Brewing Cheap Beers

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jordan725

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Hi all,

Just started brewing beer with a friend, and have been very happy with our results so far. I was wondering, however, what is usually recommended to make beers on the cheap? I am not expecting to make the best beers, but ideally something that is very cheap in large bulk and still better than Budweiser.

Hopefully I won't get flame for this, but my vision is to brew (1) 5-gallon batches of quality stuff for myself and my friends, and (2) simultaneously brew 15-30 gallon batches of cheap beer for things like frat parties.

Any tips or suggestions on where to start? For what we have been doing, it is usually about $30 per 5-gallon batch in extracts/grains/yeast, so not sure where and how to start cutting corners on the cheap batches.

Thanks so much,
Jordan
 
Four things to reduce your costs per batch:

1. Buy your hops bulk. See hopsdirect.com
2. Reuse/wash your yeast from previous batches instead of buying new yeast for each batch.
3. Switch to all-grain brewing
4. Buy your grains for AG batches in bulk.

#1 is easiest to implement, #2 takes a bit more work and #4 will go along with #3, assuming you have storage space.
 
Most of the Online retailers have Specials running. I just ordered two extract kits from B3 for $23 and $25 yeast included.
Those here with more experience do all grain and reuse/culture their own yeast.
For frat parties I am sure you will be able to get away with low ABV and few hops which will help keep costs down too.
 
The cheaper you get, the more laborious it becomes (and more equipment needed), that is if you want a quality product.
If'n you just want to get sloshed at a frat party, sugar is a cheap addition or substitute for some of the malt.
I've never tried to make frat party hooch though. good luck and drink responsibly,
Signed: Your dad.:D
 
Yeah, All grain will reduce your price per batch quite a bit. If I do a 5 gal batch with 11-12 pounds of grain and 2-3 oz of hops, it costs a little over 20 bucks from my LHBS.

These are beers that a lot of BMC AND craft brew drinkers have really liked too.
 
I can brew almost anything for 12-15 bucks for a 5 gallon batch.

Base grains for $.62/lb (Mid Country Malt) ($7)
Hops for less than $1/oz (Hops Direct) ($2)
Yeast is cheap, and you can use it several times (My LHBS) ($2-$3)

You cant get very cheap with extract, extract only gets so cheap.
 
Make Mild Ales for your frat parties. Aim for 1.03 SG and 3 - 3.5% alcohol. You can make 10 gallons of a great tasting session mild for the same price as 5 gallons of typical ipa. If people want to drink to get drunk, do shots
 
If all you want is to get ripped at a frat party:

Buy 2 cases of budweiser
Pour into corney keg
dry hop an ounce of random hops in it
Tell all the girls stories about what an awesome brewer you are
Profit?
 
if you do allgrain, i would suggest BM centenial blonde or even cheap to brew, the miller light clone in the database.

but if doing extract, i would buy bulk DME or LME from NCM. Light Dme is $98 per 50pounds from them, then figure $20 or so for shipping. so about $2.50 a pound. lme is even cheaper but i would go with the dme. try to get in on a group buy to get the shipping down to like $4 or 5 bucks.

5pounds of dme=$12.50
hops(buy 1 or 2 pounds from hopsdirect to come out to less then $1 a oz)=2oz =$2
Notty yeast= $2
pound of speciality grains= i dont know, $2?

add a pound of sugar or add some AE to increase alcohol percentage
 
(1) 5-gallon batches of quality stuff for myself and my friends

Any tips or suggestions on where to start?
Scour this website. It's chock full of the sort of tips and suggestions you seek.

(2) simultaneously brew 15-30 gallon batches of cheap beer for things like frat parties.

Any tips or suggestions on where to start?
No. We don't do hooch here.
 
Scour this website. It's chock full of the sort of tips and suggestions you seek.


No. We don't do hooch here.


I don't see why you would think cheap beer was hooch, all grain large batches are cheap and anything but hooch.

I'm so tired of everyone getting all pissy over people brewing on a budget.
 
It's not about the budget, it's about the product. We discuss the methods, ingredients, and equipment to make high quality craft beverages. Frat party swill doesn't really meet that criteria.
 
I can understand the desire to brew beer that is more suitable for large groups who don't really like good beer. I know many people that don't want beer with the kind of complex flavors that I usually make.

I think it's kinda crappy of this site to be all arrogant about that and refuse to give the slightest amount of help to someone trying to make cheap beer for parties with people who don't think they like good beer.

Hooch, on the other hand, I understand not wanting to discuss--- people looking to add yeast to their kool aid in order to make potent projectile vomit inducers is going to attract the high school kids trying to get around the drinking age.

But even crap beer is beer and, honestly, I'm impressed that even crappy beer companies manage to make the exact same crappy beer every freaking time, without variation.
 
I always try to have a "crap" beer kegged for the inlaws or my folks... or the neighbors to drink. Although, my folks are addicted to my Hugh Heffe now :D
 
Thanks ya'll I guess I'm right! :D lol...

Seriously, to me being able to please everyone on a budget is hard, right now I have a 3.5% brown ale I'm really proud of, everyone likes it, serious beer drinkers as well as everyone else.
 
Yeah-- I find that the best way to get a BMC person to appreciate homebrew beer is to brew a hefe or saison.
 
Yeah-- I find that the best way to get a BMC person to appreciate homebrew beer is to brew a hefe or saison.

Yah, my folks were down this weekend and LOVED the Heffe... who'd have thunk it.
 
That being said, I like to have BMC around for those friends that I have that don't want to be adventurous when they are drinking away from home. BMC is always the same and a person knows how they will react to it and some people want that when they are drinking at a party.

BMC never sneaks up on you and kicks your legs out from udner you unexpectedly the way home brew can.
 
Frat beer at 15-30 gallons at a time?

1. I would go AG for this, hands down. Find the biggest cooler you can find...maybe two of them. Fit together some valves and fabricate a manifold or stainless braid in each. Find a burner that can heat a lot of water really fast, and get your propane from a gas dealer instead of from those cages in front of Home Depot (they'll rip you off). You might need an extra container to hold your sparge water if you want to use the same big pot that you heat your mash/sparge water with for a brew kettle.

2. Buy your ingredients in bulk. Since you want to brew 15-30G per batch for your frat parties, you'll go through a lot of grain pretty fast. Maybe find a place that will sell it to you by the ton, and you'll reap huge economies of scale (at least for a homebrewer anyway).

3. 15-30G on a tight budget would seem to be perfect in a plastic conical fermenter that is modded with a dump valve and side valve for racking. DIY this and you can have a mega-fermenter that rocks the house for very low cash.

4. Make stuff that is mostly base malt and little hops. Just like the big boys.
 
I can brew almost anything for 12-15 bucks for a 5 gallon batch.

Base grains for $.62/lb (Mid Country Malt) ($7)
Hops for less than $1/oz (Hops Direct) ($2)
Yeast is cheap, and you can use it several times (My LHBS) ($2-$3)

You cant get very cheap with extract, extract only gets so cheap.

+1. Now that I've started buying in bulk, I get my batches down to that $12-15 per 5 gallon mark as well.
 
Most of the Online retailers have Specials running. I just ordered two extract kits from B3 for $23 and $25 yeast included.
Those here with more experience do all grain and reuse/culture their own yeast.
For frat parties I am sure you will be able to get away with low ABV and few hops which will help keep costs down too.

What is B3?
 
So I saw alot of you were kicking out 5 gallon batches for $20 or so. So a half-barrel of BMC would have to be more than $60 to make it worth your while brewing your own vs. buying the keg of BMC.

Now, when you take into account the value of your time making that 15 gallons of home-brew (time that could be better spend doing homework, partying, getting laid) you are WAY better off just buying the keg and calling it good.

Great idea in theory...not so good in practice IMO That's just me though...I'm lazy
 
So I saw alot of you were kicking out 5 gallon batches for $20 or so. So a half-barrel of BMC would have to be more than $60 to make it worth your while brewing your own vs. buying the keg of BMC.

Now, when you take into account the value of your time making that 15 gallons of home-brew (time that could be better spend doing homework, partying, getting laid) you are WAY better off just buying the keg and calling it good.

Great idea in theory...not so good in practice IMO That's just me though...I'm lazy

But I'm not making BMC quality beer. Even before my home brew days I was drinking what stores call premium beers (Sam Adams, Bass Ale) which are $8.50 a 6 pack or like $30-34 a case. I can make 5 gallons (~2 cases) of beer that I enjoy for under $15 (the cost for 12 Sierra Nevadas). 2 cases of SNPA is going to cost me $60, whereas, even at my LHBS prices for a kit, it would still only cost me $35 at the most.

Also, this is a hobby. I enjoy it, and didn't get into it for the concept of saving money. I do it for the joy of doing it.
 
So I saw alot of you were kicking out 5 gallon batches for $20 or so. So a half-barrel of BMC would have to be more than $60 to make it worth your while brewing your own vs. buying the keg of BMC.

Now, when you take into account the value of your time making that 15 gallons of home-brew (time that could be better spend doing homework, partying, getting laid) you are WAY better off just buying the keg and calling it good.

Great idea in theory...not so good in practice IMO That's just me though...I'm lazy

Buying in bulk, I could make 15 gallons of an APA for less than $25. And, it's going to taste much better than BMC.
 
A 1/2 keg of BMC will cost you $86 with out a keg deposit. Most deposits are $50. Now of course if you don't already have a kegerator. You will have to rent a tap. I keep a BMC on stand by for freinds that do not drink good beer, large parties or if I screw up my pipeline (like right now:(). At the parites I just walk around with a mug of my homebrew, most people don't know or care. If someone wants to try my homebrew I get them a sample glass 3 ounces. If they like it, I don't mind sharing. I have found that this works out much better. You won't find full mugs beer sitting around your place. Cause someone didn't like or know what an IPA, Russian Imperial Stout, or what ever your might brew is.

If you are going to brew a 15 gallon batch. Just remember you have to store all your equipment some where?

Also like everyone else has said. Order your grain and hops online. Wash your yeast.

Best of luck!!
 
I can understand the desire to brew beer that is more suitable for large groups who don't really like good beer. I know many people that don't want beer with the kind of complex flavors that I usually make.

I think it's kinda crappy of this site to be all arrogant about that and refuse to give the slightest amount of help to someone trying to make cheap beer for parties with people who don't think they like good beer.

It's not about being arrogant; it's about being focused. It is not arrogant to tell someone they're asking a question better asked somewhere else. HBT is focused on brewing the best possible beer one can brew. We'll give an infinite amount of help to people who want to do that. I, for one, don't want someone going about crowing about how I helped them brew something that tastes like it's been filtered through a horse; my name means something to me. ;)

No homebrewer can brew BMC-type stuff for less than going to the beer store and picking up a 30-pack. Period. Not even if you buy malt by the ton. Because you've still got packaging - that costs money - dispensing - if gas is used - and above all the labor to brew the stuff in the first place. Equipment, even when amortized over time, still costs money, especially the equipment for large-batch all-grain brewing.

And, frankly, the only people who get my beer are people who appreciate it. People who just want to get drunk can buy their own damn booze. Since I can't sell it, I have to give it away. I'm damned if I give something to someone who's not going to appreciate it.

All that said, OP, you can still brew excellent beer that's also accessible to the drunks. You've gotten a lot of input on that in this thread. Even a $30 extract batch still puts you at $15 per case, which is generally lower than premium commercial brands.

Dunno why you'd want to, but that's your concern. I'd save my flavorful, hand-crafted beer for those who'd sooner reach for a Newcastle or Guinness than a Natty Ice. The Natty Ice crowd can buy their own! :D

Good luck to you! :mug:

Bob
 
Hi all,

Just started brewing beer with a friend, and have been very happy with our results so far. I was wondering, however, what is usually recommended to make beers on the cheap? I am not expecting to make the best beers, but ideally something that is very cheap in large bulk and still better than Budweiser.

Hopefully I won't get flame for this, but my vision is to brew (1) 5-gallon batches of quality stuff for myself and my friends, and (2) simultaneously brew 15-30 gallon batches of cheap beer for things like frat parties.

Any tips or suggestions on where to start? For what we have been doing, it is usually about $30 per 5-gallon batch in extracts/grains/yeast, so not sure where and how to start cutting corners on the cheap batches.

Thanks so much,
Jordan

I sent you an answer in a P/M.
 
Make EdWorts Apfelwein. It's cheap and from what I have read will work as a type of liquid panty solvent.

+1 to this... last batch cost me about 25 bucks.. I am always on the lookout for applejuice on sale.. 1) because my kids like it and 2) because Aplfelwein is easy to make and cheap.
 
40 cents for Montrachet, 2$ for dextrose, and $9.90 for 5 gallons of Best Value 100% apple juice. It ends up being like 11-12% apv. I hope that I didn't mess up by getting the cheapest juice I could find but Motts was almost 2$ more per gallon. It is definitely worth a try.
 
One thing I would like to comment on. I know "frat" parties are thought of as being full of people that have no tastes and just want to get drunk.

I don't know about the OP's situation, but my fraternity liked to drink and they liked good beer. Every time I brew a batch I think about how much I wished that I had been able to brew at school. We ended up drinking awful beer because that is what we could afford. 15 gal of crappy relatively low alcohol beer costs way more than a higher gravity 5 gal delicious home brew. I know my brothers would have loved the better beer and loved to party with it. Both could create the same drunkenness if that is what they were looking for.

Many parties would consist of a "party" keg and a brothers only keg. The first being the cheapest thing we could find, and one being something like Yuengling. Now I know Yuengling isn't the best stuff on earth but it was at least better than Koch's Golden Anniversary.

I guess my point is not all frat guys have not culture and only want to get drunk. A really good cheaply made home brew may have it's place in the right fraternity.

I do agree with trying to go AG and stick with primarily base malts. Maybe look at a Blonde Ale or Belgian PA and make sure to use some Belgian Candy to boost OG for cheap.

Try out this recipe I made, it is for a Belgian Pumpkin ale. Just take out the spice and pumpkin if you want. If you take out the spice I would maybe add a bit more hops. It is really tasty and was cheap to brew.

http://www.beertools.com/html/recipe.php?view=9216

Also just try making something in beer tools yourself. I do find their anticipated price to brew is between $10-$15 higher than it actually costs me. For a cheaper beer skip the liquid yeast and just use some kind of dry.
 
I don't see why some people are ripping on him and calling his party beer hooch. So what if he wants to make cheap beer in large quantities to give out a college party. In my opinion four great possibilities will come of him doing this. 1...He's not giving money to BMC. 2. More people will have homebrew and understand it and maybe even come to like craft beers. 3...He may recruit new homebrewers by peaking their interest in what he is doing. 4...The most important, he wants to share his creations and feel good about it. This will most likely make it a lifetime hobby for him.
Stop being pompous those of you who are antagonizing. This hobby is for everyone.
 
I don't see why some people are ripping on him and calling his party beer hooch. So what if he wants to make cheap beer in large quantities to give out a college party. In my opinion four great possibilities will come of him doing this. 1...He's not giving money to BMC. 2. More people will have homebrew and understand it and maybe even come to like craft beers. 3...He may recruit new homebrewers by peaking their interest in what he is doing. 4...The most important, he wants to share his creations and feel good about it. This will most likely make it a lifetime hobby for him.
Stop being pompous those of you who are antagonizing. This hobby is for everyone.

Exactly. I feel like all the arrogant people never had any fun in college. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford nice things all the time. I know how college is man and if I get these kegs from my friend in time I'm going to throw a New Years party and brew up 3 batches to fill 2 1/2 barrels. Everyone has loved my previous Kentucky Common beers, from Bud Light drinkers to beer snobs. The one that is fermenting now is completely to style with less ingredients (you get crazy high efficiency with a 24hr mash - adds a very slight sourness). It should be 4.3-4.5%. Here is the breakdown of how much it would cost me, buying base malt in bulk from the place The Pol mentioned, along with hops from hopsdirect. The rest is from the LHBS. I hope it turns out well. I'll post how it is in my signature link if you're interested. I'm not sure there is a cheaper recipe with the same abv, however, I can't yet comment on the taste. I'm pretty optimistic about it though.

Recipe: O’Daniel’s Kentucky Common 1908
Brewer: O’Daniel
Style: Specialty Beer
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
————————–
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.41 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 9.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 26.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 95.00 % (yes that's right - bound to get over 90)
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
————
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 74.02 % ($0.62/lb)
1.50 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain 22.21 % ($2.00/lb)
2.00 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt – 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 1.92 % ($2.00lb)
2.00 oz Chocolate Malt (450.0 SRM) Grain 1.85 % ($2.00lb)
1.00 oz Cluster [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 26.7 IBU ($0.42/oz)
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale ($1.00)

Total Cost: $7.84 (under $8 for about 2 cases of beer? Not bad...)

Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 6.76 lb
—————————-
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 10.13 qt of water at 165.6 F 152.0 F

Notes:
——
Mash for 24 hours.
 
+1 to this... last batch cost me about 25 bucks.. I am always on the lookout for applejuice on sale.. 1) because my kids like it and 2) because Aplfelwein is easy to make and cheap.

This is my first thought when I saw this thread. I have so much of this stuff on hand (its all been for personal consumption) that I need to stop making it. Its so dang cheap and easy though. Plus, it's delicious. I wonder what the upper limit for dextrose additions is though, can we really push this past 12%?
 
I don't see why some people are ripping on him and calling his party beer hooch. So what if he wants to make cheap beer in large quantities to give out a college party. In my opinion four great possibilities will come of him doing this. 1...He's not giving money to BMC. 2. More people will have homebrew and understand it and maybe even come to like craft beers. 3...He may recruit new homebrewers by peaking their interest in what he is doing. 4...The most important, he wants to share his creations and feel good about it. This will most likely make it a lifetime hobby for him.
Stop being pompous those of you who are antagonizing. This hobby is for everyone.

Wow. I guess things have really changed since I was in college. Waaaaaaay back then - late 1990s - we didn't ask about the source or quality of the alcoholic bevvies at parties we attended. We only cared about 1. Is it cheap? and 2. How schnockered can we get?

Let me respond to your points in order. 1. Who cares? Ooo, big bad wolf. 2. and 3. I really think laughable. In all my college days, I can't remember a single kegger where we stood around and discussed anything other than "Dude, dig that hottie over there" and "Gimme another beer". In non-party conditions, yeah, I'd share a bottle of something interesting with someone I knew would appreciate it. But not standing over a keg in someone's basement or backyard. And hell, if you do manage to recruit a new brewer in that environment, it'll be someone who wants to make booze cheaply, who'll get bored and frustrated with it, and fall away from the hobby just as quickly as he was attracted. I've seen it happen. 4. I got no problems with, other than I'd rather share my libations with people whose primary motivation is appreciation, not inebriation.

That's not pompous. That's a statement of what I believe to be fact: In the first place I'd like the OP to not waste his time, and in the second you're missing the point. Yes, this hobby is for everyone, including those who want to brew cheap, tasteless swill. This board, however, is not; this board is for people who want to lovingly hand-craft flavorful, exciting brews.

Cheers,

Bob
 
Edwort mentions somewhere that he has added an extra pound of dextrose but everyone cursed him the next day due to drunkeness/hangovers. People would be hammered before they knew what him them which was usually our goal in college.
 
A gentle suggestion - tread lightly when criticizing someone's beer drinking (and brewing) choices. People drink many different kinds of beers, including BMC lagers and homebrew that is similar to BMC (BierMuncher's Cream of 3 Crops, for example). Others enjoy big burly Belgian Trippels. No need to criticize anyone for those choices.

I could read some of the posts above to say that my brewing choices are not worthy of this board. I don't think that's true.
 
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