You are just full of info my friend! Can you give me a est. of how much to add after the first week. So that I don't add too much...or to less. And what kind of sugar? And just throw it on top?
Me. Beer kit + more.
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You are just full of info my friend! Can you give me a est. of how much to add after the first week. So that I don't add too much...or to less. And what kind of sugar? And just throw it on top?
Haha ok. My intentions are simple, make a good beer that has a good alcohol content. I have the basic mr beer kit with the American light malt and yeast.
I've got a big ingredient kit that has a lot of other stuff stated in the op. I picked up and food grade bucket today and ordered a airlock and spigot online and I'm waiting on that so I can start my Oktoberfest kit.
And you are wanting to improve your Mr Beer kit correct? Still waiting to do the other one afterwards?
Does the Mr Beer kit come with a bag of booster or just cans of HME an UME?
Did you buy anything extra to doctor up the Mr Beer kit?
You mentioned American Light. Not their West Coast Pale Ale? Does it say what the alcohol content should be?
Does the Mr Beer kit come with a bag of booster or just cans of HME an UME?
Did you buy anything extra to doctor up the Mr Beer kit?
You mentioned American Light. Not their West Coast Pale Ale? Does it say what the alcohol content should be?
This one:
http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/1008/nm/Classic_American_Light_Standard_Refill1
It says 3.7% ABV. I can see why you'd want to doctor it up!
Do you have access to a local homebrew store (LHBS)?
http://www.mrbeer.com/product-exec/product_id/1008/nm/Classic_American_Light_Standard_Refill1
It says 3.7% ABV. I can see why you'd want to doctor it up!
Do you have access to a local homebrew store (LHBS)?
Yes this one. Im not sure if I have one here. I could look it up. But do I need to go to one?
I prefer my beers to have something north of 4.7%, with 5.5% or more being the norm here.
I also prefer some hoppiness. It is only 11 IBU's which is weak. This is something like a light American beer.
It would take quite a bit of sugar to get the alcohol closer to 5%, and that would also decrease your IBU's.
Were I you I'd buy some extract and hops to work this up, which is what I've done when I've had one of these. I've done 5 now.
I also prefer some hoppiness. It is only 11 IBU's which is weak. This is something like a light American beer.
It would take quite a bit of sugar to get the alcohol closer to 5%, and that would also decrease your IBU's.
Were I you I'd buy some extract and hops to work this up, which is what I've done when I've had one of these. I've done 5 now.
It's always good to have a local place for the little things you suddenly need or forgot.
Mine got all of my business until I tried ordering my stuff and got stuck hard. Now I just buy my grains there since I can buy exact amounts.
Let me work up an approximate recipe for what they have so i can better figure out what you'll need. But I also need to know what you want out of it. Do know that you have this as a base to start with, and it'll be hard to really add bitterness without doing a full boil of your additions as it takes 45+ mins to add bitterness. Though hops add IBU's it's not really bitter before 30 mins or so.
Mine got all of my business until I tried ordering my stuff and got stuck hard. Now I just buy my grains there since I can buy exact amounts.
Let me work up an approximate recipe for what they have so i can better figure out what you'll need. But I also need to know what you want out of it. Do know that you have this as a base to start with, and it'll be hard to really add bitterness without doing a full boil of your additions as it takes 45+ mins to add bitterness. Though hops add IBU's it's not really bitter before 30 mins or so.
I used 1.85 lbs of extra light LME, 0.225 oz Liberty (4%) @ 60 mins, 0.1 oz Liberty at 15 mins, and US-05 to replicate their numbers. I can only guess what they actually did, but it gets us in the ballpark I suppose.
Now what do you want from it? It's going to be like drinking a light American beer as is.
Now what do you want from it? It's going to be like drinking a light American beer as is.
with the basic kit that i got from mr. beer i just want to leave it at that, maybe add a lil more sugar for more alcohol.
In the pic is what my wife bought me a while ago from that local shop. Now when i do my next batch with this kit and my bucket im am stepping into the dark of where to start. I dont want to screw it up and waste all of these ingredients. So that is really what im hoping to get insight about.
1/2 lb of honey added after a week would bring it up to about 4.8% and drop the IBU's to 10. Not too bad. But it would also have a very nice honey taste. It'll thin it out a little, but it may not be too bad.
1/2 pound of honey to my mr beer brew that I have going now? How do you measure a half pound of honey lol
I looked it up. A half pound of gran sugar is 1 1/8th cup of sugar.
Would you use honey or sugar?
Seems like honey would be a lot harder. But it makes sense.
Did you see my ingredients for my next batch? Is there a measurement app for brewing? Cooking grains? Cooking hops?
"Did you see my ingredients for my next batch? Is there a measurement app for brewing? Cooking grains? Cooking hops?"
I'm not following. A measurement app? Cooking grains? Cooking hops? Can you explain in more detail?
I'm not following. A measurement app? Cooking grains? Cooking hops? Can you explain in more detail?
See that's the thing. It didn't come with a list of direction.
I have all this good stuff but I don't not know where to start
OK. It says specialty grains. I assume it's all for steeping.
Is that 6 lbs of extract in the bottle?
Is that 4.5% AA's on the Tettnang and 3.8% AA's on the Saphir?
What style is this supposed to be?
That's certainly way too much priming sugar for 5 gals.
Is that 6 lbs of extract in the bottle?
Is that 4.5% AA's on the Tettnang and 3.8% AA's on the Saphir?
What style is this supposed to be?
That's certainly way too much priming sugar for 5 gals.
Found their site but couldn't find the kit. I called their number and asked what the hops schedule for it is and was told to use the Saphir @ 6o mins and the Tettnang @ 15 mins. It comes with 1 lb of grains.
What you'll do is put those grains in the grain bag. Heat up about 1.5-2 qts of water to 165* and then turn down the heat to a lower setting. Drop the grains in and watch the temp. Steep it like a tea bag for 20-30 mins. While this is going on you'll have your brew pot heating up about 4 gals of water, which you want to boil. I like to keep 2 pint glasses in the microwave and heat them for about 6 mins to use to pour over the grain bag, which will be in a colander over your brew pot. When each cup has been emptied I use the base to squeeze the grain bag. Get it all!
Add your steeped wort water to the brew pot and wait until it boils. When it does set a timer for 45 mins and add the Saphir hops. I prefer a muslin hop sack, but I didn't see any in your pic unless it's in with the grain bag. When the timer goes off set it for 15 mins and add the Tettnang hops for that last 15 mins. When the timer goes off turn off the heat and move the pot. Pour in your bottle of LME (Liquid Malt Extract) and stir like a madman! Try to scrape out as much of the extract as you can. You can even use a measuring cup to pour hot wort in there and swirl gently. It'll be VERY hot though.
Take your brew pot to the sink and stop it up and fill with cold tap water. Set th spot in there and stir for 10 mins or so. Drain and repeat a couple of times. I like to refrigerate 2 gals of tap water for the last cool down session, and add a couple of ice trays worth of ice to help. Then pour this into the fermentor you have. Stir like a madman for about 20 mins to aerate it. I use a whisk and do it for maybe 7 mins.
Then set this into a storage bin with cold water and maintain a mid 60's temp for your beer. If you do not have a fermometer (fish tank thermometer) than you can watch the temp of the water and aim for about 60* as it'll be about 5* cooler than the beer.
Give it about 3 weeks and check the gravity with a hydrometer. If it's close to the FG #'s (low 1.010 or so) then you should be ready to bottle.
Do you have bottling gear, hydrometer, floating thermometer, fermometer, hops bags (muslin), bucket, airlock, kitchen scale, colander, tongs?
What you'll do is put those grains in the grain bag. Heat up about 1.5-2 qts of water to 165* and then turn down the heat to a lower setting. Drop the grains in and watch the temp. Steep it like a tea bag for 20-30 mins. While this is going on you'll have your brew pot heating up about 4 gals of water, which you want to boil. I like to keep 2 pint glasses in the microwave and heat them for about 6 mins to use to pour over the grain bag, which will be in a colander over your brew pot. When each cup has been emptied I use the base to squeeze the grain bag. Get it all!
Add your steeped wort water to the brew pot and wait until it boils. When it does set a timer for 45 mins and add the Saphir hops. I prefer a muslin hop sack, but I didn't see any in your pic unless it's in with the grain bag. When the timer goes off set it for 15 mins and add the Tettnang hops for that last 15 mins. When the timer goes off turn off the heat and move the pot. Pour in your bottle of LME (Liquid Malt Extract) and stir like a madman! Try to scrape out as much of the extract as you can. You can even use a measuring cup to pour hot wort in there and swirl gently. It'll be VERY hot though.
Take your brew pot to the sink and stop it up and fill with cold tap water. Set th spot in there and stir for 10 mins or so. Drain and repeat a couple of times. I like to refrigerate 2 gals of tap water for the last cool down session, and add a couple of ice trays worth of ice to help. Then pour this into the fermentor you have. Stir like a madman for about 20 mins to aerate it. I use a whisk and do it for maybe 7 mins.
Then set this into a storage bin with cold water and maintain a mid 60's temp for your beer. If you do not have a fermometer (fish tank thermometer) than you can watch the temp of the water and aim for about 60* as it'll be about 5* cooler than the beer.
Give it about 3 weeks and check the gravity with a hydrometer. If it's close to the FG #'s (low 1.010 or so) then you should be ready to bottle.
Do you have bottling gear, hydrometer, floating thermometer, fermometer, hops bags (muslin), bucket, airlock, kitchen scale, colander, tongs?
You want to maintain a temp of 150-160* while steeping.
Do you have a long spoon too? A brew pot?
After you pour your beer into the fermentor you top it off with water to the 5 gal mark.
What I have done is used a pitcher to fill a bucket to about 4 gals and turn the lights off, use a flashlight to see the water line and mark it with a permanent marker. Continue 1/2 gal at a time until you have about 3-4 inches left from the top. You need headspace for the krausen to fill.
Do you have a long spoon too? A brew pot?
After you pour your beer into the fermentor you top it off with water to the 5 gal mark.
What I have done is used a pitcher to fill a bucket to about 4 gals and turn the lights off, use a flashlight to see the water line and mark it with a permanent marker. Continue 1/2 gal at a time until you have about 3-4 inches left from the top. You need headspace for the krausen to fill.
I have bottling gear(bottles/caps/capper) i have hop bags. I bought the airlock and i have a bucket. I also bought a spigot. Im buying a fermometer too. Everything else i dont have.
I think i might have to buy a bigger brew pot and a longer spoon.
Get at least a 5 gal pot. Bigger is better though. A looong spoon of plastic for the buckets. A reusable grain bag.
It's also good to have 2 hydrometers and 2 thermometers as they'll eventually break. It's good to have some backup hops (you'll eventually figure out which ones you like most), dry yeast, DME, bottle caps and muslin bags.
I like a whisk for aerating. A large metal colander. Star San or other sanitizer.
Most of my gear is dedicated to brewing. Gotta be stellar clean.
It's also good to have 2 hydrometers and 2 thermometers as they'll eventually break. It's good to have some backup hops (you'll eventually figure out which ones you like most), dry yeast, DME, bottle caps and muslin bags.
I like a whisk for aerating. A large metal colander. Star San or other sanitizer.
Most of my gear is dedicated to brewing. Gotta be stellar clean.
I prefer an aluminum pot as it heats/cools faster and is lighter than stainless.
It's been said to fill a 5 gal with 4 gals of water and boil for an hour. You can figure out your boil off rate (how much water evaporated) and it builds an oxide barrier for those concerned with aluminum leeching into the beer.
It's been said to fill a 5 gal with 4 gals of water and boil for an hour. You can figure out your boil off rate (how much water evaporated) and it builds an oxide barrier for those concerned with aluminum leeching into the beer.
Also have a storage bin with water and several large water bottles frozen in the freezer. I use 2 liter soda bottles and 2 qt juice bottles, along with several 20 oz to 1 liter bottles. They take sooooo long to freeze! But I also will do 3 brews sometimes in 2 tubs.
At first, I tried to meticulously try to maintain that temp range, but became convinced after talking to some more experienced brewers that it's not really necessary when you're just steeping. If I happen to do extract/steeping now (which I'll still do when making a graff cider), I just heat the water to 160*F with the bag in there, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Works just fine and is much less stressful.
