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I'm not sure whether this should be a collaboration or a contest. What do you guys (and gals) think?
I suppose I'm looking for input from experienced extract brewers here. The same thing could be done, I'm sure, for All-Grain folks, but since I couldn't participate in that, I will leave that up to you. Anyway, I got this idea for a $3.41 Challenge.
Having read all of the threads about people wanting to brew something like BMC, and having read all the threads about people wanting a quick and cheap buzz, I got to thinking... What kind of beer could you brew as cheaply as BMC?
I started with a price point. The average cost of a barrel of BMC at a large local store: Buying a half barrel, it costs $3.42 per gallon. Then I began to wonder whether it would be possible to brew something very light and easy-drinking, not too flavorful, but with a good amount of alcohol, for under $3.42 per gallon. Then, I got a better idea and though maybe the challenge should be opened up to have people try to brew something BETTER than BMC for under $3.42 per gallon
Of course, nobody would want to make a 10 gallon batch of this stuff, but OTOH, the more you make, the more bulk stuff you buy and the cheaper it would be... The goal would be to create something that could be REPLICABLE by beginning brewers- obviously, if you go AG, you can save a bunch of cash. So I began to think about rules...
THE RULES
No close-out specials, out-of-date ingredients, etc.
Nothing can be used from your own garden
You can price your ingredients based upon the average price between any 3 commonly-known online vendors.
Ingredients will be priced on the assumption of a 25 gallon batch, although you certainly aren't required to brew that much.
We will use regular prices, actually paid, for any grocery-store or market-acquired ingredients.
As I started thinking about it, I came to believe it should actually be possible (though not easy) to brew something sorta tasty within the $3.41 per gallon limit, though it might be low on fermentables. But hey, what the heck is really wrong with a tasty small beer?
What do you folks think? Would this be a fun recipe to collaborate on? Or should it be a competition? I'd be happy to sacrifice my palate to be a judge. I could even provide a nice trophy with a marble base for the judged winner.
I guess, before people start throwing out suggestions or ideas, the first question is: Should this be a collaboration or a competition? Personally, I have a 1 gallon glass jug that would be more than adequate to brew a tiny experimental batch. Naturally, the more experienced brewers will be at a great advantage in this, but what the heck- experimentation is a good way to learn, right? I think many other brewers could justify a similar investment of time and effort as well. You could just cook it up on your stovetop in a gallon pot using leftover ingredients or whatever you've got.
I suppose I'm looking for input from experienced extract brewers here. The same thing could be done, I'm sure, for All-Grain folks, but since I couldn't participate in that, I will leave that up to you. Anyway, I got this idea for a $3.41 Challenge.
Having read all of the threads about people wanting to brew something like BMC, and having read all the threads about people wanting a quick and cheap buzz, I got to thinking... What kind of beer could you brew as cheaply as BMC?
I started with a price point. The average cost of a barrel of BMC at a large local store: Buying a half barrel, it costs $3.42 per gallon. Then I began to wonder whether it would be possible to brew something very light and easy-drinking, not too flavorful, but with a good amount of alcohol, for under $3.42 per gallon. Then, I got a better idea and though maybe the challenge should be opened up to have people try to brew something BETTER than BMC for under $3.42 per gallon
Of course, nobody would want to make a 10 gallon batch of this stuff, but OTOH, the more you make, the more bulk stuff you buy and the cheaper it would be... The goal would be to create something that could be REPLICABLE by beginning brewers- obviously, if you go AG, you can save a bunch of cash. So I began to think about rules...
THE RULES
No close-out specials, out-of-date ingredients, etc.
Nothing can be used from your own garden
You can price your ingredients based upon the average price between any 3 commonly-known online vendors.
Ingredients will be priced on the assumption of a 25 gallon batch, although you certainly aren't required to brew that much.
We will use regular prices, actually paid, for any grocery-store or market-acquired ingredients.
As I started thinking about it, I came to believe it should actually be possible (though not easy) to brew something sorta tasty within the $3.41 per gallon limit, though it might be low on fermentables. But hey, what the heck is really wrong with a tasty small beer?
What do you folks think? Would this be a fun recipe to collaborate on? Or should it be a competition? I'd be happy to sacrifice my palate to be a judge. I could even provide a nice trophy with a marble base for the judged winner.
I guess, before people start throwing out suggestions or ideas, the first question is: Should this be a collaboration or a competition? Personally, I have a 1 gallon glass jug that would be more than adequate to brew a tiny experimental batch. Naturally, the more experienced brewers will be at a great advantage in this, but what the heck- experimentation is a good way to learn, right? I think many other brewers could justify a similar investment of time and effort as well. You could just cook it up on your stovetop in a gallon pot using leftover ingredients or whatever you've got.