Where to get cheap beer kits

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mudog

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Every time I go to my LHBS I end up spending 45-60 on a extract kit. Does anyone know where I can get things cheaper. I live in CA near SF if the helps.

Thanks
 
That sounds really high for an extract kit. Which store have you been going to? MoreBeer has a showroom in Concord and another in Los Altos (I think? Somewhere on the peninsula, anyway). My extract kits from there have been more like the $30-35 range. Of course, I never manage to make it out of the store without spending at least double that, but it's not because of the kits....
 
Try here. That's the cheapest online place I ever found online. However, do not dismiss the vendors on this site. They may cost a little more, but they have a very high rep with the members here regarding service and flexibility.
 
I've had two swings and misses on Austin. Oatmeal St I'm convinced the LME was bad, and on their Boston Lager Clone I ordered milled grain and it come in unmilled.
 
Morebeer has a "deal of the day" and usually offer a kit two or three times a month. I picked up an Irish Red Ale kit in June for around $22.
 
I've had two swings and misses on Austin. Oatmeal St I'm convinced the LME was bad, and on their Boston Lager Clone I ordered milled grain and it come in unmilled.

I hope this was something we know about and was corrected. There is no way the extract was bad. We have already sold over 135,000 pounds (67 tons) of liquid extract alone this year. Something else was the problem.

PM me and I will take care of you if the kit you made didn't turn out for you.

As far as the milled grain goes, it was a simple mistake on someones fault. The website defaults to milled.

I am here to help.

Forrest
Austin Homebrew Supply.
 
That sounds really high for an extract kit. Which store have you been going to? MoreBeer has a showroom in Concord and another in Los Altos (I think? Somewhere on the peninsula, anyway).

Yes, Los Altos.

Sorry, I can't tell you how much their kits cost, since I buy my grain and hops in bulk. They do stock a large number of grains, however, as well as extracts, in case you want to put together your own recipe.
 
Every time I go to my LHBS I end up spending 45-60 on a extract kit. Does anyone know where I can get things cheaper. I live in CA near SF if the helps.

Thanks

Danm! I think i get out for about $30 each time here at Fort Worth Homebrew. I am lucky that most of what they sell comes directly from Austin Homebrew.

What are you ordering in your kits? I usually use about...
1-1.5# specialty grains
4-6# DME
Yeast (dry if available)

The only time I have spent more than $35 on a 5gal batch, was when i needed 2# of fresh raspberries, and that was $15 alone.
 
Don't think they are the cheapest, but Morebeer.com has daily specials, which can sometimes be pretty significant. Today I checked and bought a AHA membership for like 25% off. Not bad considering I have been wanting to do this for a while.
 
You must be making very big beers to spend that much on one batch. There's a linear relationship between ABV and cost.
 
Just wanted to let everyone know about this website I found called "theamericanbrewer" dot com. My buddy turned me on to it and they got some of the best prices on kits I've ever seen. They don't show up in google searches (wonder why?) but they got a brew kit/ingredient kit combo for like 79 bucks. My friend bought one in February and he said he's super happy with it. he told me he got lot's of extra stuff and they even threw in a huge glass beer stein. Anyway, don't want to give them to much kudos until I get mine. I ordered it yesterday nd I guess it'll be here in like a week or so. They got like 15 or 20 different ingredient kits to so I got their O'reily's Irish Stout kit. I guess I'll let everyone know what happens when I get my stuff. I think all us brewer's should let each other know about any deals we find since brewing is getting a little expensive, at least for me. Thanks, later.
 
Mudog, it's the same way at my LHBS and the kits use canned extract. They're $25 online and 50+ in store. Immediately explored AHS, Midwest, and morebeer instead. I like all 3.
 
Midwest Supplies or Northern Brewer, just ship them out to ya. I will say extract costs have gone up a few bucks over the last 2-3 years. But you'd have to go to extreme kits to spend $50 (huge gravity or insane hopping rates) at those places. Both turn over huge volumes of liquid extract too, so it should be fresh. AHS the same I expect.

For kits I feel Northern Brewer really puts together some good ones. The majority are between $25 and 40.

I usually shop at Midwest now as its closer, a tidge cheaper, and I buy stuff separate with my all grain recipes.
 
Beer kits often include a convenience price.

Take the True Brew hefe kit: it costs $36 at my LHBS

Materials, if bought individually, are $26 for the extract, $1 for the dry yeast, $1.50 for the hops, $1 for the priming sugar, and $1.50 for the caps, for a total of about $31.
 
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