expensive ag ?

Hopper5000 said:

$47 for 12 pounds of grain and a few ounces of hops is way too much and I have no idea why that would have been so much (unless you ordered online and had to pay a bunch in shipping). Boiling for over 60min doesn't really impact hop utilization at all.

There are always kinks to work out in your venturing into new territory so I wouldn't worry too much about that part...

(has this person even responded to any of the comments?)

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yes . Just now . I just now got the email stating there was a response .

Appreciate the help also.

bought from local brew store , no shipping . Their kits seem to be quite reasonable priced . I usually brew some muntons nut brown and add in some specialty grains , chocolate and black maybe some honey and sometimes a hop and a different yeast and it tastes quite good . Always different as I just add some of this and that and no measurement usually . some extra DME to kick up the ABV

bovineblitz said:

Plus you can have ounces or even half ounces of grains in your grain bill, you don't need to buy entire pounds of specialty malts

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cool . I will check that one out for sure.

I harvest my own yeast and make 11 gallon batches. I am making 11 gallons of my session ales (Cream ale and Pale ale ~ 5% abv) for about $25 for 11 gallons. Yes, that is only about $12.50 for 5.5 gallons! You are doing it wrong! I order my pale malt in bulk and it ends up being about $1.20/lb shipped. I order my hops every 2 years in bulk and freeze them and they average only 80 cents per ounce.

Some of the grain prices that I am seeing reported in this post are REALLY low. Where are all of you that are claiming close to $1/lb for grain getting your grain from? My LHBS rides at around $1.80/lb, and the discount for bulk isn't that great. I just ordered the ingredients for my first all-grain brew coming up, and it was a bit more expensive than I was hoping. So, where are some good online sources for cheaper grain?

Hex23 said:

I presume you don't have an LHBS available? I realize that rounding up is a fact with ordering ala-carte online, but my LHBS will take a recipe and mix/grind all the right amounts. Still $47 sounds really high. Shop around for better grain prices.

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Yep, my "local" store ( 2 hours away ) weighs, crushes and puts it all into one package for me.

Soon I'll have my barley crusher and with a little luck I'll save even more by buying grain in bulk.

Either way it's way cheaper to do all grain unless maybe if you are ordering online and the extra weight is getting you in shipping.

69Bronc said:

Some of the grain prices that I am seeing reported in this post are REALLY low. Where are all of you that are claiming close to $1/lb for grain getting your grain from? My LHBS rides at around $1.80/lb, and the discount for bulk isn't that great. I just ordered the ingredients for my first all-grain brew coming up, and it was a bit more expensive than I was hoping. So, where are some good online sources for cheaper grain?

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I order most of my grain from farmhousebrewingsupply. they have 10 lb base grain specials that run about $1/lb + shipping. if you order about 45 lbs worth of grain shipping is only $18 or so. I can usually order enough grain to make about 33 gallons of session ales or 22 gallons of IPA/stout for about $60 shipped. Hops are cheap unless you are making an IPA. Learn to wash and reuse yeast and you can save another $3-$7 per batch!

69Bronc said:

Some of the grain prices that I am seeing reported in this post are REALLY low. Where are all of you that are claiming close to $1/lb for grain getting your grain from? My LHBS rides at around $1.80/lb, and the discount for bulk isn't that great. I just ordered the ingredients for my first all-grain brew coming up, and it was a bit more expensive than I was hoping. So, where are some good online sources for cheaper grain?

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Three words for you "group grain buy"... I've gone in on two from HBT members and another from the HBC I'm a member of. IME, most [decent] HBC's will have at least two group grain buys a year. That's when you get sacks of grain to carry you through to the next one. I'm looking at joining a new HBC (one I'm a member of is just too far away now) at the start of the year. I'll be ordering at least two, or three, sacks of base malt at that time and maybe split another sack (or two) of other malts I use often enough to make it worth it. That's where you can get to under $1/pound pricing. :rockin:

For reference, last sacks I got of Bairds MO were maybe $40 each, with everything included. That's 55# sack sizes. :rockin:

Ya also you for sure did not need to pitch 2 packs of nottingham in there. Maybe if your making a beer that's over like 7% but not for something like this. Those grain proces are pretty resonable.

There are also multiple online retailers where you can buy hops in bulk. You usually have to buy about a pound but it breaks down with shipping to be less than a dollar an ounce.

If you like a couple types it's a very worthwhile buy. I have used hopsdirect.com with success.

I got you at about $40 bucks for this batch which isn't too unresonable. I think usually kits are about 30 for liquid extract, right?

If you buy in bulk and be aware of how much yeast you need to pitch (good calc online to see pitching rates is yeastcalc.com or mrmalty.com) then you could shave some dollars off your cost.

If you get good efficiency on your all grain that will equal less grains you have to buy as well.

MarcusKillion said:

WOW! Holy effing crap . I been taken for a wild ride . I bought the grain at my local brew store . 7.50 for 5 pounds of 2 row and 2.50 a pound for the others , so there is 25 bucks for thew grain and I still have some left over but ... forgot what the hops and yeast cost but I guess about 16 bucks since all I also bought was a 2.30 bottle of wyeast yeast energizer. guess I better check prices online next time .

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$25
9 pds pale malt
1 pound caramel malt
1 pound oats
.50 victory malt
.25 chocolate malt

$2.30
Yeast Energizer

Almost $20
1 oz fuggles
1 oz goldings kent
2 packs nottingham

The grains are expensive, but the real problem is spending $20 for 2oz of hops and two packets of nottingham.

MarcusKillion said:

WOW! Holy effing crap . I been taken for a wild ride . I bought the grain at my local brew store . 7.50 for 5 pounds of 2 row and 2.50 a pound for the others , so there is 25 bucks for thew grain and I still have some left over but ... forgot what the hops and yeast cost but I guess about 16 bucks since all I also bought was a 2.30 bottle of wyeast yeast energizer. guess I better check prices online next time .

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~$16 for two ounces of hops and two packets of yeast?? I hope they used some lube on you there. Even at the old LHBS I was using while in MA (before I started shopping smarter) was only $3/ounce of hops and the dry yeast was in the $2-$3 per pack range.

If I was paying those prices, I wouldn't be able to brew nearly as often as I like to. I would advise finding a group grain buy in your area as well as purchase hops in bulk, or semi-bulk moving forward. I've been using only a handful of hops for all my brews. Just make sure you select a hop that's flexible enough to work well in such a case. Or get a few varieties that will pretty much cover everything. If you vacuum pack them, after opening the bag, they'll last a good amount of time in the freezer.

Wow you got raped...

I order all my grains (individual recipes) from brewmasters hardware, and each individual batch costs me $40 or less including shipping. I don't harvest yeast either. That may be a little much, but it's only ~$10 more than buying grains at the LHBS. I know I'm gettin the best grains for that recipe (not substitutes for the common grains they have on hand) and I can buy just the amount of grains/hops for that recipe. So the extra $10 it costs me to get my grains is worth it to me.

I don't think he got shafted. Those prices seem pretty close to what I get at my LHBS. The grains are about right. If the Nottingham packs were 5 dollars each and he had to buy his hops in 2 oz packs (maybe $2 and ounce) then it makes sense... hops do seems a little suspect price wise though.

Hopper5000 said:

I don't think he got shafted. Those prices seem pretty close to what I get at my LHBS.

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That only means that you also are getting shafted my friend

$40 it seems like too much for me. I live in Spain and somethings are more expensive here. I pay about 25 USD for a 6 gallon batch... Buy in bulk, harvest yeast you guys are paying too much.

IME, $47 for an all grain batch is way too much. Then again, I guess I'm spoiled by buying my grain smart (group grain buys) as well as my hops (1#, or large amounts when on sale). The LHBS I now live not even 10 minutes away from has good prices on liquid yeast ($6/packet) and dry yeast too. I was paying $8 for each liquid pack at the old LHBS, plus the cost of fuel to get there.

Some of the best ways to save on ingredients is to buy in bulk. Often times, though, it's only through group grain buys that you can really get good pricing. When a pallet, or three, is being ordered, pricing gets really good. Hell, it's even good with just one pallet being ordered.

1.5 an pound for base malt is pretty standard for me, about 2 bucks for anything specialty. Yeast is somewhere between 5 and 8 depending on the type, and hope are somwhere between 1 and 3 dollars an ounce.

Average batch about 12 lb:

10 base - $15
2 Special - $4
Yeast - $8
Hops - $12 (not buying in bulk and abuot 6oz)

That's just about 40 bucks for a regular pale ale.

(You also have the misc costs of propane, brewing salts, sanitizer, percarb, etc)

I don't have the luxury of buying in bulk grain wise and I don't really want to buy a mill. I make a lotta different types of beers so harvesting yeast doesn't make a lotta sense for me at the moment.

My total cost is usually between 1 to 2 bucks a beer.

I guess I am curious too how most folks harvest their yeast...?

Batch I'm brewing next weekend includes
12# base malt, about 2.5# additional malts, 4.5oz of hops and a packet of yeast (making a starter as always).
Cost comes to a hair over $20 for the batch. That's for getting 6 gallons into keg. That breaks down to under $0.50 per pint. Even if I factor in the DME used to make the starter, it comes out to under $0.50 per pint glass of brew.

I enjoy having my mill since it allows me to crush the grain on brew day. Usually less than an hour from when the mash starts. With the savings had by buying bulk grain, I'm pretty sure I've already recovered the cost of the mill. Especially if you're paying that much per pound of base malt.

I pay 1.2 USD for a kilo of base malt that´s with shipping included, I´ve also got it for around 1.5 USD kilo. Doesn´t cost me more than 2 USD a kilo of special grains.

so you guys are buying 50lb bags?

Oblivious, where do you get it for that cheap?

Hopper5000 said:

so you guys are buying 50lb bags?

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55# sacks of base malt... That's typically UK 2 row and Maris Otter (Bairds currently)... Last group buy I was involved in, I also got a half sack of honey malt and split a sack of amber malt. :rockin:

so whats the price on a 55lb like 40 to 50 bucks?

If someone is every remotely concerned about cost and wants to brew regularly they have to buy bulk. I got a grain mill and it payed for itself after about 2 sacks. Hops are a no brainer. 1 lb of Simcoe, $25. 16 ounces of Simcoe at 2.99, $47.85

Hopper5000 said:

so what's the price on a 55lb like 40 to 50 bucks?

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For what I get its under $40/sack total including truck charges. You can get US 2 row even cheaper ($25/sack isn't uncommon).

56 lb of maris otter crushed pale malt is 28 UKP , half a packet of yeast 1 UKP and hops are 4 to 8 UKP per kilo depending on type so max of 13 UKP for a 3.8% pale bitter.

BOBTHEukBREWER said:

56 lb of maris otter crushed pale malt is 28 UKP , half a packet of yeast 1 UKP and hops are 4 to 8 UKP per kilo depending on type so max of 13 UKP for a 3.8% pale bitter.

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Wish I could get those prices, but better for unmilled grain (I'm pretty much already there on grain, so everything else). I like to mill the grain for each batch on brew day. Considering how you're probably paying extra to have the grain milled for you. That's good pricing on hops (~$6.39-12.78 for 2.2 pounds of hops). Current exchange rate is 1:1.5977 (pound to US$).

I can pick up a 50lb sack of Montana grown two row for $45 from my LHBS, any time all the time. Not the best price in the world, but it's good malt and locally grown. Definitely inquire about bulk base grains, it's the only way to fly with AG and you'll end up easily using it with 10lb here, 12lb there. Even if you only brew 4-5 times a year, you'll certainly use it up well before it expires.

Wish I could get some of these 50 lb prices. I'm paying $54 for 50 lbs of US 2-row at my local shop. About $1.13 a pound after tax. Not terrible I guess but even $45 would make me smile.

Golddiggie said:

For what I get its under $40/sack total including truck charges. You can get US 2 row even cheaper ($25/sack isn't uncommon).

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I'm paying 50 for 55lbs of 2-row. I thought that was a good deal until i saw this

Mojzis said:

I'm paying 50 for 55lbs of 2-row. I thought that was a good deal until i saw this

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Just checked the 2011 pdf for the grain buy... US 2-row was under 55 cents a pound, depending on which maltster you went with (GW was the lower cost). Also looked up one of the price sheets for another group buy I was involved in. The sacks of MO I got were $39 each, delivered cost). UK 2-row was $34 a sack (55# per sack). Looks like the US 2-row was not much less in price. Don't remember where I got the other price, but I do recall it being mentioned at some point not that long ago. Although I could be mixing it up with another malt. Still, under $40 for a 55# sack is pretty good in my book. :rockin:

Golddiggie said:

Just checked the 2011 pdf for the grain buy... US 2-row was under 55 cents a pound, depending on which maltster you went with (GW was the lower cost). Also looked up one of the price sheets for another group buy I was involved in. The sacks of MO I got were $39 each, delivered cost). UK 2-row was $34 a sack (55# per sack). Looks like the US 2-row was not much less in price. Don't remember where I got the other price, but I do recall it being mentioned at some point not that long ago. Although I could be mixing it up with another malt. Still, under $40 for a 55# sack is pretty good in my book. :rockin:

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Wow that's cheap. I need to find something like this.

I think anything around a buck a pound is decent for base malt. I just paid $190 for 240 lbs of assorted malts. 79 cents a pound is phenominal in my book but theres other group buyers getting it even cheaper i think.

Just so the op doesn't feel TOO bad about it, your 47 dollar batch is still less than a dollar a beer. Sure, group buyers pay about 40 cents or less a beer, but a quality beer for less than a buck is still a decent price, imho.

Just so the op doesn't feel TOO bad about it, your 47 dollar batch is still less than a dollar a beer. Sure, group buyers pay about 40 cents or less a beer, but a quality beer for less than a buck is still a decent price, imho.

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Good point. Sometimes I forget myself how inexpensive this hobby actually gets after start-up costs, new equipment and such. Anything under a dollar is still a great price for a beer considering most craft beer goes for $4 a pint, at least in these parts.

I never worried too much about getting the lowest price possible, but it came naturally when I moved to AG and started buying my base malt in bulk. I just couldn't pass up a $.90 discount per pound.

My last batch of IPA cost me $28 including 8 oz of hops, Simcoe and Centennial. I always add $8 to that, however, to account for propane and sanitizer, as well as CO2 since I keg. Likely an over-estimation, but it's still only $36 for 40 pints, $0.90 a glass. Even when I account for all the money I've spent on equipment over the years, split between all the batches I've made, it's only just over double that. Still really cheap. And with each batch that goes down. Now if we start talking about man hours, it could get expensive but hopefully you enjoy brewing and so that doesn't factor in.

sketerbuck said:

I run a LHBS and this is a 25-30 dollar recipe. Do you know how much you paid per item.

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I posted the prices here in another post .

Is your online store not up and running ? I tried the link on your page and got error page not found http://shop.thebrewshop.biz/

A note on my town and anything good for sale . Wichita is the largest city in Ks but seems to have very little in the way of shopping for things . I buy very little in stores . Most shopping done on line .Lots of things are too pricey here . we have only one LHBS and it is very small . Heck I drive a truck . there is NO real truck stop in the Wichita or surrounding areas. Amazing that we have so little in a big city , well big for Kansas .
I will be ordering my grains online from now on.

mikeysab said:

I think anything around a buck a pound is decent for base malt. I just paid $190 for 240 lbs of assorted malts. 79 cents a pound is phenominal in my book but theres other group buyers getting it even cheaper i think.

Just so the op doesn't feel TOO bad about it, your 47 dollar batch is still less than a dollar a beer. Sure, group buyers pay about 40 cents or less a beer, but a quality beer for less than a buck is still a decent price, imho.

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I guess you are right . that is 3 bucks less a sixer than I can get microbrew for at the liquor store .

revco said:

I can pick up a 50lb sack of Montana grown two row for $45 from my LHBS, any time all the time. Not the best price in the world, but it's good malt and locally grown. Definitely inquire about bulk base grains, it's the only way to fly with AG and you'll end up easily using it with 10lb here, 12lb there. Even if you only brew 4-5 times a year, you'll certainly use it up well before it expires.

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I drink a bit less than a case a week so I brew about every couple weeks or so to keep a stash of different beers ready to toss in fridge . I usually have 3 or four different kinds at a time . As soon as I find a AG that I really like I will buy in bulk . As it is I have only tried one time . I will enjoy it in a month I think as I just put it in secondary to clear up a bit .
Now off to find a good online source for grain.

I looked up the same stuff on Northern brewer and came up to about 41.00 for what i bought in town . I had also bought a 2.50 bottle of yeast nutrient with my order . So about 6 bucks saving with 8.95 shipping included .

JRems said:

That is way too much. I usually buy whole sacks and split sacks of specialty grain. That recipe would cost me about $14. It would cost $11 if I used washed yeast.

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I call bull**** on $11. Itemize please? 47 is nuts, but so is 11.

ChandlerBang said:

I call bull**** on $11. Itemize please? 47 is nuts, but so is 11.

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I just did a 1.061 SMASH for about $15 with washed yeast at standard prices for malt and hops. If I had been able to get volume discounts then I can see $11 no problem.