers are British mild and German hefeweizen. With both, I've gone from grain to glass in 10 days. If you're kegging, either one of those would work very well.

I used Jamil Zainasheff's mild recipe (from Brewing Classic Styles) for a fantastic mild that was something that I'd highly recommend. A simple hefeweizen is 50% pale malt/50% wheat malt, mashed at 152, for an OG of 1.050-1.055. Hop with 13-15 IBUs at 60 minutes, and ferment with hefeweizen yeast. That's it!

 

[ahaley]

Nothing wrong with Mr. Beer! It is a great way for people to become familiar with the brew process. Also it's cost permissive for most, so you aren't feeding too much money into brewing before you 're even sure you like it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, that being said I'm totally jealous that you can avoid extracts, I haven't got the equipment for it. From what I've seen though and made there is nothing wrong with an extract brew, especially if you are brewing something just to get a taste of home brew quickly and cheaply. Adding specialty grains also helps to maybe compensate for a lack of complexity. Basically, IMO there is nothing wrong Mr. Beer nor extract brewing.
Let me know if you disagree, I love a good debate
Thanks

Debate begin.
I liked mr. Beer. 20$ for 2gallons was a great way for me to toy with the thought of brewing which has lead me here. It was fun, but for me at least it lacked something... Like the feel that I really MADE this beer. It seemed more like someone packaged it for me and I got it warn and said I made it lol.
Pros- cheap, easy, fun to do when I was bored.
Cons- cheap,(materials and LME now seems old or not right if that makes sense...), way to easy, and it left me yearning for something more.

 

[Yooper]

Debate begin.
I liked mr. Beer. 20$ for 2gallons was a great way for me to toy with the thought of brewing which has lead me here. It was fun, but for me at least it lacked something... Like the feel that I really MADE this beer. It seemed more like someone packaged it for me and I got it warn and said I made it lol.
Pros- cheap, easy, fun to do when I was bored.
Cons- cheap,(materials and LME now seems old or not right if that makes sense...), way to easy, and it left me yearning for something more.

I don't want to take this off-topic, but AG brewing is much much cheaper than Mr. Beer.

I can make 10 gallons of beer (five TIMES as much beer) for $20. Actually, 10.5 gallons of my cream ale cost me $17.97 in May when I made it. Making two gallons for $20 isn't cost effective.

I will agree, however, that it's a great way for new brewers to tip their toes into homebrewing. Kinda like the bunny slope at the ski hill- you gotta start somewhere. My friend has done Mr. Beer for at least 10 years, and she has no desire to make anything else as she's happy with her Mr. Beer set up, for the most part. She dumps out a lot of beer, but she drinks quite a bit of it too. It works for her, and probably many others.

But no way is it anywhere near a commercial craft beer in quality, and that's the thing. If it cost $20 or so for 2 gallons of Mr. Beer, but $20 for two great quality six packs, I'd go with the one gallon of great commercial beer everytime.

 

[henrybeggs]

I don't want to take this off-topic, but AG brewing is much much cheaper than Mr. Beer.

I can make 10 gallons of beer (five TIMES as much beer) for $20. Actually, 10.5 gallons of my cream ale cost me $17.97 in May when I made it. Making two gallons for $20 isn't cost effective.

I will agree, however, that it's a great way for new brewers to tip their toes into homebrewing. Kinda like the bunny slope at the ski hill- you gotta start somewhere. My friend has done Mr. Beer for at least 10 years, and she has no desire to make anything else as she's happy with her Mr. Beer set up, for the most part. She dumps out a lot of beer, but she drinks quite a bit of it too. It works for her, and probably many others.

But no way is it anywhere near a commercial craft beer in quality, and that's the thing. If it cost $20 or so for 2 gallons of Mr. Beer, but $20 for two great quality six packs, I'd go with the one gallon of great commercial beer everytime.

I think this should be taken to its own thread, no reason to blow up TheBeerKid 's inbox. Not to step on any moderator's toes.

Anywho, go with a Hefeweisen, it's a crowd pleaser and it's easy and quick and cheap. Go for the gold.

 

[ahaley]

I don't want to take this off-topic, but AG brewing is much much cheaper than Mr. Beer.

I can make 10 gallons of beer (five TIMES as much beer) for $20. Actually, 10.5 gallons of my cream ale cost me $17.97 in May when I made it. Making two gallons for $20 isn't cost effective.

I will agree, however, that it's a great way for new brewers to tip their toes into homebrewing. Kinda like the bunny slope at the ski hill- you gotta start somewhere. My friend has done Mr. Beer for at least 10 years, and she has no desire to make anything else as she's happy with her Mr. Beer set up, for the most part. She dumps out a lot of beer, but she drinks quite a bit of it too. It works for her, and probably many others.

But no way is it anywhere near a commercial craft beer in quality, and that's the thing. If it cost $20 or so for 2 gallons of Mr. Beer, but $20 for two great quality six packs, I'd go with the one gallon of great commercial beer everytime.

Very well, I pay around 40$ for 5 gal and I can't step up to AG yet, no room :/ but it looks like your points are more valid. Well played...

*edit* It just dawned on me that I didn't specify something. The whole kit was 20$ and I got around 6 different 2 gallon flavors maybe it was 8.. But either way! It was dirt cheap.

 

[Yooper]

If you like hefeweizens, that's the fastest beer I can think of, especially if you're kegging. A mild is just as fast, but if you just made a stout you may want something lighter colored and totally different.

A standard hefeweizen:

5 pounds pilsner malt (Weyermann's is great)
5 pounds wheat malt
Mash at 152.
1 oz hallertauer at 60 minutes (or to get your IBUs to 13-15)
Use two packages of hefeweizen yeast (or make a starter).

If you don't care for hefeweizens, you could do an American wheat, a lower gravity beer like a cream ale, or a blonde, or any other beer with an OG lower than about 1.045 or so. An English bitter would be another great choice.

To get a beer to finish really quickly and taste great, it's important to pay attention to yeast health. That means pitching enough yeast at the beginning (consult mrmalty.com for the proper amount), and keeping the fermentation at a good temperature (usually about 65 degrees).

 

[TheBeerKid]

Yeah thanks for the ideas with kits. I'm just trying to keep it old school and traditional. All grain ftw.

I need a reliable mead recipe. I want something from the dragon age. Lol