Nutz. Mr Beer also makes a root beer kit, but that’s not included in the choices here. (sorry to complicate the hell out of something simple). A root beer kit is on my to buy list for 2017. nutz nutz nutz. I wish that was a choice. I’ve been in and out of Betty Ford more times than Gerald, so sorry I can’t be buying this.
@wew Don’t buy the Mr. Rootbeer Kit. It’s so tempting but it’s terrible. I made it, and couldn’t make myself drink any of it. One taste and I threw the whole batch out. It taste like the worst artificial root beer flavor ever, plus crap. Also, it contains alcohol, albeit a negligible amount, just so you know.
I’m a pretty avid home brewer, so I have opinions on these kits. Let me share!
Over the years I’ve had a number of friends receive these kits as gifts. Sometimes it was because they expressed an interest in brewing, sometimes they were already brewers and it was a misguided (but well intentioned) present.
On the best of days, the results were aggressively mediocre- at best. But generally speaking, even saying it was “meh” would be an abundance of kindness.
So one persons unsolicited thought- Pass on this. If you are interested in trying your hand at it, go to a LHBS (Local HomeBrew Shop) and talk to them. They will likely be able to set you up with one of their kits for not much more, and the results will be dramatically better.
If you’re considering this as a gift for someone else, I say go for it. Provided of course that you want to discourage them from ever actually trying to brew their own beer again.
If you’re considering this as a gift for someone else, I say go for it. Provided of course that you want to discourage them from ever actually trying to brew their own beer again.
@hanzov69 Total bullshit your trying to steer people to a site you like some people don/t need to have “Pefect beer” Ive now brewed about a dozen batches of Mr beer( I have 4 kegs going at all times 8 gallons ) it may not be perfect but its tasty , buzzy, and cheap enough … Just my opinion, i dont need nerd beer … Good luck on using Meh to boost someone elses business
@hanzov69 I think the single biggest mistake first time brewers make with this kit is they pay no attention to their fermentation temps. Fermenting warm will create all sorts of off-flavors that can be completely off-putting (off-flavors and off-putting in the same sentence… that’s a first) and discouraging to new brewers. Keeping your beer fermenting in the low 60’s will create a dramatically different beer than one fermented in the mid 70’s.
@capnjb Yeah, that’s an excellent point.
The lack of a thermometer makes it difficult to actually get your pitch temp correct, and a cursory glance at some directions I found online (which I assume are kit specific) advises fermenting at 68-76. Which may be right for that specific yeast/kit, but seems like it’s guaranteeing some nasty esters.
@hanzov69 Never hate, just pointing out whats obvious ,for 25 bucks this is an awesome deal , keg, bottles etc all the things you need for a good beer starter kit, you were bragging about your knowledge of brewing and at the same time telling the meh. heads to steer away from this kit , so , good for you your a brew master, hope to be there one day soon … enjoy the rest of your day i don’t know you so i can not hate you not even a little …
@mellowirishgent I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls, but what the hey, it’s Friday.
I never bragged about my knowledge of brewing. I stated that I am an avid brewer. You can be an avid race car driver and never win a single race. That was more to point out that as someone who is really interested in home brewing (without quantifying expertise or quality of work), my interest led me to have some opinions.
I really like helping friends get into the hobby of brewing. My opinion of this particular product is that the results aren’t great, which may discourage people from trying it again. Which is why I suggested passing on this product and instead going to a local place that can set you up with a better quality kit and provide some very specific guidance on how to brew a successful first batch. Even more important, establishing that relationship with a more experienced brewer gives you someone to call if you run in to issues, which I believe will contribute to a more enjoyable experience.
That’s all just my opinion.
You clearly have had really great luck with this product, so it’s good that you’re providing a contrary opinion based on your own first hand experience.
So, yeah… rather than just share your opinions, proudly demonstrate your decided lack of comprehension and accuse me of “bragging” or shilling for some other company.
I mean, sure this is a super friendly community based on cheap products with opinions for/against… But don’t let that stop you! You too can issue vitriolic missives in to the aether! Never stop stopping!
@hanzov69 I’d have to brew something to bottle. Most of my beers get kegged. Although I’ve got a 15 month old dry cider, 3+ year old mead (I don’t like mead but made 5 gallons because I had a colleague with an apiary), and an 8 month old Lodi cab in bottles that’s starting to hit it’s stride. Or I could just open a tap and fill up a bag of beer
This is beer corner. I spend a lot of time in beer corner.
@capnjb It’s funny, I haven’t bottled in a couple of years. I attribute it to being lazy though… way faster to force carb
I used to work with a guy who made mead in our server rooms, which always made me laugh. It was brilliant though, extremely well maintained set point temp.
I like beer corner… I’m in the process of building a bar in my home, definitely using perlicks when I get that far.
How are you handling keeping your lines cool? I’m thinking I’m going to do a through wall setup to a keezer with a blower.
I’ve been brewing “kit beer” off and on for longer than the average Meh customer has been alive (really - since 1975 or so). For the $30 this will cost you, you can get a very good start on brewing some deeply tasty beer from prefab materials and malt extract.
So…buy the kit, convince yourself you really can make beer, then push on. There are much better products out there - and you make it 5 gallons at a time rather than the 10 - 12 bottles in these kits.
@cobracat03 interesting thought… the numbers are less inflated than the letters. Nobody expects a beer to hit even “90%” on some review site, even if tons of people like it, but “D” has a pretty negative connotation.
Meh always starts with the crap then works up to the best. Small security cams eventually lead to 10 camera systems; Tiny speaker docks turn into monster docks, and baby toy drones turn into the real deal.
I’m very much looking forward to the real deal brew kit.
May I suggest you buy this kit? I now have four and am on my 10th batch i lost track the refill kits are about 11-15 bucks and up on Amazon, The beer is outstanding , you sterilize everything with the no rinse sanitizer provided Boil some water let it cool slightly Add the can of prepared Malt add yeast wait 2- 3 weeks then bottle with 2 teaspoons of sugar provided , now wait untill the bottle gets rock hard and refrigerate then, and you have 10-11 25 oz bottles of awesome beer …its that easy i have 4 batches going at all times,if you want to craft your own beer this is the cheapest deaL on the planet BUY,
Bought the Irish stout kit last time it was sold on meh for Yankee Swap. I won the item back because I never intended on not using it for myself. Started the brewing process 5 weeks ago; bottled 2 weeks ago. The pre-bottled, pre-carbonated Irish stout brew was pretty darn good. Excited to see how it comes out after carbonation next weekend.
I was into this for a while. I made MANY very good cases of beer. Unfortunately, the prices of the ingredient kits went up, up, up, so it became silly to make my own and wait 6 weeks, when I could go buy any beer I wanted at the store for less. I had a ton of fun doing it. I even made my own labels for each kind. If you do decide to go for it, have fun! Here’s a site that has lots of great info so you don’t screw it up: http://community.mrbeer.com/?utm_source=mrbeerfans
Bottles: 25 oz. “designed for brewing” bottles with caps
Everything you need to make 2 gallons (16 pints) of beer (except water)
All of the equipment included is this kit is reusable
“An authentic blend of grainy roasted malt, malted barley and hops. This is a rich, dark brew exhibiting coffee and chocolate aromas, a perfectly balanced, roasted bitter character and dry finish”
Brewing extracts: all natural, GMO free, no added sugar
The proprietary brewing yeast is designed to perform well at a wide variety of temperatures
What’s in the Box?
1x Fermenting keg
11x Bottles with caps
1x Brewing extract
1x Packet of yeast
1x No-rinse sanitizer
1x Bag of carbonation drops
@rmeden yeah, I’m going to try a bottle after the standard 6 weeks and see if it’s good or not. I don’t really have the ability to control the temperature for the extended conditioning, but we’ll see I guess!
@Shuttlevvorth I’v got 2 weeks to go on mine as well (bottles are getting nice and firm). I’m guessing the simple, single can stout that came with it will be fine to drink after the standard 6 weeks. I’ve already ordered another kit that has extra extract and hops and such that will probably benefit a lot more from bottle conditioning.
I guess we’ll see though, I’ll keep a few bottles around to see if they do improve with age.
When I first bought my house 5 years ago I bought 2 of these kits off woot, the theory being as one was finishing I could start another batch and keep the beer flowing.
@jqubed Just try it once. It takes a little while but it’s worth being able to be able to at least say you’ve tried beer you’ve brewed.
Although, that’s probably the equivalent of cutting cookie dough into circles, placing them in the oven, and saying you’ve made your own cookies.
Umm no. When I lived in one of the coops in Ann Arbor a PhD student in chemistry decided to brew beer with an undergraduate engineering student. Now one might think the combination of those two would lead to some expertise…and perhaps some nice beer. Well I am here to tell you I survived the exploding beer bottle event that took place in that house one evening. Just beware where you put the beer after you have bottled it and are “aging” it… Of course perhaps one might have expected this since the chemistry PhD student also thought that ice cream made of avocado would be a good idea as well. If ice cream could have molded in the freezer this one would have done that. It tasted like a freshly mowed yard smells.
@Kidsandliz Exploding bottles can happen if you bottle it before it’s finished fermenting (make sure your gravity is constant for a few days) or if you use too much priming sugar at bottling (or if it’s not mixed in well and you end up with striations of concentrated sugar in your bottling bucket).
@sligett Oh good god. Proof that dude is fucking crazy. Avocado ice cream tastes horrendous and I otherwise love ice cream. It is one of my two junk foods of choice (the other being chocolate of course).
Meh your price comparisons are way off i just paid 11 bucks for the american ale and 15 for the stout so the price you gave is bogus, try being honest ,
@wickhameh I don’t have any insider knowledge about them sealing better than the last ones, but you can see in the images that they’re the turning kind, so you wouldn’t have to hold them down the entire time.
@InnocuousFarmer I see! I had a hard time getting the spigot on tight enough to not leak water with the last one. Hint: you’re going to have to tighten it a lot harder than you’ll think you have to.
I was hoping they improved that aspect by adding a gasket on both sides or something to that effect.
@InnocuousFarmer I bought the kit last time, with the other spigot. Didn’t have any leaks or other problems, maybe I got lucky? Also, the push-lever kind have two modes, push and hold, or flip up and lock-in-place, so even with that style you didn’t have to hold it down the entire time.
@InnocuousFarmer Actually, I believe the twisty spigot is the older style. The lever ones are on the site as the new ones. Additionally, flipping the lever up keeps it on.
If you want an easier time bottling though, they sell a bottling wand for like 2 or 3 bucks on their site, works really well.
Bought one of these kits a couple of sales ago. We’re on our third batch of Mr Brew home-brew and our first batch with a 5 gallon Coopers Kit (more on that later).
Mr Beer makes some very drinkable beer. Way better tasting than your typical ‘cheap’ beers that come in cans & not as good as some of the pricey craft brews. It is a lot more fun than both though.
A warning to anyone trying this. Mr Beer is a ‘gateway drug’. We made our first batch with the included plastic bottles. By the second batch, we had the glass bottles with the caps and the capping press. (way better carbonation) and after the third batch, we were at our local home brew store buying a 5 gallon set-up with actual loose grains and hops. Next, were going to try kegging.
We still use the Mr Beer setup along with the larger kit. home brewing is kind of additive.
I am making 10 gallons of beer a week in buckets now.
All because I started with a frigging Mr. Beer kit from Meh in December.
I melted it by accident washng it, so I just bought another.
My brew days have extended to 8 hours with all grain. My house smells like barley and my kitchen looks like a mad scientist lab with stir plates, and tubes everywhere.
Buyer beware in a few short months you we be hooked and giving all your friends and neighbours your delious brews.
mine arrived yesterday. Now to find a time to set it up and BREW some BREW… Planning to put the bottles in a Styrofoam cooler to safeguard them in case of any ‘exploding’ bottles. I’ve been playing with making liqueurs lately (apple, pear, ginger/orange/vanilla and blueberry) and beer seems like a good idea to try next, so this is the perfect way to check it out…
anyone made this yet? it seems like that general instructions is that to make the keg sit for 3 weeks, then bottles sit carbonating for 3 weeks.
but the directions on the can says for the keg to sit for MINIMUM of 1 week. does it mean you can carbonate after a week?
@username I didn’t buy this, but I was curious and watched the videos about it. I remember somewhere that said if you only left it a week, it didn’t have very good/strong flavor.
Yes, I am posting this again.
@lichme
Again? You mean you posted this other times?
Although that’s what this dictionary is implying.
@PlacidPenguin No, I mean I posted it another time. Just, one other time. You shouldn’t make assumptions, ass.
I’ve outsourced my beer making to y’know, commercial breweries.
@huja What’s more, I instructed them to sell excess production to the general public. It’s an arrangement that has been working out pretty well.
When you “yeast” expect it…
@AttyVette
Nutz. Mr Beer also makes a root beer kit, but that’s not included in the choices here. (sorry to complicate the hell out of something simple). A root beer kit is on my to buy list for 2017. nutz nutz nutz. I wish that was a choice. I’ve been in and out of Betty Ford more times than Gerald, so sorry I can’t be buying this.
@wew omg
I will never be able to unread that last line
@wew THE ROOTBEER KITS ARE 35 ON AMAZON COMES WITH AmERICAN ALE TO KICK IT UP CALLED HACKED ROOTBEER SORRY FOR THE CAPS
@wew Don’t buy the Mr. Rootbeer Kit. It’s so tempting but it’s terrible. I made it, and couldn’t make myself drink any of it. One taste and I threw the whole batch out. It taste like the worst artificial root beer flavor ever, plus crap. Also, it contains alcohol, albeit a negligible amount, just so you know.
@mehdaf ok, Mr Rootbeer kit is out then. Maybe you dust don’t like homemade root beer?
@mellowirishgent that’s ok, I sort of expected CAPS LOCK in a beer brewing thread!
@wew That is true, when I dust it’s more like store bought Dr. Pepper.
@mehdaf That’s the second time I’ve been hammered for typos on Meh! I’ll have you know, I’m educated way beyond my intelligence!
I’m a pretty avid home brewer, so I have opinions on these kits. Let me share!
Over the years I’ve had a number of friends receive these kits as gifts. Sometimes it was because they expressed an interest in brewing, sometimes they were already brewers and it was a misguided (but well intentioned) present.
On the best of days, the results were aggressively mediocre- at best. But generally speaking, even saying it was “meh” would be an abundance of kindness.
So one persons unsolicited thought- Pass on this. If you are interested in trying your hand at it, go to a LHBS (Local HomeBrew Shop) and talk to them. They will likely be able to set you up with one of their kits for not much more, and the results will be dramatically better.
If you’re considering this as a gift for someone else, I say go for it. Provided of course that you want to discourage them from ever actually trying to brew their own beer again.
Just my .02
@hanzov69
Post your mailing address.
@hanzov69 Total bullshit your trying to steer people to a site you like some people don/t need to have “Pefect beer” Ive now brewed about a dozen batches of Mr beer( I have 4 kegs going at all times 8 gallons ) it may not be perfect but its tasty , buzzy, and cheap enough … Just my opinion, i dont need nerd beer … Good luck on using Meh to boost someone elses business
@hanzov69 I think the single biggest mistake first time brewers make with this kit is they pay no attention to their fermentation temps. Fermenting warm will create all sorts of off-flavors that can be completely off-putting (off-flavors and off-putting in the same sentence… that’s a first) and discouraging to new brewers. Keeping your beer fermenting in the low 60’s will create a dramatically different beer than one fermented in the mid 70’s.
@capnjb pretty sure I did that. Didn’t have a low enough temp. environment handy.
@mellowirishgent Uhh… I’m not promoting anyone else. LHBS is a generic term for your local supply shop.
And that’s just my opinion based on the witnessed experiences of others. If it’s working for you, I’m glad. But drop the random hate dude.
@capnjb Yeah, that’s an excellent point.
The lack of a thermometer makes it difficult to actually get your pitch temp correct, and a cursory glance at some directions I found online (which I assume are kit specific) advises fermenting at 68-76. Which may be right for that specific yeast/kit, but seems like it’s guaranteeing some nasty esters.
@mellowirishgent Warning: Consuming excessive amounts of Mr. Beer may result in irrational anger.
@belowi
I heard that…[BURP]
@hanzov69 Never hate, just pointing out whats obvious ,for 25 bucks this is an awesome deal , keg, bottles etc all the things you need for a good beer starter kit, you were bragging about your knowledge of brewing and at the same time telling the meh. heads to steer away from this kit , so , good for you your a brew master, hope to be there one day soon … enjoy the rest of your day i don’t know you so i can not hate you not even a little …
@mellowirishgent I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls, but what the hey, it’s Friday.
I never bragged about my knowledge of brewing. I stated that I am an avid brewer. You can be an avid race car driver and never win a single race. That was more to point out that as someone who is really interested in home brewing (without quantifying expertise or quality of work), my interest led me to have some opinions.
I really like helping friends get into the hobby of brewing. My opinion of this particular product is that the results aren’t great, which may discourage people from trying it again. Which is why I suggested passing on this product and instead going to a local place that can set you up with a better quality kit and provide some very specific guidance on how to brew a successful first batch. Even more important, establishing that relationship with a more experienced brewer gives you someone to call if you run in to issues, which I believe will contribute to a more enjoyable experience.
That’s all just my opinion.
You clearly have had really great luck with this product, so it’s good that you’re providing a contrary opinion based on your own first hand experience.
So, yeah… rather than just share your opinions, proudly demonstrate your decided lack of comprehension and accuse me of “bragging” or shilling for some other company.
I mean, sure this is a super friendly community based on cheap products with opinions for/against… But don’t let that stop you! You too can issue vitriolic missives in to the aether! Never stop stopping!
/giphy sneak hug
@hanzov69 That was not the sneak hug gif I was going for…
@hanzov69 RDWAHAHB
@capnjb At some point we should definitely do a meh beer exchange.
…
Has this already been done? searches
@hanzov69 I’d have to brew something to bottle. Most of my beers get kegged. Although I’ve got a 15 month old dry cider, 3+ year old mead (I don’t like mead but made 5 gallons because I had a colleague with an apiary), and an 8 month old Lodi cab in bottles that’s starting to hit it’s stride. Or I could just open a tap and fill up a bag of beer
This is beer corner. I spend a lot of time in beer corner.
@capnjb It’s funny, I haven’t bottled in a couple of years. I attribute it to being lazy though… way faster to force carb
I used to work with a guy who made mead in our server rooms, which always made me laugh. It was brilliant though, extremely well maintained set point temp.
I like beer corner… I’m in the process of building a bar in my home, definitely using perlicks when I get that far.
How are you handling keeping your lines cool? I’m thinking I’m going to do a through wall setup to a keezer with a blower.
Does this really need no boiling? Fuck it, I’m in. It’s not even coming home. I’m going to brew this under my desk at work.
@zachpennington You boil water and then add the mix.
Gah!!! Too many bear puns.
/image mad penguin
@PlacidPenguin bear, beer, whatever…
@chienfou
Beer puns are unbearable for me, so…
I’ve been brewing “kit beer” off and on for longer than the average Meh customer has been alive (really - since 1975 or so). For the $30 this will cost you, you can get a very good start on brewing some deeply tasty beer from prefab materials and malt extract.
So…buy the kit, convince yourself you really can make beer, then push on. There are much better products out there - and you make it 5 gallons at a time rather than the 10 - 12 bottles in these kits.
SLIPPERY SLOPE WARNING! It starts with this and the next thing you know you’re mopping beer off the ceiling.
I can beerly contain myself!
Underage! Meh!
I don’t know where they went to school, but for me, a C+ was 77-79. 64-65 was an F.
@cobracat03 interesting thought… the numbers are less inflated than the letters. Nobody expects a beer to hit even “90%” on some review site, even if tons of people like it, but “D” has a pretty negative connotation.
Meh always starts with the crap then works up to the best. Small security cams eventually lead to 10 camera systems; Tiny speaker docks turn into monster docks, and baby toy drones turn into the real deal.
I’m very much looking forward to the real deal brew kit.
May I suggest you buy this kit? I now have four and am on my 10th batch i lost track the refill kits are about 11-15 bucks and up on Amazon, The beer is outstanding , you sterilize everything with the no rinse sanitizer provided Boil some water let it cool slightly Add the can of prepared Malt add yeast wait 2- 3 weeks then bottle with 2 teaspoons of sugar provided , now wait untill the bottle gets rock hard and refrigerate then, and you have 10-11 25 oz bottles of awesome beer …its that easy i have 4 batches going at all times,if you want to craft your own beer this is the cheapest deaL on the planet BUY,
Bought the Irish stout kit last time it was sold on meh for Yankee Swap. I won the item back because I never intended on not using it for myself. Started the brewing process 5 weeks ago; bottled 2 weeks ago. The pre-bottled, pre-carbonated Irish stout brew was pretty darn good. Excited to see how it comes out after carbonation next weekend.
I was into this for a while. I made MANY very good cases of beer. Unfortunately, the prices of the ingredient kits went up, up, up, so it became silly to make my own and wait 6 weeks, when I could go buy any beer I wanted at the store for less. I had a ton of fun doing it. I even made my own labels for each kind. If you do decide to go for it, have fun! Here’s a site that has lots of great info so you don’t screw it up: http://community.mrbeer.com/?utm_source=mrbeerfans
Cheers!
When you can beerly stand it –
I wonder if he knows Mr. Hard Liquor…
@awk He’s a cunning linguist, I hear.
This guy will tell you all aboot makin’ year beer from a kit taste better
Watch “How to Improve a Beer Kit & Make Great Tasting Beer!” on YouTube
Specs
What’s in the Box?
1x Fermenting keg
11x Bottles with caps
1x Brewing extract
1x Packet of yeast
1x No-rinse sanitizer
1x Bag of carbonation drops
Pictures
North American
Keg
All the accessories
No kegstands
Irish
Price Comparison
St. Patrick’s Irish Stout Beer: $49.99 at Amazon
North American Beer: $44.99 at Amazon
Find a relevant price comparison? Please share it in a comment in this thread
Warranty
30 Day Mr. Beer
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
no thanklds
Bottoms up
@Stallion Up yours!
I finally made my stout earlier in the week. Won’t be able to say C/C+ for 6+ weeks.
@rmeden I also procrastinated, but 2 weeks for me! No exploded bottles yet!
@Shuttlevvorth You only have 2 weeks left! Cool. I did notice the instructions recommended a longer “conditioning” for stout.
@rmeden yeah, I’m going to try a bottle after the standard 6 weeks and see if it’s good or not. I don’t really have the ability to control the temperature for the extended conditioning, but we’ll see I guess!
@Shuttlevvorth I’v got 2 weeks to go on mine as well (bottles are getting nice and firm). I’m guessing the simple, single can stout that came with it will be fine to drink after the standard 6 weeks. I’ve already ordered another kit that has extra extract and hops and such that will probably benefit a lot more from bottle conditioning.
I guess we’ll see though, I’ll keep a few bottles around to see if they do improve with age.
@rmeden for a moment there, I thought you said C/C++. Programming while buzzed may increase creativity or bugs.
@flacoman91 The Ballmer Peak is probably not real, but that doesn’t stop us from trying!
Funny timing, I was just in the garage transferring my last brew into a keg and realized it was time to check Meh. And now here I am. Cheers!
The old site (woot.com) is selling crossbows tonight. Crossbows. All that shit I talked about hummingbird feeders, meh? I take it back.
@huja
They’re a bit more expensive on Amazon and eBay. I wonder how many people will buy it to resell it.
@PlacidPenguin Is there a healthy secondary market for crossbows?
@huja at $400 it’s too expensive on Woot to start with…
@chienfou @huja
I wasn’t encouraging it to begin with really.
I’m in…
/image incandescent-sneaky-elf
@chienfou wow… only one image to choose from…
fine… im in
/image motorized-resounding-vulture
When I first bought my house 5 years ago I bought 2 of these kits off woot, the theory being as one was finishing I could start another batch and keep the beer flowing.
They have never made it out of the box.
@jqubed Just try it once. It takes a little while but it’s worth being able to be able to at least say you’ve tried beer you’ve brewed.
Although, that’s probably the equivalent of cutting cookie dough into circles, placing them in the oven, and saying you’ve made your own cookies.
Umm no. When I lived in one of the coops in Ann Arbor a PhD student in chemistry decided to brew beer with an undergraduate engineering student. Now one might think the combination of those two would lead to some expertise…and perhaps some nice beer. Well I am here to tell you I survived the exploding beer bottle event that took place in that house one evening. Just beware where you put the beer after you have bottled it and are “aging” it… Of course perhaps one might have expected this since the chemistry PhD student also thought that ice cream made of avocado would be a good idea as well. If ice cream could have molded in the freezer this one would have done that. It tasted like a freshly mowed yard smells.
@Kidsandliz @mfladd Avocado Ice Cream? You might have to just take one for the team.
@Kidsandliz Exploding bottles can happen if you bottle it before it’s finished fermenting (make sure your gravity is constant for a few days) or if you use too much priming sugar at bottling (or if it’s not mixed in well and you end up with striations of concentrated sugar in your bottling bucket).
@capnjb Hmm well a PhD in chemistry and an engineering student both should have known better LOL
@sligett Oh good god. Proof that dude is fucking crazy. Avocado ice cream tastes horrendous and I otherwise love ice cream. It is one of my two junk foods of choice (the other being chocolate of course).
@Kidsandliz The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Meh your price comparisons are way off i just paid 11 bucks for the american ale and 15 for the stout so the price you gave is bogus, try being honest ,
@mellowirishgent This is for the full kit, the $11 or $15 are just the refills for the kit
Sure, now you guys sell the ones with the friendly spigots.
@InnocuousFarmer Friendly spigots? Must investigate, because that was the worst part before!
@wickhameh I don’t have any insider knowledge about them sealing better than the last ones, but you can see in the images that they’re the turning kind, so you wouldn’t have to hold them down the entire time.
@InnocuousFarmer I see! I had a hard time getting the spigot on tight enough to not leak water with the last one. Hint: you’re going to have to tighten it a lot harder than you’ll think you have to.
I was hoping they improved that aspect by adding a gasket on both sides or something to that effect.
@InnocuousFarmer I bought the kit last time, with the other spigot. Didn’t have any leaks or other problems, maybe I got lucky? Also, the push-lever kind have two modes, push and hold, or flip up and lock-in-place, so even with that style you didn’t have to hold it down the entire time.
@InnocuousFarmer Actually, I believe the twisty spigot is the older style. The lever ones are on the site as the new ones. Additionally, flipping the lever up keeps it on.
If you want an easier time bottling though, they sell a bottling wand for like 2 or 3 bucks on their site, works really well.
Glad they’re selling something other than stout.
Have always wanted to try this.
My Australian brother in law is going to love this for his birthday!
@AnnEdwards
Stuck fouts.
@f00l email!
Bought one of these kits a couple of sales ago. We’re on our third batch of Mr Brew home-brew and our first batch with a 5 gallon Coopers Kit (more on that later).
Mr Beer makes some very drinkable beer. Way better tasting than your typical ‘cheap’ beers that come in cans & not as good as some of the pricey craft brews. It is a lot more fun than both though.
A warning to anyone trying this. Mr Beer is a ‘gateway drug’. We made our first batch with the included plastic bottles. By the second batch, we had the glass bottles with the caps and the capping press. (way better carbonation) and after the third batch, we were at our local home brew store buying a 5 gallon set-up with actual loose grains and hops. Next, were going to try kegging.
We still use the Mr Beer setup along with the larger kit. home brewing is kind of additive.
Mr Beer alternative for the high $$ set
/image Pico Brewing appliance
Available at Amazon and even
/woot picobrew
PicoBrew Pico Craft Beer Brewing Appliance for $599.99
http://home.woot.com/offers/picobrew-pico-craft-beer-brewing-appliance
Apparently beer is ready in just a week?!
I am making 10 gallons of beer a week in buckets now.
All because I started with a frigging Mr. Beer kit from Meh in December.
I melted it by accident washng it, so I just bought another.
My brew days have extended to 8 hours with all grain. My house smells like barley and my kitchen looks like a mad scientist lab with stir plates, and tubes everywhere.
Buyer beware in a few short months you we be hooked and giving all your friends and neighbours your delious brews.
Berry Oatmeal Wheat Ale anyone?
@PaintMonkeyz I’m ready for BOWA!
mine arrived yesterday. Now to find a time to set it up and BREW some BREW… Planning to put the bottles in a Styrofoam cooler to safeguard them in case of any ‘exploding’ bottles. I’ve been playing with making liqueurs lately (apple, pear, ginger/orange/vanilla and blueberry) and beer seems like a good idea to try next, so this is the perfect way to check it out…
anyone made this yet? it seems like that general instructions is that to make the keg sit for 3 weeks, then bottles sit carbonating for 3 weeks.
but the directions on the can says for the keg to sit for MINIMUM of 1 week. does it mean you can carbonate after a week?
then on the web instructions for irish stout says to Ferment for 14 days.
http://www.mrbeer.com/st-patrick-s-irish-stout-standard-refill
3 sets of different instructions. seems weird
@username I didn’t buy this, but I was curious and watched the videos about it. I remember somewhere that said if you only left it a week, it didn’t have very good/strong flavor.