Brewing Cheap Beers

[jordan725]

Hi all,

Just started brewing beer with a friend, and have been very happy with our results so far. I was wondering, however, what is usually recommended to make beers on the cheap? I am not expecting to make the best beers, but ideally something that is very cheap in large bulk and still better than Budweiser.

Hopefully I won't get flame for this, but my vision is to brew (1) 5-gallon batches of quality stuff for myself and my friends, and (2) simultaneously brew 15-30 gallon batches of cheap beer for things like frat parties.

Any tips or suggestions on where to start? For what we have been doing, it is usually about $30 per 5-gallon batch in extracts/grains/yeast, so not sure where and how to start cutting corners on the cheap batches.

Thanks so much,
Jordan

 

[weirdboy]

Four things to reduce your costs per batch:

1. Buy your hops bulk. See hopsdirect.com
2. Reuse/wash your yeast from previous batches instead of buying new yeast for each batch.
3. Switch to all-grain brewing
4. Buy your grains for AG batches in bulk.

#1 is easiest to implement, #2 takes a bit more work and #4 will go along with #3, assuming you have storage space.

 

[northernlad]

Most of the Online retailers have Specials running. I just ordered two extract kits from B3 for $23 and $25 yeast included.
Those here with more experience do all grain and reuse/culture their own yeast.
For frat parties I am sure you will be able to get away with low ABV and few hops which will help keep costs down too.

 

[COLObrewer]

The cheaper you get, the more laborious it becomes (and more equipment needed), that is if you want a quality product.
If'n you just want to get sloshed at a frat party, sugar is a cheap addition or substitute for some of the malt.
I've never tried to make frat party hooch though. good luck and drink responsibly,
Signed: Your dad.

 

[mc_eric]

Yeah, All grain will reduce your price per batch quite a bit. If I do a 5 gal batch with 11-12 pounds of grain and 2-3 oz of hops, it costs a little over 20 bucks from my LHBS.

These are beers that a lot of BMC AND craft brew drinkers have really liked too.

 

[The Pol]

I can brew almost anything for 12-15 bucks for a 5 gallon batch.

Base grains for $.62/lb (Mid Country Malt) ($7)
Hops for less than $1/oz (Hops Direct) ($2)
Yeast is cheap, and you can use it several times (My LHBS) ($2-$3)

You cant get very cheap with extract, extract only gets so cheap.

 

[Joe Camel]

Make Mild Ales for your frat parties. Aim for 1.03 SG and 3 - 3.5% alcohol. You can make 10 gallons of a great tasting session mild for the same price as 5 gallons of typical ipa. If people want to drink to get drunk, do shots

 

[kornkob]

If all you want is to get ripped at a frat party:

Buy 2 cases of budweiser
Pour into corney keg
dry hop an ounce of random hops in it
Tell all the girls stories about what an awesome brewer you are
Profit?

 

[bkov]

if you do allgrain, i would suggest BM centenial blonde or even cheap to brew, the miller light clone in the database.

but if doing extract, i would buy bulk DME or LME from NCM. Light Dme is $98 per 50pounds from them, then figure $20 or so for shipping. so about $2.50 a pound. lme is even cheaper but i would go with the dme. try to get in on a group buy to get the shipping down to like $4 or 5 bucks.

5pounds of dme=$12.50
hops(buy 1 or 2 pounds from hopsdirect to come out to less then $1 a oz)=2oz =$2
Notty yeast= $2
pound of speciality grains= i dont know, $2?

add a pound of sugar or add some AE to increase alcohol percentage

 

[Yuri_Rage]

(1) 5-gallon batches of quality stuff for myself and my friends

Any tips or suggestions on where to start?

Scour this website. It's chock full of the sort of tips and suggestions you seek.

(2) simultaneously brew 15-30 gallon batches of cheap beer for things like frat parties.

Any tips or suggestions on where to start?

No. We don't do hooch here.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Scour this website. It's chock full of the sort of tips and suggestions you seek.


No. We don't do hooch here.

I don't see why you would think cheap beer was hooch, all grain large batches are cheap and anything but hooch.

I'm so tired of everyone getting all pissy over people brewing on a budget.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It's not about the budget, it's about the product. We discuss the methods, ingredients, and equipment to make high quality craft beverages. Frat party swill doesn't really meet that criteria.

 

[kornkob]

I can understand the desire to brew beer that is more suitable for large groups who don't really like good beer. I know many people that don't want beer with the kind of complex flavors that I usually make.

I think it's kinda crappy of this site to be all arrogant about that and refuse to give the slightest amount of help to someone trying to make cheap beer for parties with people who don't think they like good beer.

Hooch, on the other hand, I understand not wanting to discuss--- people looking to add yeast to their kool aid in order to make potent projectile vomit inducers is going to attract the high school kids trying to get around the drinking age.

But even crap beer is beer and, honestly, I'm impressed that even crappy beer companies manage to make the exact same crappy beer every freaking time, without variation.

 

[The Pol]

I always try to have a "crap" beer kegged for the inlaws or my folks... or the neighbors to drink. Although, my folks are addicted to my Hugh Heffe now

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Thanks ya'll I guess I'm right! lol...

Seriously, to me being able to please everyone on a budget is hard, right now I have a 3.5% brown ale I'm really proud of, everyone likes it, serious beer drinkers as well as everyone else.

 

[kornkob]

Yeah-- I find that the best way to get a BMC person to appreciate homebrew beer is to brew a hefe or saison.

 

[The Pol]

Yeah-- I find that the best way to get a BMC person to appreciate homebrew beer is to brew a hefe or saison.

Yah, my folks were down this weekend and LOVED the Heffe... who'd have thunk it.

 

[kornkob]

That being said, I like to have BMC around for those friends that I have that don't want to be adventurous when they are drinking away from home. BMC is always the same and a person knows how they will react to it and some people want that when they are drinking at a party.

BMC never sneaks up on you and kicks your legs out from udner you unexpectedly the way home brew can.

 

[nebben]

Frat beer at 15-30 gallons at a time?

1. I would go AG for this, hands down. Find the biggest cooler you can find...maybe two of them. Fit together some valves and fabricate a manifold or stainless braid in each. Find a burner that can heat a lot of water really fast, and get your propane from a gas dealer instead of from those cages in front of Home Depot (they'll rip you off). You might need an extra container to hold your sparge water if you want to use the same big pot that you heat your mash/sparge water with for a brew kettle.

2. Buy your ingredients in bulk. Since you want to brew 15-30G per batch for your frat parties, you'll go through a lot of grain pretty fast. Maybe find a place that will sell it to you by the ton, and you'll reap huge economies of scale (at least for a homebrewer anyway).

3. 15-30G on a tight budget would seem to be perfect in a plastic conical fermenter that is modded with a dump valve and side valve for racking. DIY this and you can have a mega-fermenter that rocks the house for very low cash.

4. Make stuff that is mostly base malt and little hops. Just like the big boys.

 

[janzik]

I can brew almost anything for 12-15 bucks for a 5 gallon batch.

Base grains for $.62/lb (Mid Country Malt) ($7)
Hops for less than $1/oz (Hops Direct) ($2)
Yeast is cheap, and you can use it several times (My LHBS) ($2-$3)

You cant get very cheap with extract, extract only gets so cheap.

+1. Now that I've started buying in bulk, I get my batches down to that $12-15 per 5 gallon mark as well.

 

[SevenFields]

Most of the Online retailers have Specials running. I just ordered two extract kits from B3 for $23 and $25 yeast included.
Those here with more experience do all grain and reuse/culture their own yeast.
For frat parties I am sure you will be able to get away with low ABV and few hops which will help keep costs down too.

What is B3?

 

[kornkob]

beer, beer, beer -- It's an online HBS

 

[broadbill]

So I saw alot of you were kicking out 5 gallon batches for $20 or so. So a half-barrel of BMC would have to be more than $60 to make it worth your while brewing your own vs. buying the keg of BMC.

Now, when you take into account the value of your time making that 15 gallons of home-brew (time that could be better spend doing homework, partying, getting laid) you are WAY better off just buying the keg and calling it good.

Great idea in theory...not so good in practice IMO That's just me though...I'm lazy

 

[janzik]

So I saw alot of you were kicking out 5 gallon batches for $20 or so. So a half-barrel of BMC would have to be more than $60 to make it worth your while brewing your own vs. buying the keg of BMC.

Now, when you take into account the value of your time making that 15 gallons of home-brew (time that could be better spend doing homework, partying, getting laid) you are WAY better off just buying the keg and calling it good.

Great idea in theory...not so good in practice IMO That's just me though...I'm lazy

But I'm not making BMC quality beer. Even before my home brew days I was drinking what stores call premium beers (Sam Adams, Bass Ale) which are $8.50 a 6 pack or like $30-34 a case. I can make 5 gallons (~2 cases) of beer that I enjoy for under $15 (the cost for 12 Sierra Nevadas). 2 cases of SNPA is going to cost me $60, whereas, even at my LHBS prices for a kit, it would still only cost me $35 at the most.

Also, this is a hobby. I enjoy it, and didn't get into it for the concept of saving money. I do it for the joy of doing it.

 

[weirdboy]

So I saw alot of you were kicking out 5 gallon batches for $20 or so. So a half-barrel of BMC would have to be more than $60 to make it worth your while brewing your own vs. buying the keg of BMC.

Now, when you take into account the value of your time making that 15 gallons of home-brew (time that could be better spend doing homework, partying, getting laid) you are WAY better off just buying the keg and calling it good.

Great idea in theory...not so good in practice IMO That's just me though...I'm lazy

Buying in bulk, I could make 15 gallons of an APA for less than $25. And, it's going to taste much better than BMC.

 

[Jud]

A 1/2 keg of BMC will cost you $86 with out a keg deposit. Most deposits are $50. Now of course if you don't already have a kegerator. You will have to rent a tap. I keep a BMC on stand by for freinds that do not drink good beer, large parties or if I screw up my pipeline (like right now). At the parites I just walk around with a mug of my homebrew, most people don't know or care. If someone wants to try my homebrew I get them a sample glass 3 ounces. If they like it, I don't mind sharing. I have found that this works out much better. You won't find full mugs beer sitting around your place. Cause someone didn't like or know what an IPA, Russian Imperial Stout, or what ever your might brew is.

If you are going to brew a 15 gallon batch. Just remember you have to store all your equipment some where?

Also like everyone else has said. Order your grain and hops online. Wash your yeast.

Best of luck!!

 

[Bob]

I can understand the desire to brew beer that is more suitable for large groups who don't really like good beer. I know many people that don't want beer with the kind of complex flavors that I usually make.

I think it's kinda crappy of this site to be all arrogant about that and refuse to give the slightest amount of help to someone trying to make cheap beer for parties with people who don't think they like good beer.

It's not about being arrogant; it's about being focused. It is not arrogant to tell someone they're asking a question better asked somewhere else. HBT is focused on brewing the best possible beer one can brew. We'll give an infinite amount of help to people who want to do that. I, for one, don't want someone going about crowing about how I helped them brew something that tastes like it's been filtered through a horse; my name means something to me.

No homebrewer can brew BMC-type stuff for less than going to the beer store and picking up a 30-pack. Period. Not even if you buy malt by the ton. Because you've still got packaging - that costs money - dispensing - if gas is used - and above all the labor to brew the stuff in the first place. Equipment, even when amortized over time, still costs money, especially the equipment for large-batch all-grain brewing.

And, frankly, the only people who get my beer are people who appreciate it. People who just want to get drunk can buy their own damn booze. Since I can't sell it, I have to give it away. I'm damned if I give something to someone who's not going to appreciate it.

All that said, OP, you can still brew excellent beer that's also accessible to the drunks. You've gotten a lot of input on that in this thread. Even a $30 extract batch still puts you at $15 per case, which is generally lower than premium commercial brands.

Dunno why you'd want to, but that's your concern. I'd save my flavorful, hand-crafted beer for those who'd sooner reach for a Newcastle or Guinness than a Natty Ice. The Natty Ice crowd can buy their own!

Good luck to you!

Bob

 

[northernlad]

A 1/2 keg of BMC will cost you $86 with out a keg deposit. Most deposits are $50.

Is it safe to assume you meant 1/2 barrel ie: full keg?

 

[Jud]

Northernlad Yep you are right. That is the going rate down here.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Hi all,

Just started brewing beer with a friend, and have been very happy with our results so far. I was wondering, however, what is usually recommended to make beers on the cheap? I am not expecting to make the best beers, but ideally something that is very cheap in large bulk and still better than Budweiser.

Hopefully I won't get flame for this, but my vision is to brew (1) 5-gallon batches of quality stuff for myself and my friends, and (2) simultaneously brew 15-30 gallon batches of cheap beer for things like frat parties.

Any tips or suggestions on where to start? For what we have been doing, it is usually about $30 per 5-gallon batch in extracts/grains/yeast, so not sure where and how to start cutting corners on the cheap batches.

Thanks so much,
Jordan

I sent you an answer in a P/M.