Suggestions for 3rd Brew?

[blong4133]

Just bottled my first homebrew (Irish Stout - using Mr. Beer). I gave it a taste before bottling it and aside from being flat (obviously) it tasted pretty darn good.

I have another Mr. Beer kit for a Pale Ale which I'm going to start this Saturday.

But they are extremely simple and I'd like to take the next step in complexity for the third brew. I'm going to go ahead and purchase a hydrometer (just followed the directions that came with the kit to determine when it was time to bottle/condition), and a carboy so that I can do a secondary fermentation.

Does anyone have any suggestions for beers that are more complex than those Mr. Beer kits, but not too complicated that it would be easy for a beginner to screw up? I'd like to make something like a blonde or IPA (something with a higher AVB).

Also, I'm a law school student and don't have much money to splurge on stuff like this, but if I don't get a 5 gallon fermenter and keep use the Mr. Beer, would brewing two 1 gallon kits pose any problems? (I can't find any other kits for 2 gallons other than the Mr. Beer stuff).

I've only had a little sip of my first homebrew and I'm already obsessed.

 

[Euphist]

If cost is a major concern, I wouldn't even bother with a secondary. I only use a secondary if I'm dry-hopping and want to wash the yeast or if it is going to be a long fermentation.

A hydrometer is definitely helpful. If you're going to stick with 1 or 2 gallon batches, you might want to consider a reflectometer instead...only uses a drop to test rather than several ounces.

As far as your next brew, any extract recipe will work, you just need to scale it down to your batch size. I thought this one sounded good.

There is no reason you can't use two one gallon kits to make a 2 gallon batch. In fact, if the kits include the yeast, I would hang on to the second yeast packet for a future brew.

 

[RM-MN]

I know you said you are a law student but if you can do simple math you can take any 5 gallon recipe and break it in half and do a 2 1/2 gallon batch in the little brown keg (Mr. Beer fermenter). That lets you into a different world where there are thousands of recipes to choose from or you can buy a 5 gallon kit and split that.

 

[Yooper]

I'd suggest a good 5 gallon kit from northernbrewer.com or austinhomebrew.com, and just split it in half (but using all of the yeast).

I really like the kits at austinhomebrew.com- they have hundreds and hundreds, with good directions and ingredients. Any "extract kit" will have grains and fresh extract, and make very good beer. I've done many of them myself.