Every year, thousands of new folks are introduced to the wonderful world of homebrewing through the magic of a shiny new Mr.Beer Kit. If you count yourself among those lucky suckers, you've come to the right place. You've just arrived at Mr.Beer's totally free (in both the financial and spiritual sense of the word) Community site -- a place where you can belly up to the bar (in a virtual sense, of course), chat with like-minded individuals and get the straight-dope on this new hobby/obsession that you unwrapped like a hungry schoolkid.
Hi, I'm Brian Green, and I live in Farmington, Utah (about halfway between Salt Lake City and Ogden) with my wife and my 17 year old daughter.
When I first got out of college, I worked in social work, running a homeless shelter and working in a refugee relocation center with unaccompanied minors, first as a linestaff, then as a teacher (English as a Second Language and also content courses). I learned to speak Vietnamese while working with the refugees and also got interested in computers (which led to my next career path in programming). I'm now a consultant (specializing in search engine implementation), so I usually either travel all over the country or work from my home (in the basement, where my office shares space with my Mr Beer equipment). When I travel, I often try to get beer that isn't available around here (not too tough with the limited selection here).
Mission Background: In 2001, the Company known as Mr.Beer® was 3 years into its long-term mission to spread joy through the magic of homebrewed beer. The company was manned by a small crew (3), including customer service staff in deep hibernation, to be awakened when the phones started ringing. Total beer kits sold each year measured in hundreds.
Mission Status: By 2010, crew expanded to 13. Customer Service Agents long for deep hibernation. Total beer kits sold each year measure in hundreds... OF THOUSANDS.
Mission Analysis: Brew. Bottle. Repeat as neccessary.
If you haven't already heard this podcast, do yourself (and your beer) a favor and check out Jim Spencer's Basic Brewing Radio! Coincidentally, his most recent podcast features our own community member (and former Brewer of the Month) D Rock and a candid discussion of how to make the most of your Mr.Beer® experience. Here he is, in all his glory:
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While plain ol' roasted chicken may not be the most inspiring thing on anyone's menu, you probably owe it to yourself to try this recipe at least once. It just might change your life. The ingredient list is long, and you need to start about a day in advance, but don't be scared, it's pretty damn easy to do. This recipe is so good there isn't much you can to flub it up. I only have 3 bits of general advice to pass along.
1) At the risk of sounding like a dirty hippy, don't waste your time with any chicken that probably came out of a factory. Find yourself a chicken that grazed out in the open range, stretched it's wings, and (most importantly) didn't get pooped on every hour of its miserable life by the chicken in the cage above it.
2) The recipe calls for 1 medium chicken. If that isn't possible, and your choice is between 2 small birds or one big one, go with the former. Skin makes chicken taste good, and little birds have more of it.*
3) Stick with pale to Amber colored, Malt focused beers for the brine (hefe, pale Ale, Oktoberfest, etc). Dark, roasty malt flavors will have a tendency to dominate the flavor.
Every year, thousands of new folks are introduced to the wonderful world of homebrewing through the magic of a shiny new Mr.Beer Kit. If you count yourself among those lucky suckers, you've come to the right place. You've just arrived at Mr.Beer's totally free (in both the financial and spiritual sense of the word) Community site -- a place where you can belly up to the bar (in a virtual sense, of course), chat with like-minded individuals and get the straight-dope on this new hobby/obsession that you unwrapped like a hungry schoolkid. 
Mission Background: In 2001, the Company known as Mr.Beer® was 3 years into its long-term mission to spread joy through the magic of homebrewed beer. The company was manned by a small crew (3), including customer service staff in deep hibernation, to be awakened when the phones started ringing. Total beer kits sold each year measured in hundreds. 