MiniYoda

I was once told that if you put 20 economy experts in a room and asked them one question, you would get 25 different answers. :-) I will again apologize to the OP, @Lionfan67. I didn't mean to insult this person. I was hoping to point out that brewing classic American lagers isn't easy, it's not something that can be done with Mr. Beer's recipes, and most home brewer are in the hobby for craft style beers. If you would forgive us, @Lionfan67, we would be happy to help you with starting a hobby of brewing beer. Understand that something like Miller Lite won't be something you will brew your first year, but with practice, you can brew some tasty beers. You might even enjoy different flavors and styles of beers, and sharing them with your friends could start a friendly competition amongst you that could grow. Classic American Lagers are cheapest bought in the store. Craft beers outside that style are easy to make on your own, and something you be proud of. MY

In case this is useful to anyone, https://vinepair.com/articles/flavors-aromas-craft-beer-hops-ipa/

With all due respect, @zorak1066, I'm going to have to challenge this statement. Today I bottled the Winter Dark Ale....19 bottles. The price of the HME is $22. Add two gallons of water from the store (less that $2), 19 bottle caps (2 cents each), some expense from the electricity when boiling the water (none from washing/sanitizing, as I don't pay the water bill), taxes and shipping costs to get the HME, etc, etc, etc. But overall, I can't imagen having spent $38, or $2/bottle for this recipe. Would you go to your favorite liquor store and spend $2 for a bottle of a beer of this style? Tomorrow I am brewing the Abbey Dubbel. The kit is $33.27. again add about $1.75 for two gallon jugs of water, 18 cents for the bottle caps, etc, etc, etc. I still don't see it costing more than $47.50 overall for 19 bottles of this (20, if I'm lucky). That's $2.50/bottle. Try to find this beer in a bottle for that price in the store. Sometimes I brew 5 gallon batches from Brewer's Best. Online I can find them for less than $40. 5 gallons is 640 oz, which is about 53 bottles. Now, for easy math, let's say I spent $48 to buy the kit and have it shipped, taxes, jugs of water, bottle caps, etc, etc, etc, and let's say I only got 48 bottles, (trub, etc, etc, etc). That's about $1/bottle. Rather nice price for a craft beer. Now, you are going to say "hey...….ignore the bottling.....it's $5 to $8 for a pint of a craft beer at the local breweries". True. But now you are talking larger batches, and all grain, kegging, CO2, etc, etc, etc. I'm not going to do the math on that because I don't do all grain. If you get Mr. Beer on one of their sales (I bought both the Winter Dark Ale and the Abbey Dubble on 30% off), yea, I can see where even brewing beer with Mr. Beer kits is actually cheaper than buying it commercially. There are other ways to think of savings: - If I brew the beer, you grill the burgers, and we'll chill out by the pool. Free food for me, free beer for you. - If I brew six different recipes, I'll give you a 6-pack of different beers for Christmas. How much do you spend on Christmas gifts for friends/family. Overall, I still think home brewing, be it Mr. Beer kits, online 5 gallon kits, etc, is cheaper than buying in the store or at the local brewery. Plus, you can share with family/friends, and earn bragging rights. P.S. I'm only referencing craft beers. Yes, it would be hard to brew an over-produced American Lager at home for the price you can buy it in the store.

@Big Sarge….ask this question again in about 6 months. I think he found another rock

@RickBeer please feel free to correct anything I'm stating that is wrong. 1) Miller Lite is a lager, not an ale. Basic recipes on Mr. Beer's site, and most other kits on other locations, are ales. To me, Lagers are more crisp tasting than ales. 2) I've brewed CAL as an ale, and while the color is off and it is more opaque than an American Adjunct Lager, it didn't come out that bad. 3) It is very difficult, if not somewhat impossible, to brew a beer based on only Mr. Beer recipes/ingredients and clone a commercial beer. That being said, the beers you can make from Mr. Beer's recipes are very good, and with some time, skills and patience, they can be excellent. Enjoy your new hobby. When I started, I wanted to brew beer cheaper than I could by it in the store. I discovered the art of the science and the science of the art, and a LOT of new beer styles, and what make them that way.

Water. Sorry, but if I didn't say it, a dozen other's here would. And Miller Lite is my go-to beer when I just want a good buzz Miller Lite is a lager, which would take extra equipment for a brewer, such as temperature control device and a dedicated fridge. You'd have to at least start with the CAL HME, and step some light grains, then ferment with a lager yeast. I have strong feelings that it isn't possible to make a Miller Lite with what Mr. Beer sells online.

yes, I'm being corrected on that. I've been in this hobby for three years, and STILL learn something new almost every day.

As for #6, I heard once (possibly by you) that the sanitizer is not a wash, so that's what I went by. Thanks for the updated information. I use the Oxyclean wash which is well recommended on this forum (green lid) for washing things. As for #7, I use the Oxyclean to wash the bottles, rinse them out completely, then put them in the dish washer. I run a cycle without any dish soap, just plain hot water and heat to sanitize them. The PET bottles and the LBK obviously don't go in the dish washer, so I use the powder sanitizer for them.

Sanitizing and cleaning are not the same thing. You can't use sanitizer to wash beer making equipment.

I'm probably going to be chewed up and spit out like cheap bubble gum on this forum for saying this, but When it comes to utensils, brewing pots, whisks for aerating the wort, spatulas to remove as much HME out of the can as I can, everything goes through the dish washer. If the sanitizer cycle (extreme heat) is good enough for my plates, cups and utensils, it's good enough for the brewing tools. I just leave the stuff in the dishwasher until I'm ready to brew. But, I'm a bachelor who lives on tv dinners, so the dishwasher is used only for brewing stuff. As you know, you can't put an LBK or PET bottles in the dish washer, so that's when I use the sanitizer. Oh, and if you have something small that is non metallic and non soft plastic (Tupper Ware, Muslin Sacks, etc), add water and microwave for 3 minutes. @RickBeer batter UP

Not sure what you bought, but... If it says "sanitizer", and is meant for beer/wine/distilled/etc, then ok. If it says anything about wash, or has any aromas/colors/detergents, that's not sanitizer. If it is a dry powder, keep it sealed as long as possible. If you mix it with water, it'll last about a day, at worst two. Mr. Beer's recipes and kits come with sanitizer, and rarely should you need to buy more. Once you move on to larger equipment, you will use more, but personally, anything that touches my wort goes into the dishwasher and I hit the Sanitize mode. That includes glass bottles, after properly washed with an oxy product. if it is truly sanitizer, just keep your powder dry, and you'll be fine

first, sorry to correct you, but it doesn't sterilize. sanitize and sterilize is slightly different. Second, I think it's been posted here before, but I think the Mr. Beer team doesn't recommend more than a day. That's my usual rule of thumb. Make what I need for the day, pour it out if I didn't use it.

ok, time for my 2 cents worth (cause I'm broke and I ain't got more). Mr. Beer is how I started brewing. Point blank, if you can make soup, you can brew their beer. Don't like it, then you didn't do something right. Brewing beer takes time and patience. You have to learn the "art" of cleaning, sanitizing, waiting for fermentation, waiting for carbonation, waiting for conditioning. Home brew isn't quick, but Mr. Beer's kits and recipes make it very easy to get started, and make nice tasting beers. From here you can grow further, and from here you can help others start in the hobby. Want a cheese burger, go to McDonalds, or grill it yourself. Want a nice sit-down meal, go to a restaurant, or make it yourself. Want a nice beer, go to the store and buy it, or brew it yourself. "Yourself", means you can make something creatively, learn how to do it, and do better/different next time. Or else, go to the gas station and buy some over-produced American lager, and drive through McDonalds for supper on the way home. This is a great place to get started, and learn the art of the science.....or the science of the art. If an all-grain home brewer snuff their nose at you, fine. Your are having fun brewing, learning and sharing. And if you want, you can expand. I'm almost ready for all-grain, and about ready to start studying to be a ciceron. All because of Mr. Beer...…….And Cooper's. Cheers

For the record I meant to say that sea salt is definitely safe. Dang auto correct cell phone

Sea salt is definitely not. I've had beers with it. I'm interested in what others say, and how much to use for an lbk Change "not" to "safe"