Customer Service for Mr. Beer & DIY Beer

Purchase our Thunder Bay IPA 1 Gallon Recipe here.

RECIPE INCLUDES:

• 1 Packet of No.3 HDME
• 1 Packet 2-Row Malt (2 oz.)
• 1 Packet Carapils Malt (2 oz.)
• 3 Packets Centennial Hops (1/2 oz each)
• 1 Muslin Hop Sack
• 1 Packet Dry Ale Yeast
• 1 Packet No-Rinse Cleanser
  
  

Additional Information

• OG: 1.047 (approx.) -- FG: 1.012(approx.)
• Flavor: Hoppy
• ABV (alc/vol): 4.6%
• SRM (Color): 10
• IBU (Bitterness): 55
• BJCP Style: 21. IPA - 21A. American IPA
  
  

STEP 1: ASSEMBLING THE SPIGOT

1. Place silicone washer on the spigot so that it is snug against the plastic flange. Then, insert the spigot assembly into the fermenter. Place the second silicone washer inside the fermenter so that it is snug against the glass wall. Next, screw on the nut inside the fermenter with the wide flat side against the inside silicone washer. Gently hand tighten but be careful to not over-tighten.
2. Test the fermenter for leaks by filling it completely with water and letting it sit for 15-30 minutes.
   
   

STEP 2: CLEANING

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:

1. Fill clean fermenter with warm water to rib line 1, 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 for later because you will need it for bottling.
2. Place the gasket ring underneath the lid and screw the lid tightly on to the fermenter. Make sure to tighten the small black cap on the lid as well. Gently swirl the fermenter so that the cleaning solution makes contact with the entire inside of the fermenter, including the underside of the lid. Allow to sit for at least 2 minutes and swirl again.
3. To clean the spigot, open it fully and allow liquid to flow for 5 seconds and then close.
4. Pour the rest of the solution from the fermenter into a large bowl. Place your spoon/whisk and measuring cup into the bowl to keep them cleaned throughout the brewing process. Leave them immersed for at least 2 minutes in cleaning solution prior to using.
5. After all surfaces have been thoroughly cleaned, do not rinse or dry the fermenter or utensils. Proceed immediately to the brewing process.
   
   

STEP 3: BREWING

There are four main 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). It will take approximately 70 minutes to finish the hop boil, and about 30 to chill the wort 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 2 weeks. Please follow the detailed instructions below:

1. Using a measuring cup, pour 6-8 cups of water into your clean 3-quart or larger pot (Use enough water to cover the grains).
2. Add the grains to a Muslin Sack and bring your water up to above 165 degrees F.
3. Add the grain sack to the hot water and steep for 30 minutes between 155-165 degrees F.
4. Carefully lift the grain sack out of the pot and place into a strainer/colander. Rinse the sack over the pot with 1 cup of hot water. Let drain. Do NOT squeeze the grain bag. Discard grain bag.
5. Remove the yeast packet from under the lid of the can of Brewing Extract (you won't be using this), then place the unopened can and the 3 LME Softpacks in hot tap water.
6. Place 1 packet of Centennial pellet hops into a hop sack, tying it closed, then trim away excess material.
7. Bring grain water to a low rolling boil, add in hop sack, and let simmer at a low boil for 5 minutes.
8. While this is boiling, place the contents of another Centennial hops packet into a hop sack and trim away excess material.
9. After the 5 minute boil has passed, add the 2nd hop sack and simmer at a low boil for another 10 minutes.
10. While this is boiling, place the contents of the 3rd Centennial hops packet into a hop sack and trim away excess material.
11. After the 10 minute boil has passed, remove from heat and add the 3rd hop sack.
12. Open the can of Brewing Extract and the 3 LME Softpacks, pour the contents into the hot mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. This mixture of unfermented beer is called "wort."
13. Fill keg with cold tap water to the #1 mark on the back.
14. Pour the wort, including the hop sacks, into the keg, and then bring the volume of the keg to the #2 mark by adding more cold water. You'll leave the hop sacks in the wort for the duration of fermentation. Stir vigorously with the spoon or whisk.
15. Sprinkle the Safale US-05 yeast packet into the keg, and screw on the lid. Do not stir.
16. Put your keg in a location with a consistent temperature between 59° and 71.6° F (15°-22° C) and out of direct sunlight. After approximately 24 hours, you will be able to see the fermentation process happening by shining a flashlight into the keg. You'll see the yeast in action in the wort. The liquid will be opaque and milky, you will see bubbles rising in the liquid, and there will be bubbles on the surface. Your fermentation will usually reach its peak in 2 to 5 days (this is also known as “high krausen”). You may see a layer of foam on top of the wort, and sediment will accumulate at the bottom of the fermenter. This is totally normal.
17. 5 days before bottling, add the final packet of Centennial hops to a sanitized hop sack (steep in boiling water for a few minutes to sanitize before adding hops to the sack) and place the hop sack in your fermenter. Don't leave the fermenter lid off for too long when doing this.
18. On bottling day, remove hop sacks from fermenter and discard just before bottling.
19. You’ll ferment for 21 days total. Complete fermentation will take approximately 2 weeks. After high krausen the foam and activity will subside and your batch will appear to be dormant. Your beer is still fermenting. The yeast is still at work slowly finishing the fermentation process.
    
    

STEP 4: BOTTLING & CARBONATING

After 3 weeks, once you are satisfied with the taste, it is time to bottle and carbonate.

Bottles: Your kit does not include bottles and caps, but you have options. You will need enough bottles to hold a total volume of 128 oz. See the options from Mr. Beer here.We recommend using Mr. Beer 25 oz. (740ml) bottles because of the ability to use screw-on caps. You will need 5-6 bottles (sold in quantities of 12). These bottles are great because they are large enough to reduce bottling time and small enough to equal 2 servings. They are compatible with Mr. Beer carbonation drops (sold separately). You can also use glass bottles with the additional purchase of caps, cappers and capper. Another option is to use swing-top bottles.

Carbonation: Adding priming sugar to the bottles of beer allows the remaining yeast to metabolize it into carbon dioxide (CO2).

Follow the directions for bottling and carbonating with our 25 oz. bottles:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Add 2 carbonation drops to each 25 oz. bottle. You can also use table sugar. See priming sugar chart here.
4. To reduce foam, fill each bottle at an angle from the spigot. Fill each bottle to about 1 inch from the top. You may need to tilt the fermenter for the last 1-2 bottles.
   
   

STEP 5: CARBONATING & CONDITIONING

Store the bottles upright in a cool, dark place at a consistent temperature between 68-76°F for at least 3 weeks.

Make sure to keep out of direct sunlight. If the bottles are exposed to colder temperatures (below 68°F) they will take much longer to carbonate. If they are exposed to warmer temperatures (over 76°F) off-flavors may be produced. The ideal carbonation time is 3 weeks total. The beer is now ready and should be refrigerated for 24 hours before drinking to stabilize the carbonation.

Some beers, such as porters and stouts, may benefit from further conditioning. Conditioning involves aging the beer between 68-76°F to further enhance the flavor and mouthfeel.

STEP 6: CLEANING AGAIN

To ensure your next batch of beer is as good as the first, you need to clean your equipment immediately after use. While rinsing is good, only soap and water will result in clean equipment for your next brew. The best cleaner to use is Oxygen Brewery Wash which is available here. It effectively breaks down residue without leaving any flavor or foam-damaging particles after rinsing. You can also use liquid soap as long as it is unscented and is thoroughly rinsed off with warm water at 105-115°F. Scented soap or improper rinsing can leave a film on your equipment that will lead to off-flavors in your next beer.

1. Immediately after use, remove and disassemble the spigot assembly from the fermenter, then thoroughly wash all parts in warm water using a clean, soft cloth and Oxygen Brewery Wash or clear unscented liquid soap. Then thoroughly rinse with water.
2. Do not use scouring pads, wire brushes, sponges or abrasives during cleaning because they can create small scratches that harbor bacteria. Bacteria is bad and will infect your beer.
3. Always clean and rinse all equipment, including bottles, immediately after use.