Homebrewing on on the cheap?

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TripleC223

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Any vet homebrewers here have advice on how to find brewing ingredients/kits at a discount? I have an Amazon Prime account and have found a decent selection there w/ no shipping costs. Curious if there are any other HBS sites that offer consistently better prices, or a spot where discounts come up frequently.
 
If you want to save money jump straight into all grain if your doing extract and buy everything in bulk..Reusing your yeast helps to.
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
If you want to save money jump straight into all grain if your doing extract and buy everything in bulk..Reusing your yeast helps to.
Click to expand...

I'll second that and add that you'll want to get into a grain buy. Buying base malts in bulk allows me to brew a batch of beer for under $20
 
You will find that buying ingredients is going to be relatively close in price from anywhere you buy them. There is no secret place that gives away product. About the only way to save is to buy in bulk, grains by the sack, hops by the pounds. But then you run into storage, and you end up spending everything you save and then some on storage containers. I'd be looking at home brewing specific sites rather than amazon for ingredients.
 
Thanks...not quite ready to jump into all-grain at this point. I found this website (http://www.homebrewfinds.com/) that posts periodic web discounts from various online HBS.

Amazon Prime has a decent selection of extract kits and HB equipment, all with the benefit of quick shipping at no cost. Many are from "name-brand" places like NB, MWB and Jasper's. I doubt they would have bulk ingredients, though.

And man, malt extract can be expensive.
 
I have not tried making my own recipes so I usually just buy the $20-30 kits off Homebrewsupply.com they have cheap shipping and I always buy 2-3 at a time. I will buy one good pack of yeast and use it and then when I rack that batch to the secondary I put the stuff that settled in my next batch for primary fermentation. Obviously you want to put the beers in order so the flavors don't clash so start with your lighter beers first. So in my mind I only paid the 7.99 flat rate and got three beers or 6-7 cases and only paid for one thing of good yeast.

All grain is very simple if you just started and have only done a few extract kits it can seem difficult but all you really need is a larger pot and a bag. BIAB method is so simple and you can get a decent bag off amazon for $10.

I order online because the nearest LHBS is 30 miles one way and the homebrewsupply.com store is only 2 hours I usually receive my package a day or two after I order.
 
TripleC223 said:
Any vet homebrewers here have advice on how to find brewing ingredients/kits at a discount? I have an Amazon Prime account and have found a decent selection there w/ no shipping costs. Curious if there are any other HBS sites that offer consistently better prices, or a spot where discounts come up frequently.
Click to expand...

First off, thanks for your service from one vet to another :mug:

My experience has been this, started out with the cheap extract kit (coopers), moved to all grain pretty rapidly, now working on a electric brewing control panel using a BCS460. Beer making is an addiction;) Plus the geeky side of me, I work in software likes experimenting with computer control. If you think you are going to stay in the hobby, do yourself a favor and go with all grain and the required equipment.

As others have said, buy your grains in bulk and get in group buys.
 
bucketnative said:
To save money, I would recommend not brewing hoppy IPAs. Your hops bill can exceed your grain bill.
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...but splurge once in a while, because they are delicious. Also, think how much you save, compared to buying commercial.

Personally, I need to brew. Nothing in the pipeline. Ran out of homebrew, and resorting to drinking commercial to fulfill my habit. Ouch, my taste in beer is expensive.
 
I looked at Amazon Prime for bulk grain 50lb bags. Most are not included on Prime and all of them cost more than my LHBS charges. I have not found any online site that I can order from for less.

Look for the sales, see if you can join a group buy. Switch over to all grain as soon as you can.

Until you have collected all the equipment you need it is going to be expensive. Then, if you have will power to stop buying the latest gadget, you will actually be able to brew beer for less than you can buy it.
 
brewvet said:
First off, thanks for your service from one vet to another :mug:

My experience has been this, started out with the cheap extract kit (coopers), moved to all grain pretty rapidly, now working on a electric brewing control panel using a BCS460. Beer making is an addiction;) Plus the geeky side of me, I work in software likes experimenting with computer control. If you think you are going to stay in the hobby, do yourself a favor and go with all grain and the required equipment.

As others have said, buy your grains in bulk and get in group buys.
Click to expand...

This ^ I brew all grain 99% of the time. My schedule is super busy the next two weeks and I need to brew a 2.5 gallon batch to fill my 2.5 gallon keg before I run dry. Normally, 5 gallons all grain costs me between $20-30 at my LHBS (depending on recipe). I just picked up DME and hops for a 2.5 gal extract batch and it cost me almost $20 for the DME and hops alone. I could have brewed double the amount for only a few dollars more. So all grain + buying in bulk is the way to go.
 
I buy 50 and 55# bags of base malt at Northern Brewer, and I buy my hops mostly from Farmhouse. I've also bought from Hops Direct, but a pound is too much hops for the styles of beer I make; I'd rather buy the 4 oz bags from Farmhouse. Almost everything else I buy from the LHBS.
 
violinguy said:
I'm very skeptical of buying ingredients off of Amazon. I would doubt the freshness. I buy tons of stuff from them each month, but never malts/hops/grains etc.
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I haven't looked all that closely at Amazon brewing ingredients because the few I did look at seemed WAY more expensive than what's reasonable.
 
PADave said:
You will find that buying ingredients is going to be relatively close in price from anywhere you buy them.
Click to expand...

The trick is to buy from Morebeer where the prices are pretty good and it only takes a $60 order to get free shipping. Other shops sometimes run low price shipping specials: order enough for several batches at one time.
 
Steveruch said:
The trick is to buy from Morebeer where the prices are pretty good and it only takes a $60 order to get free shipping. Other shops sometimes run low price shipping specials: order enough for several batches at one time.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I do. About to order grains for my next 5 brews. They have them on my porch in 2 days. Although depending on what kind and how many hops you are ordering, they can be had for less at other places.
 
Singletrack said:
...but splurge once in a while, because they are delicious. Also, think how much you save, compared to buying commercial.

Personally, I need to brew. Nothing in the pipeline. Ran out of homebrew, and resorting to drinking commercial to fulfill my habit. Ouch, my taste in beer is expensive.
Click to expand...

Speaking of zero pipeline and having to buy commercial, I've been racking my brain and running the calculator to find a suitable replacement for my favorite German beer style that fits my water profile.
Took me two days, but I finally have a possible homebrew recipe similar to the imported Munich Helles that costs me $10/sixpack, which is $20/gal.

9lb Pilsner
2lb Vienna 10L **whoops** just Vienna ... though Munich will do if you're not too picky.
1lb Carapils

The grain costs $24. Yeast $7. 6gal spring water $5. That's $36/4.5gal of homebrew ... so yeah, AG homebrewing is DEFINITELY cheaper over time, especially when you re-use the yeast.
 
If you're shopping per batch (rather than in bulk, as others have suggested) and want to keep costs low, I've found MoreBeer has the best prices overall, especially if you buy for two batches at the same time and get over the $59 free shipping threshold.

Definitely suggest supporting your LHBS when possible, though.
 
I definitely support my local brew shop. The closest is 10 or 11 miles away from me in Freehold, NJ.
They give out a purchasing discount card. When you make five buys, the sixth nets you $15 off ... at that price, it's seven free pounds of malt, enough to brew up a small batch of all grain.
 
For what it's worth I've found Amazon to be way way overpriced compared to brew stores for grains. Like $6-7 a pound for grains that are $2-3 a pound in the shop
 
I like when they have where they give you a choice of 3 kits for 20 each. Just wish there were more free s/h out there.
 
If you're going to take the all grain route as many are suggesting, I would point out that you can often find someone on Craigslist looking to unload all of their gear at once, for a decent price. You probably don't need to buy all of that equipment for full price.
 
all grain is way easier then you think.. your beer will be less expensive and better..... If you want to pay $0.40 a beer, go all grain, reuse your yeast, buy everthing in bulk
 
Its funny, when you start out with the hopped extract kits at 4% all you want to do is increase the ABV. But DME is too expensive so you pad it out with sugar to push it over the line to 5% which is more respectable. With all grain, brewing 8% beers is something you don't think twice about if that's your thing. The expensive bit is the equipment (most of which is optional but part of the fun), and hops. For me a big doppelbock is half the price of a decent pale ale.
 
PADave said:
You will find that buying ingredients is going to be relatively close in price from anywhere you buy them. There is no secret place that gives away product. About the only way to save is to buy in bulk, grains by the sack, hops by the pounds. .
Click to expand...

I've got to disagree with this. For grain, my LHBS is about 10% less than More Beer and 25-30% less than Northern Brewer the closest other HBS. There's one local HBS that has really high prices and I figure the only people that go there are the ones that don't compare prices, or maybe they just don't care. (see below)
If you buy 10 lb bags you can save even more and not have too many storage issues. More Beer is cheaper if you buy whole sacks. But when you buy bulk, you need a scale and a mill to weigh and crush, so you have more money wrapped up in equipment.
If you brew a lot of the same beer, buying in volume can save a lot of money. I brew something different every time, so I just buy what I need.
My big savings comes from buying hops on line in either 1/4 LB or 1 Lb amounts. I'll re-use yeast and have a yeast bank in jars. I've re-used yeast that I've stored for a year or more. Since I have so much beer and yeast and hops in storage, I needed another refrigerator and the electricity to run it so that's more money spent. Am I really saving anything? Probably not. But......
The beer I make would cost $9 to $15 or more a six pack or more if I were to buy it. ( I brew a lot of clones) so If you figure 50 beers for a five gallon batch, it would cost me $80-$120, plus tax, to buy a similar beer. So I don't really care about buying quality ingredients for my beer.
Bottom line, it pays to shop around and know what everyone else charges, but homebrewing is supposed to be a fun hobby and so spending a little extra isn't a big deal.
 
Many home brew clubs (HBC) do bulk ordering and then split it up among the members. This is great for base malt. Then they go back to the LHBS to get any specialty malts. Many LHBS will give a discount if you buy a sack of grains and will let you grind it free.

I would see if there is a HBC in your area if you dont already belong to one. Then see if you can get a deal from a LHBS. they are already ordering their malts in bulk so its no big deal to piggy back on that. They make a little and then get you to come back for specialty malts and hops. Everyone wins!
:rockin:
 
madscientist451 said:
I've got to disagree with this. For grain, my LHBS is about 10% less than More Beer and 25-30% less than Northern Brewer the closest other HBS. There's one local HBS that has really high prices and I figure the only people that go there are the ones that don't compare prices, or maybe they just don't care. (see below)
If you buy 10 lb bags you can save even more and not have too many storage issues. More Beer is cheaper if you buy whole sacks. But when you buy bulk, you need a scale and a mill to weigh and crush, so you have more money wrapped up in equipment.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on where you live and having a good LHBS. There are 2 shops within an hour of me, and they both are more expensive than online. So factor in the gas and time to get there and back, and they become much more expensive. I did the math, and buying in bulk would save me about $3-4 a brew. That's not going to make or break me, I spend more than that on ice every brew. Plus I don't have to worry about storage. To each their own, that's what makes home brewing great. :mug:
 
When I had a home brewing friend up in MN, we'd buy a 50 or 100 pound sack of the dry malt extract.
I find prices to be MUCH higher here in Phoenix then I did in St. Paul, MN.
I buy MOST of my stuff locally here in Phoenix, but in the winter when it is cool out, I'll mail order some stuff from my old brew store.
 
madscientist451 said:
I've got to disagree with this. For grain, my LHBS is about 10% less than More Beer and 25-30% less than Northern Brewer the closest other HBS. There's one local HBS that has really high prices and I figure the only people that go there are the ones that don't compare prices, or maybe they just don't care. (see below)
If you buy 10 lb bags you can save even more and not have too many storage issues. More Beer is cheaper if you buy whole sacks. But when you buy bulk, you need a scale and a mill to weigh and crush, so you have more money wrapped up in equipment.
If you brew a lot of the same beer, buying in volume can save a lot of money. I brew something different every time, so I just buy what I need.
My big savings comes from buying hops on line in either 1/4 LB or 1 Lb amounts. I'll re-use yeast and have a yeast bank in jars. I've re-used yeast that I've stored for a year or more. Since I have so much beer and yeast and hops in storage, I needed another refrigerator and the electricity to run it so that's more money spent. Am I really saving anything? Probably not. But......
The beer I make would cost $9 to $15 or more a six pack or more if I were to buy it. ( I brew a lot of clones) so If you figure 50 beers for a five gallon batch, it would cost me $80-$120, plus tax, to buy a similar beer. So I don't really care about buying quality ingredients for my beer.
Bottom line, it pays to shop around and know what everyone else charges, but homebrewing is supposed to be a fun hobby and so spending a little extra isn't a big deal.
Click to expand...

You seem to have an unusual LHBS. I hope for your sake they don't go out of business too soon. I find that online, if you shop around you can find one that saves you a little over the other ones. On some items. Often when I have a list of things it might be an order from several sites.

The only things my LHBSs can beat online is heavy items that cost a lot to ship. I have all my equipment that I need at the moment so I don't order much like that. I haven't used Morebeer, but NB dropped off my list a long time ago. There are so many others that are cheaper.
 
You won't really find deals on Amazon.com that compare to searching the online Homebrew supply stores online.
My best advice is to support your local homebrew retailers. They are a treasure trove of supplies, ideas, help and connections to help you every day.
I am sure your local store can hook you up with local brewers in your area and you can easily start brewing with buddies. That really gets to be rewarding fast.
Sharing your hobby with others, exchanging beers and ingredients, sharing purchases and equipment in addition to accessing new ideas will all pay great dividends.
You my even find life-long buddies that share your same passion. That is priceless.
 
The way I look at it, home brewing (no matter the technique) is still cheaper than buying beer at the store!

Matt
 
To be truly on the cheap, you're going to need to spend a little up front for a mill and air-tight storage so you can buy grain in bulk. My mill cost me $100 and I bought two $20 air-tight storage bins from Amazon. The zinger in bulk grain is always shipping cost. Free online shipping offers tend to specifically exclude bulk grain, so the LHBS can usually be competitive here since they order by the pallet. If you have a contact at a local craft brewer, they might be willing to order an extra bag or two and sell it to you at near cost. I am fortunate in that I brew mostly German styles, so my two air-tight bins are perfect for a bag of German Pils and a bag of wheat malt. This has me covered for Kölsch, Gose, Berliner Weiss, Belgian Wit, Münster Altbier, and Dortmünder Export. If I need supplemental malts, like beechwood smoked for a Lichtenhainer - I just grab a few pounds from the LHBS. Just as important for saving $: harvest yeast from your secondary and taste a sample from each yeast starter prior to pitching to make sure it's still true with no mutations or unwelcome neighbors. I've had some yeasts last 8+ generations (WLP644 - Sac Brux Trois) and others taste wonky on the second (WY3944 - belgian wit). YMMV.
 
I gave a friend 4 500ml bottles of homebrew for her birthday on the weekend. Coffee stout, hoppy APA, Munich helles and RIS. Her and her husband went nuts over them.

It occurred to me that the cost of these beers, and these aren't my cheapest recipes at all, was less than the price of a generic greeting card.

Pretty cool to have a hobby that can create something so good at such a small price.

I can brew a 1 gallon batch for less than the price of one bottle of beer at the shop or pub. If it's not a pale ale or IPA, quite a bit less.
 

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