Should I Brew It? (Mr. Beer)

[tennesseean_87]

A friend got a Mr. Beer kit and never used it, so he gave it to me, ingredients and all. He had it for a few years before this. Now I've had it for a few years. Best by June 2010. Will it hurt to do something with it? I might use less water to concentrate the flavor some, and do a little hopping with some old hops I should use anyway. Maybe I'll steep some crystal and/or roasted barley.

Is this just a waste of time?

 

[jtratcliff]

it's just pre-hopped LME. So, it's stale and the hops have faded. It'll be beer.

You'll definitely want to add some hops... at least aroma, maybe some flavor, too. Might not need bittering. I don't know how that holds up over time. Steeped grains can't hurt.

but ultimately you'll be making a beer with old extract.

 

[MrAverageGuy]

Friend - the yeast may not work so well, etc. Maybe keep the cool plastic bottles? But, ditch the rest....

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Yeah make it taste it... If it needs some additions to taste better why not? If you don't like the results give the finished beer back to your friend!

 

[Snicklefritz]

Mr. Beer doesn't make good beer when its fresh. Unless you like wasting time, I'd pass.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

I would 100 percent brew it up! Waste not, want not. But then again I brew hooch from frozen juice concentrate regularly...

 

[brewshki]

keep the LBK

 

[applescrap]

I would 100 percent brew it up! Waste not, want not. But then again I brew hooch from frozen juice concentrate regularly...

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[applescrap]

I have the dubious honor of having brewed plenty of expired mr beer as i used to buy it in bulk after Christmas. ...anyhow some of it got really bad and i mean bad as it got older, color to....some not so much some would not carbonate forever others i think yeast stale biggest issue......all that said i would brew it ... drink i would decide later

 

[tennesseean_87]

Other pertinent info: Pipeline is empty right now. I need to get my ferm chamber built, then I'm brewing a hoppy brown and a stout. This might make a good test batch for the chamber, even if it sucks. A vider might serve the same purpose, though.

I would use other yeast. I don't have the original.

 

[slym2none]

Mr. Beer doesn't make good beer when its fresh. Unless you like wasting a time, I'd pass.

Curious, have you ever even used a MrB product?

 

[slym2none]

5YO pre-hopped LME isn't bound to be very good, but as long as the can wasn't pierced or even swollen, it should be OK to use, as far as not harming you. It just might not taste all that good.

Since being bought out by Cooper's, Mr. Beer makes some decent brews, but not all are going to be winners. But HMEs from 2010 are the old style cans, and probably won't be all that great. I wouldn't use it, personally.

 

[slym2none]

Friend - the yeast may not work so well, etc. Maybe keep the cool plastic bottles? But, ditch the rest....

Yeah, you can't use that fermenter at all to brew beer...

*rolls eyes*

 

[Snicklefritz]

Curious, have you ever even used a MrB product?

Didn't we all get our start with Mr. Beer?

 

[RM-MN]

Other pertinent info: Pipeline is empty right now. I need to get my ferm chamber built, then I'm brewing a hoppy brown and a stout. This might make a good test batch for the chamber, even if it sucks. A vider might serve the same purpose, though.

I would use other yeast. I don't have the original.

I'd be the one to say "go for it, what have you to lose". It might not make the best beer but with an empty pipeline it's sure to taste better than nothing. Use your 'best practices" way of making beer and then report back on what it turned out like. It will either vindicate those who claim that it will be terrible or educate some if it turns out to be good.:rockin:

 

[Clonefan94]

You should ask this guy. One of my favorite videos I've ever seen linked on here.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g09b17V4NWQ[/ame]

 

[skitter]

Honestly, modify it a bit and go with it. I use the Mr. Beer kegs for all my fermentations, and have used and modified their kits as well (see my sig) with great success, and on the cheap. As far as the fermentation chamber, has it been built yet or are you considering a build? I need to write up a post on how I built mine out with dimensions and such but it keeps 2 Mr Beer kegs at the same temp.

 

[hunter_le five]

Brew it. Report back with the results. It's a fun experiment, if nothing else.

 

[BreezyBrew]

I'd brew it, add enough hops to cover any of the bad flavor. Also use a new packet of yeast.

 

[slym2none]

Didn't we all get our start with Mr. Beer?

Great non-answer.

 

[applescrap]

I'd brew it, add enough hops to cover any of the bad flavor. Also use a new packet of yeast.

This.....

Sorry to ruin this exciting debate with actual facts but as previously stated I have the dubious honor of having brewed a lot of expired Mr Beer. Anywho I am not guessing... this is great advice definitely new yeast and add hops and it will be better but make no mistake this will not be rockin and you will not be vindicated and you will not prove everybody wrong. But as stated before I would definitely brew it

I think I had one that took like 2 months to ferment probably the yeast was old and stale but I don't think there's any mistaking that the awful color of it was due to the staleness.... it smells funky out of the can and I bet dollars to donuts yours will too

 

[jrcrilly]

Somebody gave me a really old Mr. Beer can (about the same era as yours) and I decided to see what would happen. It didn't smell good when I opened the can. The syrup was really dark (as any old LME would be). I used some US05 I had on hand. It fermented OK, but the result smelled and tasted like the syrup had. It was a dumper.

That said, I'm sure that decent beer can be made with such a kit if reasonably fresh and made properly. Especially these days, when it is essentially a Cooper's kit. The Canadians and Australians manage to drink quite a bit of that so it can'r be awful.

 

[applescrap]

Somebody gave me a really old Mr. Beer can (about the same era as yours) and I decided to see what would happen. It didn't smell good when I opened the can. The syrup was really dark (as any old LME would be). I used some US05 I had on hand. It fermented OK, but the result smelled and tasted like the syrup had. It was a dumper.

That said, I'm sure that decent beer can be made with such a kit if reasonably fresh and made properly. Especially these days, when it is essentially a Cooper's kit. The Canadians and Australians manage to drink quite a bit of that so it can'r be awful.

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View attachment 1446851619566.jpg

 

[tennesseean_87]

With all this, I think I'm going to pass. I not interested in making any dumpers. I don't care enough about science to waste the time and few specialty grains and hops on something like that. If it would make something half-drinkable I'd do it, but the experienced seem to say it won't.

Next question: Will this even work for making a starter?

 

[BigJack]

I love my little brown kegs, but a 5 five old Mr Beer can?


Mmmmm...... nah

 

[applescrap]

With all this, I think I'm going to pass. I not interested in making any dumpers. I don't care enough about science to waste the time and few specialty grains and hops on something like that. If it would make something half-drinkable I'd do it, but the experienced seem to say it won't.

Next question: Will this even work for making a starter?

I dont know why im laughing so much guess its cuz I drank so much of it it's funky smelling...at least 12 gallons ya know come to think of it. But I'd still boil it up no extra nada free at least to try

 

[tennesseean_87]

Honestly, modify it a bit and go with it. I use the Mr. Beer kegs for all my fermentations, and have used and modified their kits as well (see my sig) with great success, and on the cheap. As far as the fermentation chamber, has it been built yet or are you considering a build? I need to write up a post on how I built mine out with dimensions and such but it keeps 2 Mr Beer kegs at the same temp.

I'm doing a dual chamber loosely based on this one. I have no keezer, and it won't have a pretty top, but I got a small upright freezer on CL for $20. There will be room for one bucket (or possibly even a 5 gal and 3.5 gallon stacked--definitely two 3.5 gallon buckets stacked) in each chamber of mine. Freezer comes on when chamber 1 is too warm. Fans pump cool air from chamber 1 to chamber 2 when it is too warm. I'm thinking a heater in chamber two will also work to heat chamber 1 if need be, or I can put a separate heater in if needed. I have 2 STC-1000s, the necessary fans, the foam, some poly-board to water-proof the inside, caulk and adhesive, and just need one more wall wort for the fans. I might grab another extension cord, too.

I'm debating housing all the control stuff in one box. On the other hand, I could keep one separate (already built from pre-move chamber), make the divider between chambers removeable and use it as a single chamber if I wanted to use one STC with a crock pot for yogurt or a sour mash or something.

 

[skitter]

Gotcha, definitely too many gallons for the one I have. I cant wait to show ya'll a build for 5g kegs using the same concept when I have the equipment and space to do 5g batches. Sounds like you got it all planned out man. Sounds good

 

[RM-MN]

With all this, I think I'm going to pass. I not interested in making any dumpers. I don't care enough about science to waste the time and few specialty grains and hops on something like that. If it would make something half-drinkable I'd do it, but the experienced seem to say it won't.

Next question: Will this even work for making a starter?

Quitter!

 

[skitter]

Brew anything... Everything... If just to say you have done it... Hell I did 2g of Cider + 2 Cans Frozen Concentrate +2c Brown sugar cause I could... Took a drink after 2 weeks ferment + 1 week bottle and it tasted like rocket fuel...