The Brew Times
How to pick the right Mr. Beer Kit based on beer style?
Everyone enjoys all kinds of different beers. So I thought it would be helpful to break down how to pick the right beer kit for a person based on what type of beer they drink. Within our beer kits, there are 7 different styles that you can select from. Each one of these will produce a different beer that is a particular style.For the kit styles, we have our American Lager, Long Play IPA, Golden Ale, Bewitched Amber Ale, Northwest Pale Ale, Diablo IPA, or our Bonus kit which is a variety that has our Canadian Blonde & Oktoberfest lager. Now what we are going to attempt to do is based on popular styles or commercial beer pair that with the right style of kit. So to start we will look at the American Lager. If you are a fan or the person you are buying this for, enjoys beers like Sam Adams, Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors, or anything along those lines then this would be the kit style best suited for you. So now for our IPA’s. In this one, I will include our Long Play & our Diablo. Now I do want to note that these are very different IPAs. The Long Play is a much lighter IPA. It is lighter in color and not as bitter as the Diablo. The Diablo is darker and more bitter. Now if you enjoy any IPA or the person you are shopping for does, I would pick the Long Play over the Diablo. It is just a better introduction beer than the Diablo. Now onto our Golden Ale. This beer would be for the person who enjoys blonde-style ales. These are mostly craft-style beers. But they are light in flavor, and not very hoppy. They are well-balanced and easy to drink. Also, if you are unsure what kind of beer the person who you are getting this for drinks, then this would be the best kit to get. It makes a great beer that everyone enjoys. Our Northwest Pale Ale is going to be for those who enjoy beers like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Or any other pale for that manner. This is a lighter beer style with mild bitterness. So more bitterness than our Golden Ale or Lager but less than our IPAs. Our Bewitched Amber ale is an interesting beer. It is a darker beer with more malty flavors. The most popular Amber Ale is Fat Tire. This beer is similar to that, but I think maltier and has less hop flavor. Lastly, our Bonus Kit has our Canadian Blonde & Oktoberfest. These are two baseline styles that anyone can enjoy. This is also another kit if you are unsure of what to get grab this one. Cheers, Robert
Read moreThe Brew Times
What is the difference between HME & LME?
If you have been brewing with Mr. Beer or any other homebrewing company you may know about malt extract. But there are 2 different kinds of liquid malt extract. First, let's talk about similarities, both of these are condensed forms of wort. This is done through evaporation to extract moisture and create a syrup-like substance. That’s about where it ends. One thing to note is that not all liquid malt extract is created equally. One thing about the Mr. Beer extracts is that we use low-temperature processed evaporation. What this does is helps preserve the integrity of the malt extract. Now for the differences. The main difference is that one is hopped and one is not. So Liquid Malt Extract does not have any hops added to it. So that means that you need to do a hop boil to get any bitterness in your beer. Hopped malt extract is pre hopped, so all you have to do is dilute it with water, and you are good to go. Brewing with hopped malt extract is much simpler. Brewing with LME allows you more customization over the process. All of Mr. Beer’s Refills use HME. When you get into our recipes we use a mixture of LME & HME. With our advanced recipes, those are all LME based. Cheers, Robert
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Gift Guide to Selecting the right Mr. Beer Kit for the soon to be brewer in your life.
As the holidays come near you must be wondering what to get that person who has everything? It's hard to find that perfect gift that is not boring and not the same old stuff. Instead of thinking of all the mundane gifts, think of something cool and exciting! If the person your shopping for likes beer, like really likes beer, then get him a Mr. Beer Kit! As Cousin Eddie would say, “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year”. The great thing about a Mr. Beer Kit is, it’s simple to use and you don’t need to get anything else. As long as you have some common kitchen items, can follow the easy step by step instructions, and work a can opener you should be good to go. We offer two main types of Kits, our Starter Kit’s and our Complete Kits. The Starter Kits will come with our 2-Gallon Fermenter, a Mr. Beer Refill, and our No-Rinse Cleanser. Everything he needs to get started brewing. The Complete Kit’s will come with everything included in the Starter Kit’s, but it will also include Bottles & Caps and our amazing Mr. Beer Carbonation Drops which make bottling ridiculously easy. Our Starter Kit’s and Complete Kit’s come in 6 different flavors. We have our American Lager Kits which are great for those who enjoy light beer. Similar to Budweiser, Bud Light, Sam Adams Boston Lager, or just any light American style lager. The next most popular style is our IPA Kits. We offer 2 different types of IPA’s. Our Long Play IPA is going to be a light color west coast IPA, very similar to the IPA’s you find in a lot of local craft breweries. The other IPA is our Diablo IPA. This beer is going to be more of amber or reddish color with all kinds of hop flavor. These kits are great for those who love the extremely hoppy beers. Our Northwest Pale Ale Kits perfect for anyone who likes Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale or any beer that is light in color with a mild hop flavor. If your buying this for someone who is into craft beer this would be a great kit for them as the Pale Ale styles is a staple in most breweries. We have our Bewitched Amber Ale which is a smooth beer that is perfectly balanced in flavor. An ideal kit for someone who is not a fan of lighter beers and enjoys something more flavorful. The great thing about all our Mr. Beer Kits is that they are reusable. The only thing that would be needed to brew again would be a Mr. Beer Refill or to choose from over 100 Mr. Beer Recipes. If you're looking to get a kit, and an extra brew to keep the beer flowing for a little while we recommend getting a second Refill before moving on the Recipes. (If you want to learn what a Mr. Beer Refill is, check out our What is a Mr. Beer Refill Video Blog.) Just remember, no matter what Mr. Beer Kit you get, the receiver of your awesome gift, will be forever grateful that you introduced them to homebrewing and did not get him a year subscription to the jelly of the month club.
Read moreWhy You Should Brew With Mr. Beer?
I choose to brew with Hopped Malt Extract (HME) from Mr. Beer so I can brew a batch in 30 minutes and do everything else I want to do. I don’t want to waste an entire day brewing a batch of beer. There are other things I would rather do than watch a pot boil for 8 hours. By using HME as a base I can easily experiment with other ingredients to make any kind of crazy beer I can think of in a short amount of time. Here at Mr. Beer, we have 16 different base styles you can brew from, then building off of those 16, we have created over 100 different recipes which we constantly rotate. We use hops, grains, DME, fruit, soda, heck even bacon. Since we are using the HME as a base it shortens the brew day and allows us to get very creative with our recipes. There are 6 key reasons why I think you should brew with Mr. Beer. They mean a heck of a lot to me, so I hope they mean something to you too. Saves TimeIt reduces brew day from 4-8 hours down to 30 minutes. Even the most complex recipes will take from 1 to 1.5 hours tops from set-up to clean-up. You will have time to enjoy the important things in your life. Who wants to spend an entire day watching the pot boil? Saves SpaceThe Mr. Beer Kit is compact. We use a 2-gallon fermenter that does not take up much space.. All you need to brew are a few common kitchen items. No extra pots, tubes, strainers, buckets, or anything else. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the space to have my garage taken with a bunch of brewing equipment. Saves MoneyYou can save $600 a year at a minimum. To get started with Mr. Beer all you need is one of our 2-Gallon Beer Making Kits. They cost between $39-$59 depending on what you get. Other homebrewing kits can range from $39-$49 for 1 gallon of beer or $125+ to brew all-grain, but you will still need additional items besides just the starter kit so it’s a little closer to $200. Let's break it down. The cost per beer, for a Mr. Beer Kit at $59.99 will cost you $2.50 a beer for your kit. For a 1 Gallon Kit at $39.99 it will cost you $4 a beer, and for the all-grain kit at $200 it will cost you $3.33 a beer. The best value to brew and save money is clearly Mr. Beer. ConsistencyI went over the basic brewing process earlier. A lot of the boiling involved with each of the processes requires you to hold the boil at certain temperature range for a specific period of time. If you don’t, you can mess up your beer and can get some off-flavors or beer that isn’t what you wanted. When brewing with Mr. Beer you don’t have to worry about that. Using our HME takes out those variables so you can get a more consistent beer every time you brew. We have all had that one experience when a friend you know is just hyping up this restaurant. You decide to give it a try after days of anticipation from hearing how good it is. Then that 1st bite of food is just terrible. Well, brewing with Mr. Beer can help prevent that in your beer. Each beer will live up to the hype. Customer SupportI am extremely proud of the customer support we offer at Mr. Beer. Not only are we the best support for a homebrewing company, I think we offer the best support of any company. We have experienced Brewmasters that are very passionate about homebrewing. You can give them a call any time Monday through Friday. We offer live chat and an awesome Facebook group, Mr. Beer’s Brewing Society, where you can learn all kinds of new things about homebrewing. If you have any issues, we take care of it. You have a damaged shipment? We send you a new one. Bad beer? We’ll send you a new batch. Just got some brewing questions? We got you covered. We welcome you as a part of the Mr. Beer family. We don’t have customers, we have brewing partners, friends, and family. The Only Homebrew Company Owned by a BreweryMr. Beer is owned by Coopers Brewery in Australia. Coopers is the oldest family-owned and independent brewery in Australia and they have been brewing beer for over 150 years. They have been in the homebrewing space since the 1970s and create the highest quality malt extract in the world. Coopers creates all of our Mr. Beer Hopped Malt Extracts. This makes Mr. Beer the only homebrewing company whose ingredients are created by a brewery. The same ingredients you use to brew are used to make beer in the brewery. They use state-of-the-art technology and oversee the entire process from “grain to glass.” Coopers is also extremely focused on sustainability. The water they use comes from below the water table and runs through a reverse osmosis process that removes the high salt content. They have an onsite powerplant so that they don’t rely on the local grid. All water, steam heat, grains, etc. is recirculated throughout the brewery and used in more ways than one. Cheers, Robert
Read more5 Reasons Why You Should Homebrew?
Save Money I’m a huge fan of IPA’s. They are the best beers, hands down. Try to prove me wrong, I dare you. However, they can be quite expensive. One of my favorite IPA’s is from a local craft brewery here in Arizona. It runs right around $14-$16 for a 4 pack. That’s insane! It’s like $4.00+ a beer. I get it, they are making “craft beer” but, come on, that’s just too much. Now if you wanted to brew an amazing IPA, let’s say with Mr. Beer, for instance, that same type of beer would cost around $1.05 a beer. That’s it! You’re saving serious cash. Even if you wanted to brew the most expensive IPA that Mr. Beer offers, which is a crazy supper hopped imperial IPA, it would cost about $2.90 a beer. If you're like me who drinks about 6 beers a weekend, at $4 a beer that’s $24 a week, $96 a month, or $1,152 a year. Now if you homebrew and drink 6 beers a weekend at an average of $1.90 that is $11.40 a weekend, $45.60 a month, or $547.20 a year. So, you can save $600 a year by homebrewing! The more you drink the more you save. That’s what I call a win, win! Know Your Ingredients Like many of us, I am cautious about what goes into my body. Our world is full of over-processed foods and drinks and who knows what the ingredients are? Most of the time I can’t even pronounce half the stuff on the back of the labels. You will notice that with beer most brewers don’t list what they use in their beers. Some of them add clarifying chemicals to make the beer look clear or stabilizers to extend the shelf life of the beer. That’s just not cool. With homebrewing, you know exactly what you are putting into your beer, so you can trust that you have the best, real ingredients to brew with. Mr. Beer ingredients are made from all-natural Malted Barley, Hops, Water, and then Yeast (which you add) and that’s all! We use the best ingredients possible and oversee the entire process from the grain fields to the ingredients that go into your beer kit. We want to ensure that you get the best possible beer each and every time you brew. Create Your Own Brew Just brewing your own beer is an extremely rewarding feeling but creating your own custom recipe that is all your own is an experience unto itself. Through some trial and error, you can create some amazing beer. I remember the first recipe I created. I wanted it to be this super hoppy IPA. So, I got all kinds of random hops and threw them together and the result was not that good. I went straight mad scientist and did zero research before I brewed it, I just winged it. Now my second attempt at this was excellent. I did a little research and picked some bittering hops that would pair well together, did a nice 45-minute boil with around 2 oz. of hops and the results were amazing. I think I shared that beer with anyone that was willing to taste it and all were blown away at how well it came out. It's quite a rewarding experience creating your own beer that tastes good and that people truly enjoy. Have Fun Brewing beer is always a good time. You have some friends over, turn on some tunes, drink some beers, and just brew away. It’s the perfect escape from the weekly grind and a great way to relax and unwind. Another fun aspect of homebrewing that is not talked about that much is brewing beer for special occasions, like birthdays, holidays, weddings, etc. I got married 7 years ago and I wanted to brew beer for the wedding, so I brewed 20 gallons of beer, (we like to drink). I still remember what I brewed, it was an American Lager, Pilsner, an Amber Ale, and an IPA. During the wedding reception everyone I talked to did not say the ceremony was great or the flowers or any of that, they all wanted to talk about the homebrew. Every single person mentioned how much they enjoyed the beer. Even in our wedding video, every single comment was “Congratulations, we wish you all the best… And Amazing beer”. It was something that I will never forget. The impact that a good homemade beer can have. To this day when I see extended family members they still talk about the beers I brewed and are always wanting to try something new. Appreciate Good Beer Within the Craft Brewing scene and even Homebrewing you can find a lot of beer snobbery. People like beers a certain way and I get that. I have also come to appreciate a beer that is brewed very well, but I am by no means a beer snob. For the longest time, my go-to beer was Bud Light or Bud Light Lime. Overtime my pallet has changed where I can appreciate a really good brewed craft beer. The more you learn about a subject the more you appreciate the work that goes into it. So, you can tell when you have a good beer and a really good beer. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll still grab a Bud Light here and there. One thing that you have to appreciate about the big brewers is that no matter where you are the beer will always taste the same. Once you understand homebrewing you will know how hard that is. Most Craft Brewers have trouble replicating the same exact beer each time. So, I would say that your appreciation for good beer will increase but your appreciation for just beer, in general, will also increase when you learn about all that goes into making a great tasting beer.
Read moreBeer Gravy
Last year, around this time, I brought you a recipe for “Beer Brinded Turkey” This year, I couldn’t help but think I was missing a piece of the puzzle, and then it occurred to me, “THAT TURKEY NEEDS GRAVY!” Not only does the turkey need gravy, but it needs BEER GRAVY, specifically. The beer isn’t even the “best” part of this recipe, it’s also super simple to make too! What’s not to love? So, without further delay, let’s make some gravy (and put it on everything). Ingredients: 4 TBSP of butter ¼ cup AP flour 1 yellow onion minced 2 Garlic cloves minced 2 cups chicken/beef or turkey stock 2 cups of dark beer (porter, stout, or brown ale) Salt and pepper to taste How to make it: In a saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Once the butter is melted whisk in the flour, stirring constantly until smooth. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft. Next, add in the stock and the beer and then bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Remove the gravy from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. And there you have it folks, a delicious and easy beer spiked gravy! I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you make it, please let us know in the comments!
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How to use a hydrometer?
If you are a brewer, the term “hydrometer”, is probably one you have heard before and you may or may not use one. If you do use a hydrometer or want to use one, then this article is for YOU! Today I will break down what a Hydrometer is and how to use it, as well as some other helpful information and resources. What is a Hydrometer, anyway? A Hydrometer is a scientific tool that measures the density of a liquid in relation to water. In the case of beer making, we are measuring how much sugar is in the solution. The more sugar that is in the solution, the higher the hydrometer will float. As sugar is turned into alcohol during the fermentation, the hydrometer will slowly sink lower in the solution. When fermentation is finished, the hydrometer will stop sinking. Why would I use a hydrometer, when I can just taste my beer and make sure it is not sweet? A Hydrometer is an instrument used to measure the progress of fermentation and determine alcohol percentage. With our refills and many of our recipes, “tasting” is a fine way to determine the completion of fermentation, however, with recipes, especially those containing non-fermentable sweeteners like lactose sugar, using a hydrometer can help you to determine if your beer is fully fermented despite the remaining “sweet taste”. How do I use my hydrometer? Place a sample of the liquid to be tested into the hydrometer testing tube and lower the hydrometer into the sample. Ideally, you want to add enough beer to your sample tube, that when the hydrometer is added, the fluid level fills up the tube almost completely. Spin the hydrometer to eliminate any air bubbles that might cling to the side of the hydrometer. Once the Hydrometer stops moving, take your first reading from the gravity scale. Make sure it is not clinging to the tube itself. In beer making, the first reading is often called the “Original Gravity Reading”, which implies it was taken prior to the onset of fermentation and before the addition of any yeast. How do I determine if fermentation is finished? When fermentation stops, usually activity within the fermenter is no longer visible and your wort will smell like beer. This is the time to take a final hydrometer reading and record it on your recipe or log sheet. If you are unsure if fermentation is over, you can use your Hydrometer to test. Take two readings 1–2 days apart. If the reading drops between the two days, you still have an active fermentation. Does the temperature of my sample affect my reading? YES. Typically, hydrometers are calibrated to give an accurate reading at approximately 68 °F. This means that if the temperature of the liquid being tested is something other than 68 °F, the Temperature Correction must be considered when determining the accurate gravity reading. There are many online charts and calculators that make this simple for you, but you can also use this chart and equation, as a guide for your corrections. Here’s an example of this correction equation, in action: If the temperature of the “Wort” is 84 °F. and the Specific Gravity is 1.040, the true reading would be: How do I determine the alcohol percentage of my beer? The most accurate way to determine alcohol percentage by volume in beer is to make an Original Gravity reading and Final Gravity reading. Then plug those numbers into the following formula: (Original Gravity Reading”) - (Final Gravity Reading”) x (131) = % Alcohol Content by volume. Example: 1.073 was the Original Gravity reading and 1.012 is the Final Gravity reading.: 1.073-1.012=.06 x 131 = 7.99% Alc. By Vol How do I know what numbers to record? Once your hydrometer has stabilized and is floating in the solution, you will want to record the number directly below the meniscus of the water. You can use this diagram as a guide. Once you have tested your beer, do not be tempted to return the sample back to the fermenter, as this can potentially infect your batch. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to just drink it! What about a refractometer? Can I use one of those? Yes and no. Refractometers, while convenient because they use a smaller sample, do not provide accurate readings beyond determining the original gravity, prior to any fermentation. Refractometers can be used to simply determine if the beer is still in active fermentation, but the actual figures provided will not be accurate. How can I test that my hydrometer is providing accurate readings? Easy! Chill some distilled water and add it to your clean sample tube, insert your hydrometer, spin, and observe the waterline at the “true reading”, right below the meniscus. If your hydrometer is working correctly, and your distilled water is at 68 degrees, you should get a read of 1.000. Well, there you have it, folks! The highly requested, written “How to” on using your hydrometer! I hope you found this helpful, and feel free to ask any questions in the comments or you can also contact us directly by emailing customerservice@mrbeer.com and we are happy to help! If math and equations just aren’t your thing, check out these amazing free calculators, found here: https://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/ https://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/ Happy Brewing! Ashley
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Beer Spiked Apple Pie
It is officially fall and even here in Tucson, at the Mr. Beer HQ, we are starting to feel a chill in the air! I personally love to pick apples in the fall and make all sorts of delicious treats from them. On my last apple-picking adventure, it occurred to me that I needed to “beerify” a quintessential fall classic, the Apple pie. Truth be told, it wasn’t terribly hard to do, but boy oh boy, is it GOOD! So, get yourself some apples, and let’s make a pie! What you need: 2 sheets of pre-made pie crust (One layer for the top and one for the base) 8-10 Granny Smith apples (peeled cored and sliced) 12 ounces of any beer spiced with cinnamon and or other holiday type spices 2 tablespoons of flour OR cornstarch 2 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp Ginger ½ tsp. Salt 1/4 C White sugar ½ C Brown sugar 2 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into small cubes 1 egg 1 Tbsp milk How to make it: In a large bowl, combine the apples and the 12 oz. of the spiced beer of your choice. Soak at room temperature for 2 hours, stir occasionally. While the apples are soaking in the beer, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place one of the sheets of pie crust dough in the bottom of a pie plate. Using a colander, drain the liquid off the apples and place them in a bowl. Toss them with flour or starch, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and both sugars until coated. Place the Ale apple mixture into the prepared pie plate with the crust and add a few small chunks of chilled butter evenly over the surface (don’t worry about mixing, the butter does not need any help). Top with the remaining layer of crust, pressing the edges of both layers together with the prongs of a fork, so that they crimp together. In a small dish, whisk together the egg and milk to create an egg wash and brush liberally over the surface of the pie top crust. Cut five slits in the top for venting. Cover the edges of the pie with a strip of foil to prevent over-browning and bake on a sheet pan on the middle rack for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 10-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Watch it carefully in case it starts to bubble over out of your crust. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and maybe even a little caramel drizzle! Well, there you have it! A delicious Apple pie, containing delicious beer. I think you will really love what the beer does to the apple slices in the soak! You will come out with a crowd-pleasing pie to suit any of the hungry mouths at your holiday dinner table, or, you know, your own mouth if you prefer not to share. Heheheh. As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and let us know if you have any questions, down in the comments. Cheers! -Ashley
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10 Things To Consider Before You Start Homebrewing
So, you say you want to start homebrewing, aye? Or maybe you already do, either way, these tips might still be just what you need. At Mr. Beer, our mission is to make homebrewing, as simple, all-inclusive, and as straightforward as possible. There are still a few things that are helpful to know before you get started. Here are 10 of the best tips you should know! Keeping these things in mind will help you to have many successful and fun brew days to come. 1. 1. Never neglect your sanitation This is probably the single most important part of your brewing procedure. Cleaning and sanitation should never be rushed or overlooked. Brewing beer in a dirty fermenter can lead to an infection that will have you wanting to pour your brew down the drain. Dirty bottles can take a delicious brew and turn it sour and undrinkable. 2. 2. Move quickly once your wort is off the heat Heat over 175 degrees, causes your hops to continue to bitter within your wort so, for this reason, it’s important to get the wort transferred to the cold water inside the keg as soon as possible once you have completed the wort making process. This helps lock in the correct amount of bitterness and preserve the integrity of your flavors. 3. 3. Try brewing a stout or a porter if you are not having luck with lighter styles This is a pretty “old” piece of brewing advice, but it’s a good one, nonetheless. When it comes to brewing, the devil is almost always in the details. For that reason, darker beers can leave a bit more “margin for error” when it comes to being a newbie. 4. 4. Use high quality, fresh ingredients This may go without saying, but just like any other thing, the quality of the ingredients you are using, matters. Always do your best to use “in-date” extracts, grain, and hops. A good thing to remember about grocery items like juices and purees is that if you do not enjoy it outside your beer, you probably will not like it in your beer either. 5. 5. Check your fermenter with water before starting your brew If you are just starting out in your brewing hobby, with a brand new LBK unit, make sure you test it for leaks with water first, if you have a leak, contact us ASAP and we are happy to ship you a replacement. Avoid a big giant mess by taking a small amount of time to verify you have a leak-free fermenter. 6. 6. Think about the future, and make sure you are available to bottle when your beer will potentially be “finished” It has happened before, and it will likely happen again, you start your brew and then remember you will be out of town, making you a week late to bottle…. Hey stuff happens, but it’s always a good idea to check out your calendar before getting started. 7. 7. Read and understand before getting started Before you start, read through your brewing instructions, and make sure you have a solid understanding. This way, you can contact us if you have any questions, before getting in the weeds. 8. 8. The only “dumb” question is the one you don’t ask I know you have heard that before… This time, we really mean it. If something doesn’t make sense, don’t be afraid to ask for help! 9. 9. Get yourself a brew-pot You can certainly brew Mr. Beer refills in very small kitchen pots, but if you would like to move onto recipes at some point, it is a great idea to purchase a pot with at least a 2-gallon capacity. 10. 10. Bring a friend Brewing, even with Mr. Beer can be a lot more fun when you enjoy the process with a buddy. It’s also not a bad idea to have some extra lifting power if you’ve “skipped” arm day for a while. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. Cheers! Ashley
Read moreCan beer be good for your health?
Ahhhhh beer, we love the way it tastes and the way it makes us feel when we make it or enjoy it, but have you ever wondered if it might have any health benefits? If this has crossed your mind, science says you might be in luck! Before we get to some of the good stuff, there are a couple of things I must mention so bear with me. I am not a medical professional and the information stated here is taken directly from studies and literature published to reputable scientific, sources. If you wish to visit any of these sources yourself, please feel free to check out the citations! This information is not meant as medical advice, so make sure you always talk to your doctor before making any personal health decisions. Please be aware that any of the statements made as to the possible health benefits of beer, apply only to cases of moderate and responsible consumption. Alright, so back to my point, could beer have any health benefits? Well, let us explore what science has to say on the matter. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The good news is, a 12-week study in 36 overweight adults, found that moderate beer intake — one drink for women, two drinks for men per day — improved the antioxidant properties of HDL (good) cholesterol while also improving the body’s ability to remove cholesterol, according to an article from the National Library of medicine. Another review from The National Library of Medicine stated that low to moderate beer intake — up to one drink per day in women, up to two for men — could lower heart disease risk to a similar extent as wine. Now if that is not good news for us beer enthusiasts, I do not know what is! Moderate beer consumption may not just be good for your heart! Several studies have found that light to moderate alcohol intake appears to reduce insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for diabetes and contributes to the overall risk for developing type 2 diabetes in your lifetime. a large study in over 70,500 participants associated moderate alcohol intake — 14 drinks per week for men and nine drinks per week for women — with a 43% and 58% lower risk of diabetes for men and women, respectively. Well, I do not know about you, but that is surprising news! Low to moderate beer intake may be linked to stronger bones in men and postmenopausal women and who does not like the sound of good, strong bones? With those strong bones, you are going to want to have a strong mind too! The good news, light to moderate alcohol intake may lower the risk of dementia. However, it is very important to remember that heavy alcohol intake can instead increase the risk, so always imbibe responsibly. I am, of course, asking nicely. You might also be surprised to learn that Dr. Tim Cooper himself is a cardiologist, that has spoken in-depth about the potential and promising health benefits of delicious, beer! Cooper’s original founder, Thomas Cooper, even began brewing beer for medicinal purposes to help treat his sick wife’s symptoms. I hope you enjoyed this little exploration into the subject of what positive impacts beer could potentially have for one’s health. If you wish to learn more, please explore the citations below! Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your health! Cheers, Robert For a list of references that see the list below. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. “Cardiovascular Health” https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cardiovascular-disease National Library of Medicine “Moderate Beer Intake and Cardiovascular Health in Overweight Individuals” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30189619/ National Library of Medicine “Effects of moderate beer consumption on health and disease: A consensus document” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27118108/ National Library of Medicine “Moderate alcohol consumption increases insulin sensitivity and ADIPOQ expression in postmenopausal women: a randomized, crossover trial” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18504547/ National Library of Medicine “The Relation of Light-to-Moderate Alcohol Consumption to Glucose Metabolism and Insulin Resistance in Nondiabetic Adults: the Moderating Effects of Depressive Symptom Severity, Adiposity, and Sex” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28688095/ National Library of Medicine “Association between alcohol consumption pattern and the incidence risk of type 2 diabetes in Korean men: A 12-years follow-up study” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28779170/ National Library of Medicine “Alcohol drinking patterns and risk of diabetes: a cohort study of 70,551 men and women from the general Danish population” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28748324/ National Library of Medicine “Effects of beer, wine, and liquor intakes on bone mineral density in older men and women” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19244365/ National Library of Medicine “Effect of alcohol intake on bone mineral density in elderly women: The EPIDOS Study. Epidémiologie de l'Ostéoporose” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10965974/ National Library of Medicine “Silicon: a review of its potential role in the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23762049/ National Library of Medicine “Alcohol use and dementia: a systematic scoping review” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611304/ The BMJ “Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: 23 year follow-up of Whitehall II cohort study” https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k2927 “ESTERS AND PHENOLS IN BEER. WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHAT DO THEY CONTRIBUTE? PART 1” https://www.mrbeer.com/blog/post/esters-and-phenols-in-beer-what-are-they-and-what-do-they-contribute-part-1 “ESTERS AND PHENOLS IN BEER. WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHAT DO THEY CONTRIBUTE? PART 1” https://www.mrbeer.com/blog/post/esters-and-phenols-in-beer-what-are-they-and-what-do-they-contribute-part-2 Dr Tim Cooper - Coopers Brewery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S4nMbjS3js
Read moreHow to add pumpkin to your homebrew?
The fall season is upon us, and lots of brewers are curious about how they can add a pumpkin flavor to their beer. Today we will tell you all about how to achieve that and what potential “mistakes” to avoid. Like adding most “extras” how you add it depends a lot on what you want your “final” product to taste like. As is true with most fruit additions, pumpkin puree can be added either during your boil or during fermentation. But pumpkin has another area it can be added and that is in your grain steep, which we will talk more about in a moment. First things first: What form of pumpkin is best to add to beer? Canned pumpkin puree is typically the easiest and most convenient way to add pumpkin to your brew, as it is already pasteurized and ready to use. But make sure you use puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pre-made filling can contain ingredients that would be undesirable in your brewing process. Pumpkin pie filling is also typically “pre-spiced” which prevents you from adjusting the level of spice or lack of spice that you desire. Should I cook the pumpkin puree before adding it? Typically, yes, it is a good idea to “caramelize” pumpkin puree before adding it to your brew, even if that just means a quick “cook” in your brew pot at the beginning of your brewing process. Doing this helps to caramelize the sugars within the pumpkin and helps it to taste less raw “squash-like” and more like the pumpkin flavor we are most familiar with in a pie. Yum. How much Pumpkin can I add for a 2-gallon batch? In most cases, the max for this yield should not exceed 15 ounces of pumpkin puree. When should I add my pumpkin? Pumpkin can be added to your brew in 3, primary ways. The first way is in your boil, for this method, the pumpkin is typically added in the final 5 minutes of your wort boil. The second option is adding cooled, caramelized puree to your beer midway through fermentation just like you might with other fruit additions, this method will preserve the MOST pumpkin flavor by adding it this way. The third method for adding pumpkin is to add it to your grain steeping water. This may sound odd, but it actually has some great benefits for your yeast! Because pumpkin contains a fruit enzyme called “Protease”, a powerful protein cleaver, adding this enzyme to your grain steep helps to free up the nitrogen locked up within your grains and releases them from the protein, making them more available for your yeast. Yeast love free nitrogen and they will show you through a vigorous and healthy fermentation. How much “spice” should I add to my pumpkin puree? This depends largely on your personal preference, but a good starting range is typically 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, more can be added if desired but typically 1 tablespoon is the general maximum for a Mr. Beer sized batch. If you are creating your own spice blend, start with half a teaspoon of each powdered spice component. Can I use fresh pumpkin puree? Yes, fresh pumpkin puree can be used, but if you desire to add it during fermentation, you will want to cook it enough to kill off any infectious pathogens. This is easily done through the Caramelization process. Cheers, Robert
Read moreChicken With Hefe-Honey Sauce
Finally, it is officially fall! Even here in the very hot, “Tucson Arizona”, the days are getting shorter and a little cooler too. When it comes to “fall appropriate” recipes that include beer, I am usually bringing you sweets and desserts, but not today! Today we are putting beer on our chicken…Well, beer “glaze”, anyway. Bring in the fall with this warm, delicious chicken dinner! Chicken breasts meet up with honey, hefeweizen beer, and Dijon mustard to bring you a deliciously warm and savory chicken meal that everyone at your supper table will be sure to love! This recipe is even better to me because it’s very affordable and quick to make but tastes like something far more decadent! What’s not to love? What you will need: 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each) ¼-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt (more if to your tastes) 3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots ½ cup Hefeweizen beer 2 tablespoons of soy sauce 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves How to cook it: Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a large pan and coat completely. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken breasts and sauté for about 6 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover to keep warm. In the same pan, add the shallots and cook them for about 1 minute until they are translucent and fragrant. While the shallots are cooking, combine the beer, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Add this liquid mixture to the pan with the shallots to deglaze. Bring this mixture to a boil while scraping the bits from the pan, incorporating them into the sauce as it boils. Cook for 3 minutes or until the liquid reduces to about a half-cup. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and turn them to coat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with parsley and serve with roasted vegetables, side salad, or mashed potatoes. Oh, and don’t forget a big, cold, glass of hefeweizen on the side! If you enjoyed this recipe, or have any questions, please let us know in the comments. Until next time, it’s “winner, winner, chicken dinner!” Cheers! Ashley
Read moreWhat Does Fresh Hop, Wet Hop, Dry Hopped, and Double Dry Hopped Mean?
I continue to see and hear "fresh hopped", "wet hopped," and "dry hopped" used side by side, so when I set out to get smart about hops, I assumed they were all processes for hopping your beer. Incorrect. Only dry hopping is a process. So, if you want to get this right, there are fresh hop beers, wet hop beers, and dry hopped(or double dry hopped) beers.
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