Side by Side Comparison of: True Brew vs Mr. Beer

Simple, easy to brew and good tasting IPA

It took us a year to get around to brewing this batch so the supplies were just under the "use by" date. It was our first time making our own beer and it turned out amazing! As it was our first time the entire process was new to us. We followed the directions that came with the kit, allowing it to ferment one week and then transferred it to a carboy for an additional few days to settle. Then bottling and priming with sugar for one last week. It took three weeks from start to finish and we had a smooth amber ale that would rival a Sam Adams beer. I am buying this same kit again now.

Came out great and tasty. Pulled close to 6abv with good head and retention. Simple instructions for a beginner. Final taste was more like a brown ale rather than a west coast ipa, which is cool, good is good. No better feeling than enjoying your own home made beer!

Husband loves it

My second True Brew IPA is fermenting right now and if it turns out as well as the first I'll be very happy. The ingredients are good quality, the kit even comes with bottle caps and a grain bag...which is awesome. The instructions are well written and easy to follow. Just remember to keep everything CLEAN and this kit should provide a great tasting IPA.

This kit had wonderful instructions and the ingrediants were good quality. It is a great place to start for beginners. As you progress, you may want to start with your own modified recipes, malt powder, etc. But, this was a very good (and very hoppy) beer for the ease of brewing.One thing I didn't use was the included steralizer packets. For one thing, they didn't include enough to sterilize your equipment throughout the whole process. However, a weak bleach solution does the job just fine.Brew a couple batches from kits like these, buy the Joy of Homebrewing, and then start to create your own recipes.Happy Brewing!

Before I didn't find a lot of online stores, can find what I want in the amazon, it is very nice.This product is exactly what I want, just did not expect to find here, cheap and good quality. Product is perfect. It's exactly what was described. I am satisfying with its quality. Do not care about other people is how to evaluate this product, to buy for and bring you to see the benefits of the product is the best. Works great does exactly what it needs to do, and you can't beat the price. Bought it for my mother. She loved it so much that she bought another for a friend. I'm glad I made this purchase.

Got this for my father in law for xmas one year. He loves it. He is from Wisconsin so they are avid beer drinkers. He always wanted one of these. The process to make the beer doesn't seem complicated at all, especially if you are an avid lover of beer. The fermenting process and all the instructions are laid out in the manual. He actually let his sit even longer than the time allotted because he wanted to make sure it was extra perfect. At the end of the process he said it tasted pretty good, better than he expected from a home brewed beer. So I would definitely recommend this to someone who is trying to get into the beer making process.

My girlfriend got me this for Christmas last year. I had been talking about getting into homebrewing and she picked up on that. I believe this product is great for the person who wants to brew their own beer but doesn't really know where to start, or doesn't have much money to invest in it. The instructions make it extremely easy and simple, while still involved enough to be fun. After I brewed it and it was fermenting, I was so excited to bottle it. After bottling it and letting it condition in the bottles, it was actually better than I thought it would be for my first time. After using the Mr. Beer kit, I realized I'd like to brew some more beer, and bought a bigger kit, but I've still been using my Mr. Beer fermenter for smaller batches of stuff. If anyone buys this and uses both extract kits that come with it, it's great to use the same fermenter, but I might suggest looking elsewhere for your next extract recipe kit.

I bought this item as a Valentine's day gift to my husband. (Which he opened early...) First off, I want to say that he was really excited about this! We ran into a bit of a snag when his fermenting keg was leaking. I shot an email off to the MR BEER company about it, and got an email back from Renee from Mr Beer within a day. After a few email exchanges for troubleshooting, she sent us a new keg to replace our leaking one. The second one leaked, but not as bad. I felt pretty bad that we kept running into this issue, so I took it into my own hands to figure this out.One of the biggest complaints is a leaking keg. So I figured out that the problem is that the keg ends up with a little extra plastic at the seam where the spigot attached (the leaking point). I took a nail file and sanded down so that the seam was flush. Once I did that, all of the leaking stopped.Once he actually got to brewing, he was thrilled! It was a lot of fun and it really piqued his interest. I asked my husband what rating I should give this and despite the initial issues, he still insisted on a 5 star. Renee at customer service was very polite and prompt, which made a negative situation so much better.In 21 more days, I will report on the taste of the beer ;)

I bought this as a Father's day gift for my grandfather, who is an avid beer drinker. It was a great bonding expeirance to make the beer than after it brewed for two weeks, to fill and label the bottles! Once the beer was done carbonating, we both cracked one open and was pleased with the outcome. Careful though, it can be a little strong in smell and a tad sweet. One brew used almost all the supplies we were given but to reorder more is an inexpensive and easy process.Just make sure you order the right set for the right kit!

I came to home brewing when I was bored and looked up hobbies I can take up, and slowly got more and more interested.I got this kit early this month, with the book How to Brew by John Palmer, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in home brewing. Though I cannot review on the quality of the beer (I bottled my first batch three days ago) I will write an honest review on the equipment, and ingredients that comes with this Mr. Beer Kit.IntroAs a beginner in home brewing, every home brewing term seemed alien to me, and seeing the 5 to 6 gallon carboy with contraptions like siphons, air locks, and hydrometers just confused. Therefore, I decided to get the most simplistic kit available, that's why I chose Mr. Beer. I will first start with the Pros.PROSMR. BEER Kit out of the Box , Perfect for Beginners This is a perfect kit for absolute beginners on a budget. For 50 dollars, you get a fermenter, bottles, two hopped malt extract, yeast, and no-rinse cleansing solution. Almost everything you need is included, minus a large pot (enough to hold 4 cups of water), metal spoon, can opener, and a silicone spatula. The instruction manual is not clear, but Mr. BEER has a Youtube video explaining step-by-step on how to sanitize, brew, and pitch the yeast. Mr. BEER also gives you daily email (if you register) on subjects like sanitizing, science behind yeast and fermentation, and other useful information. Like I said it has 90% of what you need to get started.Ease of Use Mr. BEER kit is easy to use. First you sanitize with the given sanitize solution. Then you boil 4 cups of water, add the hopped malt extract and stir until dissolved. Then you add 1 gallon of chilled water, add the wort, add another gallon of water, and then add the yeast. Finally, you close the lid and let it sit. of course there are more details involved, but it's pretty much as simple as it gets.No Gimmick, It Actually Brews This is a legit, beer making kit. You can see everything happening in the fermenter: yeast fermenting, high krausen (peak of fermentation), layer of yeast in the bottom, and the clarification of the beer as fermentation completes. It's so fool-proof, it's guaranteed to make drinkable beer... note the drinkable part.Perfect for Increasing Knowledge This kit is perfect for absolute beginners, who don't want to deal with a lot of complicated equipment, but as you brew, you will want to learn and start reading books and forums, like I did. As I gain more knowledge on the brewing process, watching videos and reading "How to Brew" by John Palmer, I see more and more future limitation when it comes to this Kit. This is where I start the ConsCONSLimited to MR. BEER Products With this 8.5 Quart kit, you are limited to only using MR.BEER kit sold by MR. BEER. You can buy the standard 5 gallon recipe kit which makes 5 gallons, but you have to do the math and ratio out all the ingredients if you want to do so (who has time for that?). So unless you want to keep using hopped malt extract without using specialty grains, malt extracts, and add the hop yourself, this is obviously a kit that you'll "graduate" within time. But this kit is solely for Mr.BEER refills and nothing else.Quality of the Ingredients/ Yeast As I learn more about specialty hop, adding hops at different times, and other brewing techniques required for home crafted beer, I find that just pouring a liquid extract to boiling water is very limited and restrictive. Also, the quality of the yeast is questionable, for it does not have a date, and who knows how long the yeast (refill) has been sitting on a shelf. According to Palmer, quality beer requires quality yeast, and with Mr. BEER, there is not telling the quality of the yeast that comes with it.Crude Ventilation/ Air Lock This kit has "air notches": little holes on the mouth (top opening) of the keg which lets excess CO2 out, which, by theory can let oxygen in as well. Because how the lid is positioned, I do not believe a lot of oxygen gets in during the fermentation process, but the air notches are crude nonetheless.You Will Outgrow it Very Quickly Though it is for beginners, you will outgrow it quickly. As I read more, and watch more videos, I am itching to get a standard kit (5 gallon carboy, siphon, airlocks, etc.) to "graduate" from this kit. It is perfect for beginners yes, but if I had to do it again, I would buy a standard starter kit (Northern Brewing, True Brew, etc) and start from there.ConclusionThis kit is awesome for beginners and those who want to start brewing without all the equipment. I will update this review on the quality of beer it makes.Note: I am following the 2-2-2 rule (2 weeks in the primary fermenter, 2 weeks of bottling, and 2 weeks of conditioning). Just FYI for those wondering the process I took.--------------------------------------------UPDATE 12/07/2014------------------------------------------------Beer taste: Wow, so I brewed the Aztec Cerveza and I am enjoying a glass right now, watching the 49ers v Raiders game. So this is the process I followed to brew this batch: 2 weeks in the fermenter, 2 weeks bottling/carbonating, and 2 weeks of conditioning in the fridge. However, I was curious and couldn't wait any longer. It's been 3 days of conditioning, and decided to drink it.This is an awesome tasting beer. More milder than other cerveza's out there, but awesome in every way. Good carbonation, good taste, and the best thing is that it is smooth. It has a hint of sour taste, but I think that is due to bottling a day or two early. But after this bottle, I will drink the rest of the bottles when the full two weeks of conditioning has been done.This is smooth, and very enjoyable beer. But be aware: home brewed beer has a certain taste to them. Internet forum describes it as "the homebrew musk". There is definitely that, but it adds to the richness of the flavor. I am very impressed.I bought one more keg: I bought one more keg. I thought about getting a 5 gallon, standard kit, but I am going to stick with Mr. Beer (I have changed my mind). It is simplistic, takes minimum equipment, I can brew multiple batches at one time, and the end result is outstanding. Right now I have a pilsner and a stout brewing. Can't be more happy with Mr. Beer. For those people telling you that you can't brew good tasting beer with simplistic equipment like Mr. Beer, they are wrong. I wish you were here right now so I can have a glass with you. Cheers!Updated rating: 5/5

I am new to homebrewing and this beer turned out well. However I am giving it 4 stars because it doesn't come with enough hops to make what most people think of an IPA. The oak chips give it a dark color, and the taste is a balance between hops and malt that leans more toward malt. With only 2 ounces of hops, and 1 ounce being a last minute addition to the boil, it doesn't have the strong hop flavor I was hoping for. It also had a substitute for one of the usual varieties of hops that is included. I am too new to have a strong opinion on if the substitute made a big difference, but it didn't match the states ingredients.If you want a strong hop flavor you will need to buy a different kit or add more hops. You can also try adding the second hop addition sooner to get more flavor (late additions are more for aroma, but I am not an expert!)

This was my first go around brewing beer. I was obviously nervous about every detail during the process,but after following the instructions ( making sure to follow them as closely as possible ) The final product turned out better than imagined. A very nice starter ,kit, turned out a very refreshing, hop infused, fresh, drinkable IPA on par with anything i could have purchased. I still have much to learn, but i am more than pleased with this product and i would recommend it to anyone wanting to give brewing a try.

not a strong hoppy taste as some others have commented. However, this beer tasted very good. The directions we easy to follow. I made it just as in the recipe. This is my first 5 gallon home brew.

Good generic beer kit for beginners.

my dad is a home brewer and loved this kit.

Gave this as a gift and the recipient loved it. I had some beer after he made it and it was very tasty.

The process was easy, clear directions, though the beer came out tasting like wine. This may be a good thing to some of you, but I can't stand it. Or maybe I did something wrong, who knows.

I purchased this product for my husband who expressed an interest in trying to make beer. He did and it is beer- not a great beer (according to him) but beer nonetheless. I'm not a beer drinker, so I can't say what it's like for certain, but he enjoyed the process and wants to try it again when he has time and that's a good thing in my book.

It made the brewing process easy; too easy. I really didn't understand that I was buying "extracts" (read: you don't get hops or malt. You get a large can of a soupy mixture that is essentially already brewed) even though it says so right there in the description. I thought I was going to brew beer, not boil an extract for 10 minutes, let it sit for a few weeks, put it in bottles and let it sit a few more weeks. All that said, it was a pleasant enough experience, and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to brew but not really brew.

This seems to be a decent kit for the price. I had to sand down the "little brown keg" where the spigot attaches due to low quality construction - some 150 grit sandpaper took care of this in under 30 seconds as the plastic is fairly soft. Now the spigot actually seals. The instructions are a little sparse and conflicting (DVD tells you to do things differently than the written instructions, not just in more detail) and I would recommend doing some outside research. Overall, the process is not very difficult or time consuming. Like many people have recommended, don't just let the beer sit for the minimum time stated. Patience seems to be key here. I will update once the beer is drinkable.

This kit is fun to use, and is very easy for the home brewer with no experience.The "just add water" concept leaves you wanting a little more from the experience. But, I wanted to brew my own beer, not spend all day in the kitchen so it's not bad. I had the wort done and my first batch fermenting in under an hour, though over half of that time was spent washing and sanitizing all the equipment. I tried the winter ale refill first, not the pilsner or cerveza that come with the kit. I felt like I followed directions perfectly, even following the 2/2/2 rule (2 weeks fermenting, 2 weeks carbonating, 2 weeks bottle conditioning). The beer I ended up with was too strong and too carbonated. The only thing I can think of is that since this was more of a dark ale it needed more time to develop. Anyway I'm looking forward to starting the process over with another flavor and seeing if it gets any better.

Well, it makes beer. I didn't care for the flavor of either kit brew that this one came with, but the product works as described, and is very simple. If you use the sucrose tabs for carbonation, you will need to gently invert the bottles a few times after they fully dissolve to ensure that it is mixed properly, and carbonates fully.I decided not to buy a kit, but to make my own by purchasing items from a local brew shop. It's a lot more involved, and you have to pair down recipes that you can easily find online (most are for a 5gal setup). The final product is a LOT better, and it's cheaper, and you get a much better feeling of accomplishment.Also, the plastic bottles are OK for a few uses, but stock up on pop off beer bottles and grab a capper/caps, or the wire flip top bottles (Groelsh stye).Overall, worth the money. I've done 4 brews in total, and the keg seems to be holding up just fine. I do anticipate that I'll outgrow it relatively soon thought.

Finished this brew about a week ago. It taste not great not bad just good. Instructions were easy to follow and brewing was fun for my first time. I feel like it taste sweeter than expected and has a roast flavor somewhat similar to coffee. Maybe due to the oak chips? Its a different taste for an IPA. Mine didn't come out with a strong head. Could be because I didn't wash the soap out of the bottling bucket correctly or I under carbed the beer ( doesn't taste flat at all though). I bottled for 2 weeks and I'm pretty satisfied for my first time.

This is my first brew kit that I tried, the beer taste ok not impressive but it has a bitter finish that lingers for a while. It could be my fault that the beer came out the way it did but I followed the instruction to the T. I would try another type of beer from now on.

Certainly wasn't the best beer I've brewed, but wasn't the worst either. More amber then I was expecting and should come with clearing moss

Maybe I did something wrong, but mine came out with almost stout like qualities. Not very hoppy at all. The malt that came in this kit was very dark too, which is probably why it tastes the way it does...

For now I'll give it a 3 star. I have not yet used this product but it did come in one piece, none of the plastic was broke and it came with everything pictured. The only reason I didn't start it at a five star was from how the box had pictures of stuff that wasn't contained inside. This makes me think it was a reused box. None of that matters though, because 5 or more weeks when my product is done is when I will return to give my review for the rest. If it doesn't work at all I will drop the a one star, if it doesn't work at all I'll give it one star. If at least one of the products works well it will get two stars. If it's mediocre tasting I will stay at three. If it tastes great but has a flaw on one of the parts I'll jump to four and if it works amazing or tastes name brand I'll give it a five star.

The kit was a gift and we just made our first batch. The directions were simple and easy to follow. My only and biggest complaint is when we finally were ready to drink the beer, almost half the bottles had lost carbonation and the beer was undrinkable. It appears many of the tops that came with the bottle failed to seal correctly. (And yes, we did them all the same). I will order another round of bottle tops and see if the next batch comes out better.

It works. Beer brewing is a tricky thing. You will get a batch... 25% of them will have a head and carbonation and may taste ok. You'll suffer through the rest using the "I did it myself" fact as motivation to drink them all. Be careful, don't share with friends/family if you're not really happy with it, which will likely be the case. I had to sand down the spigot's hole in order to get it not to drip, check that. Also follow the instructions precisely, don't take shortcuts. You will find its probably better to go a week longer before you pour, and 4 weeks before you refrigerate the poured bottles to let that carbonation build up. It takes time, patience, etc. so don't get pissed if your first batch falls "flat"...

The Mr. Beer kit is a cool, novel gift idea for someone that likes to drink beer. The packaging, instructions and all of the items included are great. However, your first batch will probably end up tasting like flat cow piss. The beer was unable to ferment properly and came out horribly. This could have been due to the colder weather so I recommend this if you are able to leave somewhere with a constant temperature above 70 degrees.

Leaks! Finger tightened spigot per instructions but it leaked at the spigot/barrel junction, which I fixed using Teflon tap. A few hours after brewing started, the spigot port began to leak, which I fixed using multiple layers of Teflon tape, but it still leaked a bit. Top vent was working, so its not gas entirely due to carbon dioxide pressure, and likely water pressure. Anyway, I'm disappointed, and hope my first batch of beer is good!

The instructions were clear and easy to follow. The fermenter doesn't have an airlock and that was a concern to me. Also of concern was the 750ml plastic bottles with screw caps. First of all, if plastic was suitable to bottle beer I should think that the commercial beer makers would use it. There are advantages over glass as far as weight is concerned. They do not bottle in plastic however, and for that reason I bottled my beer in glass bottles. Also 4 of my plastic beer bottles had sharp dents that left sharp creases in the bottles when pushed out. I think these sharp creases would cause weak points and lead to bottle rupture when carbonating the fermented beer.

Did not receive IPA, received Irish Red Ale. Box looked old and dusty. Thankfully it was inexpensive and not worth the trouble to return. Beer came out fine. All things considered it could have been a 3 or 4 star rating given the price had I actually ordered an Irish Red.

This product did not pan out to be what I expected. Although I could be to blame because It was my first time home brewing before and I may have messed things up but it did not taste like a India pale ale at all whatsoever.

Didn't like the flavor of the beer.

Product arrived as advertised; true brew kits suck a bit - LME is old, Hops underpowered because they are old and stored improperly. Buy from your LHBS or Morebeer for fresher product, improved quality.

Far too malty and not nearly hoppy enough for an IPA.

I read the directions perfectly, and I've done plenty of brewing the past. I did not understand the oak chips at all, but I followed the directions perfectly. And when it came to bottle the beer, the oak chips were a constant nuisance that kept plugging up my spicket and causing me to lose a lot of my brew. I bottled a lot less beer than I normally do because these wood chips or whatever made it extremely difficult to bottle. In a month or so I'll taste one of my beers and update this review, but right now I'm very happy with it because of those dang wood chips...

I've tried twice purchasing this and still it's the wrong flavors from what is advertised. The description says Mexican Cerveza and either Czech Pilsner or American Lager. Both times it arrived with Classic American Light (really? that's what I'm trying to get away from) and Octoberfest Lager (that's ok). The product description needs to change. You don't get what is advertised.

I bought this for my husband. We followed the instructions exactly and began patiently waiting for our beer to be done. On day 2, I came home to a horrible smell, I checked our brew (thankfully in our spare bathtub) to find the brew oozing from the top in a bubbly stinky mess. Needless to say, that was the last time we tried

easy to make beers but definitely takes a couple batches to get used to making it. Also FYI when you make it with the wort your kitchen will smell for hours. The quality of beer that comes out isn't to great for the effort and price. After all is said and done per patch which makes about 21-22 beers for a few extra bucks you can buy 2 great quality 12 pack

Okay, so there are over a thousand reviews already, meaning the likelihood of anyone seeing mine is pretty slim. Even so, I feel obligated to share some thoughts on this thing. First, I would NOT call what it makes "beer." It's more like, "beer flavored alcoholic drink." Yes, you'll end up with something vaguely beer like that has some alcohol in it, but it's hardly "beer." I made one batch, it was mediocre at best.The process for making beer with this kit simply involves boiling water and then mixing the syrup into it. No long boils, no mixing in hops, no rapid cooling, etc. This means your finished product tastes too sweet and kinda syrupy. More advanced kits include actual grains and hops, which are vital to the taste and production of beer. Without hops, beer tastes too sweet. Without grains, beer tastes too artificial. Sure this kit works and an alcoholic beverage is created at the end, but it's not real beer. I think the national guidelines actually state that a beverage without hops can't technically be called beer.This is an easy kit to follow, but if you're even slightly interested in homebrewing, I strongly advise skipping it. You won't be happy with the result, and neither will anyone you share it with. After this disappointment, I ordered a more serious beer making kit from Northern Brewer and it has actually produced some very good beer. That kit costs $100 instead of $50, but for that extra 50 bucks, you're actually getting real beer at the end that you'd be proud to share with family and friends.Do yourself a favor, skip this kit and get something better. You won't regret it.

This kit arrived with the bottles in not very good shape; the cans had moved around significantly and warped them, but everything seemed on the surface to be functional. After following the instructions and brewing the first batch, the keg leaked significantly through the seams near the spigot. We threw out the first batch, re-tightened the spigot, and tested the seams with water. It is still leaking significantly, and, as it stands, the keg does not appear to be usable.EDIT: After repeated sanding down of the lower seam, the keg appears to be functional.

I purchased this as a gift for a friend. I own two of these kits (manufactured prior to the acquisition of Mr. Beer by another company) and thought this would be a good starter kit for my friend. There is nothing wrong with the quality of the kit or the beer ingredients, but the instructions included were not comprehensive enough. My friend attempted three batches using the enclosed instructions and each of them was flat or off flavor. I assisted him with a batch using the (old) instructions from my kit and his beer turned out fine. If you decide to purchase this kit, go to the Mr. Beer website for a better set of instructions or do some research on a brewing forum prior to your attempt.I would recommend this kit for someone that is already familiar with process for brewing with a Mr. Beer kit, but if you are looking to learn using this kit I recommend not using the enclosed instructions.

When I read what this included, it says it comes with the Pilsner and the Mexican or American beer. So that makes me believe I'll get a Pilsner and either the Mexican or American. I got the Mexican and American. Funny, those are both only $14 when the Pilsner is $24. The box even has what's included on it and it states it has a Pilsner and Mexican in the box. Not a big deal, just frustrating I have to return this.

Awful product that produces flat beer after following directions exactly. Manufacturer does not stand behind the product when you purchase from a third party re-seller like Amazon. Save your money and try a different system before you waste your time and money.

I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend who is wanting to start home brewing. Needless to say, I have a pantry that now reeks of beer because it leaked the beer everywhere.

What a friggin joke this product is. Such a pain to clean and do all of the steps needed, after spending hours watching all videos, buying extra things needed as mentioned in their videos and preparing everything, the stupid spout leaks. Save your sanity, buy your beer from the store.

The "barrel" would not get a seal with the spigot. I returned the original and recieved a replacement. Still leaked. Went to a hardware store and got some rubber gaskets. Fit well, still leaked and sent back for a full refund.

I ordered this item for my son as a Christmas present it includes written instructions and a DVD. UNFORTUNATELY the measurements that are listed in both directions DO NOT appear on the brewing fermenter. The markings they reference in the directions NO longer appear on the container. They claim the written instructions are correct & they are not. They would be more than glad to sell him more product to try the process again. A complete and total waste of money and horrendous customer service!