Basic grains from the grocery store...

We have been brewing for almost a year now and have been buying "recipes" from the brew place. What that means is that we buy, for example, an IPA recipe which costs about $50. They give us everything we need... LME, grain, hops, yeast, blah blah blah.

Now we trying to brew cheaper beers and were wondering if we could just use some grain mix from the bulk food isle. Like a 10 grain cereal mix or some other crushed grains. Has anyone done that?

Thanks for your input.

They've not been malted.

Rick

And usually the prices are higher that way too, though grocery store corn/oats are usually pretty cheap.

Your best bet for cheaper beer is to buy in bulk...a 50lb sack of grain, hops by the pound, etc.

Most of the grains in the recipes have been malted (sprouted and killed), and many of these have further have been roasted, kilned, stewed, etc to make the starches that can be converted to sugars that can be acted on by the yeast to make beer. Without these steps you grains won't make beer, they make porridge. You can get kits from online sources (I like Midwest Supplies but others like Austin Homebrew Supplies and many others are good too) that are cheaper, even after you pay shipping and cheaper yet if you buy more than one at a time.

Quaker Oats is the only one I have ever used.

Any thing instant will do and it is a ton cheaper than the LHBS.

I do a batch with 2 pd instant rice 1 pd instant grits 6 pd 2 row for right at ten bucks with a oz of hops

Instant grits, instant (minute) rice, quick oats.

Don't forget that you can also use sugars in moderation (white, brown, turbinado, etc).

MC

Thanks everyone. We appreciate it.

Varmintman said:

Any thing instant will do and it is a ton cheaper than the LHBS.

I do a batch with 2 pd instant rice 1 pd instant grits 6 pd 2 row for right at ten bucks with a oz of hops

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Is this for 5gal? Would that be the complete recipe? Would we need to add anything else?

What type of beer, if any, would this compare with? Breakfast blend?

Wolfcub said:

Thanks everyone. We appreciate it.


Is this for 5gal? Would that be the complete recipe? Would we need to add anything else?

What type of beer, if any, would this compare with? Breakfast blend?

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Well I go 6 gallon with it and use a ounce of sazz for a bittering hop. Works out to 3.5% on the average brew and 3.9% on the days I do good. I mash at 152 degrees for a hour and then sparge boil and use whatever yeast you have on hand. I use a coopers cake and ferment it at a low temp to keep it clean tasting.

I like it because I like to drink when I brew. When I drink I tend to forget stuff like hops and yeast. This is low booze effect so I can drink more before I forget what I am doing

As far as the style I would not know but guess a cream ale. I started with Biermunchers 3C recipe and tweaked it to fit my tastes so any kudos should go to him. I know whenever I take it to beer and cigar night my cooler gets hammered by pretty much everyone.

Thanks again. We probably try that next weekend, maybe 1/2 batch as we are low on bottles... Just got done bottling 10 gal last weekend.

Btw, we are almost neighbors. We are in Boise.

Wolfcub said:

Thanks again. We probably try that next weekend, maybe 1/2 batch as we are low on bottles... Just got done bottling 10 gal last weekend.

Btw, we are almost neighbors. We are in Boise.

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Now that is funny 300 miles is nothing to us out here in the west but go to a big city and 30 miles is a long drive.

Plug it into a beer calculator and figure out your efficiency. I get above 80% for some reason with this recipe and I think it has to do with the adjunct grains

Varmintman said:

Now that is funny 300 miles is nothing to us out here in the west but go to a big city and 30 miles is a long drive.

Plug it into a beer calculator and figure out your efficiency. I get above 80% for some reason with this recipe and I think it has to do with the adjunct grains

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Out there in the west you can drive 300 miles and only meet 4 cars but in the city you meet 400 in the first mile.

Instead of pre-packaged "kits" you will save money purchasing ingredients ala carte. This is particularly true if you start cutting out extract via partial mash brewing. I would do a search for Deathbrewer's excellent threads on stovetop partial mash brewing. His simple "mash in a bag" method will allow you to save a huge amount over extract kits.

So, the husband tried to sparge it but probably didn't get the max sugars out of it. It didn't build a nice yeast cake during fermentation. How can he save the beer? Add some DME, boil it (for how long), and then later add to the beer?
Other suggestions?? Thanks much.

I am sure you can add some more sugars to it but I have to wonder why you did not get good sparge.

I think he didn't do it right. How much sugar would you add? Any tips?

What was his starting gravity and where is it now? And where do you want to end up.

$50 on an IPA!? I must be a cheap SOB, I don't think I spent that on my last 4 brews. But yes, absolutely you can get some ingredients from the market. I get most of my adjuncts for either a higher end grocery store or the local bakery(you'd be amazed what kind of deal they'll give you when they find out it's for beer).
With a little money up front for some additional equipment, you will same in the long run going all grain. Group/bulk buys are another cost saver, harvesting yeast, growing your own hops, and yes believe it or not, kegging (both time and money).