# 'Beer Machine'?



## rest_assured (26/1/13)

Hi all,
Hope everyone had a good Christmas/New Years/Australia Day.
So today i scored a 'Beer Machine' from the local tip shop for $5.
http://www.beermachine.com/
Has anybody had any experience with these contraptions? From what i can gather it is a fermenter/keg combo...?
From reading these reviews-
http://www.amazon.com/The-Beer-Machine-1000/product-reviews/B000A2LN90
it doesnt seem too popular, but id still like to give it a go.
Also, does anybody know how an AG brew would work with this? In principle one would be able to just use it as a fermenter/keg without having to purchase the nasty looking powdered beer mixes that the company reccomends to use.
Cheers


----------



## bradsbrew (26/1/13)

Bit of feedback in this thread http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/58046-the-beer-machine/?hl=%2Bbeer+%2Bmachine. If your keen to have a crack, give it a go and let us know how it goes. Ag would be fine to use.

Cheers


----------



## Bribie G (26/1/13)

I'd need 7 of them.


----------



## rest_assured (26/1/13)

yeah they are clearly designed for the lazy man, and the company promises an amazing end product that is drinkable only 7-10 days after mixing the powder, tap water and yeast (lol)- hence all the disappointed reviews online.
Ill give it a go with the AG and report back.
Yeah Bribie G, it is small. Which brings me to my next question- bear in mind i have no kegging experience...
could i theoretically take the spigot and float, carbonation unit (it uses those little co2 bulbs) and pressure conrol valve (all of which easily detach from the unit), and mount them to a more reasonably sized fermenter, therefore making a more functional keg/fermenter? is using those bulbs to pressurise anything bigger than the 'Beer Machine' impractical?
apart from the shit beer, i have read it also has leaking issues.
Overall, pretty glad i didnt pay more than $5 for it.


----------



## fletcher (26/1/13)

hahahaha, the video on the website is classic


----------



## twizt1d (27/1/13)

my old man had one of these..
i had a play around with it and made a batch with the powder shit they give you, obviously wasnt fantastic but was probably on par with a beginner 'kit and kilo' brew

the whole thing is cheaply made and flimsy, tap is shit, it leaks gas and you only can only carbonate to whatever pressure the PRV is set to

i guess it does what its meant to do but at the end of the day you are serving beer off the trub with the crusty krausen ring still around the top of the fermenter/keg.


----------



## mackysm (27/1/13)

Mhhh can't resist it could end up like this.... real fun begins at the 7 minute mark....


----------



## ian_2005 (27/1/13)

Your local Taget store sell the concentrates.

http://shop.target.com.au/p/mr-beer-home-brew-kit/P52436437

http://shop.target.com.au/p/american-ale-home-brew-mix/P52437830

http://shop.target.com.au/p/patriot-lager-home-brew-mix/P52437397

http://shop.target.com.au/p/classic-american-light-home-brew-mix/P52437113

there are a load more


I Have never tried any of these, but interested to find out the results


----------



## poppa joe (27/1/13)

I have one on the top shelf in my garage..
But that is so i can not get to it....
Cheers
PJ
Glad i only paid $5.oo for mine too..


----------



## bruce86 (27/1/13)

well that was painful mackysm. i was hoping for something exciting at the 7 min mark when he was talking bout his excessive fermentaion i was hoping for the bottle to blow up in his face lol


----------



## DUANNE (27/1/13)

ian_2005 said:


> Your local Taget store sell the concentrates.
> 
> http://shop.target.com.au/p/mr-beer-home-brew-kit/P52436437
> 
> ...


mr beer is owned by coopers now isnt it? i would expect the results to be on par with a coopers k+k if it is.


----------



## rest_assured (27/1/13)

Yeah Beerhog I believe so. 
For the sake of argument I will give it a go with the recommended kit... Never thought id find myself buying homebrew supplies from target though lol
Btw, who lives in QLD? Is there some problem with Telstra? Any info?


----------



## Lecterfan (27/1/13)

mackysm said:


> Mhhh can't resist it could end up like this.... real fun begins at the 7 minute mark....


 I watched this on your behalf, now no one else has to. A porter brewed with bakers yeast brewed by a fat young dude who puts gardening vidoes on youtube and doesn't live with his girlfriend (and is unlikely to). And not much info on the 'beer machine' itself. No offence Macksym. Next.


----------



## bablie (24/2/13)

*Beer industry*
Beer is an alcoholic beverage, Which is made from yeast and water including wheat, corn, rice, maize and other natural Ingredients are incorporated. http://beernewb.com/index.php/newb-smarts/138-qa/605-what-is-beer.html The flavors are different. You just try this link which i have provided to you.


----------



## Rod (24/2/13)

poppa joe said:


> I have one on the top shelf in my garage..
> But that is so i can not get to it....
> Cheers
> PJ
> Glad i only paid $5.oo for mine too..


how much you want for it

down at Merrybeach , pick it up easy


----------



## Truman42 (24/2/13)

bablie said:


> *Beer industry*
> Beer is an alcoholic beverage, Which is made from yeast and water including wheat, corn, rice, maize and other natural Ingredients are incorporated. http://beernewb.com/index.php/newb-smarts/138-qa/605-what-is-beer.html The flavors are different. You just try this link which i have provided to you.


No ******* shit Sherlock. Thanks for telling us what beer is.


----------



## dougsbrew (24/2/13)

look a little closer truman, bablie from india has been a member for about 20 minutes and has posted a link to a site 
which appears to be american based, contact details vague. at least he has already got a like to his post.......


----------



## felten (25/2/13)

Truman said:


> No ******* shit Sherlock. Thanks for telling us what beer is.


A little harsh, it's his first post!


----------



## gazeboar (25/2/13)

Beer machine = CHEAP. Knowing that I'll never retrieve that time back from my life = Priceless.

"Is it as good as a premium micro brewed beer?
I think it is. I'd buy this beer.
Wow"

Wow, alright. I haven't seen or heard such an astounding display of mediocrity and embarrasingly bad acting since watching The Last Airbender. :lol:


----------



## rest_assured (27/2/13)

Ok, today is the day. I still can't stomach the idea of using powder, so I'm using an el cheapo kit. Ill chuck in some hops for good measure, got plenty in my freezer. I expect results in a few weeks, will report back!
Took me a while cos one of the parts (seal) was missing.
One feather in the cap of the beer machine, I emailed them to locate the part and they sent it free of charge!


----------



## Rod (28/2/13)

rest_assured said:


> Ok, today is the day. I still can't stomach the idea of using powder, so I'm using an el cheapo kit. Ill chuck in some hops for good measure, got plenty in my freezer. I expect results in a few weeks, will report back!
> Took me a while cos one of the parts (seal) was missing.
> One feather in the cap of the beer machine, I emailed them to locate the part and they sent it free of charge!


I do not understand why you would be worried about using powder

I do full extract brews all the time

LDME
Dextrose
hops
dry yeast

and water


----------



## rest_assured (12/3/13)

Yeah beer god, just doesn't seem right. Does it turn out ok? 
Well I've been sampling the brew every day for about 3 days, and honestly it isn't bad.
In fact, I like the beer machine. In saying that though, by no stretch of the imagination Is it worth $100+.
It definitely won't replace my AG brews, but I will use it alongside- perhaps even as a little 'party keg'.

In case anybody wants the recipe I used, here it is. On the cheap, didn't cost much more than $10-12 (bought the hops in 100g though). All up less than $20 including the $5 i payed for the beer machine! Not bad!
-I used a whole tin of tooheys draught kit
-boiled about 10g cascade hops for about 15 mins in a litre of water
-mixed the hot hop mixture and the kit in the bottom of the beer machine
-filled to the line with water (10L)
-bunged another 10g dry hops in for good measure
-just used the yeast from the kit
About 19-20 degrees for about a week before taking it down to 2-4 degrees to let it carb.
Cos it was only 10L didn't need to add any other fermentables, the sugar from the kit is enough cos obviously it is designed for 23L.

In fact it might be the best kit I've made.
A lot of people I've seen online bitch about the beer machine, but most problems (as far as I can tell) are either due to poor sanitisation or not sealing the unit properly. If you sanitise properly, and test the pressure with water before brewing, you will do ok.
Probably still not worth what they charge though, and obviously not great for serious brewers.
Cheers!


----------

