My advice to anyone interested in brewing is always the same:

(1) Buy a plastic jug of apple juice or apple juice with additional fruit juices.

(2) Order an airlock and bung to fit the container; it doesn't hurt to order some surrounding sizes and extra airlocks as well since they are so inexpensive.

(3) Ferment the juice in its own container with a pinch of regular bread yeast.

From there, one can get a feel of what they're interested in and proceed with how much they're willing to invest. Ciders are such a simple, fool-proof introduction to brewing; in fact, if one has any tubing lying around then one may get started immediately by using a section of food-storage bag and rubber bands to attach the tube which is then run into a bucket of water for a make-shift airlock.

alhaz wrote:I mean fat. Any of the naturally occurring oils that are on your skin, or in the hulls and germ of the grain you are using if you are using grain, for example.

Once that gets into the scratches in the plastic, nothing will ever get it out, and bacteria will live in it forever.

It's not that glass doesn't scratch, it's that it can always be sterilized.

This is not true. Plastic can be sterilized. I do it every day in my research lab.

koneco wrote:Cleaning is not enough. Cleaning is removing crud, while sanitizing is murdering germs. You want to murder every last microbe with something like StarSan. Added bonus of using glass is that you can get extra genocidal and toss the carboy in the oven and roast at 200-ish degrees for 15 minutes or so.

But, for the Mr. Beer, I'm sure there are some sort of instructions informing you of how to sanitize. Maybe you toss lemon and salt in it and shake for a minute, I don't know. Also, please do not put Mr. Beer in the oven. That guy will melt and pretty much ruin your oven.

A packet of sanitizer is in every kit.

meep116 wrote:Has anyone used this to make hard cider?

MrBeer actually has cider kits. I haven't had a lot of luck with them though so next year I'm gonna just get some (unfermented) cider from a local orchard and throw some champagne yeast in it.

Why not. I'm in for one. Always saw it in the stores and wanted to try it.

rcon23 wrote:The beer may be okay, but the real question is what's the point? This is basically "instant" beer, add water and yeast, then wait. It is nothing like home brewing; the malt and hops are premixed and in a can.

It not any different from getting one of the Munton's "Connoisser series" kits for the 5 gallon batch. Those, too, have the hops premixed. So I guess you turn your nose up at those as well? Even Charlie P seems to think them acceptable as long as you ignore the instructions and boil for 30 minutes anyway.

USMCMatt wrote:
SO - what do you guys that have been through this recommend to buy to replace it with on their site? I know I'm not going to be producing some worldwide award winning batch but what a better thing to start with to get going for a beginner who wants to try this out for fun before dumping a bunch of money on a better setup/methods?

Check out the recipes section and look for a style you think you might like. Most of those are booster-free. They also have a honey wheat recipe that was excellent (just leave it longer than the 2-3 weeks recommended).

ChronoSquall14 wrote:If you have a problem with plumbers/carpenters trying to rescure damsels in distress, I do NOT recommend this barrel. The spigot throws the balance off, and the lid on top keeps the barrel from rolling smoothly. You want a good, perfectly balanced barrel that with roll down the girders with predictable speed and order, and this accomplishes neither.

You win the Internet.

Sure, the included beer mix is only fair, but you don't have to use Mr. Beer mixes. I Wooted one of these last year and have brewed 20 batches so far. Most of the batches started with a Mr Beer mix, but I've also done all-grain and partial mash recipes, too.

Just buy one. If you don't like it, no biggie.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I work for Mr.Beer!

It's great to see so many Mr.Beer supporters. It's also great to see those that are just plain passionate about home brewing. (Mr.Beer fans or not!)

We still have a sale too Wooters going on through midnight MST. 10% off everything in the website. For details visit www.mrbeer.com/woot

Curious about our fan base? Visit http://community.mrbeer.com, thats our free community site for mrbeer customers.

Thanks again!

Peter
www.mrbeer.com

I have been making my own beer for 7 years.

DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!

You will make HORIBLE BEER!!!

all those people who said that they can make good beer with Mr. Beer kit DO NOT know what "good beer" is.

if you want to make REAL beer, go here www.northernbrewer.com

I am also a nationally ranked Certified Beer Judge.

I know what great beer is and you WILL NOT make anything remotely decent with one of these kits!

OK. I had to add some commentary as I got home a little while ago and was reading the ongoing debate about Mr. Beer quality. So I cracked open another very tasty homebrew and can't say enough about how satisfying this hobby is. And yes, I am drinking a stock Mr. Beer recipe - American Devil IPA - brewed and bottled in March of this year, on March 22 to be exact. I broke this one out over the Christmas holiday, and my extended family all enjoyed some.

Another thing to consider is that with a 2 gallon batch, you get to brew TWICE as many batches as the traditional 5 gallon brewer.

One gentleman that works for me used to work at a local brewing company and has equipment from that establishment. We trade recipes and stories on a regular basis. He brews about 3 times per year, because it takes him longer to put up a batch, and longer to bottle it up. So this year, I have already brewed 7 batches to his 3, and I was lazy. My variety spanned light pepper beers, wheat beers, Belgian Tripple, American Brown, American Blond, Canadian Draft, Prairie Pale Ale with a few variations at both boiling and bottling time.

I think that reduced batch size not only makes it easier to brew, but allows variety and repeated brewing hones your skills. All of my brews have gotten compliments form everyone that tries them. They are always asking what is next in the pipeline.

So to me, Mr. Beer is the best approach. You can use the same quality ingredients as a 5 gallon batch and experiment to your heart's content. YMMV

Caffeineismydrug wrote:All are an acquired taste fellow wooter.. If you don't like beer, you haven't tried enough; If you don't like coffee, you haven't found a good one. If you don't like your girlfriend's.. *coughee* ...

Nevermind, you probably get the point. Keep trying and you'll learn to love it.

lol...

I do see you like coffee (your SN)... I have heard the more beer you drink, the more you like it... but that is in one night... once you are drunk, you can't taste it anyway.

Can it still be called an 'impulse buy' if you painstakingly went through over 250 comments before purchasing? Ah well, thanks everyone for their thoughts. As always, the diversity of opinions is awesome. In for one.

can you use recycled glass beer bottles with recycled plastic wine corks or purchased rubber stoppers?

bbkf wrote:I have been making my own beer for 7 years.

DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!

You will make HORIBLE BEER!!!

all those people who said that they can make good beer with Mr. Beer kit DO NOT know what "good beer" is.

if you want to make REAL beer, go here www.northernbrewer.com

I hate to get personal, but you're an Krampus. Many, many people who now shop at Northern Brewer caught the bug via a Mr. Beer kit. If you think the majority of those people would have marched over to their local homebrew supply shop on a whim and dropped $100+ to get started you're a fool, and I'll certify you for that, nationally if I can get certified to certify at that level.

popcornisgood wrote:can you use recycled glass beer bottles with recycled plastic wine corks or purchased rubber stoppers?

Get non-twist-off bottles and spend $20 for a capper and $5 or less for 100 or so bottle caps. Don't use corks. The carbonation pressure of beer is likely to blow them out.

englishchannel wrote: (...) My variety spanned light pepper beers, (...)

I'm curious -- when you say this, do you mean chiles (I saw a recipe with jalapeno on mrbeer.com) or peppercorns? If it's peppercorns, I thought of trying those myself and would really enjoy any experience and advice you've got. Thanks!

bbkf wrote:I am also a nationally ranked Certified Beer Judge.

I know what great beer is and you WILL NOT make anything remotely decent with one of these kits!

Well, sure. Great beer is what you tell us it is, clearly.

I Wooted ONE!

I spent all day coming and going about this purchase.

I'm just really curious how the whole "process" works to make beer.

I do realize that I get a "starter" gimiky set with this purchase. This is fine with me.

It took me the length of the day to realize that even if you handed me the $300 of equipment, I would still have exactly the same zero knowledge of where to start.

So, I start out stupid, and I only spend $25 to get a clue.

I've spent far more getting a clue in other topics.

Seems like a decent buy to me.

sprigint wrote:I Wooted ONE!

I spent all day coming and going about this purchase.

I'm just really curious how the whole "process" works to make beer.

I do realize that I get a "starter" gimiky set with this purchase. This is fine with me.

It took me the length of the day to realize that even if you handed me the $300 of equipment, I would still have exactly the same zero knowledge of where to start.

So, I start out stupid, and I only spend $25 to get a clue.

I've spent far more getting a clue in other topics.

Seems like a decent buy to me.

I think you'll be quite pleased with your purchase. Mr. Beer, especially in knowing that it's entry-level homebrewing will no doubt give you the confidence that you can brew great beer and spark an interest in the process as a whole.

I'm a homebrewer and bought three for friends in the hopes that they will get into it as well (and have something to kick-back instead of always drinking mine ;) )

I'd invite you to check out this thread on homebrewtalk, either before or after you've brewed.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/mr-beer-read-all-about-ask-questions-46360/

jt90805 wrote:All unflavored beers are considered kosher even without a hechsher.

Yes, but that is production stuff, where they start from scratch with the grains, hops, malts, etc. All this prepackaged stuff contains extracts.

Save yourself about $12 and get a couple of 12 packs of PBR.

You can thank me later.

Don't do it. This device sucks, you can use the money to buy "real" beer.

This does not produce anything resembling real beer. Even Bud or Coors is better.

bbkf wrote:I have been making my own beer for 7 years.

DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!

You will make HORIBLE BEER!!!

all those people who said that they can make good beer with Mr. Beer kit DO NOT know what "good beer" is.

if you want to make REAL beer, go here www.northernbrewer.com

Say what you want about the Mr. Beer ingredient kits, but at the end of the day a bucket with a spigot on it is a bucket with a spigot on it. Even after you move onto "real" homebrewing, a Mr. Beer can still contain a liquid as well as anything else and is handy for small test batches and/or attempting to make prison wine out of random crap around the house.

bbkf wrote:I am also a nationally ranked Certified Beer Judge.

I know what great beer is and you WILL NOT make anything remotely decent with one of these kits!

Well hey, why don't you draw upon your vast experience as a CBJ and let us know exactly what is wrong with a Mr Beer mix, beyond "it's horrible!", its not "REAL" beer, its not "good beer", etc. BTW, I think Mr Beer mixes do have all 4 of the necessary ingredients to qualify as "REAL" beer. As many homebrewers are fond of saying, "Relax, don't worry - have a homebrew!"

i can always find good deals in woot.com. it ios really a wonderful site!! Mr.Beer, a interesting name!!

I recieved a Mr. Beer kit (slightly different version than this) for Christmas, and I've been excited to give it a shot.
I had previously considered homebrewing and winemaking, but the extra costs to make just a few gallons at a time or but one type held me back.

Today, I saw $20 kits on woot, and figured I'd get an extra for the extra bottles (worth around a third of the price or more by themselves) and fermenter, not to mention a bonus of whatever basic recipe beer comes with it (almost half the cost)- I'll be sure to use that first while I get the hang of it, and save the premium mixes that I got for Christmas for later.
Then I remembered woot only charges once for shipping, so I ordered 3 kits.

Do I expect to be the next Jim Koch (Sam Adams)?
Nope. I do expect to have a bit of fun and decide if I want to take it any further, and probably get at least a few bottles of something drinkable.

Thanks woot!

sprigint wrote:I Wooted ONE!

I spent all day coming and going about this purchase.

I'm just really curious how the whole "process" works to make beer.

I do realize that I get a "starter" gimiky set with this purchase. This is fine with me.

It took me the length of the day to realize that even if you handed me the $300 of equipment, I would still have exactly the same zero knowledge of where to start.

So, I start out stupid, and I only spend $25 to get a clue.

I've spent far more getting a clue in other topics.

Seems like a decent buy to me.

I did too, and my logic was the same as yours. I've thought about giving homebrewing a try as a hobby, but the price of starters kits seemed a bit much for testing if I liked doing it or not. I figure if I like it, I step up... If I don't I move on, simple as that.

Yup-- I already have a Mr. Beer and read through all of the comments. It's hilarious to see the four types of folks here..

a) Those that have never brewed beer, neither in a Mr. Beer or in 'real' equipment, yet offer their authoritative positions on everything
b) Those that have had bad luck with a Mr. Beer (likely due to inability to follow directions, and/or folks that can only drink Coors/Bud/Miller pilsners and can't understand how beer can taste any different
c) Those that homebrew and have spent so much money on their hobby/addiction/lifestyle choices they can't fathom anyone enjoying 'kit' beer from a $20 contraption/abomination plastic toy.
d) Those that have experience with either or both, understand the pros and cons of each level of engagement, understand the Mr. Beer kit is a gateway appliance for beginners, and have offered pages and pages of advice for others to consider this purchase.

It's been fun reading the comments, I look forward to revisiting this thread for weeks after the beer kits have been deployed...

We have a Mr. Beer kit, although I should say Mrs. Beer because it's her hobby, I'm the primary beer drinker though, so I get the best of both worlds.. Good beer with no work involved.

Regardless, I ordered two more kits. One as a gift for an undetermined recipient, and another for us to keep, so we can have two different types going at once. (Different preferences).

I also took a spin over to MrBeer.com and picked up a Premium Refill 4 pack, plus the St. Patty Stout and the Bewiched Red Ale.. I think we'll be in good shape for a few months.

I also work for a BioTech company that does fermentations, and know far more about sterilization than I'd like to, including the difference between sterilization and cleaning. Shy of using a autoclave and vessels that can withstand steam temperatures, nobody has suggested any methods that are truly sterile.. As a result, one should expect variations in their respective products. (i.e. Picking your nose, then making beer will result in beer that tastes like... Oh nevermind...)

Happy beer making folks!

I started homebrewing in September of this year. I was going to try Mr. Beer but there was a sale on a "deluxe" beer kit from my LHBS so I scooped that for a little over a hundred dollars. If you're anything like me, you'll be spending even more money soon because it is rather addicting. I'm 7 beers and 1 cider deep now, and I own 5 fermenters (all better bottles). I have about 250 bottles and am looking into kegging. I still brew extract though, going to finetune the process before I worry about all grain.

Although I've never tried Mr. Beer and I certainly wouldn't go back and try it where I'm at now, for $20 it's hard to go wrong.

Caffeineismydrug wrote:
I also work for a BioTech company that does fermentations, and know far more about sterilization than I'd like to, including the difference between sterilization and cleaning. Shy of using a autoclave and vessels that can withstand steam temperatures, nobody has suggested any methods that are truly sterile.. As a result, one should expect variations in their respective products. (i.e. Picking your nose, then making beer will result in beer that tastes like... Oh nevermind...)

Happy beer making folks!

I haven't read most of the posts in here, but I've never worried about sterilization when brewing... sanitation is another story.

Well, this looks like it will be fun actually. And will try my patience.

I went ahead and ordered 2 kits, and then went over to Mr Beer's site and ordered a couple of refills to try out some different flavers and styles of beers.

This may not be the Porsche of kits, but it looks like it will give me an idea of whether I will enjoy the hobby without spending $200.

Thanks Woot and Mr Beer!!

2 cents...

I started with Mr. Beer kit a few years ago. It is, quite simply, a smaller scale plastic bucket fermenter, exactly like using the 6.5 gallon bucket from the LHBS but in a smaller scale. The ingredients they sell are hopped malt extracts, just like Coopers, Muntons, and the others that are sold at the LHBS, but again just on a smaller scale. They also sell hops and yeast for people who want to start branching out. Then you can start adding grain steeps. Then, if you're like me, you'll start doing AG batches. This is quite obviously a good starter system and will lead many a person to get hooked on the hobby. For that, I thank this little brown keg.

There is nothing wrong with this system except for the size and the instructions. Of course, for me (and likely others) the size is about perfect. I generally use 3 gallon better bottles now, but the 2.5 gallon size worked out OK for the most part. Of course you can get more advanced systems at the LHBS, but it was much easier to lay out $20 to test the waters and see if I enjoyed the hobby instead of laying out $100 or more up front. I ended up spending the $100 (and much more) at the LHBS after, of course, but I would likely have never made the jump if I had not tried and had success with the Mr. B first.

As for the instructions, they say you can get beer in 14 days. This is something I think they should change in their marketing. Yes, you'll have beer after 7 days fermenting and 7 days in the bottle, but you'll have much better beer (with the same ingredients) if you ferment for 14-21 days and then warm condition the bottles for a month. I guess in our instant gratification culture a "beer in a month and a half" pitch doesn't sell as well as a "beer in 14 days" pitch.

bbkf wrote:I am also a nationally ranked Certified Beer Judge.

I know what great beer is and you WILL NOT make anything remotely decent with one of these kits!

I have won medals in the past on beers that were fermented in a Mr. B keg. I advanced a beer in the AHC with one as well. If you judged mine, then you gave it a good score. If you didn't, then maybe the other CBJs just don't know what they are doing, I suppose... since I couldn't possibly score well from a beer from a Mr. B fermenter.

verbhertz wrote:I haven't read most of the posts in here, but I've never worried about sterilization when brewing... sanitation is another story.

Agreed-- For beer making sanitation/cleaning is the key.. My point was just that these are not being sterilized; If one had a sterile vessel, simply opening the lid to add your ingredients breaks sterility..
Sterilization

The yeast will typically out-number the airborne bacteria, spores, and fungi that get into the vessel by many orders of magnitude. However, improper 'cleaning' especially around the neck/threads of the lid could lead to bacterial/fungal growth that destroys the beer and wrecks the experience for the beer newbies.. As others have suggested (and I agree) doubling the time suggested before/after bottling to get better beer, I also recommend following the instructions for cleaning very carefully, and being quick when opening/adding ingredients.

Does anyone know if the Mr. Beer vessel withstands sterilization temperature on most dishwashers?
EDIT Nope.. Will deform; too bad

I just recently got into beer as a whole, whether it was brewing it or drinking it. I can tell you that this is definitely inspiring me when it comes to beer, seeing as I just turned 21, this was the gift I received for my birthday as well.

IF you're interested in homebrewing, get this.

I've only been doing it for 3 months, but I'm already 4 kegs and 10 mixes in.

I am a 110% non certified beer taste tester and I can tell you all... beer taste like piss no matter how it is made. So to make your own piss tasting beer at this price is a steal!

xSkoad wrote:I am a 110% non certified beer taste tester and I can tell you all... beer taste like piss no matter how it is made. So to make your own piss tasting beer at this price is a steal!

You've tasted piss? Oh well, to each his own, I guess.