Best Priced Homebrew Supply Sites

[dokken5]

I asked once or twice what where the best websites to order supplies from, and I got mostly answers based on personal preference, so I did a little research and I compiled a list of supplies to use and I priced several sites. These are the results. With the exception of Monsterbrew which didn't make the list due to availability of the products, and the difficulty of their search bar, all the sites were informative and easy to use.

I took a simple IPA recipe and priced them out on the various websites.
20lbs 2-Row
2 lbs Crystal 40l
1 lb Crystal 20l
5 oz Centennial Hops
5 oz Cascade Hops
10 Whirlfloc Tablets
2 US-05 Yeast (Fair to note, Homebrewing.org did not carry. Sub Nottingham)
10 Feet 3/8 Siphon Tubing
1 6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy
1 Ball Lock In
1 Ball Lock Out

Morebeer.com
Total Cart $113.64
Shipping $11.72
(Morebeer.com usually ships free on anything over $59. The carboy did not qualify for that discount.)

Northernbrewer.com
Total Cart $134.70
Shipping $7.99

Midwestsupplies.com
Total Cart $128.00
Shipping $38.30

Homebrewing.org
Total Cart $119.63
Shipping 23.07

Labelpeelers.org
Total Cart $124.01
Shipping $47.71

From my findings Morebeer.com was cheaper than any other site even before the other sites tacked on shipping charges.

More to come.

 

[atom]

it's going to change every time based on what you're ordering and current specials.

if you really want to save...buy in bulk.

 

[dokken5]

it's going to change every time based on what you're ordering and current specials.

if you really want to save...buy in bulk.

That's fine. But as a newbie shopping websites today with a set number of items, this is what I found.

 

[whatsleftofyou]

Check out homebrewninja.com. It doesn't have as many sites as you've listed, but does similar comparisons.

 

[pumahunter]

I'll throw this out there...I got a killer deal at farmhouse, bout 2lbs of hops(each in a 4oz vacuum sealed bag) and saved $20 AFTER shipping compared to buying that amount at my LHBS. CS is great too, they ran out of summit and someone called me before my order shipped to ask about replacement rather than ship without. :rockin:

 

[Snicklefritz]

Just wanted to tell you to check out FarmHouse Brewing as well. In my experience, they are the cheapest online option. They don't carry carboys but the rest of your list would have been 65.22 + 13.99 shipping and would have included 3oz extra of both Cascade and Centennial (since they only sell 4oz packs). I am not affiliated with them in any way.

Also, as atom suggests, buy your base grains in bulk if you really want to save.

 

[dokken5]

Also, as atom suggests, buy your base grains in bulk if you really want to save.

Here is the problem I ran into in buying grains in bulk. I can buy them cheaper by the 10lb bag and have them milled at morebeer.com, and then get free shipping than I can buying a 50lb bag of un-milled with shipping added.

Also, the list was compiled with a set number of items to make it the most fair. It was not bargain shopped if I bought more at a discounted price.

Side by side without the carboy, and with 8 oz of hops instead of the 5

Morebeer.com
Cart Total $80.73
Shipping $0

Farmhousebrewingsupply.com
Cart Total $67.15
Shipping $17.99

 

[dokken5]

Brewmasterswarehouse.com
Cart Total $128.26
Shipping $6.99

 

[ram5ey]

Eh brewmasters is probably out of stock...

 

[Flboy]

Try hearts home brew.
http://heartshomebrew.com

 

[guitarguy6]

IMO you'd be better off buying a 50-55lb sack of 2-row and 1lb of each hop. Not sure how it is in the USA but in Canada a 55lb sack of 2-row is $40 vs $1.50+ per LB and a lb of hops is <$20 vs $2-3 per oz.

 

[Calder]

Try it without the grains. Morebeer wins hands down with the grains, but I don't buy much else from them as it seems the shipping cost is built into the item cost, and they end up more expensive for most items.

I buy from several places; whatever deal is going on, and where is the cheapest. Truth is, you only buy 1 carboy (or 2), but you buy hops, grains, extract, continually.

What I have done recently:

Latest grain: Morebeer - I can get a variety of base malts for not much more than a sack. I wish their MO price was lower (I don't buy MO from them).

Hops: Grain to Glass - They had some great prices on 2013 hops. I think I took most of the remaining good deals last month. Bought 6 lbs - better deal than buying similar amount for Direct Hops in their Black Friday sale.

Extract: I partial mash, so need some from time to time. My LHBS has the best price for bulk LME. They also have bulk caps, which is cheaper than buying on-line

Anything else usually gets added to whatever I'm ordering at the time (Irish Moss, Fermcap, racking canes, etc).

And Menards has the cheapest price for tubing - $2.70 for 10 feet of 5/16 ID tubing. $2.80 for 3/8 ID

 

[dokken5]

Eh brewmasters is probably out of stock...

YES!!!

On hops of all things!!!

 

[NegativeCreep]

2 US-05 Yeast (Fair to note, Homebrewing.org did not carry. Sub Nottingham)

they carry us-05. http://www.homebrewing.org/Fermentis-Safale-US-05_p_1040.html

 

[markstache]

I've found http://www.ritebrew.com/ to have consistently low prices on grain and yeast.

 

[dokken5]

they carry us-05. http://www.homebrewing.org/Fermentis-Safale-US-05_p_1040.html

My bad. Yep, it didn't come up in the search. I never looked under fermentis.

 

[Flboy]

they carry us-05. http://www.homebrewing.org/Fermentis-Safale-US-05_p_1040.html

2.99 at hearts

 

[bondra76]

if there was a consensus home-brew store that was cheaper than everybody 100% of the time on a 100% consistent basis, we'd all be using it. Prices varies welcome to capitalism.

 

[jbb3]

Eh brewmasters is probably out of stock...

Brewmasters Warehouse is 20 minutes from me so I consider it one of my LHBS. In the beginning, I thought I was very lucky to have them close by. But they run out stuff so frequently, it is very frustrating. Who runs out of 2 row??

Very disappointed in the lack of management...

 

[jbb3]

If the question was; which online supplier provides the cheapest prices on kegging supplies (minus kegs), I would have an answer for that. I'm in the process of planning a keezer build and have spent many a night comparing pricing (including shipping) for all the crap that goes into kegging. Overall, say Ritebrew.com is the cheapest for kegging stuff.

 

[ram5ey]

Who runs out of 2 row??

Haha yes! The same thing happened to me once. I still get yeast at BMW since it's usually really fresh, but yeah always out of stock...

 

[augiedoggy]

if there was a consensus home-brew store that was cheaper than everybody 100% of the time on a 100% consistent basis, we'd all be using it. Prices varies welcome to capitalism.

I'm sure this isnt anything everyone doenst already know but my take on it is,

Brick and mortar stores have more overhead then an online warehouse... they are also usually more convenient and the staff is usually more helpful... I take this into account when I purchase ingredients form my local homebrew store.... If no one considered this and alway just bought from the cheapest source this would drive down the quality and service of all venders... Then my local home brew store would likely not be able to pay the bills and stay in business. and if it werent for them my girlfriend would have never wandered into the store to buy me that first homebrewing kit for Christmas 2 years ago..

That said I buy a lot of stuff from a lot of websites including ingredients like grain and hops but I dont sweat paying an extra 50cents for a bag of hops at my local store either I think of it as a donation for thier support in the local homebrew community, and when I buy a sack of grain the savings I get make it a wash since I have yet to see an online store that could match the pricing on that (valuebrew came close before they closed up)...

If something is unreasonably priced I just dont purchase it there... But to me, there is a difference between being unreasonably priced just not the cheapest. and venders need to make money. they can do so by either small profits on everything, large profits on some things or cutting corners on the products they sell to sell them cheaply. Then there is the undeniable factor that advertising matters more than all the previously mentioned factors...sad but true. And usually once the smaller venders do well their prices go up and customer service usually goes downhill from where it was.

 

[jbb3]

I'm sure this isnt anything everyone doenst already know but my take on it is,

Brick and mortar stores have more overhead then an online warehouse... they are also usually more convenient and the staff is usually more helpful... I take this into account when I purchase ingredients form my local homebrew store.... If no one considered this and alway just bought from the cheapest source this would drive down the quality and service of all venders... Then my local home brew store would likely not be able to pay the bills and stay in business. and if it werent for them my girlfriend would have never wandered into the store to buy me that first homebrewing kit for Christmas 2 years ago..

Point taken and good to keep that in mind. Personally, I try to balance supporting local businesses with finding the best deals online.

I always buy my grain and yeast locally. I like to be able to look the guy in the eye when I hand him my order and when they hand me back that glorious sack of the heartland. I can watch him walk back and start measuring everything out then take everything over to the mill and mill it up right there.

Also the odds and ends needed when brewing (misc fittings, bottle caps, hop bags, priming sugar, etc...), I buy that locally as well when I buy my grain and yeast.

But believe me, when I'm purchasing $500 worth of kegging supplies for a keezer build, I'm going online and shopping my butt off to get the best quality gear for the cheapest price.

Like most things in life, balance is the key...

 

[augiedoggy]

Point taken and good to keep that in mind. Personally, I try to balance supporting local businesses with finding the best deals online.

I always buy my grain and yeast locally. I like to be able to look the guy in the eye when I hand him my order and when they hand me back that glorious sack of the heartland. I can watch him walk back and start measuring everything out then take everything over to the mill and mill it up right there.

Also the odds and ends needed when brewing (misc fittings, bottle caps, hop bags, priming sugar, etc...), I buy that locally as well when I buy my grain and yeast.

But believe me, when I'm purchasing $500 worth of kegging supplies for a keezer build, I'm going online and shopping my butt off to get the best quality gear for the cheapest price.

Like most things in life, balance is the key...

I completely agree there... your talking to the guy who built my Kal clone electric brew panel for under $300 mainly through ebay and amazon parts.... I'm not one for paying huge markups...

 

[ram5ey]

I buy all the ingredients I can at the shops around me (none of them are perfect for everything) I tend to buy all equipment online because of price and selection...

 

[govner1]

LHBS first, then other options if not available. I want the guy there when I need the basics so I support him as much as possible.

 

[bondra76]

My LHBS owner here in Colorado is an armed services veteran.

I figure I can pay an extra 5 bucks for his grains.