Price comparison: All grain vs Extract

[HickoryMike]

I think they are great!!! We are very lucky to have such a quality homebrew shop here in CLT, definitely worth a drive down from Hickory, especially if you go to the warehouse in Belmont.

It's nice to hear the positive feedback about their store. We have a little store here in Hickory I try to support when I can. I usually end up buying spoons and buckets from them...I can't bring myself to pay twice as much for their ingredients. Still, it's a nice luxury to have a local store in a town of our size (especially for emergency supply runs).

Charlotte is 1.25 hours away, and I'm rarely there...but, I'll be picking up family from the airport Friday so I may stop by while I'm in town.

 

[sea2summit3]

"OR....are you paying really high prices for individual ingredients from your LHBS?"

I would assume thats what I would be doing initially. I am very new to homebrewing(since christmas) and have only done two 5 gal batches. I don't really have the experience of where to look, or what to get from who. I assume I'll learn as I go. I have a friend who recommended I go straight into AG for certain reasons, and I dont completely disagree with him, I just wanted to get my feet wet before I try to dive in. But it certainly seems like that way to go, and I am enthusiastic enough about it to make the step to AG. Seeing the price comparisons in front of me is enough to convince me I think. So when you buy these huge bags of grain, do you have one specific recipe in mind to use all the grain on or do you just store it until you have a need for it? Do you buy a bunch of different grains all at once? If those questions are confusing, I guess I'm asking how many ingredients do you keep on hand at any given time and how fast does it get used?

If you are interested in the hobby to believe that you want to brew great beers for the foreseeable future, go AG. There is a steep learning curve but its actually quite easy after a couple batches. Invest in a good book like "How To Brew" by John Palmer. Read it cover to cover, brew and re-read chapters as needed. If you're on a budget (which seems to be the case) keep and eye on craigslist or other classifieds. I've found amazing deals on AG gear through both. It took me a year to build up my AG setup (half of that living in the middle of no-where and half living in a small city), mainly because I had to be as thrifty as possible. Even building your AG system with a DIY mentality seems expensive, but it is well worth the investment. You have so much more control over your beer when you brew AG, and it tastes better as well!

Your LHBS prices seem a bit high. Mine charge 1.25 (base) to 2.00 (speciality) for milled grain and 2.50/lb for extract. Hops and yeast seem to be the biggest cost at my LHBS. I've recently started using dry yeast after a long stint with liquid and am still making great beer. Learn how to wash and save your yeast for even more savings. Go with www.hopsdirect.com/for bulk hops (big savings over your LHBS) They will even approximate your shipping cost if you let them know your zip code and # of lbs you want to order.
Cheers!

 

[mordantly]

what bites is the best price for a shipped 50#er is arround $65. some places have it for $30ish but then the shipping on 4 sacks is as much as the grain!

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

what bites is the best price for a shipped 50#er is arround $65. some places have it for $30ish but then the shipping on 4 sacks is as much as the grain!

If you're ever in Redding, which sounds like just a trip across Hwy 299 for you, check out California Brewing Company, operated by HBT's own Jaybird. He sells bulk 2-row for less than $50 a sack, and I think it's more like $45. You might try to PM him as well, he may have some suggestions for you.

If that doesn't work for you, try teaming up with a local brew club, or make friends with a brewmaster at a microbrewery close by. One or the other should let you piggyback on their next order...and offer to throw a couple bucks their way for their troubles.

 

[DavidSteel]

I can get Rahr 2-row for only 39 bucks on my LHBS, which suits me just fine. Link just for a source: http://www.perfectbrewingsupply.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_26&products_id=876

 

[mychalg9]

"Made a mashtun for only 15 dollars (got cooler for free)
50lbs of 2-row: 39 dollars
4-5lbs of hops from hopsdirect: 46 dollars
any specialty grains + priming sugar for recipe: 4-6 dollars
yeast depends. I harvest/wash/reuse my yeast, so I'm making 6 recipes with the same 2 yeast's I harvested."

Thanks for the detailed breakdown! I certainly appreciate everyone's input in here. This seems like a hobby that I won't soon get bored of, so AG seems the way to go. I will definately check out hopsdirect.com.