All grain on the cheap.

[FoulMouth]

Ok so i did some looking and if you buy 50lbs of grain with all the special grains and hops for a brown ale including shipping its 173.73 which equals. 24.81 a batch and you will get 7 batches out of it. If i only buy 1 whitelabs ill save 40 bucks and will just need to save the yeast and make a starter for each batch there after. Then it comes down to $19. Does this make sense this Is based off of midwest brew supplies and shipping equaling about $50. If i loose the shipping and continue using the one yeast strand i can make it come down to $12 a batch which would be sick. Help me get down to the $12 mark that would be awesome. Thanks.

 

[bratrules]

Did add the propane and the water and there's a few other things also like dme for your stater and yeast nutrient and Irish moss assuming you use it. but over all cost shouldn't be upwards of 15 bucks and i say its a hell of a deal for good homebrew!!! and i almost forgot what about hops??

 

[kh54s10]

I've started doing the above and some more.

I now buy grain, hops and other ingredient in bulk to save money.
I do as much DIY as I feel comfortable with.
I wash and reuse yeast.
I got a Corona style mill and am getting good efficiency.

I also have started freezing yeast. I make a little extra in my starter and make 4 vials. If I use those to 4 generations, I will get a ton of beer and only buy the yeast once.

Isn't this hobby great

 

[Piratwolf]

I've started doing the above and some more.

I now buy grain, hops and other ingredient in bulk to save money.
I do as much DIY as I feel comfortable with.
I wash and reuse yeast.
I got a Corona style mill and am getting good efficiency.

I also have started freezing yeast. I make a little extra in my starter and make 4 vials. If I use those to 4 generations, I will get a ton of beer and only buy the yeast once.

Isn't this hobby great

This, entirely, +1000000000000!

 

[Yooper]

A sack of grain (rahr or Briess two-row) locally is $37. That's for 50 pounds of base grain.

Specialty grains are about $1.50 a pound.

Hops by the pound run from $8/pound to $32/pound, with most being around $15.00. I also grow a few varieties.

Dry yeast is $3/pack or you can wash/reuse yeast.

So, for this beer:

10 pounds base malt
1 pound crystal malt
1 ounce chinook 60 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 15 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 0 minutes

Dry yeast (S05)

I'd pay:
$7.50 for the base malt
$1.50 for the crystal malt.
$1.00 for the chinook
$1.00 for the cascades (or free if I use my homegrown out of the freezer)
$3.25 for the yeast. ( or $1 if I reuse it a few times)

for a total of $14.25 if I buy everything- $11.25 if I reuse yeast and use my own hops.

 

[bratrules]

I've started doing the above and some more.

I now buy grain, hops and other ingredient in bulk to save money.
I do as much DIY as I feel comfortable with.
I wash and reuse yeast.
I got a Corona style mill and am getting good efficiency.

I also have started freezing yeast. I make a little extra in my starter and make 4 vials. If I use those to 4 generations, I will get a ton of beer and only buy the yeast once.

Isn't this hobby great

Freezing yeast really kicks ass!! i got 4 strains in the freezer right now. so i wont be buying yeast for a long time!!

 

[alestateyall]

Join a local homebrew club and split the shipping with your new friends. My club does group buys a lot to cut shipping costs. We also drive to larger towns to get bulk grains cheap. If enough people join in the gas to drive to get the bulk grains is cheap.

 

[FoulMouth]

Thats sweet he got under 12 bucks. Question if a recipe calls for a certain liquid what would be a dry alternative i.e. London ale from white labs.

 

[sonex]

there is no dry=london ale the closest dry I can think of is s-04.

 

[Stauffbier]

A sack of grain (rahr or Briess two-row) locally is $37. That's for 50 pounds of base grain.

Specialty grains are about $1.50 a pound.

Hops by the pound run from $8/pound to $32/pound, with most being around $15.00. I also grow a few varieties.

Dry yeast is $3/pack or you can wash/reuse yeast.

So, for this beer:

10 pounds base malt
1 pound crystal malt
1 ounce chinook 60 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 15 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 0 minutes

Dry yeast (S05)

I'd pay:
$7.50 for the base malt
$1.50 for the crystal malt.
$1.00 for the chinook
$1.00 for the cascades (or free if I use my homegrown out of the freezer)
$3.25 for the yeast. ( or $1 if I reuse it a few times)

for a total of $14.25 if I buy everything- $11.25 if I reuse yeast and use my own hops.

Do you brew every week? How quickly do you go thru 50lbs of grain? Or maybe the better question is, how long can you keep using grain from that 50lb sack before it goes bad? How do you store it?

 

[Yooper]

Do you brew every week? How quickly do you go thru 50lbs of grain? Or maybe the better question is, how long can you keep using grain from that 50lb sack before it goes bad? How do you store it?

I brew often, and go through 50 pounds in a few months, as I have 50# of Vienna, 55# of maris otter, and usually some Munich and/or pilsner malt. I don't always use US 2-row, but I do use it most often.

I store it in those big rubbermaid bins in my basement.

 

[Stauffbier]

I brew often, and go through 50 pounds in a few months, as I have 50# of Vienna, 55# of maris otter, and usually some Munich and/or pilsner malt. I don't always use US 2-row, but I do use it most often.

I store it in those big rubbermaid bins in my basement.

So, it will keep for a few months if kept in an airtight container? I'm guessing your basement is pretty cool? Would 65F be too hot for long term storage?

 

[SpottedDogBrewing]

A sack of grain (rahr or Briess two-row) locally is $37. That's for 50 pounds of base grain.

Specialty grains are about $1.50 a pound.

Hops by the pound run from $8/pound to $32/pound, with most being around $15.00. I also grow a few varieties.

Dry yeast is $3/pack or you can wash/reuse yeast.

So, for this beer:

10 pounds base malt
1 pound crystal malt
1 ounce chinook 60 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 15 minutes
.5 ounce cascade 0 minutes

Dry yeast (S05)

I'd pay:
$7.50 for the base malt
$1.50 for the crystal malt.
$1.00 for the chinook
$1.00 for the cascades (or free if I use my homegrown out of the freezer)
$3.25 for the yeast. ( or $1 if I reuse it a few times)

for a total of $14.25 if I buy everything- $11.25 if I reuse yeast and use my own hops.

Who do u go thru for grain/hops/yeast?

 

[tim2akat2]

I'm thinking you couild vac pack and freeze the grain but I am new to brewing.

 

[FoulMouth]

Is that cracked. i heard not crack if it is stored well can be up to a year till it goes bad.

 

[Stauffbier]

I'm thinking you couild vac pack and freeze the grain but I am new to brewing.

I couldn't freeze 50-100 lbs. I don't have the space in my freezer.. I already do freeze small amounts up to 20lbs..

 

[sonex]

spotteddog, my fave supplier for pellet fops is hops direct, fresh hops for leaf. grain is best bought from lhbs b/c of shipping costs or group buys, yeast from lhbs b/c the risk of the viability of the yeast thru the shipping conditions.

 

[Yooper]

Is that cracked. i heard not crack if it is stored well can be up to a year till it goes bad.

At least a year- probably longer in cool dry conditions.

 

[TyTanium]

Is that cracked. i heard not crack if it is stored well can be up to a year till it goes bad.

Right - uncrushed you can store for a long time if it's dry & cool. Crushed you should use somewhat quickly, but dry in the fridge it lasts ok. That said, most LHBS have mills & can crush for you. I buy my base malt in bulk, uncrushed, then just bring what I need to my LHBS, get my specialty grain and crush it all there. That way I brew when I can, but don't feel like I need to rush it just to use up my grain.

 

[bighorn_brew]

Something tells me that freezing isn't the best storage solution...freezer burn, freeze/thaw cycles,,,,something tells me that cool storage is probably better...think about it...breweries don't freeze their barley, bakeries don't freeze their wheat, and we probably shouldn't either.

I couldn't freeze 50-100 lbs. I don't have the space in my freezer.. I already do freeze small amounts up to 20lbs..

 

[bighorn_brew]

This might be of help

AED-20

Of course this is for producers and bulk storage but here is a tidbit:

"Freezing grain slightly decreases the potential for spoilage but is not needed for grain that is properly dried, aerated and managed. Because of possible problems, freezing grain is not encouraged. "

I believe keeping the grain dry is the biggest concern.

 

[FoulMouth]

This might be of help

AED-20

Of course this is for producers and bulk storage but here is a tidbit:

"Freezing grain slightly decreases the potential for spoilage but is not needed for grain that is properly dried, aerated and managed. Because of possible problems, freezing grain is not encouraged. "

I believe keeping the grain dry is the biggest concern.

Its amazing how so much goes into storing grain it an art its self.