Fantasy Brewmasters

I got a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas and I plan on starting my first batch this weekend. I've been reading up on Mr. Beer online and have found that people seem to be totally against it or totally for it as a good way to start the home brewing hobby. I don't really have the time or the space for a full home brewing setup (apartment living and all that) so I'm pumped about trying out Mr. Beer.

I'm taking a chance and using one of their more complex recipes for my first batch, making an Irish Red Ale instead of starting with the Pale Ale they provide in the box. I'm doing this 1. because I figure the batch will be done around St. Patty's day time and so Irish Red is perfect, and 2. because I'm pretty confident in my ability to follow directions and processes so I don't think I'll screw it up too much. I'm sure my first batch won't come out amazing but I'm hoping it's at least drinkable!

Has anyone else ever used Mr. Beer kits? Do you have any thoughts, suggestions, tips to keep in mind?

Go for it man... can't go throwing away free beer

It should still be a fun little project, and it will give you a feel for extract brewing. The beer wont be anything to brag about, but it'll be drinkable. hehe

Just think a year or two from now you'll be all grain brewing, and the whole Mr. Beer thing will be your dirty little secret!

Cheers!

Well, I guess I'm one of those rare "middle-of-the-road" people when it comes to Mr. Beer kits.

First, lets get something out of the way. Is a Mr. Beer kit the most nuanced, complete introduction to homebrewing? No. Will you brew a jaw-dropping beer that bears a certain something that is uniquely yours? No.

Is a Mr. Beer kit easy to use? Yes. Is it an excellent, if somewhat oversimplified introduction to the hobby? Yes. Is the kit fun to use? Yes. Is it a compact, efficient system? Yes.

One of my friends used a Mr. Beer, and he (we) really enjoyed the results. It wasn't exactly the best beer we've ever tasted, but the flaws are easily overlooked given that it was homebrew.

So, if you're looking for ease of use, then Mr. Beer kits are fine. If you have fun using it and drinking the beer from it, then more power to you!

Only a few things to keep in mind.

1. Sanitize, sanitize and sanitize. Proper sanitization is paramount, and isn't really that hard. Soaking in a weak bleach solution and then thoroughly rinsing should be fine.


2. If you ever graduate from a Mr. Beer kit, watch out for light. The Mr. Beer kit fermenters are opaque, but most others are not. So bear in mind that if you ever use a larger, clear fermenter you will have to keep it out of direct sunlight or flourescent light or it will end up stinking of a skunk. Some people forget about that.


3. You'll be using a pre-hopped extract. This really limits the amount of customization available to beginning homebrewers. Remember that if you ever "move up," you'll have much more control over the final taste of your beer.


4. Pick up The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, How to Brew or the Homebrewer's Association's Introduction to Home Brewing brochure (which is free!). They are all excellent resources. I started with The Complete Joy, and I still hold it as the finest introductory book. If you ever get really into it, pick up Brew Chem 101.

So don't worry. It should come out fine. Really, beer kinda brews itself, so long as you PROPERLY SANITIZE!

Let us know how it turns out!

I just finished my first batch of Mr. Beer beer. I went with the pale ale included with the kit. I had some of it last night, and I've got mixed feelings. It was drinkable, and it was alcoholic. The flavor wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Though I feel that's probably partially my fault. I used half gallon bottles for carbonation, and they didn't provide the sugar quantity for my bottle size. I think I messed up in my conversions. In the end, the beer came out a little too sweet and flat, but perfectly drinkable. I plan to continue using the Mr. beer kit until I've got the space for a full brewing setup. It was fun, and easy to do. Just don't expect any amazing beers from it.

Welcome to the site Zombeer, and congrats on starting your journey into homebrewing.

Off hand, it sounds like your beer wasn't ready to drink yet. Sweet and uncarbonated would mean that not all the sugar was converted by the yeast (yeast eats sugar and craps CO2). If you have any left, you might try giving it a couple more weeks and trying it again.

Either way, welcome to the joys of homebrewing

What could have caused that? Fermenting too cool? Pitched too hot?