Ways to budget brewing

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Craigmn

Craigmn

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I have seen similar threads to this based on "hey look at this Amazon deal I found", but I would like to start a thread where we outline more specific techniques/ways you save money brewing over time.

Buying hops in bulk: label peelers, hopslist
Buying grains in bulk
Building your own equipment

What else do you do to lower costs on your batches?


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I have started repitching yeast slurry, which cuts my yeast costs in half. One of my brewing friends uses only Munton's cheap yeast.
 
I think the main ones have already been covered. I guess if you were really determined you could sparge some extra from your grain on brewday and make your own LME for starters. I've thought about it but never feel like doing it
 
Buy Grain and Hops in bulk. Mill my own grains. Made both of my cooler Mash Tuns, my own brew rig and my stir plate. I make double sized starters and harvest the yeast I don't need for my brew that day. I collect excess wort from my Mash Tun and boil and can it for starters. I recirculate my cooling water to use for clean up. I'm currently building my own Fermentation Chamber to cut my overall electrical costs. Request my bottles back when I give away samples to friends (I think I have all my original 22oz bottles from my first batch).
 
All of the above plus create your own yeast library on slants, easy to store in fridge last a year or more and never have to buy a yeast strain more than once.
 
It might not save you money directly, but I've started writing down the cost of everything I buy for a brewday. In the future I can open up a recipe and see the cost of the sourced ingredients without having to hunt through various websites to find my previous orders, or dig through my pockets for receipts. I can see if the cost of an ingredient is slowly increasing over time.
 
Low ABV & less hops keeps your price down.

I had an infected batch and decided to do a cheap brew in the fermenter to see if it was OK. 6 lbs of grain (50-60c/lb in bulk), 1.5 lbs of cracked corn (50c/lb at the grocery store), .5lb rice (60c/lb fropm the grocery store), 2oz of cascade ($1/ounce bought by the lb) and repitched US-05.

Make it like $7 or $8 for the batch.
 
Build all my own equipment. buy bulk grain and hops. Repitch/rinse yeast.

I brewed 13 gal iipa into the primary last weekend. Batch Sparged to high efficiency after. Got 5 gal 1.039 for use in starters.

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Is a corona mill that most inexpensive quality way to grind grain? I'm on a $60 a month budget for brewing ingredients, equipment, and "research". I need to make this happen on the cheap


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Corona mill is garbage without perfect water and ph. If you're not spot on with your chemistry you are going to extract tannins. It works on a budget, but I sprung for the $100 crusher and am glad I did.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app
 
I save my yeast by washing it. I want to step that up to yeast slants as that would save room in my 2nd fridge (I use jelly jar to save it).

You could also grow your own hops and/or buy in bulk. I vacuum seal my unused hops and put in the freezer.

I am not sure if you LHBS has deals once a month. Mine has a deal where it is 50% off of the recipe of the month. They have a homebrew session at the store (which is attached to a good brewery). Good way to meet some other folks.
 
One way I get my expenses down is to go in with my friends on the ingredients of our batches. We share what we brew. I get less beer, but get to brew more often, and it's the brewing I like, more than the drinking (although the drinking is high up on my list too).
 
Her's a list of some of the things I do:
1. Group buys for grains, e.g. 55# 2-ROW for $35. Crush your own grains, you can better control the efficiency.
2. Group buys for HOPS, e.g. $7 or $8 per pound. Use less expensive hops (again by the pound), bought some varieties for $7/#. There are plenty of great recipes that don't require a bunch of Amarillo or Simone.
3. Wash yeast (use Pressure caner).
4. Can Mash to use as starters, cheaper than DME or LME. (Again, use pressure caner).
5. Use electric stove to heat mash water. Cheaper than propane.
6. Keep Star san mixture in a spray bottle. Lasts longer and for most things, all you need to do is spray the surface and wait a minute.
7. Grow hops, after the first year they do pretty well.
8. Crush your own grains.
9. Do a partyglye, i.e. use grains from 1st batch towards 2nd batch. Alternatively, use grains was basis for creating wort (see #4)
10. Keg when you can. Saves on cleaning and sanitizing bottles, don't need caps or labels. If you bottle, bottle from the keg. Still don't need no stinkin labels.
11. Get free bottles from friends.
12. Get free or cheap buckets from bakeries, organic food-co-ops. (I have a bunch of food grade buckets from my local co-op, cost .76 each with lid)
13. Use water from local spring. Makes great ales (not so great lagers). OK, this doesn't really save money as I have to drive there. But, I can keep a LOT of water with all those free buckets and my truck, so cost per gallon isn't so high.
14. Brew at national home brew day. Used to be free, but many places provide ingredients for $10 or $15....and it's a fun time.
 
cjgenever said:
Corona mill is garbage without perfect water and ph. If you're not spot on with your chemistry you are going to extract tannins. It works on a budget, but I sprung for the $100 crusher and am glad I did.

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Click to expand...

I don't think this is true. Crushed grain is crushed grain. It takes more than just the crush to extract tannins. PH and temperatures in combination that you are unlikely to encounter if you are doing things right.

I use my tap water, filtered with a charcoal filter and my Corona mill. I have no issues. I don't measure anything related to chemistry.
 
kh54s10 said:
I don't think this is true. Crushed grain is crushed grain. It takes more than just the crush to extract tannins. PH and temperatures in combination that you are unlikely to encounter if you are doing things right.

I use my tap water, filtered with a charcoal filter and my Corona mill. I have no issues. I don't measure anything related to chemistry.
Click to expand...

The corona mill can work great, but you can't adjust the mill on those, right? You might lose some efficiency compared to a different crush, but probably not noticeable.
 
My ways to control costs:

DIY as much as possible
All grain is a must - extract is too expensive. I did use it this winter so I could stay inside.
Bulk buy grain, hops etc. Group buy if possible. And SALES!
I freeze yeast so I get many batches from a single package.

Once you get your equipment set up done, avoid buying the new and exciting stuff. (If possible)

If you are on a really tight budget you could stay with simple, inexpensive recipes. I like the big beers that come with costly grainbills.
 
lotusworker said:
The corona mill can work great, but you can't adjust the mill on those, right? You might lose some efficiency compared to a different crush, but probably not noticeable.
Click to expand...

You can adjust them but, at least with mine, it is not easy. I think that even with roller mills, most just set it and leave it there. I sometimes double grind. It seems to help a little.
 
kh54s10 said:
I don't think this is true. Crushed grain is crushed grain. It takes more than just the crush to extract tannins. PH and temperatures in combination that you are unlikely to encounter if you are doing things right.

I use my tap water, filtered with a charcoal filter and my Corona mill. I have no issues. I don't measure anything related to chemistry.
Click to expand...

I've pulled tannins from double crushing with my crusher (along with a stuck sparge). I've seen corona mills DESTROY hulls way worse. Corona mills make good beer, and great beer on a lucky day. I've used both. I can taste tannins when they are present. If you want pale beers, especially lagers, you do not want a corona. If you do mostly darker ales and hopped pales, then the corona will work. The slight tannins get lost in the roast or hops.

Just my .02, if coronas work for you more power to you!

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Since I don't have a pressure canner, I do all grain starters. A half gallon or so BIAB is very simple. I put it in the oven set on warm to maintain mash temp and do a short boil. This eliminated the cost of DME. A friend just got a pressure canner, so I'm going to start making high gravity AG starter wort and canning it. But by far the best way to eliminate yeast cost is to check with a local brewery. I can get a growler full of thick yeast slurry at least once a week from a local brewery.
 
I can starter wort in mason jars without a pressure canner. Sanitize with starsan and then dump the boiling wort right in to the (pre warmed) jar. Overfill it and cap on top. No issues yet.

Oh...
I forgot. I used 20 lb propane talks for years. I recently switched to all electric. That cut my fuel costs in half!

Ten gallon batches also reduced per volume costs. It takes about the same input to maintain a boil regardless of the volume in my kettle.

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JohnSand said:
Less equipment. I BIAB, sparge to increase efficiency. You only need one large pot and a nylon paint strainer.
Click to expand...

Very true. One of my favorite parts of brewing is building new cool toys, so not an option for me. But if you were to BIAB, dump it into a sanitized bucket or camping water container, airlock or cover, swoosh it around to sanitize further, pitch in 24 hrs@proper temp. Barely any equip needs. Not for me, but it is tried and proven by the ausies.

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cjgenever said:
I can starter wort in mason jars without a pressure canner. Sanitize with starsan and then dump the boiling wort right in to the (pre warmed) jar. Overfill it and cap on top. No issues yet.

Oh...
I forgot. I used 20 lb propane talks for years. I recently switched to all electric. That cut my fuel costs in half!

Ten gallon batches also reduced per volume costs. It takes about the same input to maintain a boil regardless of the volume in my kettle.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app
Click to expand...

I think you've been lucky regarding the wort. Starter wort is a "target rich" environment for botulism, and boiling wort (212 degrees) nor sanitized (not sterilized) mason jars will not kill botulism spores. While the chances of botulism are certainly low, there is a reason why canning of low-acidic foods is done...the results of that low probability event could be your (or someone else's) death. Note that canning allows you to store the wort in a non-refrigerated environment.
 
copyright1997 said:
Her's a list of some of the things I do:
1. Group buys for grains, e.g. 55# 2-ROW for $35. Crush your own grains, you can better control the efficiency.
2. Group buys for HOPS, e.g. $7 or $8 per pound. Use less expensive hops (again by the pound), bought some varieties for $7/#. There are plenty of great recipes that don't require a bunch of Amarillo or Simone.
3. Wash yeast (use Pressure caner).
4. Can Mash to use as starters, cheaper than DME or LME. (Again, use pressure caner).
5. Use electric stove to heat mash water. Cheaper than propane.
6. Keep Star san mixture in a spray bottle. Lasts longer and for most things, all you need to do is spray the surface and wait a minute.
7. Grow hops, after the first year they do pretty well.
8. Crush your own grains.
9. Do a partyglye, i.e. use grains from 1st batch towards 2nd batch. Alternatively, use grains was basis for creating wort (see #4)
10. Keg when you can. Saves on cleaning and sanitizing bottles, don't need caps or labels. If you bottle, bottle from the keg. Still don't need no stinkin labels.
11. Get free bottles from friends.
12. Get free or cheap buckets from bakeries, organic food-co-ops. (I have a bunch of food grade buckets from my local co-op, cost .76 each with lid)
13. Use water from local spring. Makes great ales (not so great lagers). OK, this doesn't really save money as I have to drive there. But, I can keep a LOT of water with all those free buckets and my truck, so cost per gallon isn't so high.
14. Brew at national home brew day. Used to be free, but many places provide ingredients for $10 or $15....and it's a fun time.
Click to expand...




Why do the hops not do well the first year?

Sent from my iPhone using Home Brewery so the hops not do well
 
"Why do the hops not do well the first year?"
They take time to establish a root system. While some report good results the first or second year, commonly a full crop is not expected until the third.
 
Set up a relationship is a local farmer. Give them your spent grains for eggs, milk or whatever. Its a secondary cost (food budget) but its a nice one
 
copyright1997 said:
I think you've been lucky regarding the wort. Starter wort is a "target rich" environment for botulism, and boiling wort (212 degrees) nor sanitized (not sterilized) mason jars will not kill botulism spores. While the chances of botulism are certainly low, there is a reason why canning of low-acidic foods is done...the results of that low probability event could be your (or someone else's) death. Note that canning allows you to store the wort in a non-refrigerated environment.
Click to expand...

I check it for off flavours/smells and check the lid to be sure there is still a negative pressure in the container. As far as larger containers go, it is usually a short term storage solution. Note that cubes are used by many ausies to store wort for extended periods with no boiling after. I re-Boil the wort before pitching into the starter container. Suppose I should have stated that.

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First thing I did to save money was get a mill and grain sacks. Looking at the cost of canned kits, LME / DME brewing, and AG, the mill your own was around 50% the cost. Of course you need to buy a quality mill which is a one time expense, but pays for itself quickly.

Becoming a yeast farmer has saved me plenty, even though I have yet to get into those fancy liquid yeast strains. Looking at the price I knew that I could only justify the purchase of liquid yeast as a novelty or special case if I couldn't handle re-using it. Well as luck would have it I'm currently still using the 3 strains I harvested from dry packet fermentations about 12 batches later. Meaning that even at $3 for dry on sale at my LHBS I've saved $36. And have 5 jars in the fridge, and 3 harvestable batches on the go right now. Needless to say I'm not terrified of washing yeast anymore and will be getting some liquid soon.

Next up: parti-gyle. All gyle all the time. For the price of some electricity or propane to do a boil and a handful of hops (re-using yeast of course) you can make a second batch of somewhat lighter beer for about $3-5. I usually get about 80% original batch size just to keep a half respectable OG in the second. 2 cases of beer for $5 is too good of a deal to pass up.
 

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