OMG Mr. Beer is freaking hilarious

[Pudge]

<shakes fist in air> get off my lawn you damn kids!

you're a ornery lot here at the borg aren't ya... they give away free crap, you whine it's not free enough.

How much do you have to spend to have a shot at the "free" stuff? That isn't free

[CowboyKyle]

How much do you have to spend to have a shot at the "free" stuff? That isn't free

Maybe i'm looking at this too black and white... I see this as a program to offer incentivizing, at no additional cost to the purchaser. They clearly cannot just give stuff away to people who do not spend money... 100% of companies that just give stuff away fail...

are you upset with the levels at which they've set? or the fact you won't reach them?? Or you think no one will reach them? I am more than sure that MB has run the numbers on this so that they do not hemorrhage money giving away free items. So is the question: why run a rewards program that offers the average buyer no benefit? Why not just cut prices?

a month ago if you bought $100 worth of product, that is exactly what you got. Now, if you buy $100 worth of product, you would get like 125 points, plus $100 worth of product. Now, if you give a rip about points, or buy more crap within two years, you can maybe get enough to get a peanut dish... woohoo... post on FB, refer a friend, etc, get that peanut dish in 18 months!

Incentivizing programs are built to get people to buy more, not to lower revenue or offer discounts/lower prices. If you want to complain about the flat out cost of product, or the quality or taste of the product, those are all far more reasonable complaints... but why complain when they add value (even only a tiny amount) to the product at no additional charge?

[mashani]

This flavor you're talking about, is it kinda bitter? As I've noticed a bitter aftertaste, if you want to call it that, in some of the Mr. Beer beers and the BrewDemon refills. It was more pronounced in the Porters & Stouts. I wasn't sure if it was the beer or my process that was causing it.

I don't know if everyone perceives it the same way, but to me it is a harsh/rough edged/bitter woody kind of flavor that you can find in just about any product made by Coopers. Including their own "big cans" made for their 5 gallon batch fermenters. The more IBUs and/or the less malt added the more it stands out.

When it comes to porters/stouts, especially if you add BrewDemon to the mix (who as far as I know does NOT use Pride of Ringwood) - then there is also a bitter astringency that comes from the roasted grains in those beers. Some people don't like roasted grains / some types of darker beers for that very reason. But that should translate into commercial versions as well however if that's all it is your tasting.

Another thing that can cause a bit of a bitter metallic "molasses like but without the sweetness" kind of twang is extract that's been sitting in a can too long. Extract goes through what's called a "Maillard reaction" over time, which darkens it and changes the flavor. This is why when I buy liquid malt extracts, I always buy the freshest bulk stuff I can find.

[mashani]

They clearly cannot just give stuff away to people who do not spend money... 100% of companies that just give stuff away fail...

I think encouraging your customers to break the law in order to get at the best rewards/reward levels would also be considered a way to fail?

But really I think a lot of us would like to see them focus their efforts at providing a better product mix/experience for intermediate and beyond small batch brewers at a better price point, instead of simply trying gimmicks to "keep people in the cans".

[TonyKZ1]

When it comes to porters/stouts, especially if you add BrewDemon to the mix (who as far as I know does NOT use Pride of Ringwood) - then there is also a bitter astringency that comes from the roasted grains in those beers. Some people don't like roasted grains / some types of darker beers for that very reason. But that should translate into commercial versions as well however if that's all it is your tasting.

Okay, that's probably all it is then as I've tasted similar in some Guinness and other stouts/porters, but maybe not as strong if I remember right as it's been years since I had any of those.
Thanks for the explanation.

[mashani]

When it comes to porters/stouts, especially if you add BrewDemon to the mix (who as far as I know does NOT use Pride of Ringwood) - then there is also a bitter astringency that comes from the roasted grains in those beers. Some people don't like roasted grains / some types of darker beers for that very reason. But that should translate into commercial versions as well however if that's all it is your tasting.

Okay, that's probably all it is then as I've tasted similar in some Guinness and other stouts/porters, but maybe not as strong if I remember right as it's been years since I had any of those.
Thanks for the explanation.

If you decide to brew your own and go beyond just using extracts, then one way to avoid some of that is to "cold steep" (as in steep your dark grains in cool water) overnight instead of doing a normal "hot steep" for 30 minutes or putting them in the mash if you do a partial mash. This works quite well in my experience as far as taking the rougher/harsher edges off.

[Pudge]

How much do you have to spend to have a shot at the "free" stuff? That isn't free

Maybe i'm looking at this too black and white... I see this as a program to offer incentivizing, at no additional cost to the purchaser. They clearly cannot just give stuff away to people who do not spend money... 100% of companies that just give stuff away fail...

are you upset with the levels at which they've set? or the fact you won't reach them?? Or you think no one will reach them? I am more than sure that MB has run the numbers on this so that they do not hemorrhage money giving away free items. So is the question: why run a rewards program that offers the average buyer no benefit? Why not just cut prices?

a month ago if you bought $100 worth of product, that is exactly what you got. Now, if you buy $100 worth of product, you would get like 125 points, plus $100 worth of product. Now, if you give a rip about points, or buy more crap within two years, you can maybe get enough to get a peanut dish... woohoo... post on FB, refer a friend, etc, get that peanut dish in 18 months!

Incentivizing programs are built to get people to buy more, not to lower revenue or offer discounts/lower prices. If you want to complain about the flat out cost of product, or the quality or taste of the product, those are all far more reasonable complaints... but why complain when they add value (even only a tiny amount) to the product at no additional charge?

That is just it. I see no incentive. I see no value. It is a carrot dangled at an unrealistic distance. It is a lollipop waved in front of a baby at 100 yards. The only benefit I see for MrBeer is the folks that start out trying to win some free stuff only to quit brewing or move on to extract and/or all grain. MrBeer would benefit financially from those half hearted efforts.

How long does the average MrBeer brewer stick with strictly MrBeer?

[Dawg LB Steve]

How long does the average MrBeer brewer stick with strictly MrBeer?

Exactly, this is where the expense and quality is missing from their business side to keep customers returning. It took me a whole 4 months to move past HME's.

[brewnewb]

Exactly, this is where the expense and quality is missing from their business side to keep customers returning. It took me a whole 4 months to move past HME's.

I agree, but mine was more of a financial decision. My local beer distributor opened a beer and wine homebrew section about 2 years ago. I can pick up ingredients for custom recipies 7 days a week.

They also carry Brewers Best 5 gal kits that range from $25 - $40. IMO, these kits have turned out better for me than my MrBeer batches. The Classic Am Light 6 gal refill is $47 + tax and shipping on the MrBeer website.

It was over a year ago, I got a call from MrBeer asking why I had not purchased in a while. I was honest and told them the cost was the #1 factor. For me, why pay 20 - 25% more and wait a few days for it to arrive. I can drive 10 minutes down the road and grab what I need.

[mashani]

Exactly, this is where the expense and quality is missing from their business side to keep customers returning. It took me a whole 4 months to move past HME's.

I agree, but mine was more of a financial decision. My local beer distributor opened a beer and wine homebrew section about 2 years ago. I can pick up ingredients for custom recipies 7 days a week.

They also carry Brewers Best 5 gal kits that range from $25 - $40. IMO, these kits have turned out better for me than my MrBeer batches. The Classic Am Light 6 gal refill is $47 + tax and shipping on the MrBeer website.

It was over a year ago, I got a call from MrBeer asking why I had not purchased in a while. I was honest and told them the cost was the #1 factor. For me, why pay 20 - 25% more and wait a few days for it to arrive. I can drive 10 minutes down the road and grab what I need.

That's what I was getting at above when I mentioned providing intermediate/more advanced options at a better price point. They could offer small batch versions of something like the Brewers Best kits, or a 2 gallon version of something similar to the Brooklyn kits you can get at whole foods (except at a better price point). I'd rather see them do something useful like this then offer incentives that nobody will ever reach. It would broaden their market and appeal once folks are ready to move "beyond the cans".

[CowboyKyle]

That's what I was getting at above when I mentioned providing intermediate/more advanced options at a better price point. They could offer small batch versions of something like the Brewers Best kits, or a 2 gallon version of something similar to the Brooklyn kits you can get at whole foods (except at a better price point). I'd rather see them do something useful like this then offer incentives that nobody will ever reach. It would broaden their market and appeal once folks are ready to move "beyond the cans".

I cannot disagree with that.. in fact, I'd go as far as to concur. the time and effort by MB to implement the program could have been better spent, but ce la vie. in all likelihood, this system came pre-packaged and the ideas above that could really make a long term difference, require a lot more work.

[Pudge]

Seems like we are all sort of on the same page. If it was an attempt by the MrBeer folks to improve the customer experience, they had far better options.

I never did understand why MrBeer (no matter ownership) insists on taking the new brewer by the hand and introducing them into the world of homebrewing (which is great), but refuses to take them beyond the front door.

[Whamolagan]

It is from being a little stale. I had it in every batch I did. The new mr. beer doesn't get it all the time.

[berryman]

Interesting discussion here and I finally had some time to read though all of it. Lets face it MB's main market is as a gift item, for someone that's never brewed before and has never done any research on it. They get a kit for Christmas or something and make some beer and are hooked. A new brewer will want to brew more ASAP and see the rewards program and think this is great and start buying like crazy to build points. Most likely nobody will ever reach the goal, because by then 3 things will most likely happen, 1]SWMBO will shut them down for spending too much money on beer making supplies, 2]They decide they don't like what they are making, or 3] [the best answer] they do research on beer making and find out they can make better beer cheaper and leave MB as most of us have. In the mean time MB has made some more money, they have never been for the long term brewer, just the entry level.
Just like going to a Casino and getting reward points for playing the slots, you will spend way more money trying to get that free meal or a free room trying to get points then you would if just went out and paid for the meal or room.

[FedoraDave]

^^^^^ ding ding ding ding! ^^^^^^

We have a winner!

I stuck with MB even after I'd learned how to do AG. I did 5-gallon batches AG, developing my own recipes, and used MB recipes as-is for 2.5 gallon batches, for easy brew days and to keep the pipeline full. I wasn't all that disappointed until it got a little expensive, and I was also getting tired of the selection; even the beers I liked and wouldn't mind making again. Then Cooper's took over, and things just seemed to go to the rats over there.

My recipe book is mostly AG recipes, but I do have some extract + steeping grain recipes for quicker brew days. But being an entry-level product, MisterBeer just doesn't offer me enough. I'll always be grateful to them for providing my entry into homebrewing, but I'm also grateful to Donald Sobol for writing the Encyclopedia Brown books, which I devoured in grade school and which helped turn me into an avid reader.

I just don't want to stick with reading Encyclopedia Brown now that I'm grown up.