Mr. Beer Brew Question

[AntiFreze]

Well I brewed my cranberry maibock yesterday. I went to a brewing supply store and picked up 11.5g packet of a dry pale ale yeast. There wasn't a hop boil but there was a 2min full boil for the cinammon stick, allspice berries, and honey. I tossed the MB yeast in there at that time.(since yeast is cannibalistic, and makes for good food for the other yeast) I hope that 2 minutes killed it.

After I poured everything into the keg, I had to eyeball the dry yeast, but I'm pretty sure I got very near the 2grams necessary.

This morning I checked and there was a large froth/head on top. about 1.5-2 inches. Something is working in there.

Will it cause a problem if I put too much yeast in there? or if my boil didn't kill the MB yeast?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It might cause the vapor lock to blow but temp also has a lot to do with it. Unfortunately, at this point, all you can do is keep an eye on it. You might put a plastic garbage bag over the top just in case.

I'm glad that the lower cost of the Mr. Beer kits has gotten more people to try brewing but as you've discovered, there are problems with brewing such tiny batches. Given the amount of time required and the standardized kits available to make 5 gallon batches, I definitely recommend getting some 6 gallon buckets from your brew supply shop and upping your batch size.

Maibocks like it low and slow. In other words, slower yeast growth in cooler temps. I can recommend White Labs WLP830 German Lager Yeast

 

[AntiFreze]

But, I don't have to worry about the beer going south (infected)? That's good news. I'm keeping my house at 75 degrees. The fermenter is in a styrophome cooler, with 2 frozen water bottles in it (lowers the temp by 4 degrees). So hopefully at ~71 it will go good. I'll quickly loosen and tighten the lid if I start to notice no room to expand.

The guide said it could explode. do they mean explode or crack and leak everywhere?

 

[Beattie]

75 degrees is too hot for a lager. Try fermenting at like 50 and then lagering at 35. I am not familiar with the mrbeer thing but by "explode" they mean a lot of pressure. That could blow out airlocks or crack the container to relieve the force. You really should have boiled it for longer... usually 15 mins for sterilization is the rule of thumb but it can be forgiving so it's probably fine. And there's not really a way to put "too much yeast" with just a packet or whatever. Beer like big starters.

Finally, the fact that there's activity that you can see means it's working. Congrats.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
But, I don't have to worry about the beer going south (infected)? That's good news. I'm keeping my house at 75 degrees. The fermenter is in a styrophome cooler, with 2 frozen water bottles in it (lowers the temp by 4 degrees). So hopefully at ~71 it will go good. I'll quickly loosen and tighten the lid if I start to notice no room to expand.

The guide said it could explode. do they mean explode or crack and leak everywhere?

You don't have to worry about the beer going south if your equipment was properly cleaned out.

Are you telling me the Mr. Beer kit does not have a vapor lock? This is a BAD idea! When the guide said explode, they meant KaBloooie! Everyone who's brewed for a while has had at least one batch blow up. Picture every square inch of the room your fermenter is in covered with wort (floor, walls, ceiling, appliances, cupboards, doors, windows). Get the picture?

 

[KB]

Originally posted by: AntiFreze

The guide said it could explode. do they mean explode or crack and leak everywhere?

Speaking from wine-making experience, if your fermenter has an air-lock that allows gas out, then it should never explode. If your fermenter isn't letting gas out then it could crack, but it would most likely just blow the top off.




I am going to steal the thread to ask some of my own questions about Mr Beer kits. I did a Canadian Draft and didn't get any foam/head on the ferment. It was fermenting fine as I could see bubbles rising, but didn't get any foam. Temps were 68 - 73 and I used enough yeast for 5 gallons. Why?

I put the proper amount of priming sugar in the bottle, but don't see any signs of a secondary ferment? Should I see something?

 

[imported_Section8]

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
Well I brewed my cranberry maibock yesterday. I went to a brewing supply store and picked up 11.5g packet of a dry pale ale yeast. There wasn't a hop boil but there was a 2min full boil for the cinammon stick, allspice berries, and honey. I tossed the MB yeast in there at that time.(since yeast is cannibalistic, and makes for good food for the other yeast) I hope that 2 minutes killed it.

After I poured everything into the keg, I had to eyeball the dry yeast, but I'm pretty sure I got very near the 2grams necessary.

This morning I checked and there was a large froth/head on top. about 1.5-2 inches. Something is working in there.

Will it cause a problem if I put too much yeast in there? or if my boil didn't kill the MB yeast?

OP, you say you used pale ale yeast. Maibock or Hellesbock is a lager and should be fermented with lager yeast. This style should be fermented @55F for a week and then @68F for 6 to 8 weeks. If you used ale yeast then you are going to have an ale and your 75F temp is ok for that. How many gallons are you making?

 

[AntiFreze]

Originally posted by: Beattie
75 degrees is too hot for a lager. Try fermenting at like 50 and then lagering at 35. I am not familiar with the mrbeer thing but by "explode" they mean a lot of pressure. That could blow out airlocks or crack the container to relieve the force. You really should have boiled it for longer... usually 15 mins for sterilization is the rule of thumb but it can be forgiving so it's probably fine. And there's not really a way to put "too much yeast" with just a packet or whatever. Beer like big starters.

Finally, the fact that there's activity that you can see means it's working. Congrats.

It's a maibock, using ale yeast, so I won't be lagering it. I'll be conditioning it (i believe is whats it called"

Are you telling me the Mr. Beer kit does not have a vapor lock? This is a BAD idea!

The fermenter has a screw on lid, that has to slits on the side, to provide some ventilation. If you turned the fermeneter upside down, beer would leak out.

Picture every square inch of the room your fermenter is in covered with wort (floor, walls, ceiling, appliances, cupboards, doors, windows).

That's scary.... what to do.. what to do.... wouldn't putting a garbage bag around it cause the heat to go up inside? (i would assume that brewing creates heat).

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: KB

Originally posted by: AntiFreze

The guide said it could explode. do they mean explode or crack and leak everywhere?

Speaking from wine-making experience, if your fermenter has an air-lock that allows gas out, then it should never explode. If your fermenter isn't letting gas out then it could crack, but it would most likely just blow the top off.




I am going to steal the thread to ask some of my own questions about Mr Beer kits. I did a Canadian Draft and didn't get any foam/head on the ferment. It was fermenting fine as I could see bubbles rising, but didn't get any foam. Temps were 68 - 73 and I used enough yeast for 5 gallons. Why?

I put the proper amount of priming sugar in the bottle, but don't see any signs of a secondary ferment? Should I see something?

It all depends on the ingredients and yeast. I have had anywhere from full eruption out of my vapor lock to barely any visual change.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

With rapid yeast growth and hops added for flavor and/or aroma left in the wort, almost any airlock/vapor lock can become clogged. When this happens, if you're lucky, the airlock/vapor lock will blow out. If you are not lucky, the airlock/vapor lock will not blow out and the entire lid or casing of the fermenter will literally blow apart. This can happen in as short a time as 8 hours as in while you are at work.

KB, the amount of hops and or other plant additives have a great deal to do with the amount of foam created as does temp of fermentation. Fermentation will proceed normally without any foam appearing.

Priming sugar is added before bottling to cause carbonation not, before transferring to a secondary fermenter. The purpose of the secondary fermenter is merely to decant the beer off the dormant yeast at the bottom to aid in clarifying and to help prevent additional bitterness. Depending on the type of yeast used, it takes anywhere from 5 days to a month or more for good carbonation after bottling.

 

[AntiFreze]

Originally posted by: Section8

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
Well I brewed my cranberry maibock yesterday. I went to a brewing supply store and picked up 11.5g packet of a dry pale ale yeast. There wasn't a hop boil but there was a 2min full boil for the cinammon stick, allspice berries, and honey. I tossed the MB yeast in there at that time.(since yeast is cannibalistic, and makes for good food for the other yeast) I hope that 2 minutes killed it.

After I poured everything into the keg, I had to eyeball the dry yeast, but I'm pretty sure I got very near the 2grams necessary.

This morning I checked and there was a large froth/head on top. about 1.5-2 inches. Something is working in there.

Will it cause a problem if I put too much yeast in there? or if my boil didn't kill the MB yeast?

OP, you say you used pale ale yeast. Maibock or Hellesbock is a lager and should be fermented with lager yeast. This style should be fermented @55F for a week and then @68F for 6 to 8 weeks. If you used ale yeast then you are going to have an ale and your 75F temp is ok for that. How many gallons are you making?

I did not know that. I'm positive that I bought a pale ale yeast from the supply store. The Mr. Beer website said this in the description:

"A light, tangy ale that features crisp malt and tart fruit. It begins with a surprising tartness and ends with warmth. Reminiscent of a mulled wine, only better: it's beer! "

That's why I chose an ale yeast. This beer gets to 8.5% - can a lager get that high?

The Mr. Beer kit makes 2 gallons of beer.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: AntiFreze

Originally posted by: Section8

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
Well I brewed my cranberry maibock yesterday. I went to a brewing supply store and picked up 11.5g packet of a dry pale ale yeast. There wasn't a hop boil but there was a 2min full boil for the cinammon stick, allspice berries, and honey. I tossed the MB yeast in there at that time.(since yeast is cannibalistic, and makes for good food for the other yeast) I hope that 2 minutes killed it.

After I poured everything into the keg, I had to eyeball the dry yeast, but I'm pretty sure I got very near the 2grams necessary.

This morning I checked and there was a large froth/head on top. about 1.5-2 inches. Something is working in there.

Will it cause a problem if I put too much yeast in there? or if my boil didn't kill the MB yeast?

OP, you say you used pale ale yeast. Maibock or Hellesbock is a lager and should be fermented with lager yeast. This style should be fermented @55F for a week and then @68F for 6 to 8 weeks. If you used ale yeast then you are going to have an ale and your 75F temp is ok for that. How many gallons are you making?

I did not know that. I'm positive that I bought a pale ale yeast from the supply store. The Mr. Beer website said this in the description:

"A light, tangy ale that features crisp malt and tart fruit. It begins with a surprising tartness and ends with warmth. Reminiscent of a mulled wine, only better: it's beer! "

That's why I chose an ale yeast. This beer gets to 8.5% - can a lager get that high?

The Mr. Beer kit makes 2 gallons of beer.

Yes, lagers can easily get to 8.5% ABV. Half the fun of brewing is experimenting with different yeasts. It's all personal taste there is no one 'right' yeast for a particular brew.

 

[AntiFreze]

so its fine that i used an ale yeast instead of a lager yeast?

 

[AntiFreze]

I'm just sitting here worrying that it will/has exploded....

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Yes, ale yeast is fine. Lagering simply refers to the process of fermentation at a lower temp. typically between 55 and 68 degrees. Beer is truly hard to botch up as long as you have clean equipment and good ingredients. So, keep an eye on the batch, go get some larger buckets and vapor locks and, start your next brew!

 

[AntiFreze]

well, it was cleaned/sanitized thoroughly. Used high qaulity dry yeast, high quality orange marmalade, oceanspray whole cranberry sauce, local honey, organic cinammon sticks, allspice berries, and the Mr. Beer hopped extracts.

Everything (including measuring spoon/cup, spoon, blender, etc.) got a good 15min soak in the one-step sanitizer. Let just hope that my walls are still white when I get home.

 

[daveshel]

I've never tried a Mr Beer kit, but I've done half a dozen partial grain extract kits (5 gallon batches). On the 3rd batch my airlock got clogged with kreusen and the lid blew off. The next couple batches I used a blow-off tube stuck in a kettle of sanitizer. The last batch (yesterday) I went back to the airlock, which I had modified by removing the webbing at the bottom. It was bubbling away when I left for work today - at this point my concern is keeping the fermenter below 75, as it is getting hot here already.

 

[sjwaste]

I've never made beer, but I've fermented wines in an apartment. Beer tends to make the whole place stink, whereas a few gallons of wine are ok. Anyhow, my solution was to always use a small storage closet for a few reasons -- first, the door doesn't open often, so temperature is more stable in there; second, if it leaks/explodes, I only have a closet to clean; and last, it's dark in there, which is good iirc.

In addition to that, I always used gallon jugs, punched a hole in the top and ran aquarium tube to a pot of water to use as an airlock, and sealed the lid down with whatever I could (usually thick plastic tape). It usually worked pretty well, and it had a built in weak spot in case it ever did give. Maybe give that a shot net time you do a batch if you're worried.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: sjwaste
I've never made beer, but I've fermented wines in an apartment. Beer tends to make the whole place stink, whereas a few gallons of wine are ok. Anyhow, my solution was to always use a small storage closet for a few reasons -- first, the door doesn't open often, so temperature is more stable in there; second, if it leaks/explodes, I only have a closet to clean; and last, it's dark in there, which is good iirc.

In addition to that, I always used gallon jugs, punched a hole in the top and ran aquarium tube to a pot of water to use as an airlock, and sealed the lid down with whatever I could (usually thick plastic tape). It usually worked pretty well, and it had a built in weak spot in case it ever did give. Maybe give that a shot net time you do a batch if you're worried.

While fermenting, beer doesn't smell at all. While boiling the wort, the house is filled with the delightful maltiness of the grain and spicy over tone of the hops. What's not to like? For those aroma challenged folk, I recommend using a turkey fryer outside. Not only does it get you outside but, the fryer burner has a much higher BTU output which brings the wort to a boil a whole lot quicker thus reducing prep time.

 

[daveshel]

Originally posted by: AntiFreze
Let just hope that my walls are still white when I get home.

I have a brewing buddy who loves to tell the story of how he had a 6.5 gallon glass carboy explode in his living room. Every inch of the room was covered in ejecta, and there weren't even any big pieces of glass left. There was a dog in the room who somehow survived.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The tension builds! Will the yeasties wax triumphant and spew forth their sugar consuming glory or, lie quiescent troubled only by the occasional burble of subterranean relief? Will the pristine walls stand stark and pure or, be slathered in spent malt? Stay tuned for the next installment of ... Beer in Space!

 

[Beattie]

If this is your first batch, don't worry about the types of yeast, temps and all that. Just do it and have fun. There's plenty of time to experiment and learn on the next batch.

 

[AntiFreze]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
The tension builds! Will the yeasties wax triumphant and spew forth their sugar consuming glory or, lie quiescent troubled only by the occasional burble of subterranean relief? Will the pristine walls stand stark and pure or, be slathered in spent malt? Stay tuned for the next installment of ... Beer in Space!

You win. End.

 

[AntiFreze]

hehe, this is my 2nd batch. but my 1st "real" batch. The 1st one was boil water, add booster pack, add extract, ferment, bottle, drink..

My house is set to 75, so I think im going to move it into a bathroom that we dont use, fill the bottom with water, put a towel around the fermenter (so it stays wet and cool), and keep some from water bottles in the water. That should drop it to a nice 70 degrees or so. Just needs to last another 3 hours.... unless it already esploded.

7.5 hours ago, it had the 2 inches of foam, with about 2-3 inches left to expand..... im nervous.

 

[AntiFreze]

UPDATE:

I have some gurgling out the top, which I've heard is normal, but to take some extra precautions I put it into an unused bathroom's bathtub. I filled the bottom of the cooler with water, and draped 2 towels over it (front side and back side - not over the lid). I also moved my temp to 74. I believe that it being 74, water, wet towels, 1 frozen water bottle, and the lid on in the dark should keep my fermenter at... 70 or so?

Well, I went in there later and it was leaking bad and hissing, so I released some pressure, and came back 30min later. It was worse, so I made a quick batch of sanitized water and removed the lid and cleaned the slits. 45min later, the top blew off. So I used the sanitized water and cleaned the rim and the lid again and placed it loosely on.

After the night, it seems to be fine - not so much built up pressure.

... sorry for long post, but any advice? how long should it ferment, is this normal, is my beer probably infected?