Simple Guideline

[newMBbrewer 0]

getting ready to make my first batch of beer. i bought my west coast pale ale because my beer store said it was one of the easier ones to make. he said i needed to add hops. i don't care for them. my question is if i should add them since this is my first batch?

thank you

[Lot 8 Brewing 0]

WELCOME! My opinion is to brew it straight up the first time and then do hops additions in a later batch if you prefer.....

[Tin Man 0]

+1 to "brew straight up."

Get one or two brews under your belt before branching out. Also, as pretty much everyone suggests, it takes longer than two weeks to brew really good beer. Go with two weeks to ferment, two in the bottle, then at least a few days in th fridge. If you brew this w/e, you'll be good to go the week of the Dec. 10th. West Coast Pale Ale is a good one to start... Wash, rinse, then sanitize everyting!!!

Welcome to the borg! :woohoo:

Tin Man

[Zobl 1]

NewMBbrewer wrote:

getting ready to make my first batch of beer. i bought my west coast pale ale because my beer store said it was one of the easier ones to make. he said i needed to add hops. i don't care for them. my question is if i should add them since this is my first batch?

thank you

NMB...my advice...brew it straight up. Like many others on this board, the WCPA was my first crack at brewing. Needless to say, I was hooked and the rest is history.
As for not caring for hops, I believe that in short time you will come to realize that you do indeed care for hops. Very much.
You will end up with a freezer full of a variety of hops, wondering what concoction to put them in next. Face it, no matter what style of beer you like best, take away the hops and you don't even have beer as we know and love it, by definition and by law actually!
Brew it up and be prepared to become obsessed.

[yankeedag 24]

Yep, brew straut up. Play with hops later.

[allenc85 0]

This is just the thread I needed to read to get me motivated to start back. I got a kit last year for Christmas and brewed the American Blonde that came with it (the other option being Cowboy Golden Lager). I figured the AB would be a good one to do my first run on, and wow I was unimpressed. I felt like I was drinking generic beer (you know, when you are watching a movies/TV and they are drinking from a plain brown bottle, this was probably the beer in it (g)

Anyway, while the AB was brewing I went ahead and ordered 12 oz bottles, caps, and Brew Ha Ha Boch. Long story short, I got way too busy and lost interest. I did brew the boch, and it ended up being pretty tasty, but just never found time to get started back. Well now I'm motivated and I have now ordered a hydrometer, Golden Wheat UME (to go with my Cowboy Lager), another LBK, Golden Harp Ale (for my St Patty's beer) and Wicked Monk.... thanks for the valuable info and look forward to joining the community here.

BTW - has anybody brewed the Golden Harp Ale and tried adding green food coloring? Any suggestions on this?

[Guest]

I have not brewed it, cann't help, but:

Welcome to the Borg!

[DesreveR 4]

tried adding green food coloring?

I might be Wrong but I believe you have to add blue food coloring to make it green, Yellow and Blue make green.

[Guest System Admin]

I did a simular with Cascade hops rather than the Goldings (higher IBU for an IPA)

I will be bottling it this week, but the original taste at putting in fermentor was great.

I would color when pour, not earlier.

Welcome aboard!

[GOF 2]

Great guide for a beginning home brewer. I know it has taken some of the mystery and anxiety out of it for me. I am looking forward to getting started. Gonna get a few more things together, as well as planning out my hows, whys, and wheres, and get started. I can almost taste liquid ambrosia already!

I do have some seriously difficult questions to answer fist. You see the person who gave me the kit set me up well. Do I start with the Classic American Blonde Ale or the Cowboy Golden Lager? Or do I should I go for the High Country Canadian Draft, Whispering Wheat Weizenbier, or the Octoberfest Vienna Lager? Oh my, the difficulties I am forced to deal with! :laugh:

[DesreveR 4]

Sounds like you have a few brews to keep you busy for the next few months, you could always get a new LBK or 3 to make more at one time.

[GOF 2]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm actually already looking into it.

[DesreveR 4]

I'm sure which ever one you decide to go with first will make you happy in the end.

[yankeedag 24]

Yep, just order more kegs while you order a hydrometer. Might as well get 4 more kegs, and two h.meters...good brewing, and h.meters are a suicidal lot on their own.

[Spucky 1]

Thanks this onfo is great!Still knew to brewing.Great for us new to brewing!!!

[meenacta 0]

Great Info, wish I had read it a little earlier.

Just brewed my first batch West coast Pale ale. seven days to brew and cleared up as expected seven days in the bottle. Then chilled but not
impressed much, still very flat.

Will these still finish off in the fridge or did I screw up by chilling to soon?

Thanks for any help
Troy

[Tin Man 0]

Hey Troy/meenacta,

First, Welcome to the Obsession! Don't give up, hopefully you'll still be fine. If I'm reading correctly you're saying you did 1 week in the LBK (Little Brown Keg) and then 1 week in the bottle, then put in the fridge. Everyone here will tell you that's not long enought to fully ferment, or carb/condition (which apparently you've read now).

I'd suggest pulling it back out of the fridge and leaving at room temp (68-72) for another 3 weeks. Then put 1 or 2 bottles in the fridge and see how it's coming along. In the mean time, go ahead and brew another batch and wait 2-3 weeks to ferment, 2 weeks to carb and 2 weeks to condition (at room temp), then chill.

Keep reading! Keep posting! Watch the videos! Keep Brewing!!

:charlie:

Tin Man

[Brian1179 0]

meenacta wrote:

Great Info, wish I had read it a little earlier.

Just brewed my first batch West coast Pale ale. seven days to brew and cleared up as expected seven days in the bottle. Then chilled but not
impressed much, still very flat.

Will these still finish off in the fridge or did I screw up by chilling to soon?

Thanks for any help
Troy

first off welcome to the borg :cheers:

since you let it ferment only 7 days, that is too little time. the prefered minimum time is 14 days in little brown keg(LBK). then 4 weeks in the bottle, BEFORE putting some in the fridge to drink.
glad you found this place now. you might have put it away (the kit that is) some people after they follow the Mr Beer instructions give up after the first batch for those reasons. but no need to quit, you found the beer borg now so just take those bottles out of the fridge and let them sit for 3 or 4 weeks then they should be nicer to drink. then only put what you wanna drink in the fridge for at least 2 or 3 days before drinking them. leave the rest at room temp to continue to condition.

[327 0]

Thanks for this write up. It answered some questions that I had before I attempt my first brew.

[yankeedag 24]

No Worries 327.
:borg: Welcome to the BeerBorg Information Center 327. You will be assimilated. Resistance is Quite Futile: WE have BEER.

[327 0]

When working the booster in, would it be a good idea to use a wisk for this? Or is a normal spoon fine.

[Guest System Admin]

I used a whisk, you have to aerate the LBK anyways.

[yankeedag 24]

I use a wisk as well. Just works better for me.

[Ekirch 0]

Great post. Thanks for the insights!

[Guest System Admin]

+1 on the voting!

[meenacta 0]

Tin Man wrote:

Hey Troy/meenacta,

First, Welcome to the Obsession! Don't give up, hopefully you'll still be fine. If I'm reading correctly you're saying you did 1 week in the LBK (Little Brown Keg) and then 1 week in the bottle, then put in the fridge. Everyone here will tell you that's not long enought to fully ferment, or carb/condition (which apparently you've read now).

I'd suggest pulling it back out of the fridge and leaving at room temp (68-72) for another 3 weeks. Then put 1 or 2 bottles in the fridge and see how it's coming along. In the mean time, go ahead and brew another batch and wait 2-3 weeks to ferment, 2 weeks to carb and 2 weeks to condition (at room temp), then chill.

Keep reading! Keep posting! Watch the videos! Keep Brewing!!

:charlie:

Tin Man

Hey Tin Man

I brought them back out and let them carb for more than a month
now. It really did the job, I've tested three since we last spoke.
The one yesterday really had nice bubbles in it, but the taste was not the best one, I think this batch was under fermented due to lack of time and wrong temp I have found my thermometer was off by 3 or 4 degree. But with that said I've been reading alot and have learned alot. Imperial pilsner now in LBK digital temp 55 in the cooler basement now with the vents closed. next up IP again the First Pitch Pilsner.

Thanks to all for the help
Troy

[stmag1300 0]

I wish that I would have read this before my first batch....It did however turn out better than expected and had a few thumbs up from friends as well. Batch number 2 has been sitting in the LBK for about a week now, but I was thinking of adding a can of puree to this batch of High County Canadian. I do need to buy another MBK just so I don't have to break down and buy some beer..

I did find that the last bottle of beer was the best! The 1st bottle went in the frig 2 wks after bottling. Then next bottle about every 3rd day. So I'll let my current batch sit for a min of 3 or 4 wks after bottling, before going to the frig.

[yankeedag 24]

"stmag1300" post=255853 said:

I wish that I would have read this before my first batch....It did however turn out better than expected and had a few thumbs up from friends as well. Batch number 2 has been sitting in the LBK for about a week now, but I was thinking of adding a can of puree to this batch of High County Canadian. I do need to buy another MBK just so I don't have to break down and buy some beer..

I did find that the last bottle of beer was the best! The 1st bottle went in the frig 2 wks after bottling. Then next bottle about every 3rd day. So I'll let my current batch sit for a min of 3 or 4 wks after bottling, before going to the frig.

:borg: Welcome to the BeerBorg Information Center stmag. You will be assimilated. Resistance is Quite Futile: We have Beer.
yep, seems letting it sit in the LBK for 14 to 21 days works, and then letting the beer sit in the bottle for a month helps a great deal. Brew on

[Brousenhaus 0]

Thanks for the post! I'm one week into brewing my first beer and this was a big help on how long I should wait and what to expect! Thanks again!

[Guest System Admin]

This guide was awesome and I'm glad I read it before I started to brew my first batch on May 5th. I've been watching the LBK bubble and the yeasties go flying around in there with amazement. It's like a science experiment that you can end up drinking! So, I'm going to wait at least 2 weeks before cold crashing and then bottling.

It's the waiting that sucks!!

Thanks for the great info!

[Zobl 1]

"Wings_Fan_In_KC" post=258988 said:

This guide was awesome and I'm glad I read it before I started to brew my first batch on May 5th. I've been watching the LBK bubble and the yeasties go flying around in there with amazement. It's like a science experiment that you can end up drinking! So, I'm going to wait at least 2 weeks before cold crashing and then bottling.

It's the waiting that sucks!!

Thanks for the great info!

Welcome to your new obsession!

GO WINGS!!! :drinking:

[ZiggyZag 0]

:borg:
Master YD, I know it sounds painful, but does the BORG need some updates to understand Mr B©'s new offerings and combos/ratios?
sorry for bringing it up, but after seeing some of the NOOB ?'s, thought of it.

[yankeedag 24]

well, we're in the testing phase now. So, as it stands, we're not quite sure what parts will change until the full brunt of the change is apparent.

[Koalabear 0]

Interesting that it is recommended not to go by the marks on the LBK, but to measure instead.

Very helpful post, thanks!!

[Ryjaz 0]

quick question from a complete noob. My two week mark on fermentation on my first batch is coming up this weekend and i got a hydrometer as a gift from my wife but I've never used one before. I googled around and got a good understanding of how to use it but the question I have still that wasn't covered in your guide is after I use the hydrometer, is it ok to put the beer used for testing back in the keg? Assuming everything is sterilized of course...

[genotype 1]

i sanitize my hydrometer and the sampling tube and then pour the beer gently back in

[parrothead68 0]

This is a great Q&A thread.
Thank you all for the support from a newbie who is pouring himself into this new hobby that is quickly becoming an obsession!
:cheers:

[Screwy Brewer 61]

Welcome aboard The Obsession parrothead68! If you're like the rest of us here you'll soon be awash in a sea of beer and setting sail on many great brewing adventures. There's lot's of information here and plenty of hands to help you get under way. You'll soon be producing some memorable beers and having a lot of fun too in the days ahead.

Navigate on over to our Advanced Brewing Techniques area of the forum and read over the

option=com_kunena&Itemid=124&func=view&catid=18&id=202417" target="_blank" title="http://community.mrbeer.com/index.php?

option=com_kunena&Itemid=124&func=view&catid=18&id=202417">'4 Things Every Brewer Should Know About Yeast'

sticky. Yeast is a living cell, keep them healthy and they'll ferment you up some awesome tasting beers.

Set your course and sail on over to our New Brewers and FAQs area of the forum and read over the 'Malt To Adjunct Ratios' sticky.

Remember for the best tasting beer you'll want no less than 66% of the alcohol to come from malts and no more than 33% of the alcohol to come from sugars or other adjuncts.

[OKRedLeg31 0]

This thread should be mandatory reading by all new brewers...I think I relearn something each time I scroll through---truly one of the most valuable posts (MVP!).

[BlackholeBrewer 0]

This was very informative I really appreciate all the great advice, can't wait to start brewing. I ordered the kit, I've been doing tons of research before I get my kit.. I want to avoid any possible errors, even though I know I will.

[Guest System Admin]

Welcome to the OBSESSION.

[BlackholeBrewer 0]

Thanks, I'm already obsessed and I haven't even got my kit yet.

[swenocha 280]

*bump*

[T8r Salad 63]

Thanks to YankeeDag as I read this every couple of months to refresh this old feeble mind.

A MUST read for all new brewers and a refresh read for the experienced ones as well.

To YankeeDag:

[attachment=11056]applaud2.png[/attachment]

[Guest System Admin]

great info... very informative!

[Bingman111 0]

Epic Post!

[Wings_Fan_In_KC 1]

Yes, we need to keep bumping it since it was removed from "sticky" status for some reason.

[Bingman111 0]

Bump it on up!

[Bingman111 0]

"Wings_Fan_In_KC" post=353059 said:

Yes, we need to keep bumping it since it was removed from "sticky" status for some reason.

What is sticky status?

[Bingman111 0]

Great post, epic post. Every new brewer needs to read this post. Mr. Beer should just put a lik to it in their instructions for all to read before they begin their first brew.

[Goodrum01 0]

Great Post...answered all my questions. Thanks

[yankeedag 24]

The sticky status was a perment post at the top that could be reviewed. It was removed during a upgrade.

[menke0687 0]

Hi Im new here.  If i put my beer in fridge to early would it be ok to pull out and let it finish conditioning?  Put some in at one week and some at two.

[RickBeer 6,360]

Pull them all out.  FOUR WEEKS at room temp.  The time in the fridge doesn't count, yeast goes to sleep.  

[raiderrob67 2]

Thanks, lots of great info here. I am going to be using one of those slim line water jugs as a secondary to cold crash my batch of Canadian draft. I will then be batch priming in another slim line that is perfect for a bottling bucket as the position of the spigot will allow me to recover every last drop of the golden nectar.

[haerbob3 31]

[yankeedag 24]

haerbob3...wazzup? you looked depressed.

[BMFBlues 2]

I think the Rogue Brewers link is dead. I can't get it to come up. Suggestions?

[FILM_DUDE001 0]

My first Blog ever anywhere, so please forgive but uestion is: Does Mr. Beer have a Boubon Barrell stout, lager or ALE,  or PORTER recipe please?

[zorak1066 1,464]

film dude...

 

go to www.mrbeer.com

 

point your mouse on the tab that says RECIPES.

 

look in the column 'BY STYLE'

 

click whatever strikes your fancy...

 

Welcome!

[JoshR 4,702]

My first Blog ever anywhere, so please forgive but uestion is: Does Mr. Beer have a Boubon Barrell stout, lager or ALE,  or PORTER recipe please?

We don't, but I can put one together for you if you wish. The closest thing we have is the Wicked Winter Warmer, but it doesn't use oak chips.

http://www.mrbeer.com/wicked-winter-warmer-recipe

[swenocha 280]

[Slim50 10]

Simple guide lines = 9 pages

That just seems funny !

Thanks for all the info, seems to be working for me !!!

[Nickfixit 4,033]

I think this is a good thread for this blog too This site was referenced on another thread, but this particular entry on beer making I think is relevant and a nice read.

What I refer to as Mad Scientist - he refers to as Jackson Pollack recipes - a very appropriate term.  He also mentions some things I really want to try - like  Vermont Ale Yeast from The Yeast Bay,  maybe with the WDA HME?

 

http://brulosophy.com/2015/03/30/7-considerations-for-making-better-homebrew/

[Bhob 110]

What happens if you put in too much yeast?

[JoshR 4,702]

What happens if you put in too much yeast?

 

Nothing. The leftover yeast will simply precipitate to the bottom. In extreme cases, you might get some yeasty flavors in the final product. The more common worst case scenario is that you just wasted yeast.

[Bhob 110]

Thanks Josh, I was thinking of making the Wild Wheat using the Safbrew WB-06 Dry Wheat Yeast but I don't know how the amounts compare to the std stuff under the lid. Should I use 1 or two of the WB-06?

[JoshR 4,702]

Thanks Josh, I was thinking of making the Wild Wheat using the Safbrew WB-06 Dry Wheat Yeast but I don't know how the amounts compare to the std stuff under the lid. Should I use 1 or two of the WB-06?

 

Just use 1. They are good for up to 6 gallons.

[Cuban IPA 55]

Excellent post! Love the Star Trek intro..classic!

[lilyalvin 3]

Thanks for briefing this long...... Definitely looking forward to it 

[MiniYoda 1,978]

having been a member of different forums of different topics from cars to video games to travel, I always search for a beginners tread.  This is by far an excellent starting point for anyone who just ordered or is about to order their first Mr. Beer kit.  Thanks to all who have posted to this thread, and especially to the originator

[RickBeer 6,360]

It is.  Take a look at some of the threads in my signature too.

[RL46219 1]

Thank you!

[Splorchwart 2]

Great post.  Answered most of my newbie questions.  Would have been nice to see this before the my first and second batches.  That's what I get for waiting to read the forums.  Now I'm ready for batch number three.  And after reading this most of batch number two will continue to condition a little longer.  

[Dev 9]

It's probably here somewhere, but I guess I missed it. Noob question. I just set my first batch (Churchill's Nut Brown) to ferment last weekend. When I'm ready to bottle, how full do I go with the included bottles in my kit? Also, I read one post that said put the sugar in before the beer when you're bottling, to avoid foaming. Does that still apply when using the carbonation drops?

[JoshR 4,702]

9 minutes ago, Dev said:

It's probably here somewhere, but I guess I missed it. Noob question. I just set my first batch (Churchill's Nut Brown) to ferment last weekend. When I'm ready to bottle, how full do I go with the included bottles in my kit? Also, I read one post that said put the sugar in before the beer when you're bottling, to avoid foaming. Does that still apply when using the carbonation drops?

 

Fill them about 1.5-2 inches from the top. ALWAYS add your priming sugar first.

[planewrench 29]

On 3/22/2017 at 0:13 PM, MRB Josh R said:

Fill them about 1.5-2 inches from the top. ALWAYS add your priming sugar first.

Uh oh!. I was bottling a brew about three weeks ago and ran out of bottles. I sanitized a couple and filled them with beer. I realized just before I capped them I forgot the priming sugar. I added it anyway. Are these bottles going to go tango uniform?

[JoshR 4,702]

3 hours ago, planewrench said:

Uh oh!. I was bottling a brew about three weeks ago and ran out of bottles. I sanitized a couple and filled them with beer. I realized just before I capped them I forgot the priming sugar. I added it anyway. Are these bottles going to go tango uniform?

 

No, they will be fine. I have forgotten in the past, too. It's just always best practice to add them first.

[Marius 100]

There is a lot of great information here and I am trying to soak it all in.....But nervous newbie question coming.. I wanted to know more about conditioning temperatures. I hope to brew throughout the year but am concerned about Summer temps. I plan to store my bottled beer away in a dark closet with ambient temperatures inside my house averaging 73-75. Will that be too warm? 

[RickBeer 6,360]

Your concerns should be on FERMENTING temperatures, not conditioning.

 

73-75 is perfect for conditioning.

 

For fermenting, mid 60s is great for the WORT temp, not the air temp.  Since an active fermentation can gain 6 - 10 degrees, you need an environment where the air temp is ideally in the lower 60s.  Or a cooler where you monitor wort temp and add frozen water bottles to lower the temperature during active fermentation.

[Marius 100]

Thanks- this forum has been a great help. I am preparing my low tech fermentation cooler (igloo with frozen bottles). Just wanted to be sure the conditioning will be fine. Not trying to do any kind of lager or cold conditioning at this point. Hoping that my IPA fermented OK without the cooling chest. That will be ready for bottling next week after cold crash. looking to start an Irish Stout next so maybe will be ready for St. Paddys Day!!