Cheapest beer possible

Hey I am trying to find out how cheap I can make a beer. Taste is of little concern but price is. My friends know I make beer and always want some but I dont want to give them the good stuff. So if some of you have some beer recipes for something really cheap post them. I was even thinking about adding some dextrose to make it cheaper. Thanks

not to be a smart-ass. but if you want the cheapest beer possible with little concern for taste for your friends. Go out and but some Keystone Light or Beast or whatever for 8 bucks a case.

I make beer they want something I made.

#10 2-row = $11.5
1 oz. Centennial Hops = $2.15
Muntons Yeast = $1.19

$14.84 for 5 gallons. This is the cheapest batch I have made, it was fantastic. And those are BMW prices. I buy hops in bulk, so they are about $0.60 per ounce for me. If you lower the malt bill it can be cheaper. I did this as a SMaSH brew, NOT because I wanted a cheap brew. It's great though. Far cheaper than any Keystone or Beast, and MUCH better.

The Man posted a good one.
also can look at: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/cream-three-crops-cream-ale-66503/

I would suggest giving them a sample of your homebrew and see what happens. You may end up converting some of them.

Here are some AHS low cost kits.

TheMan said:

#10 2-row = $11.5
1 oz. Centennial Hops = $2.15
Muntons Yeast = $1.19

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I think something is wrong with what my computer displays do you mean 10 pounds of 2-row

yes, you are correct. It's 10 pounds of two-row. It will get you about a 5% ABV beer. If you lower it to maybe just 8 pounds of grain you'll have about a 4% ABV beer with more bitterness to play with.

patersbier is cheap and easy, the bonus is that you can make that beer and repitch the yeast for a nice boutique belgian strong ale for yourself.

two words. cream ale.

70% 2-row
30% corn*

shoot for about 1.045 or so. Mashing lowish.

us-05 yeast
whatever hops you have lying around at 60mins to get about 15-20 IBUs

Tips: for yeast you can also wash part of the yeast from the bottom of a primary, as long as it's a clean yeast, bam! take off the cost of yeast.

*flaked corn works, but corn meal is even cheaper, you just have to cook it with some water to form a thick paste and gelatinize the starches.

Hops: left over hops are great, .25oz of a really high AA% hop like summit or zues could hop the entire 5 gallons.

An extract recipe:
American Amber Ale
6#Amber LME = $15.00
DME is probably 2-3 bucks cheaper.
2oz Cascade = $1.65
Nottingham = $1.45
$18.10

$9.05 a Case.

ok theman I have been messing around with this beer calculator http://beercalculus.hopville.com/recipe and it says 10lbs of 2 row would be 9% ?

are you calculating for a 5 gallon batch? I'm guessing you have the batch size at about 2.5-3 gallons

I use beersmith, but I tried out the hopville thing and it gives me 5.3% ABV

yes you are right I was calculating a 3 gal batch of cider for some girl thanks

7 lbs. of 2 row
1 oz Magnum @ 60 min.
Lager Yeast

Wow you guys pay a lot for 2-row. I think I pay $0.69/lb buying ala carte at the LHBS. If I am willing to buy bulk I can get it for nearly half that.

Same goes for Centennial. Buy a pound from hopsdirect, stick it in the freezer, reuse your yeast, you're making beer for less than $10 per batch.

You have a very nice LHBS weirdboy...Mine charges $1.80/lb! Which is ridiculous if you ask me. BMW is the best non bulk place I've found.

I could drive to midwest country malt...1 hour away if I wanted bulk, no mill though, So I stick with BMW.

I'd say Kentucky Common, but that actually tastes good. If you're wanting simple and cheap. Cream Ale with 6-row (not 2-row) and Corn, which should yield better efficiency, could even throw some dextrose in there.

E-roc, are you doing extract or all grain?

AG can be cheaper but if you dont have the capabilities, extract works out ok. You could always do some apfelwein, I think mine ends up at around $14 for 5 gallons, but then again, its not beer.

10 lbs Base malt, 20-25 IBU of High alpha hops, Dry yeast, and make them buy the ingredients.

Freezeblade said:

two words. cream ale.

70% 2-row
30% corn*

shoot for about 1.045 or so. Mashing lowish.

us-05 yeast
whatever hops you have lying around at 60mins to get about 15-20 IBUs

Tips: for yeast you can also wash part of the yeast from the bottom of a primary, as long as it's a clean yeast, bam! take off the cost of yeast.

*flaked corn works, but corn meal is even cheaper, you just have to cook it with some water to form a thick paste and gelatinize the starches.

Hops: left over hops are great, .25oz of a really high AA% hop like summit or zues could hop the entire 5 gallons.

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I still haven't found a place where I can get corn for cheaper than the $.50/lb that 2 Row is available for.


When you go all grain, and buy Hops and grain in bulk, pretty much every normal grain bill comes out to around $10.

weirdboy said:

Wow you guys pay a lot for 2-row. I think I pay $0.69/lb buying ala carte at the LHBS. If I am willing to buy bulk I can get it for nearly half that.

Same goes for Centennial. Buy a pound from hopsdirect, stick it in the freezer, reuse your yeast, you're making beer for less than $10 per batch.

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Weirdboy, where in LA is your lhbs?
AM

Look for an english bitter recipe. 8 lbs of grain and about an oz of hops and you are good to go. And no strong bitterness to offend their delicate sensibilities...

Ed Worts Bee Cave Haus Pale Ale. Delicious and Cheap.... I am just finishing this keg, I would add twice as much crystal malt (or half pound of crystal 10 and half pound of crystal 40/60)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/bee-cave-brewery-haus-pale-ale-31793/

total cost for this batch including power, and a dollar for consumables (water addition bs, food saver bags, etc. was under $20)

aussy13 said:

Weirdboy, where in LA is your lhbs?
AM

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Stein Fillers Long Beach.

I'm guessing since you live in Santa Monica you are going to the place in Culver City...not exactly my favorite.

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 75.0 %
3.00 lb Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 25.0 %
60 minute addition of Fuggle ~ 4.50%
1 Pkgs Belgian Ale (White Labs #WLP550) [Starter 2000 ml] Yeast-Ale

Measured Original Gravity: 1.074 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.002 SG
Actual Alcohol by Volume: 9.4 %

Tasty, and cheap. Reuse the yeast and buy normal sucrose (about $0.50-0.60 for me),
which should be boiled with a juiced lemon to invert. This Belgian strong pale ale costs me about $13.00+ propane. In order to get the low final gravity, mash low, and make 1/2lb sugar additions a day apart at the height of fermentation. Allow primary to warm up after a couple days of 68-72F.

From reading your original post you must not like your friends very much.

my friends are great but think miller high life is an excellent beer why not give them cheap homebrew while I drink the good stuff

E-roc said:

my friends are great but think miller high life is an excellent beer why not give them cheap homebrew while I drink the good stuff

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Because then they will ask for more. If you give them something they don't like they won't ask for any more.