Anyways, I've always been interested in making things that require certain amounts of finesse to create. Prior to reaching legal drinking age in Canada, I would make desserts such as caramels, fudge, peanut brittle and hard candies. I preferred making candies to baking because a portion of it was very exact. To create a brittle candy the mixture had to be heated to the required high temperature and stirred constantly so it did not burn. The same was true of the chewy candies except they required a lower temperature. Heat caramel too much and you have brittle, and the opposite applies to brittle.
I have also always had an interest in making booze. Not because I drink an inordinate amount or because I strive to make the finest wine (In fact I don't really even like wine), but because the process itself fascinates me. And now that I have some experience with making alcohol it fascinates me even more.
My interest in wanting to make beer finally came to fruition when one day, by chance, I noticed a prominently displayed "MR. BEER" kit in a second hand shop.
Removing the kit from the shelf I checked inside to see if everything was there (I wouldn't have been surprised if the box were completely empty to be honest). To my (and your) surprise the box seemed to contain everything. I then checked the price tag, which informed me that this kt which seemed to be otherwise unopened and unused would only set me back $10. Still a bit unsure, I flipped the box around.
As you can imagine, I was instantly convinced that this purchase would make me the happiest man on earth. The purchase was made.
The minute I got home, it was brewing time. Because I've started this blog a couple weeks after these events occurred and I have never had enough foresight to document anything, the process has no pictures. However I can tell you this; It's identical to making a traditional 23L beer kit except it came with the sugar and it was on a smaller scale (8.5L). This is the "reusable" part of the kit:
The minute I got home, it was brewing time. Because I've started this blog a couple weeks after these events occurred and I have never had enough foresight to document anything, the process has no pictures. However I can tell you this; It's identical to making a traditional 23L beer kit except it came with the sugar and it was on a smaller scale (8.5L). This is the "reusable" part of the kit:
The parts that are missing now are just the ingredients which came with it (And a few plastic bottle caps). Despite the low yield it was an excellent way to become familiar with the process. I had made rootbeer in the past, but it had been so long that I wouldn't have known the first thing to do and probably would have scoffed at the need to make everything 110% sanitary. In the end I got 23 bottles of what seems to be fairly good pale ale (I tested out of the tap to make sure it was ready for bottling) which will be ready for consumption in 5 days (June 12 2010).
The lesson here is that if you are looking at your first time brewing and you can find a "MR. BEER" kit or something similar for around $10 it is well worth it. However, if you are looking at buying it new ($39.95 +) I wouldn't advise it.
The lesson here is that if you are looking at your first time brewing and you can find a "MR. BEER" kit or something similar for around $10 it is well worth it. However, if you are looking at buying it new ($39.95 +) I wouldn't advise it.
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