My new goal- $10.00 to make 5 gallons

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What is "Wunder Grain" exactly? Scraps of a bunch of different base malts they had laying around which they then bagged up?

Exactly. When they get to the bottom of a bin but some other grain is going in there they empty the last few pounds to make way for the new sacks of grain. This all gets collected and every few months they mix up the wondergrain, grind it, then bag it.

:)
 
Why do they tax barley anyhow.... it's food. Seriously considering milling some to flour and using it in bread. Especially some nice dark crystal malt.
 
Exactly. When they get to the bottom of a bin but some other grain is going in there they empty the last few pounds to make way for the new sacks of grain. This all gets collected and every few months they mix up the wondergrain, grind it, then bag it.

:)

Id buy that! Mash at 154. Add some hallertau for balance. Ferment with some nottingham. Add a starbucks coffee pack in the secondary. Sweet!!


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Okay, i'll go out on a limb here, doesn't 1/2 cup of DME in 2 cups of water make a 1.040 wort/starter? I read somewhere that equal volumes of dextrose and DME weigh the same, is that true or not, I need some help here...

I once brewed 5 gallons of a dark mild for right at $10.00, I did have reused yeast.
 
Okay, i'll go out on a limb here, doesn't 1/2 cup of DME in 2 cups of water make a 1.040 wort/starter? I read somewhere that equal volumes of dextrose and DME weigh the same, is that true or not, I need some help here...

I once brewed 5 gallons of a dark mild for right at $10.00, I did have reused yeast.

I yield the floor to Kombat, the gentlemen from ... (Cause basicalically Im too sh()faced to to the math) off of HB Munich Dunkel no less lol! What say yee!?


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I checked some brewing notes that I have and this probably came from Pappazians first book:
4 cups water and a 1/2 cup DME will give you and approximately 1.040 starter. Having said that, I seem to remembe back in the day when I used to use DME, I measurespd the whole pound bag of DME, an it was just over 2 cups. That would make sense that 1/2 c DME and 4 cups of water would yoeld the same (1.040) as 2 c DME and 1 gallon.


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Put a shroud around your boil pot, will cut propane use way down and give a much faster boil.
 
I just use metric measurements for my starters. 100g DME per 1L water = 1.040 wort. My Erlenmeyer flasks are marked with metric gradations anyway.
 
Realistically though, this topic is kind of moot. Of course you can make 5 gallons of beer for $10. Use 4-5 lbs of base grain from the discount bin for $1/lb. Throw in 1 oz of the cheapest hops, maybe another $2. Such a low gravity beer doesn't require much yeast, so you can repitch washed slurry if you've got it, or use the cheap, foil pouches of "ale yeast" for $2/packet, or even just do an open fermentation and take your chances with wild yeast for free.

It'll be beer, and it'll be less than $10. Can you make 5 gallons of beer for $10? Of course. Can you brew 5 gallons of a Pliny the Elder clone for $10? Not on your life.
 
Realistically though, this topic is kind of moot. Of course you can make 5 gallons of beer for $10. Use 4-5 lbs of base grain from the discount bin for $1/lb. Throw in 1 oz of the cheapest hops, maybe another $2. Such a low gravity beer doesn't require much yeast, so you can repitch washed slurry if you've got it, or use the cheap, foil pouches of "ale yeast" for $2/packet, or even just do an open fermentation and take your chances with wild yeast for free.



It'll be beer, and it'll be less than $10. Can you make 5 gallons of beer for $10? Of course. Can you brew 5 gallons of a Pliny the Elder clone for $10? Not on your life.


You are absolutely correct that there are many beers you will never make for this low sum of money. However, at the heart of the question originally was, can you make good quality homebrew on a budget like this? And I do believe it can be done. A cream ale, brown ale, pale ale, hefeweizen, pilsner, etc. With minimal equipment, some elbow grease, ingenuity, yeast management, homegrown hops, canning wort, etc. Sessionable ales using a common "house strain", or maintaining a few yeast strains for maybe a lager or a hefe. And for special occasions, maybe a half batch of old ale?? When Im old and on a fixed income I know I'll prob be brewin on a budget, and I wont be buying much commercial beer.


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Realistically though, this topic is kind of moot. Of course you can make 5 gallons of beer for $10. Use 4-5 lbs of base grain from the discount bin for $1/lb. Throw in 1 oz of the cheapest hops, maybe another $2. Such a low gravity beer doesn't require much yeast, so you can repitch washed slurry if you've got it, or use the cheap, foil pouches of "ale yeast" for $2/packet, or even just do an open fermentation and take your chances with wild yeast for free.

It'll be beer, and it'll be less than $10. Can you make 5 gallons of beer for $10? Of course. Can you brew 5 gallons of a Pliny the Elder clone for $10? Not on your life.

I also agree there is a difference between budget home brew and awsum home brew, but I also am on a tight budget. My less than $10 per 5 gal brew is so much better than the $16 per case for BMC, taste wise- and oh wow, saving $$, increasing my brewing skills, and feeling good about the hobby!
Have also gotten a few more recipes that are a few more bucks, only because of variety of extra ingredients, that my family loves.
 
To take this thread in a new direction: what are the best places to spend a little extra? Is there a particular ingredient or piece of equipment that is worth spending a little extra on?
 
To take this thread in a new direction: what are the best places to spend a little extra? Is there a particular ingredient or piece of equipment that is worth spending a little extra on?

For me, it was the book,
Brew Ware: How to Find, Adapt & Build Homebrewing Equipment
By Karl F. Lutzen.
A bit outdated, but for me was the cat's meow. Had to say that!
 
Last year I made a pretty solid German Pils for under $10.

10lbs of German Pils malt (something like .55/lb)
1oz Perle (under $1/oz)
2oz Saaz (about $1/oz)
collected yeast slurry.

Of course this doesn't include water (I don't pay a water bill. It's included in my condo fees), propane, time, etc. But the recipe did cost under $10. Cost right around $8.50 to be more precise.

I could make a pretty damn good pale ale for just a hair over $10. I bet I could do it for $12 or so. The added cost would be a bit of crystal or munich and the extra hops of course, but buying in bulk and reusing yeast are the keys to cutting the cost WAY down.
 
For me, it was the book,
Brew Ware: How to Find, Adapt & Build Homebrewing Equipment
By Karl F. Lutzen.
A bit outdated, but for me was the cat's meow. Had to say that!

I like that one also- bought it before I made my first batch.

I would have to say either my mill or my four hop rhizomes were my saving-est purchases. Having grain on hand also allows me to roast my own specialty grains thus saving me even more ($0.85/ lb. for special B ummmmm yeah)- also saves me a trip to LHBS on brewday. I probably only go every five or six brews for yeast or caps.

You can save a little $ by using a super high alpha for bittering and saving aroma hops for late addition. Cut out middle additions where you can
 
It pays to look for special deals and jump on them when they arrive. I just searched some older posts of mine discussing some of these. For instance, for hops:
Centennial for $10/#: http://https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f41/centennial-leaf-1lb-15-00-a-358824/#post4657753
(Can't remember for sure, but I think I bought 4 or so pounds plus other stuff.
I've bought bunches of hops (as well as grains) via group buys...don't have my invoices here with me but generally under $10/# (in group buy). Also found another post where I mentioned great deals (in the past) on hops:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f41/centennial-leaf-1lb-15-00-a-358824/#post4657753
For instance, I picked up Columbus and Williamette at that time for $6.99/#. That's under 44 cents per ounce, and you can make a nice (mostly) Columbus IPA for under $2 in hops prices.

I know this is old stuff, just trying to make the point that it really pays to jump on deals when they present themselves.
 
Ok so in summation

Group buys
Bulk
Yeast washing
Growing hops
Canning wort
Simple smash recipes
Home roasting specialty grain

Those seem to be the bullet points of this thread. Correct me if I've missed anything important.

Also a few questions about canning wort.

A) does it need to be hoped, couldn't that create an off flavor if I use it in a recipe with a different bill, and do I need that ph boost even if I pressure can?

B) if I use second running a on brew day and the results are to weak could I just toss in some DME to boost the gravity, salvaging the effort and still being able to use all the sterile jars I'd have prepared

Also has anyone on here tried to grow there own barley. I am planning on growing some as chicken feed but would also like to malt some. Anyone know a resource for malting equipment builds


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Hello, Dose Hop Heaven have a web site ? (I found there phone number everywhere), or ebay only ? thats the only place I could find when I googled it.

Cheers :mug:
 
Hello, Dose Hop Heaven have a web site ? (I found there phone number everywhere), or ebay only ? thats the only place I could find when I googled it.

Cheers :mug:

I think ebay only. If you PM me, I can share his email address.
 
Ebay only. I suggested to Ted he should make a website, but he didnt seem to know where to start.

As for canning, if you pressure can 15 mins at 15 PSI, no need for acidification or hopping. For half gallon jars, up the time to 20+ mins.
 
A) does it need to be hoped, couldn't that create an off flavor if I use it in a recipe with a different bill, and do I need that ph boost even if I pressure can?

No, you don't need to hop your starter wort. I don't even boil mine. I just heat the water up enough to easily dissolve the DME, add in an appropriate amount of yeast nutrient (usually a fraction of a teaspoon), then pour it into jars and into the canner.

You do not need to add hops for any sort of "pH boost", regardless of whether or not you're pressure canning. However, if you're planning on storing your starter wort for more than a few hours, you MUST pressure can it to sterilize it and eliminate the risk of botulism.
 
Last year I made a pretty solid German Pils for under $10.

10lbs of German Pils malt (something like .55/lb)
1oz Perle (under $1/oz)
2oz Saaz (about $1/oz)
collected yeast slurry.

Of course this doesn't include water (I don't pay a water bill. It's included in my condo fees), propane, time, etc. But the recipe did cost under $10. Cost right around $8.50 to be more precise.

I could make a pretty damn good pale ale for just a hair over $10. I bet I could do it for $12 or so. The added cost would be a bit of crystal or munich and the extra hops of course, but buying in bulk and reusing yeast are the keys to cutting the cost WAY down.

I'd like to know where you get any malt for 55 cents a pound! Are you buying it by the semi load?

H.W.
 
I'd like to know where you get any malt for 55 cents a pound! Are you buying it by the semi load?
I just looked, I bought 2 row in a group buy a year or so ago for 52 cents/#, plus shipping. Shipping was about four or six cents per pound when you ship 4 pallets. :). My lhbs offers 50# sacks a couple times per year...was $40 (80 cents per pound), now $45 (90 cents)...no tax, no shipping as it is only a few miles from my house. I now buy my 2 row there to support them.
H.W.




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