Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I give this item five stars, not because it is the best homebrewing kit out there, but because it is probably the most economical choice for a person looking for an introduction to homebrewing. I finished making my first batch of beer, and have the second batch fermenting now. My first batch was the American Blonde Ale that came with the kit. Being a pretty avid beer drinker, I will say it here that the beers that come with this kit are not going to knock your socks off. But I WILL say that it is still decent beer, and just knowing that you made the beer makes it all that much better. You can indeed buy better beer mixes from the Mr. Beer website, although it can be a little costly. Much of them are available here on amazon as well, and if you take advantage of 4-for-3 (buy three and get one free), it's not too expensive. Anyway, I would still prefer to drink the basic beers that came with the kit than buy a pack of Coors/Bud in the store, because the experience of creating and eventually tasting your own homebrew is very enjoyable :) The good news about this kit is that, if you decide to "graduate" from making basic kits from Mr. Beer, you can still use the supplies (the fermenter, the PET bottles) while customizing your own ingredients, instead of buying Mr. Beer refills. The fermenter is great because it's just 2.5 gallons. It will make about twenty 12-oz. bottles of beer, and quite honestly, this is the best way to go for a lot of people. Most beer kits make 5 gallons of beer (or 45 12-oz. bottles), which is great if you are a hardcore beer drinker or really know what you are doing. But for beginners, making smaller batches is a great way to get your feet wet, and if things go bad (or you don't like a batch for some reason), you are wasting less beer. My recommendation: If you want to start understanding the basics of brewing beer without forking over a boatload of cash, get this kit. It can always be customized at a later date if you decide to get into more complex brewing. This is a small price to pay to begin learning the homebrew process, and to start enjoying your very own beer. Also, if you get this kit, take note that although Mr. Beer says its beers are ready to drink within two weeks, you need to give them at least four. They should ferment for two weeks, then transfer to bottles to carbonate/condition for two weeks. It's even recommended to then put them in the fridge for another two weeks before breaking them open.. if you have the self restraint to wait that long :) This is additional conditioning time that allows the flavors to mesh together. You will definitely taste the difference. This is called the 2-2-2 rule (two weeks per stage of brewing).