Mr.Beer Brewmaster’s Select Beer Kit

posted on February 28, 2010 in Home Brewing

There are a few options available for people looking to get into home brewing. Just like most the things you buy, you don’t want to sacrifice quality to save a few bucks but you probably don’t want to thin your wallet out too much either.

Fortunately, the Mr. Beer Brewmaster’s Select Beer kit has everything you need to brew you own beer without breaking the bank. You get everything you need for your first two batches and you can reuse it as much as you want just by getting a refill pack.

All the basic items you would expect are included. Of course, you get the two gallon fermenting tank and plenty of screw top plastic bottles for storage. In addition, you’ll get some Mr. Beer pint glasses and a Brew-o-Meter to help you keep tabs on your brew.

You get everything you need to measure your ingredients properly as well as an easy-to-follow 4-step direction guide that breaks down the process. The Brewmaster’s guide that comes with the kit is your instructional manual for home brewing and will get you started down the right path.
mr beer brewmasters select
As icing on the cake, you get plenty of extras with the Mr. Beer kit. You get some refill packs, which we’ll talk about in just a minute, but you also get plenty of other goodies. You’ll find the bottling system very useful as well as the hops scale, funnel and heavy duty pint glasses. If you like showing off your home brewing you can even sport some Mr. Beer merchandise that you get with your kit.

But how about those beer packs? You’ll be able to try out the American Devil IPA, a wild brew great for parties. Or you can brew the Witty Monk white beer, a Belgian brew perfect for a summer day. There are other brew packs you can get in a wide range of styles as well. These packs offer you an endless range of brewing possibilities.

The guide that is included not only shows you how to get started with these brews, but also gives you some advice for branching out and creating some of your own unique brews when you’re ready. Until then, you have plenty of options to choose from with Mr. Beer’s refill packs.

One last important thing to note is the quality of the Mr. Beer Brewmaster’s Select Beer kit. The fermenting keg is made of shatter resistant plastic that meets FDA regulations. So not only will it not break after a few uses, but it won’t impart a plastic flavor into the beer when you brew.

The bottles that come with the kit meet the same standards. The Mr. Beer kit isn’t just designed to help you brew your own beer at home. It was designed to help you get the most enjoyment out of brewing your own beer. After all, if you’re out to enjoy the brewing process as much as the beer you get from it.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • TwitThis
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • Pownce
  • MySpace

How Hard is it to Make a Kegerator

posted on February 9, 2010 in Kegerators

If you’re searching around for information on kegerators, the odds are you’ve seen one at a party and now you have to have one for yourself. If you thought your only option was a pre-made kegerator which can cost hundreds of dollars, you have another option. Building your own kegerator can not only give you a great party piece, but you can save a load of money compared to the pre-made ones.

You don’t need a degree in engineering, either. Just a few power tools and some friends to help and you can have your own kegerator. Once you’ve finished it, you’ll be throwing the best parties in town.

The first step is to get your hands on a refrigerator. Even cheap models can cost hundreds of dollars at the store, including things like a crisper, humidity control and racks that you’re not going to need.

Your best option is to get a hold of someone who has an old fridge they’re looking to sell. You should be able to snag one pretty cheap on Craigslist, and some people are just looking to get rid of it so you may be able to find one for free so long as you haul it off yourself.

Next, you’re going to need to buy a kegerator conversion kit. These kits are not typically very expensive and they should come with everything you need to turn the old fridge into a kegerator. Be sure your kit comes with installation instructions so you know exactly how to install that specific kit.

You’re going to be running hose and installing a tap so you will need the proper tools for the job. Since you need things like gauges and compressed CO2, you’re not going to be able to build this part from scratch.

Installing the kit in the fridge is the hard part, once that’s done you should be home free. Since most fridges are big enough to hold a standard keg, once you attach the kit there shouldn’t be anything else to do. If you do run into any snags, be sure to reference the instructions that came with the kit as they might have your answer or a number you can contact.

Once the kegerator is completely built, you get to customize it however you like. When you buy a kegerator, you only get the options the manufacturer builds in. With your own, you can paint it team colors for a Super Bowl party or use a stainless steel fridge for something classic.

A metal fridge can even hold magnets so you can change your style around or put up pictures of friends at past parties. You can also get custom tap handles and serving glasses for almost every occasion or hobby. Sure, it’s easier to buy a kegerator, but for the ultimate party accessory you just have to build your own.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • TwitThis
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • Pownce
  • MySpace

Kegerators keep the beer flowing all party long

posted on January 5, 2010 in Kegerators

There are always reasons to throw a party.  Whether it is a Superbowl party, an Oscar party or just a summer cookout, there is always a call for a cold beer. But buying cases of beer can be expensive and your recycle bin gets filled up with dozens of empty cans or bottles.

Kegs are great, but no one wants to end up with a warm beer at the end of the night. What you really want is a cold, refrigerated keg of beer. What you really want is a Kegerator.

A Kegerator fridge is just what it sounds like. It is a refrigerator that has been converted to hold kegs of beer. Whether it is one big keg for a big party, or a few pony kegs for smaller events, there is nothing quite like having a good supply of cold beer on tap.

A beer keg refrigerator ensures that your guests will have a cold supply of beer on tap that stays fresh for months. A Kegerator will make your parties the kind people will want to come back to.

And the great thing is that it is incredibly simple and cheap to set up a keg fridge. If you happen to have an old fridge in the garage that only takes up space and holds a few sodas, you can quickly turn it into a party machine.

If you do not have a spare fridge lying around, they are easy to find used at garage sales or moving sales. And the fridge does not have to be a high quality fridge. It fact, the fridge can be bare bones. All it has to do is keep the beer cool.

Once you have a fridge, you only have to buy a Kegerator kit and set it up to hold and dispense the beer. Kegerator kits come with plenty of instructions and are easy for anyone to set up. In no time at all you will have a cold beer dispensing fridge ready to entertain at any event.

If you really want to make your party something to remember, you can even decorate your Kegerator however you want. Paint it to fit with your party’s theme or cover it with your favorite team logos.  Throwing a party for someone else? Nothing livens up a birthday party like a giant beer dispensing Kegerator painted like a six foot birthday cake.

Whatever the reason for the party, a Kegerator fridge is sure to liven it up. A cold beer tap with as much beer as you want it to hold, endless options for decorating it to fit your style and it does not have to break your bank every time you throw a party. So forget the fridge packs and bottles.  Convert your old fridge into a beer keg fridge and get the party started.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • TwitThis
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • Pownce
  • MySpace

Brighten up your bar with a Guinness Lightbox Bar Sign

posted on December 28, 2009 in Bar Furnishings

Guinness is one of the most popular beers you can buy. It originated in London in the early 18th century and has been going strong since inception. It has become so popular that hardly a bar in anyone’s house doesn’t have some Guinness glasses or a Guinness label on their tap.

If you serve the beer, you might as well show how much you really love it. If your glasses and faucet handle aren’t enough, now you can get a backlit sign to show you Guinness fandom.

But you don’t just want to get any bar sign. Some signs are lit from the front and made from cheap plastic. Others aren’t lit up at all or have a ring of light bulbs around them that hardly counts.

Now you can get a classy Guinness sign made from a high quality acrylic. The sign is backlit so you can still see the sign, but you get a mild light source as well. And don’ worry about plugging it in as the sign fits any standard outlet perfectly.

Now you can drink your favorite stout from a Guinness glass under your backlit Guinness sign. It’s a great accessory for taking your bar to the next level. You can really instill the classic London pub scene in your own home and show off your appreciation for one of the best beers in the world. And it all comes in at a price that won’t cause you to flinch.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • TwitThis
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • Pownce
  • MySpace

Home Brewing Beer is Not That Expensive

posted on November 27, 2009 in Home Brewing

So you want to brew your own beer from the friendly confines of your home? But you are concerned about the cost that might be involved, right? Immediately you think of the microbreweries in your neighborhood, and reflect upon the massive machines used to make and store the beer. “Surely they spent a fortune getting those machines”, you think to yourself.

The good news is that you do not have to use equipment like the pros use to make a very professional tasting beer. You may need to invest in some small pieces of equipment, but it will be well worth it once you discover how much money you will be saving by making your own beer.

Beer is usually made up of rather cheap ingredients, so buying the best will not hurt your wallet as much as you may think. Do not waste your time with ingredients that are not fresh or your beer will come up short of your expectations. Surprisingly the cheapest way to brew beer also gives you the best results.

All grain brewing is the most inexpensive way to brew when grain is bought in bulk. You will need a grain mill and a mash tun, so there is a small investment in equipment required. Despite that you should be able to brew an excellent quality beer for less than $2 per gallon, and you could brew a mild ale for as little as $1 per gallon, or less than 10 cents per bottle (one gallon is about 10-1/2 12oz bottles).
grain beer and hops
Another way to reduce the cost of your beer is by growing your own hops. You can also reuse the yeast from the fermenter. Some people who brew their own beer pour one batch on top of the yeast cake left from the previous batch. They then pump the yeast cake out of the primary fermenter into bottles and save it in the fridge.

This is very easy to do and will allow you to purchase yeast only twice a year. So all that is left to purchase is the grain, which is about $.70 per pound in a bulk purchase. Home brewers usually use between 8 and 10 pounds of specialty grain per 5 gallon batch of beer.

There you have it, brewing your own beer at home actually is possible. The exciting news is that it can be both a fun and inexpensive experience, and you will not have to sell the farm in order to make a beer that you and your friends can enjoy. Keep in mind that beer is made from cheap ingredients, and then commit to buying the best ingredients you can find. After all, your beer will only be as good as the ingredients which you put into it.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • TwitThis
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • Pownce
  • MySpace
Next »