some noob questions on picking first beer

jason1973 · Oct 14, 2012

been reading this site, and other websites and watching youtube, before picking my first beer, or even getting my equipment, now ready ask some questions,
sorry if any have been asked before or if are even in faq, just want make sure i understand correctly.

1. not asking if good, but asking would some one actually learn extract brewing with a mr beer, is it the same process as 5gallon brewing just in a kit for dummies?

2. the equipment with mr beer, is it usable outside mr beer?

3. what best kind beer for a first batch? i drink lagers and stouts, but willing make ales.

4. dont real want make a 1 gallon, but not sure if a 5 gallon carboy would fit in condo pantry, would it be difficult to boil up wart as a 5 gallon, then divide in 5 1 gallon fermeters?

5. could both first and second be glass carboys? instead of plastic barrel?

6. best extract kit for beginner with most amount equipment included? i think id prefer dry ingredients over syrups, except maybe the yeast.

next questions, looking for peoples personal preferences.

1. glass or pet bottles? already starting save grolsch bottles.
2. bottle or 5l mini keg?
3. serve with pizza, wings, or pretzel ?
:mug:

OHIOSTEVE · Oct 14, 2012

1=yes
2=no idea
3=something basic without all kinds of additions or fruit. an american ale maybe
4=not hard to do at all. yeast would be the biggest issue as far as getting it divided out properly
5=yes
6=no idea never used a kit

1=whichever you have
2=bottle, your friends are gonna beg for free beer lol
3= WINGS!!!

Kate00 · Oct 14, 2012

jason1973 said:
been reading this site, and other websites and watching youtube, before picking my first beer, or even getting my equipment, now ready ask some questions,
sorry if any have been asked before or if are even in faq, just want make sure i understand correctly.

1. not asking if good, but asking would some one actually learn extract brewing with a mr beer, is it the same process as 5gallon brewing just in a kit for dummies?

2. the equipment with mr beer, is it usable outside mr beer?

3. what best kind beer for a first batch? i drink lagers and stouts, but willing make ales.

4. dont real want make a 1 gallon, but not sure if a 5 gallon carboy would fit in condo pantry, would it be difficult to boil up wart as a 5 gallon, then divide in 5 1 gallon fermeters?

5. could both first and second be glass carboys? instead of plastic barrel?

6. best extract kit for beginner with most amount equipment included? i think id prefer dry ingredients over syrups, except maybe the yeast.

next questions, looking for peoples personal preferences.

1. glass or pet bottles? already starting save grolsch bottles.
2. bottle or 5l mini keg?
3. serve with pizza, wings, or pretzel ?

The Mr. Beer kit will get you the basic experience of extract brewing, minus steeping your own grains and adding your own hops. The extract is already hopped, so you're basically adding water to what is in the can and boiling it. It will get you the experience for sanitizing, cooling, pitching yeast and all though, so it is a decent start.

Mr Beer gear is usable outside of mr beer stuff. you can use the fermenter barrel for smaller batches. I used mine to dry hop part of a batch that I split up a couple of months ago, for example.

I would suggest an ale for your first batch, because lagers require refrigeration equipment and a lot more yeast for proper pitch rates. Maybe an amber or a brown. Stouts are ales too, so you could do one of those also.

you can ferment in anything that you can get sanitized well. Pretty much anything food grade or glass.

I've never done a kit either, but Northern Brewer and Brewer's Best seem to have some good kits. They'll come with grains, extracts, hops, and yeast for a full batch.

My personal preference is the PET Better Bottles for carboys. They're way lighter, and there is no worry of them cracking, shattering, etc. I have a friend that had a glass carboy full of beer shatter when he set it on the floor. He said there were no cracks, he didn't drop it, or anything. Just set it down just right for it to shatter. Don't have to worry about that with Better Bottles.

Bavarian Pretzels.

brewskisteve · Oct 14, 2012

Well, dont know about Mr Beer other than it sitting in my closet. someone gave me one and I wound up going right into a full addition brew. Most start with a Mr Beer kit and move up relatively quick, no problem with that. I also do not see why you can't do half batches with the Mr Beer equipment either after moving up to full addition brewing. Again I could be wrong, never used mine.

My first kit for me was an Austin Homebrew Anniversary Brown Ale kit. Great to start with, most recommend a pale ale or very simple recipe. The brown ale was easy, just a beginning addition of extract and hops then a late addition of both too. Just study the recipe you are going to brew a much as possible and stick with it. My first foray into brewing I had the kit for almost 2 months and studied the recipe for about 4 weeks before going and brewing it, read the Papazian and Palmer books for bout a year before that.

As for a fermenter, the easiest and cheapest is just a plain 5 or 6 gallon bucket. If you have room in a closet or under a table (mine is there), then you should have no problem.

PIZZA AND WINGS!!!! The hotter the wings, the better. Good luck on your adventure in home brew. :mug:

unionrdr · Oct 14, 2012

I'd say go with the 5 gallon basic brewing kit fro midwest for $64. then brew a pale ale or brown ale for st6arters. Pretty simple. Those mt beer kits give far less beer for the same amount of time & work. And believe me,you will be hooked when you crack that first bottle of the beer YOU crafted with your own to hands. It's def one of life's epiphanies.