Mr. Beer Brewing Kit Review 2020, Premium Gold Edition
It has been a full three months since I tried the Mr. Beer Brewing Kit. I happened to receive it as a birthday gift from a fellow beer lover. Having already owned another brewing system previously, and brewed several successful batches of beer, I wondered what I would make of this new and compact brewing kit. I was given the Premium gold edition which I have discussed below.
Features of Mr. Beer Brewing Kit
The Mr. Beer Kit comes with a lightweight fermenter, brewing extract, carbonation drops, reusable beer bottles, and a cleanser. They have a neat 2-gallon keg with a locking spigot for the easy bottling of the brewed beer.
- The brewing extract is a hopped malt extract created by the master brewers of Cooper’s brewery, Australia. This hopped malt brings down an average brewing day from 8-9 hours down to just 30 minutes.
- The fermenter is a 2 gallon shatter-proof one with a wide mouth for easy filling and cleaning. The airlock is built-in to control the fermenting process and prevent contamination. It even has a vented top to enable release of carbon dioxide during fermentation.
- The keg has a locking spigot which is the easiest way to bottle your beer after fermentation. Additionally, the keg has a trough below to collect hop debris or trub which is a byproduct of hop fermentation.
- The carbonation drops are simple tablets to carbonate your brew during the bottling process.
- The kit also comes with shatter-proof, standard craft beer bottles for you to complete your brewing process.
- The premium gold edition has the bonus of 2 refills, and I got the Bavarian wheat and the Aztec Cervaza.
Brewing Journey
Ever since I moved homes and had to dismantle my old brewing system due to space constraints, I have been quite disconcerted that I had to step out to get my favorite drink. It seemed too tiresome, and I got lucky with a gift from a friend. This has been a great brewing experience, and the entire brewing process is uncomplicated and doesn’t even take up much space.
I started by mixing the hopped malt extract with water and filling it into the fermenter. It took just a few minutes of mixing the extract with water to create my wort. A traditional brewing process consists of milling grains, mixing it with heated water and boiling, and then extracting the liquid called wort. This wort is first boiled, and then hops are added to it. Once it is processed enough to remove all malt and hop particles, it is cooled and fermented.
With Mr Beers, this entire process came down to a mere 30-minutes because the extract provided by them is already malted and has hops too. Once the yeast began the fermentation process, I just had to sit back and wait. I waited out the entire 3 weeks of brewing time because I wanted to follow all instructions. I know from experience, though, that if you let it sit for longer, the taste is definitely more robust. I should be trying it out with my next batch.
Once the three weeks of fermentation was done, I put the carbonation drop (one each) into the bottles and tapped my beer and shut the bottles. The carbonation took an additional 2-weeks. And, I tried my best to keep the temperatures optimally around 70 degrees F. I plan to let the brew ferment for longer and maybe get experimental and add more grains while fermenting the next batch too.
But, for sure, patience is what results in good quality beer, and I am happy that I followed all the instructions without any deviation. Although I was a little skeptical about the process being so simplified, I found that the end result had not been compromised. I am excited to say that I ended up with the first batch of Bavarian wheat beer which tasted great and had a light aroma and a malty yet light body.
ADVANTAGES
- The space requirement is very minimal unlike some of the other home brewing systems which need a whole lot of space.
- The price is very reasonable considering that the kit includes 2 refills and plenty of bottles.
- The brewing day as compared to most home-brews is just 30 minutes instead of approximately 8 hours.
- The keg size of 2 gallons is perfect for brewing and drinking the right amount of beer. 5 gallons provided with other kits may take too long to finish.
- 2 refills are provided, which means that I get to brew a completely new beer with a different taste after this batch is done.
SHORTCOMINGS
- The carbonation of two of the bottles had completely gone, and the beer was utterly flat when it was time to drink. But since the rest of the bottles turned out ok, I suppose I have to check the caps on these bottles.
Believe Me! This Kit Is Worth Your Money
Mr Beers Premium Gold Edition Brewing Kit could be a super satisfying buy. I say so because I had the best time brewing my beer after several days.
- What also makes this kit totally worth it is the fact that the keg is the right size to keep you comfortable for a while. It has a trough at the bottom that collects the debris from fermentation.
- The material for the fermenter and the bottles are shatter-proof and free from BPA.
- I think if you buy your beer outside it might be cheaper, but the satisfaction of having made it by yourself surely has the edge over the pricing.
- Mr Beer doesn’t disappoint because it is one of the few home brewing kits that is backed by actual brewers in Australia. Reviews about Mr Beers Cervaza recipe have got me all excited to try that out soon enough.
- Other types of beer that you could try with Mr Beer are the Oktoberfest Lager, Canadian Blonde, and the Czech Pilsner. They also have Amber Ale, Diablo IPA, and St. Patrick’s Irish Stout refills that are not traditionally part of the gold edition kit, but sound equally exciting to a beer lover like me.
I haven’t had any complaints so far and have had no need to reach out to their customer service representatives, but I hear that they provide efficient post-sale services.
This has been an exciting and satisfactory experience, and I see myself buying more refills in the future.
