expensive ag ?

ChandlerBang said:

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

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I could swing that.
10 lbs 2-row
.7 x 10 = $7.00
.5 lb c60
.75 x 1 = $.75
.5 ounce Apollo (bittering)
.35 x 1 = .35
2 oz cascade (aroma and flavor)
2 x .62 = 1.25
Washed yeast or yeast from the brewery = free

$9.35
80% efficiency gives me 1.055
$35 a sack for 2-row
$10 a lb for hops through Niko

18¢ a beer, it can be done. Shoot, I could even splurge on hops and make it an IPA and keep it under 11 bucks.

Interesting read. At my LHBS they sell base grain at $1-1.50 CDN/lbs and sell 55lbs bulk bags for $50. Specialty grain goes for $2-4 lbs depending. Hops are pricey at $2.50/oz. Dry yeast is $3-6.

In the past I went straight to the grain supplier (CMC) and was able to pick up the same 55lbs bulk bag for $25... But its a 4 hour commute and they do not deliver, which means I need to take a half day off work which is not ideal.

I searched online to find cheaper prices then the LHBS and have yet to locate any.

I pay 2.15 an ounce of hops and still make a batch for 14-18$ on average. Bulk grain, washed yeast, etc. 11$ I could make happen if i got a cheaper bag of 2-row for sure.

So far I have tried Northern Brewers, Morebeer and homebrew heaven and found not much difference in the price compared to the 47 I paid in town.

any suggestions on where to buy ingredients cheap ? How ever I did not try to buy large quantities of specialty grains only 1 pound or more than 1 ounce hops so that may make a difference . The price on 2 row at 50 pounds was much better than in store

kombat said:

Maybe it's just me, but when I have to buy specialty grains, I deliberately buy at least twice as much as I need for the recipe I'm working on. I figure I'm at the store already anyway, and if I like the beer I may want to make it again, or I'll likely use it in another beer at some point and I don't want to have to wait to order it online or make another trip to the LHBS, and it's only a couple bucks anyway ... so I just buy a couple pounds' worth.

Granted, I have my own grain mill at home, so the grain might not get used for a few months, but still, I figure for the extra couple of bucks, it might come in handy down the road.

Anyone else do this too?

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I've been doing AG for years and don't have a mill. I don't really have a choice, being an apartment brewer. Space is at a premium, and I already use too much space for all the equipment.

MarcusKillion said:

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.

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I'm still working on the online store.

Brewmasterswarehouse. Flate rate shipping, good pricing and semi bulk hops. Fast shipping and friendly too. My new hbs.

For bulk malt you just need to get in on a buy or ask around. I got my corona mill for 20$ and i get great efficiency with no issues sparging. I'm also an apartment dweller and a mill is the lowest space consumer. The 55 lbs of grain however sits in a container under the bed.

I was just at one of my LHBS, morebeer, and they have 55lb US 2 row sacks for 35 and marris otter for 62. Not too bad of a deal... might have to go for it. They also said if you buy a pallet (obviously a group buy) then it's even cheaper.

Hopper5000 said:

I was just at one of my LHBS, morebeer, and they have 55lb US 2 row sacks for 35 and marris otter for 62. Not too bad of a deal... might have to go for it. They also said if you buy a pallet (obviously a group buy) then it's even cheaper.

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can't really beat 35$

I brewed a similar beer Saturday. My bill was about the same as yours, but I also got a bucket (you can never have too many) and a good sized bottle of sanitizer.

I've thought about buying bulk grain, and grinding it myself, but with the cost of a grinder, the time in grinding it and the cost of safely storing it at home (away from pests, etc.) I find it simpler to simply go to the LHBS and let them do it. They pay all those costs and simply pass them on to me for my share in the prices. I hand the clerk my list and then look at all the toys until she brings me my grains, ground and ready to brew. I wouldn't save enough to make it worth the trouble.

cluckk said:

I brewed a similar beer Saturday. My bill was about the same as yours, but I also got a bucket (you can never have too many) and a good sized bottle of sanitizer.

I've thought about buying bulk grain, and grinding it myself, but with the cost of a grinder, the time in grinding it and the cost of safely storing it at home (away from pests, etc.) I find it simpler to simply go to the LHBS and let them do it. They pay all those costs and simply pass them on to me for my share in the prices. I hand the clerk my list and then look at all the toys until she brings me my grains, ground and ready to brew. I wouldn't save enough to make it worth the trouble.

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Except the time, and fuel burned, going to the LHBS to get the grain.

Storing grain is easy, and pretty cheap (depending on how you do it). You can use 5 gallon buckets (Home Depot or Lowes are commonly used). I mill at about 5-6# per minute. So time to mill is minimal. I also have several other malts on hand, so I can make whatever I want AND have added flexibility. If I decide, on brew day, to change up the grist, it's super easy (provided I'm not looking to remove grain already milled).

Space requirements for grain is not bad either. Usually a full sack can be split between two 5 gallon buckets (50 pound sack). You can even leave unopened sacks as is.

I can understand if you don't have the room to store them. I had a rough time trying to keep sacks of grain in my 1 bedroom apartment. Ended up storing my base malt at my brew-buddy's place. At least until I moved into a house, with a basement, and plenty of room.

I know all this, but the LHBS opened a shop less than three miles from my house and I drive by it twice every day. Actually, it's no less convenient than my garage. As for storing grain, I see the bulk grain more as an invitation for rats and mice than a convenience. But, to each his own. Being in Texas, and so close to the LHBS, I'm more concerned with keeping down temperatures on my fermenter.

The closest LHBS is about a 10 minute drive for me. But their malt costs are much higher than what I pay via group buys. I've not had any issue with storing my grain after over a year, so I don't think it's an issue. Then again, I don't have the rodents like you do down in Texas.

Get GammaSeal lids for your buckets. Rodent/bug/oxygen problem solved.

kombat said:

Get GammaSeal lids for your buckets. Rodent/bug/oxygen problem solved.

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Yeah, but those lids are NOT cheap. Can be a bit difficult to install, depending on the bucket (and temperatures) too. Installed the last pair I had (bought a 4 pack many months back) this past week. Not as easy as on the previous Lowe's buckets. Go figure.

I do like the positive, easy, sealing though. I have two vittles vaults that hold over a sack each. Plus the blue 14 gallon barrels I got during a group grain buy. Just needed to get some o-rings for those lids (from McMaster-Carr) and they are air tight. :rockin: No issues storing grain in any of those. I've even used standard Lowe's buckets to keep grain in. Just make sure you seal it tight.

I know this will sound stupid since grain has been stored at ambient temperatures in various climates for millennia. What about temperature of storing bulk grain? My garage has an insulated door, but ambient room temperatures in the summer can reach well over a hundred, especially in the afternoon when the sun hits the door directly.

cluckk said:

I know this will sound stupid since grain has been stored at ambient temperatures in various climates for millennia. What about temperature of storing bulk grain? My garage has an insulated door, but ambient room temperatures in the summer can reach well over a hundred, especially in the afternoon when the sun hits the door directly.

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I store mine in the basement where the temperature swings are minimal. While I wouldn't store it where the temperatures reach 100F+ stable temperatures could be more important.

bottlebomber said:

I could swing that.
10 lbs 2-row
.7 x 10 = $7.00
.5 lb c60
.75 x 1 = $.75
.5 ounce Apollo (bittering)
.35 x 1 = .35
2 oz cascade (aroma and flavor)
2 x .62 = 1.25
Washed yeast or yeast from the brewery = free

$9.35
80% efficiency gives me 1.055
$35 a sack for 2-row
$10 a lb for hops through Niko

18¢ a beer, it can be done. Shoot, I could even splurge on hops and make it an IPA and keep it under 11 bucks.

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Hello, Where are you buying from, I would love to know.

Cheers

WileECoyote said:

Hello, Where are you buying from, I would love to know.

Cheers

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I buy my grain from Whole Foods, $35 a sack for US 2-Row and $1.50 a pound for all other grains not bulk. I get a lot of my hops from Niko Brew who frequently runs deals for $10 a pound hops on certain varieties. Sign up for his newsletter to get the deals. I wash yeast, or head down to the local brewpub for some free WLP002.

Whole Foods sells 2-row? Wow. Didn't even think about that. I may have to check them out.

DrunkleJon said:

Whole Foods sells 2-row? Wow. Didn't even think about that. I may have to check them out.

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Not all of them do. They are strategically placed to compete with HBS's, and as far the the one in Santa Rosa, it blows the Beverage People away on bulk grain prices. Check around. It may be something that they are willing to order for you if they don't carry a stock.

Never hurts to call/ask. Thanks.

Mojzis said:

can't really beat 35$

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My LHBS can.

50lb sack of 2-row for $29.50 http://www.brewbrothers.biz/2-Row-Pale-US-1573

bottlebomber said:

I buy my grain from Whole Foods, $35 a sack for US 2-Row and $1.50 a pound for all other grains not bulk. I get a lot of my hops from Niko Brew who frequently runs deals for $10 a pound hops on certain varieties. Sign up for his newsletter to get the deals. I wash yeast, or head down to the local brewpub for some free WLP002.

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Bomber, what other brewing grains do they sell?

bottlebomber said:

I could swing that.
10 lbs 2-row
.7 x 10 = $7.00
.5 lb c60
.75 x 1 = $.75
.5 ounce Apollo (bittering)
.35 x 1 = .35
2 oz cascade (aroma and flavor)
2 x .62 = 1.25
Washed yeast or yeast from the brewery = free

$9.35
80% efficiency gives me 1.055
$35 a sack for 2-row
$10 a lb for hops through Niko

18¢ a beer, it can be done. Shoot, I could even splurge on hops and make it an IPA and keep it under 11 bucks.

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I stand corrected. Where are you getting base malt for $.70 per pound???

bottlebomber said:

I buy my grain from Whole Foods, $35 a sack for US 2-Row and $1.50 a pound for all other grains not bulk. I get a lot of my hops from Niko Brew who frequently runs deals for $10 a pound hops on certain varieties. Sign up for his newsletter to get the deals. I wash yeast, or head down to the local brewpub for some free WLP002.

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Whole foods? Huh....

junior said:

Bomber, what other brewing grains do they sell?

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They have the basic lineup - all the crystals, all the darks, common stuff like Munich and Vienna and maybe a few specialties like Aromatic and maybe a Cara or two. In bulk they sell a cheap two row, Rahr, MO, white wheat, German and Belgian pils, and probably a couple others. They actually do pretty good.

ChandlerBang said:

I stand corrected. Where are you getting base malt for $.70 per pound???

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See above. Also, I am on no way claiming that my typical batch costs so little

ChandlerBang said:

I stand corrected. Where are you getting base malt for $.70 per pound???

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Asked and answered Already...

bottlebomber said:

See above. Also, I am on no way claiming that my typical batch costs so little

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Right sure. But making drinkable beer at that price is something.

Wish the whole foods down here carried grain at that price! I can't find anything under $50 a sack.

TBaGZ said:

Wish the whole foods down here carried grain at that price! I can't find anything under $50 a sack.

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Before they started doing their thing the best I could get was $52 at the HBS, $78 for Maris Otter. WF has MO for $56! I don't think the HBS is real crazy about them being here. Especially since they also have what may be the best beer selection I've ever seen, and a tap room that rotates constantly and does casks frequently as well.

My LHBS has MO for $55 and wyermann pale ale for $46. Both 55lb sacks.

I'm talking plain 2-Row at $53 a sack. :/

MyBeerPants said:

My LHBS can.

50lb sack of 2-row for $29.50 http://www.brewbrothers.biz/2-Row-Pale-US-1573

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Shipping estimator said $58 just for shipping....

ChandlerBang said:

Shipping estimator said $58 just for shipping....

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I'm sure they pick it up.

Even at 50$ for 55 lbs I can still make beer for 0.38$ a bottle, so I can't complain. 29$ would be pretty sweet though

bottlebomber said:

I buy my grain from Whole Foods, $35 a sack for US 2-Row and $1.50 a pound for all other grains not bulk. I get a lot of my hops from Niko Brew who frequently runs deals for $10 a pound hops on certain varieties. Sign up for his newsletter to get the deals. I wash yeast, or head down to the local brewpub for some free WLP002.

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Nice, Wish ours did.

Cheers

ChandlerBang said:

Shipping estimator said $58 just for shipping....

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It's a good thing I live a mile down the street from the shop then

What I saw in the original post was that you didn't preheat your mash ton.
Next time take your sparge water and boil it and add it to your mash cooler in order to preheat the insulation. Then draw it off after a half and hour before you put in your mash water and grains. Then set it aside and let it cool to your desired temp in a pot where you can bring it up to 170 again if needed.
Hope you try the all grain brewing again. Its a great way to spend a day if you have everythign you need and once you get your process down.

I would check the receipt and make sure they didn't fat finger an error when entering the grain bill.

On second thought I could see the pricing. Went into a hbs near a friends and 2-row was 1.89/# and 1# of anything different (crystal 10) was 2.99#. Caps were 6+ for 144.