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Author Topic: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!  (Read 3893 times)

Offline billyonetwo3

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Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« on: March 20, 2011, 09:06:43 pm »
I got a Mr. Beer kit for V-Day 2011, and i love making beer! Though 2-gallons at a time with a plastic fermenter is a little week. What is the next step? I want to upgrade to a 5 gallon carboy but i don't know what else i need or really what to do with it... Where do i start?

Offline euge

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2011, 09:11:29 pm »
I got a Mr. Beer kit for V-Day 2011, and i love making beer! Though 2-gallons at a time with a plastic fermenter is a little week. What is the next step? I want to upgrade to a 5 gallon carboy but i don't know what else i need or really what to do with it... Where do i start?

Congratulations! Welcome to the AHA forum. Try this.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/zymurgy/free-downloads/zymurgy-an-introduction-to-homebrewing
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline billyonetwo3

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2011, 09:13:10 pm »
Thats exactly what i was looking for thank you!

Offline weithman5

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2011, 09:15:46 pm »
i recommend you start all grain 2 gallon batches and get the process down with that fermenter. then start stepping up the scale if you still want to go to 5 gallons.  at first you could mash on stove top with grain bags it works okay for me. then you can step up the scale by getting a BLUE cooler as a mash tun, a bigger kettle - turkey fryer- and bigger fermenter.  i still recommend avoiding large glass carboys. use plastic buckets or better bottles.  i am shrinking to 1 gallon batches but i may cut back up to 2.  there are as many processes as there are brewers.  read, practice, read.
Don AHA member

Offline billyonetwo3

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2011, 09:39:27 pm »
... Ok i am a real rookie here, what is meant by an all grain? I have only used the condensed HME's and UME's bought on the Mr. Beer site, mixed with sugar and water

Offline euge

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2011, 09:44:48 pm »
... Ok i am a real rookie here, what is meant by an all grain? I have only used the condensed HME's and UME's bought on the Mr. Beer site, mixed with sugar and water

All-grain is the traditional type of brewing, with just the malted barley (grain), hops, water and yeast. Tends to eschew the use of extracts for the most part- which is what you've been using. Not so hard you can't start immediately.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline bonjour

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2011, 11:01:55 pm »
As a Mr. Beer starter like you a couple of thoughts

You want a 5 gallon batch, not a 5 gallon carboy,  that requires headspace beyond the 5 gallons.
I use wine & beer buckets for my fermenter now.

To start you can buy a kit beer such as brewers best kits, that have 2 cans of extract, but an extra pack of yeast, and split the kit.  Two cans make it easy to split.

Don't worry about the difference in size (Mr. Beer being smaller than 2.5 gallons, it's close enough for now)
Your cost should be close to half the cost of using Mr. Beer kits for the same strength beer.

A ROT on equipment,  ALWAYS try and buy bigger than you think you  need.

A turkey fryer works well as a brew kettle. and you need a chiller, a coil of copper will work fine.
Fred Bonjour
Co-Chair Mashing in Michigan 2014 AHA Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan
AHA Governing Committee; AHA Conference, Club Support & Web Subcommittees



Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

narvin

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2011, 06:46:14 am »

Offline oscarvan

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Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline dshepard

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Re: Mr Beer newbie looking for the next step!
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2011, 01:25:03 pm »
I got a Mr. Beer kit for V-Day 2011, and i love making beer! Though 2-gallons at a time with a plastic fermenter is a little week. What is the next step? I want to upgrade to a 5 gallon carboy but i don't know what else i need or really what to do with it... Where do i start?

Try to find a local home brew club. Plan on attending a few home brew sessions and see all the different methods and tools used. That way you can learn from others experiences and try to avoid the mistakes we have all made along the way.
Concord, NC