all grain and kit cost comparison
- Thread starter mmead
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
emmdubb23
Well-Known Member
I pay between 17-40, really it comes down to hops and higher priced base malts like marris otter, golden promise... Etc
Ricochetbrew
Well-Known Member
The major difference is price. I am assuming that by kits you mean ones containing extract either dry or liquid. If that is the case extract is more expensive than grain. I typically brew 10 gallons however for five gallon batches ( when I dont buy my two row in 50lb bulk) I can expect to pay around 20-25 dollars per batch. It is less if I use bulk grains and mill them myself.
The only other difference is length of brew time. It takes longer to do an all grain batch because of the mash.
If you asked this question because you are considering stepping up to an all grain system I highly encourage it. It gives you much more control over your final product and in my opinion much more satisfaction. Hope this answered your question.
Good luck on future brews.
Ryan
The only other difference is length of brew time. It takes longer to do an all grain batch because of the mash.
If you asked this question because you are considering stepping up to an all grain system I highly encourage it. It gives you much more control over your final product and in my opinion much more satisfaction. Hope this answered your question.
Good luck on future brews.
Ryan
ludomonster
Well-Known Member
Pale 2-row starts at around $2/lb and goes down when you buy in bulk. I but 10lbs at a time because I'm a partial mash brewer. It runs about $1.60/lb. A lot of all grain brewers buy in weights of 50lbs or greater. At 50lbs, you may pay $0.90/lb.
A 7lb lme recipe would produce a 1.050 OG beer. To make the same recipe in All-grain, you may use 12lbs of pale malt, depending on your mash efficiency.
The bulk rate for 18lbs of NB LME is ~$2.25/lb. This recipe would use 6lbs LME and .75 lbs DME at ~$4.00/lb. The total cost would be $15.75 for the extract.
Using 12 lbs of 2-row bought in bulk, you would pay about $10.80. That's about a 30% discount.
There are some brewers on this forum who boast batches under $10. They can achieve this rate with larger bulk buys, growing hops and washing yeast.
A 7lb lme recipe would produce a 1.050 OG beer. To make the same recipe in All-grain, you may use 12lbs of pale malt, depending on your mash efficiency.
The bulk rate for 18lbs of NB LME is ~$2.25/lb. This recipe would use 6lbs LME and .75 lbs DME at ~$4.00/lb. The total cost would be $15.75 for the extract.
Using 12 lbs of 2-row bought in bulk, you would pay about $10.80. That's about a 30% discount.
There are some brewers on this forum who boast batches under $10. They can achieve this rate with larger bulk buys, growing hops and washing yeast.
My average cost for AG brewing is about $26 a brew day. Things drive up cost are more hops, not making a starter and pitching two vials of yeast, and doing doubles or imperials and thus buying more grain. My most expensive batch was about $65 for a single 5 gallon batch.
I'm now doing All Grain 10-11 gallon batches every time.
I harvest my yeast and reuse it up to 5 times with a starter.
I buy my base grain in bulk for about $.80/lb.
I can brew 11 gallons of my session beers like a light Pale Ale for $26 for 11 gallons which is only about $12 for 5 gallons!
Yes, All Grain can save a lot of cost and honestly I never made a "great" beer until I went all grain.
I harvest my yeast and reuse it up to 5 times with a starter.
I buy my base grain in bulk for about $.80/lb.
I can brew 11 gallons of my session beers like a light Pale Ale for $26 for 11 gallons which is only about $12 for 5 gallons!
Yes, All Grain can save a lot of cost and honestly I never made a "great" beer until I went all grain.
Transamguy77
Well-Known Member
I make 10 gallon AG batches and most of mine cost less than $40. When I decided to make the switch I started with BIAB (Brew In A Bag) and could make a 5 gallon batch for $20.
I buy all my grain in bulk for 0.90-$1, I bought hops in bulk and I wash my Yeast when ever possible, doing that has saved a lot of money.
If you are looking to make the switch it's well worth it, there are some added expenses in making the switch but looking for used equipment on CL and here can help make it a little cheaper.
I buy all my grain in bulk for 0.90-$1, I bought hops in bulk and I wash my Yeast when ever possible, doing that has saved a lot of money.
If you are looking to make the switch it's well worth it, there are some added expenses in making the switch but looking for used equipment on CL and here can help make it a little cheaper.
Clonefan94
Senior Member
I've found for 5 gallon batches, I'm probably averaging about $10 cheaper per batch than when I was buying extract kits. It varies a few bucks up or down depending on what grains I already have on hand and how many ounces of hops I have to buy. I plan on buing my base grain in bulk soon as well, so that will probably knock off another $4 or $5/batch as well.
My partial mash beers cost about $25 for a 5 gallon batch. I too save about $10 from what my average extract batch costs. Many of those were 6 gallons though. But the lower cost makes it a bit easier to afford for me.
It's not just about cost.
Almost every homebrewer who brews AG will tell you that AG beers just taste better. Extract beers are prone to a tart "twang" aftertaste caused by the extract, especially if you add all the extract at the start of a 60 minute boil.
Another reason to go All Grain is that it's more rewarding, exciting and allows you to really fine tune a recipe to your liking.
What's more fun to tell your beer drinking friends? "I made this beer from a kit" or "This is my recipe and I made it from that bag of grain over there and these hops!"
Almost every homebrewer who brews AG will tell you that AG beers just taste better. Extract beers are prone to a tart "twang" aftertaste caused by the extract, especially if you add all the extract at the start of a 60 minute boil.
Another reason to go All Grain is that it's more rewarding, exciting and allows you to really fine tune a recipe to your liking.
What's more fun to tell your beer drinking friends? "I made this beer from a kit" or "This is my recipe and I made it from that bag of grain over there and these hops!"
Well,it's obviously about taste preferences too. My pm ale does taste cleaner to me. But my extract brews never had that twang to them. Moreso since I started doing late extract additions. That & trying to keep temps down. But being retired def makes cost a factor.
ludomonster
Well-Known Member
I made one extract beer that probably had the twang but as uniondr said, you can mitigate that. Being able to mash allows you to have greater control mouthfeel and head retention than you can get out of extract. Extract-only beers usually have dry-medium mouthfeel, depending on the product. Extract comes with some carapils or some other cara-type specialty grain to give it some body and head retention. Extract has to dissolve in the wort. During this time, it can form darker unfermentable chemicals.
With grain, the sugars dissolve during mashing and sparging. There's less risk of darkening.
A lot of extract brewers do partial boils. This means that you are boiling at a higher specific gravity, reducing your hop utilization and risking forming complex sugars. All grain brewers almost always do full volume boils. By adding extracts late, partial mash brewers also get the advantages of a low boil gravity.
BIAB is a method of all-grain brewing. The details of the differences between these processes are too volumous to put in one post, but hopefully this is a start.
With grain, the sugars dissolve during mashing and sparging. There's less risk of darkening.
A lot of extract brewers do partial boils. This means that you are boiling at a higher specific gravity, reducing your hop utilization and risking forming complex sugars. All grain brewers almost always do full volume boils. By adding extracts late, partial mash brewers also get the advantages of a low boil gravity.
BIAB is a method of all-grain brewing. The details of the differences between these processes are too volumous to put in one post, but hopefully this is a start.
FuzzeWuzze
I Love DIY
Wow your getting raped out there in NJ! Out here 2 row is 94 cents per lb and in bulk that drops down to like 70 cents.
I typically pay 16-25 dollars for my brews, on the lower end if im re-using yeast or using dry yeast. Hops out here are also very cheap at $1-1.50 per oz.
I'm in Virginia and we can order pallets (42+ bags) for about 70 cents / lb after shipping if shipped to a business address. Just have to know how to do it. Most of the domestic grain comes from your part of the country so getting it for this cheap on the east coast is awesome.
I do partial boils whether PM or AE,& the All Extract only gets 1.5lb of plain DME in 2.5-3 gallons of boiling water for hop additions. Late extract is def great for better hop utilization as well.
ludomonster
Well-Known Member
I found that my partial mash beers were coming out more bitter than I had expected, actually. I usually have to play with my calculations to get estimates that reflect the boil gravity, which tents to be in the 1.030 area.
I have to get my mash temps stabilized,& try to cut my boil off. Last one I boiled off 1.25 gallons. Dang...
solbes
Well-Known Member
If I buy kits, most AG brews are $20-35. I rarely do this, as I buy 2 row in 50lb sacks for $36 ($0.72/lb). With 80% efficiecies I can make low/moderate gravity 5 gallon brews with average hopping for $12-14. My house orange pale ale comes in well under $10 since it only requires 2 row, less than a lb of crystal, homegrown hops, and recycled yeast.
Higher gravity brews and/or hopped up IPA's run me between $20-30. The Surly clone (future brew) cost me over $30 with all the hops and will be my most expensive AG endeavor yet. Sure beats $10 for 4 cans though
Higher gravity brews and/or hopped up IPA's run me between $20-30. The Surly clone (future brew) cost me over $30 with all the hops and will be my most expensive AG endeavor yet. Sure beats $10 for 4 cans though
If you're not buying your raw material in bulk, check Austin Hombrew Supply. They have a drop down menu in their description pages that will show you the difference in costs between extract, partial grain, and all grain. That will give you a beginning point to compare costs.
I buy my grain in bulk locally at about .80 lb. I wash almost all my yeast and in a year, I figure I can save enough money by using washed yeast to make me 5-7 more batches of 5 gallon beer.
I make lots of hoppy IPA's and buy hops in bulk too and my average price for 5 gallons is $19-22. For me that's awesome compared to what I would spend on the craft beer I like. However, I am also drinking more too.
I make lots of hoppy IPA's and buy hops in bulk too and my average price for 5 gallons is $19-22. For me that's awesome compared to what I would spend on the craft beer I like. However, I am also drinking more too.
emmdubb23
Well-Known Member
I made my first bulk hops buy this year, can't wait for it to come in from hops direct.
