Mr. Beer DIY Brewing Kit Review

Beer Brewing Kit / By beerbelly

Who is Mr. Beer?

Mr. Beer is all about making homebrewing easy and consistent. Mr. Beer want to help you take it to the next level. To help with this, Mr. Beer continue to add new malts, and introducing recipe formulations. Mr. Beer are not new to this as they were the first to have 800 number support and online chat. You could say that Mr. Beer was way ahead of its time when it came to small batch brewing! By mid 2000, Mr. Beer introduced an easier to use website, beer of the month club, and the introduction of cider. Again, well before today’s cider craze!

What is Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit?

It is common knowledge that many brewers started with a Mr. Beer Kit. Some moved on to larger-scale brewing with all grains and even launched their own breweries. However, all can agree that the simplest way to begin home brewing is with Mr. Beer. Mr. Beer are the only homebrewing company that is owned by an actual brewery who understands beer “from grain to glass.”

Mr. Beer’s Complete home brewing Kits include everything you need to brew and bottle 2 gallons of great tasting beer with the compact Little Brown Keg fermenter. Starter Kits contain everything but bottles. Mr. Beer selected the most popular beer styles for our beginner kits. Don’t hesitate. You can brew this.

Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit is one of the best beer kit for beginners. Their beer kits are designed for the first-time brewer in mind Step-by-step instructions, simple ingredients and easy to use brewing equipment. This kit is so efficient that it will only takes 30 Minutes of your time to brew. Using Mr. Beer’s hopped Malt extract you can brew up a batch of beer in less than 30 minutes.

How to Brew with Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit?

Tools and Ingredients Preparation

Most of the stuff you need will actually came with the kit, however there are things that you are going to need to brew the beer. Don’t worry, it will just some normal kitchen stuff that you might already have in your kitchen or garage. Here are the list of things that you might need to get beforehand:

Bottles & Caps for 256 oz / 8 litres of beer (This depend, if you buy the starter kit, you might need to have or buy additional bottles to bottle your beer)
(2) Gallons of Refrigerated Water (For brewing extract)
1-Gallon Container (To mix cleaning solution during bottling)
4-Quart or Larger Pot
Plastic Spoon/Whisk
Can Opener
Measuring Cup
Large Mixing Bowl

Spigot Assembly

Place washer on the spigot with the beveled washer is outside of the keg.
Then screw on the nut inside the keg.
Gently hand tighten but be careful to not over tighten.
Test the keg for leaks by filling it completely with water and letting it sit for 15-30 minutes.

If your keg does leak please contact Mr. Beer Support for a replacement.

Cleaning and Sanitizing

Cleaning is one of the most important steps in brewing. It kills microscopic bacteria, wild yeast and molds that may cause off-flavors in your beer. Make certain to clean all equipment that comes in contact with your beer by following the directions below.

Fill clean keg with warm water to line mark 1 on the back, then add ½ pack (about 1 tablespoon) of No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved.
Once dissolved, the solution is ready to use.
Save the remaining ½ of No-Rinse Cleanser because you will need it for bottling.
Screw on lid and swirl the keg so that the cleaning solution makes contact with the entire interior of the keg, including the underside of the lid.
Note that the ventilation notches under the lid may leak solution.
Allow to sit for at least 2 minutes and swirl again.
Pour the rest of the solution from the keg into a large bowl.
Place your spoon/whisk, can opener and measuring cup into the bowl to keep them clean throughout the brewing process.
Leave them immersed for at least 2 minutes in cleaning solution prior to using.
After all surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned, do not rinse or dry the keg or utensils.
Return lid to top of keg and proceed immediately to brewing.

Brewing

There are four ingredients needed to produce beer. They are malted barley, hops, water and yeast. Mixing malted barley, hops and water produces what is called wort (pronounced wert). This can be messy, time consuming and difficult to control. Mr. Beer simplifies the process with all-natural, hopped brewing extract that is produced by Master Brewers at Coopers Brewery. This ensures that you can consistently produce great tasting beer in a short amount of time.

It will take approximately 30 minutes to mix the brewing extract with water and add yeast. This will begin the fermentation process where the yeast breaks down the sugars to produce alcohol. Fermentation will be complete in about 10 – 14 days. Please follow the detailed instructions below.

Remove the yeast packet from under the lid of the can of brewing extract, then remove the label from the can.
Place the unopened can in hot tap water.
Using a clean measuring cup, pour 4 cups of water into your 4-quart or larger pot.
If Booster Packs are included, add them slowly while stirring the cool water until dissolved.
Bring water to a boil, and then remove pot from heat.
Open the can of brewing extract from the bottom of the can and pour it into the pot.
Stir until thoroughly mixed. This mixture is the wort.
Fill the keg with cold water to line mark 1 on the back.
The water must be cold (ideally from the refrigerator) with a temperature of 40-55°F/4-12°C.
For the best results, we recommend using bottled spring water or filtered tap water.
Pour the wort into the keg and then bring the volume of the keg up to line mark 2 by adding more cold water.
Mix vigorously with the plastic spoon/ whisk.
Be careful to not scratch the inside of the keg, which could create small spaces for bacteria to grow.
Sprinkle the entire yeast packet into the keg and then screw on the lid.
Do not stir.
Allow the keg to sit for 10 – 14 days.

The Wait

Store the keg in a cool, dark place between 68-78°F/20-26°C for the yeast to work properly. The ideal temperature range is 70-72°F/21-22°C. After a few days the foam and activity will subside and your batch will appear to be dormant. However, the yeast is still at work, slowly finishing the fermentation process. Allow the fermentation 10 – 14 days to ensure the process is complete.

WARNING: Do not open the keg lid at any time during the fermentation process because oxygen from the air can spoil the beer.

Bottling

After 10 days, taste a small sample to determine if the beer is fully fermented and ready to bottle. If it tastes like flat beer, it is ready. If it’s sweet, then it’s not ready. Let it ferment for 4 more days (14 total). It is now time to bottle and add carbonation drops (carb drops). Do not let it sit in the fermenter for longer than 21 days total.

Bottles: Your kit may not include bottles and caps, but you have options. You will need enough bottles to hold a total volume of 256 ounces/8 liters. We recommend Mr. Beer’s 12 pack of 25 oz./740 mL bottles. These bottles are great because they are large enough to reduce bottling time and small enough to equal 2 servings. They are compatible with the carbonation drops included with your kit. You might be interested in Mr. Beer’s bottling wand which makes bottling even easier. You can also use other bottles and caps that are designed to hold carbonated beverages.

Carbonation: Your kit may include carb drops that will naturally carbonate beer in bottles. This causes the remaining yeast to metabolize into carbon dioxide (CO2).

Follow the directions below for bottling & carbonating with Mr. Beer’s 25 oz. / 740 mL. bottles.

Fill a 1-gallon container with warm water, add the remaining ½ pack of No-Rinse Cleanser and stir until dissolved.
Use this to clean the bottles.
Distribute the cleaning solution equally among the bottles.
Screw on caps and shake bottles vigorously.
Allow to sit 2 minutes, then shake the bottles again.
Remove caps and empty all cleaning solution into a large bowl.
Use this solution to clean any other equipment you may be using for bottling.
Do not rinse.
Add 2 carbonation drops to each 25 oz / 740 mL. bottle.
Fill each bottle at an angle with the spigot nozzle inside the bottle to prevent foaming and oxidation.
Fill to 1 inch from the top.
Then screw on caps tightly.
Note that different bottle sizes require a different ratio of carb drops. For example, 12 oz. bottles use ¾ of a drop and 16 oz. bottles use 1 drop. Pill cutters work great to cut the drops to the appropriate size.

Carbonation and Conditioning

Make sure to keep out of direct sunlight. If the bottles are exposed to colder temperatures (below 70°F/21°C) they will take much longer to carbonate. If they are exposed to warmer temperatures (over 78°F/26°C) off-flavors may be produced. The ideal carbonation time is 14 days. The beer is now ready and should be refrigerated for 48 hours before drinking to stabilize the carbonation.

Additional Tips

After the primary carbonation has taken place and your beer is ready to drink, we recommend putting a bottle in the refrigerator. After 48 hrs. give it a try and if you like it, refrigerate the rest. If it does not taste quite right, leave the bottles out at room temp for another week. Keep following this method until your brew tastes just how you like it. This process is called conditioning and during this time the yeast left in your beer can help clean up any off flavors.

Almost everything gets a little better with time and so will your beer.

Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit Refill Styles

Standard & Deluxe Refills

Mr. BEER CLASSIC AMERICAN LIGHT STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Pale straw color, mild in flavor and lighter bodied with a crisp, dry finish. A true to character representation of our nation’s favorite beer style. Serve ice cold for a clean, refreshing taste that has passed the test of time.
Mr. BEER AMERICAN LAGER STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Rich golden color, an exceptionally well balanced full malt flavor, and mild bitterness with a subtle hint of finishing hop aroma. This beer is the perfect example of the typical American lager style, and is a great beer for all occasions.
Mr. BEER AMERICAN PORTER STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Dark mahogany color, medium body with roasted caramel malt character, mild bitterness and a creamy head.
Mr. BEER AMERICAN ALE STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Rich golden color, light toasty malt character with a citrusy hop aroma and crisp bitterness.
Mr. BEER ST. PATRICK’S IRISH STOUT STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – An authentic blend of grainy roasted malt, malted barley and hops. This is a rich, dark brew exhibiting coffee and chocolate aromas, a perfectly balanced, roasted bitter character and dry finish.
Mr. BEER OKTOBERFEST LAGER STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Also referred to as Märzenbier, this malty, deep amber-colored beer features a smooth body, toffee-like malt richness, and a full, biscuit like bouquet. Sample the celebrated beer of Munich’s world famous Oktoberfest.
Mr. BEER GRAND BOHEMIAN CZECH PILSNER STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – A characteristically bright golden pilsner brewed using premium pale malt, displaying traditional spicy Saaz hop aroma and a dry, refreshing bitter finish.
Mr. BEER CANADIAN BLONDE STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Lightly colored, a clean, fresh palate, well balanced with subtle hop notes and a crisp finish. This is a classic easy drinking Canadian style beer.
Mr. BEER BAVARIAN WEISSBIER STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Pale gold in color with a subtle fruity flavor and a soft clove palate, this is a favorite beer of Bavaria, Southern Germany. Just add a slice of lime or orange for the ultimate zesty thirst quencher.
Mr. BEER AZTEC MEXICAN CERVEZA STANDARD & DELUXE REFILL – Light gold color, clean refreshing taste with a crisp finish. This is a classic Mexican style beer best served ice cold.

Craft Refills

Mr. BEER AMERICAN GOLDEN ALE COMPLETE CRAFT REFILL – The Golden Age of Beer is here. Clean, full-bodied and well balanced with American hops, this will soon become your “go-to” beer. Some beers are seasonal, this is not – it is made for every day. Cheers.
Mr. BEER NORTHWEST PALE ALE COMPLETE CRAFT REFILL – A classic US craft style, this pale ale is a rich amber color with a full malt character. A highly refreshing woodsy hop aroma and clean bite make this beer a standout. It’s a genuine craft classic.
Mr. BEER BEWITCHED AMBER ALE COMPLETE CRAFT REFILL – She’s feisty, this one, but not too bitter. Showcasing vibrant amber hues, velvety smooth caramel malt character, even bitterness and delicate citrus hop aroma, this amber ale epitomizes the characteristics that make this style a microbrewery standard.
Mr. BEER LONG PLAY IPA COMPLETE CRAFT REFILL – Long Play IPA delivers the variety’s hallmark hoppy flavor in a world-class, drinkable session brew. This beer is the perfect compliment to a late night jam session, a weekend BBQ, or just a relaxing evening with friends after a hard days work. With its golden caramel color, floral aromas, and signature IPA intense bitter finish, friends will have a hard time believing you brewed this beer yourself.
Mr. BEER DIABLO IPA COMPLETE CRAFT REFILL – A fiendishly hopped American IPA. Fiery amber in color with intense mouthfeel, displaying a blend of floral spice and stonefruit aromas with a firm and lingering bitter finish. For those not afraid of hops!

Other Refills

Mr. BEER HARD APPLE CIDER REFILL – This 100% Gluten Free Hard Apple Cider is a bold, crisp hard cider that’s a perfect treat for any time! Made by fermenting our apple concentrate, it has a bold taste with a crisp, refreshing edge that’s lighter than beer. Serve ice cold and enjoy.
Mr. ROOTBEER REFILL PACK – Root Beer refills for Mr. Beer Kit.

Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit Review

Mr Beer kits can come out quite tasty. We did several and they all came out good. Maybe not “great” as in the result of all grain brew by a proper brewmasters, but still good enough, all things considered. We’d suggest using spring water when brewing with Mr. Beer kit.

Another thing that we love is the Mr. Beer keg for doing small batches and splitting up batches for experimentation, so it does have some uses. The bottles are fine for if you don’t have enough regular glass bottles for a particular batch, but we’d rather use glass bottles.

All that being said, if you catch the brewing bug with a Mr. Beer kit, you’ll soon wish you had gone for a bigger and better setup anyway. Extract brewing with dried or liquid extract and hops pellets (and possibly steeping grains) can make some damn fantastic beers without a lot of setup or technological know-how. Probably just go for it with a 5 gallon setup right off the bat and you’ll be better off.

In summary. Mr.Beer may not be perfect, but all details aside, it has brought more people into the hobby that any other product primarily because it is inexpensive, and provides the equipment, ingredients, instructions and support to make their first batch of beer. Some people simply are not going to purchase a gift, or invest $150+++ into a hobby until they know the user want to pursue it.

Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Lower entry price point for 2-gallon barrel kits	No warranty and 20% restocking fee for returns
Large variety of beer styles and flavors using proprietary brew mix	Some refills are on the more expensive side
Squeezable plastic bottles to see if beer is carbonated and ready for consumption	Plastic fermenter can seem lower quality than glass (although they claim it’s shatter proof)
No-rinse cleanser that disinfects bottles and equipment included
“How to” videos and online knowledge base for extra guidance
Experienced company that has been in the home brewing market for 20+ years (handful of customers have since started their own breweries)

Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference of the premium gold edition from the brewmasters edition?

The brewmasters kit comes with craft beer refills and the premium gold comes with standard beer refills. Craft beers are more like your microbrew beers, and standard beers would be more like your Miller, and Coors beers. The craft beers cost a little more. If you go to the Mr. beer website they will have more details. If you are just wanting to see if you are interested in the process of making your own beer I would go with the cheaper premium gold edition if you don’t want the extra stuff, then if you like making your own beer you can order the craft refills.

Can you make the brew start to finish with everything included in this kit? or are there numerous items you must also buy to make the beer?

No you can brew your own beer from start to finish with this kit. There is nothing else that needs to be purchased to make the beer. Just make sure you follow the instructions correctly and you will be fine on brewing your own beer.

What the percentage of alcohol in the beer? and how can we control it?

The percentage is very low, like 3.5%. It’s a very basic system so controlling shouldn’t be an issue.

Is the fermenter’s lid supposed to come with a gasket? I just received mine and it did not have one and when I put the lid on to rinse it it leaked.

Let it LEAK! it needs to vent off CO2 and if you prevent that it could pressurize and rupture the keg. So no gasket and ensure the two small slits in the keg lid collar are clear. When sanitizing the keg, hold it upside down and if water leaks out you are good to go.

Does it make its own Carbonation?

There are carbo Drops (sugar pills) that will allow carbonation. You can use anything yeast will eat (I have used the supplied carbo drops, table sugar and Agave syrup, all worked fine). I will say two things, first the basic kits (or the one I made) did not have great head retention (it carbonated fine, but like other said dissipated quickly). Other “upgrade” kits are a bit better. Also there are things you can add that will enhance carbonation and head retention. Mr. Beer tried to make the kit “basic” and “idiot proof”, which I can understand the logic of. However, there are many things you can do to improve the beer a great deal if you look around the web or Mr. Beer Forum. Second, let your beer sit for at least 4 weeks at room temperature before drinking it (after you bottle it). If there is one thing I wish Mr. Beer changed it is the idea that in 2-4 week you will be sucking down some great beer. You can make some very nice brews with Mr. Beer, but not in 2-4 weeks. Let it ferment for 3 weeks and bottle and sit at room temperature 4-5 weeks and you will most likely have good beer.

Does the kit contain the smell or can odors from the fermenting process be detected easily? Aka, will it stink up my house? or just one room?

Generally very little smell (some of course). Tip for brewing that will help is put the barrel in a cooler. That controls temperature swings (which are bad) and will contain the smells (which really are minor and I personally like). Also protects you if the barrel leaks, the cooler keeps it from going all over your counter/floor/closet.

Can I use this kit to brew my own hard cider?

Yes, it brewed just like beer brew it and bottle it and prime it with a bit of sterilized cider I did it back a few years ago, also made mead cutting the standard recipes. It worked well, except you had to move it out fairly quickly to prevent the dead yeast from giving it an off flavor.

Is this a reusable kit?

Yes. It comes with one or two (I can’t honestly remember) starter packs, but new and other flavored packs can be purchased inexpensively online or at some retail stores. The actual “kit” itself has lasted me for more than four years now.

What Other People Are Saying About Mr. Beer DIY Beer Brewing Kit?

Incredibly Easy and Enjoyable Way to Brew a Beer!
Everything was included in the box. Nothing was damaged and the instructions were clear and simple to follow. I maintained my sterile field on all of my instruments and bottles. Made sure to not fill beer to the very top of each bottle and affixed the caps properly. Even tested to ensure no leakage. After the proper time, refrigerated one as a tester. Was pleasantly surprised. Yummy and fun to bring to friends to share. People need to understand that the beer you brew with this kit will not be the greatest beer at the highest standard. But if you want to enjoy brewing and create a beer that tastes good this kit is a solid choice!
cree8tor, 27th May 2020

Great Kit
This kit is great! It took me years of thinking about it before I finally started home brewing. This was an easy and cheap way to start. The 2 gallon batch size is just right for beginners. I like that I don’t have to drink or find something to do with 5 gallons of beer before I experiment with another batch. Also, own recipies are turning out better than the mr beer extracts, but the equipment is still good. Of note, the seal around the spigot leaked for me on my second batch. Had to sand down the plastic on the keg some, but that allowed it to seal for my next 4 batches and counting.
Marvin and Kristi, 29th February 2020

Lots of Fun!
I bought this kit for my husband for Christmas and he made a batch of beer right away! Have fun making this beer, but be patient! It takes a while to brew but once we opened a bottle to try, we loved it! The kit came with a Golden Ale beer but you can purchase many types on the website. We’re going to try another one soon!
horselover, 23rd January 2020

Very Happy!!!
I have ben wanting one of these for a long time and finally decided to treat myself to one. The instructions are very clear and it was very fun. The Mr.Beer website has additional stuff that you can buy to make it brew faster and increase the alcohol. I love this product and in the long run though it wont save time…it technically saves money on beer!, and it taste great!!
Theresa, 14th November 2019

Fun Beer Kit
This beer kit comes with so much stuff its great! I got this for my fiancè for Christmas. Yesterday we decided to make it and I was definitely happy. The directions were clear to follow and it was fun to make. It has to sit for 3 weeks to brew but we don’t mind. The experience of making it was worth it. (It comes with two breweing extracts so its totally worth the price). All we had to buy was a pitcher, a pot, and 3 gallons of water. Everything else comes in the box
Sarah, 29th January 2018