How cheaply/inexpensivly can you brew 5 gal

[Frank99]

+ 1 buying in bulk for hops/grains. Also, my LHBS has an annual sale every September in which I load up.

 

[Haputanlas]

I'm not getting the best prices, but I typically spend about $13 for 5 gallons of either a hef or pale ale.

I do like my beers a little bit stronger, so my grain bills might be larger than others.

Once I move to milling my own grain and propagating yeast, I suspect I'll get this down to about $8 or $9 per 5 gallon batch.

 

[pcollins]

It's my understanding that water run through a water softener unit is not suitable for brewing. I use a carbon filter for my brewing water and if brewing some lagers I dilute the tap water 50/50 with distilled to soften it up.

But have you tried it?

I had heard that as well and for most of my styles I was bypassing my water softener so that I was brewing with hard water. I started brewing a Pils in my regular rotation and started using the soft water for it and it worked fine. One day I was brewing a pale ale and was too lazy to do the bypass so ended brewing with the soft water and it was fine.

Again, it fits with my KISS philosophy. I want my brew day to be as simple as possible and still produce good beer. I'm doing that with tap water and running through the water softener. Not everybody is going to be able to do that but that's just what it is.

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

For a few bucks worth of iron pipe and a brass quick-connect you can run a natural gas port to the outside or whereever your brewspace is. Natural gas is cheaper than propane and it doesn't run out in the middle of a boil. The aggravating thing is if you don't have 2 propane tanks you have to refill a partially full tank and pay for gas you already paid for.

 

[lumpher]

main problem with the $7-10 estimate for 5 gallons is they don't add in the cost of the propane, and maybe the yeast, which usually adds up to another $10-12 between the propane and the yeast if it's liquid yeast. i can do a 5 gallon anywhere from $12-30, depending on just how specialized the brew is. some brews take really special grain, some take liquid yeast ( i usually use dry yeast )

 

[Calder]

I run about $18 for my average batch (1.058, 6.2% abv, 4.8 ozs hops). .... OK, I'm anal and keep detailed records; this includes bottle caps, sanitizer, fermcap, priming sugar, etc, etc. Works out to about $0.35 per bottle.

When I add in equipment, it comes out to about $0.50 per bottle for everything.

BUT ........ If I add in the time, about 10 hours for a 6.5 gallon batch (buying, prep, brewing, cleaning, racking, bottling, and recipe formulating, and I'm probably underestimating that), and factor a pretty low wage of say $10 per hour, it adds $1.50 per bottle.

I do make some awesome beers, some of which would stand up against $5 bottles, but there are also many others that I can pick out flaws, that I certainly would be disappointed if I paid $2 for.

While buying ingredients in bulk may keep my cost down, I'm not doing this to save money; overall if I include my time, I think my beers cost a lot more than I could buy similar for.

I love the hobby, and have a great store of many different types of beers, some of which you just can't get from the store; such as an Oaked Rum Robust Porter, or a Gumballhead clone (can't get the stuff around here - just had one), or a Bretted Brown Ale, or an All-Brett beer, etc.

 

[lumpher]

can't add time in, as it's a hobby most of us love . i'm still fascinated by it

 

[Vance71975]

So I brew mainly APA, IPA style 5 gallon batches. I am now planning on buying my base malts in bulk and start reusing yeast. Do you think I can get down to $15 / 5 gal batch? How low can you guys get per batch? What are some ways to save here and there besides buying bulk base malt and reusing yeast?

I have done a batch for 8 bucks, it was a really good sale and i had a yeast cake to pitch on. This has only happened once, normally i am between 12 and 22 per batch depending on how big of a beer it is.

 

[Beezy]

The cheapest I have gone because I haven't bought bulk yet is around 25. And that is not including yeast, I re-used it. The cheap will be coming though. Bulk...

 

[passedpawn]

main problem with the $7-10 estimate for 5 gallons is they don't add in the cost of the propane, and maybe the yeast, which usually adds up to another $10-12 between the propane and the yeast if it's liquid yeast. i can do a 5 gallon anywhere from $12-30, depending on just how specialized the brew is. some brews take really special grain, some take liquid yeast ( i usually use dry yeast )

Reusing yeast is so easy. Not a stretch to assume it's near free when reusing.

No propane here. Electricity, which can't run more than a buck or two.

I'd say a 5g batch is around $10. I don't do 5g batches tho: a 10g batch takes the same time, and time is $$

 

[avidhomebrewer]

So I brew mainly APA, IPA style 5 gallon batches. I am now planning on buying my base malts in bulk and start reusing yeast. Do you think I can get down to $15 / 5 gal batch? How low can you guys get per batch? What are some ways to save here and there besides buying bulk base malt and reusing yeast?

My cheapest batch was $10 for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[dedhedjed]

As for buying grain in bulk, don't just settle for the small discount LHBS give for buying a full sack. Get in on a group buy, or if there is a brewpub or smaller microbrewery around, become friendly with the brewer there and you can often buy full sacks of grain from them at much cheaper prices because they buy their "bulk" grain in "bulk" by the pallet or truck-load.

 

[cyclonite]

Typical Batch:

7 lb base malt: $7
2 lb specialty grain: $3
3 oz hops: $3
Yeast: washed, but considering initial strain cost ~ $1
Propane: $3
Water: ~ $0.50 (I use a carbon filter)
Priming sugar: $0.20
Bottle caps: $1
StarSan + PBW: $0.50
Whirlfloc + Yeast Nutrient: $0.25
-----
Total ~ $19.45

 

[Beezy]

A lot of you guys have cheaper LHBS than I do. I am looking for an alternative. A buddy may be going pro soon that would be a good connect.