how do you save money... and what's your per bottle price?

[1977Brewer]

Sure, it's cheaper than cans of coke, but what about homemade soda? Homemade soda would be cheaper than homemade beer.

I can't make Dr. Pepper, so I'm not even gonna try.

I do want to give root beer a shot though.

 

[SnakeRidge]

Any recommendations on where to buy hops in bulk? Ive only done 2 all grain batches but l like the results to want to start stocking up. Thanks in advance!

http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.com/

They have some great deals, fast shipping.

 

[Psylocide]

I can't make Dr. Pepper, so I'm not even gonna try.

I do want to give root beer a shot though.

Dr. Pepper makes me poop in like, 2 mins flat.

 

[TallDan]

I can't make Dr. Pepper, so I'm not even gonna try.

I do want to give root beer a shot though.

Nonsense. If any beer can be cloned, any soda can be cloned.

 

[SnakeRidge]

Dr. Pepper makes me poop in like, 2 mins flat.

It's the prunes.

 

[SnakeRidge]

And to further the soda derail; can anybody point me toward some San Pelligrino type soda recipes?

 

[Natdavis777]

Biggest thing that has cut cost for me was buying my hops in bulk and harvesting yeast. Just today, I was able to net another 6 pint jars/carboy of 1056. RO water costs me less than 5$ for 15 gal. Dont have to worry about refilling my propane every other brew since I use the BoilCoil. My next investment will be a mill and some storage containers so I can stock up on base malts and cut the cost even more.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I save money by not buying every single gadget (hi-tech or otherwise) that is offered by a corporation telling me that I just GOTTA have it or my beer won't be fit to flush down a toilet....

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Grains per batch: 10x 0.75 for 2row. $2 per lb for everything else. Average grain bill is about 13lb. $13
Hops: average about 2 oz, bought in 4oz packages from farmhouse. Average cost roughly 1.25 per oz. $2.5
Yeast: Harvested from starters, buy maybe 2 vials a year. $14 per year, $1.75 a batch~

Average cost per batch: $17.25. Lets round up to $20 for c02 for kegging, electricity, DME for starters, starsan, etc $0.40 per pint/bottle

Roughly make 8 batches a year or so.

Spent about $450 on equipment, sold a lot of it for more than I got it for, net total is $225 spent on equipment.

To save some money, keep at least one session brew on hand. Belgians are also low cost as they're mostly base malt, don't buy the light candi sugar, just use corn or invert some yourself when neeeded. Make few IPAs, get some browns, milds, etc.

I value my brews at about 2 bucks a bottle. The Trippels, saisons and such are much better "return on per brew" than a brown or stout or pale ale, as they're often clones of bottles sold exclusively in 750ml/22oz which makes them more expensive to buy. Return on investment for me was met a long time ago, despite having 4 keg setup, 9 gal kettle with ball valve, temp control, stir plate, 2x heat sticks, refractometers, ph meter etc. A good point was that I assisted a friend and "we brewed" ~40 gallons for a friends wedding last fall where he paid for the kegs of beer at 30% of cost of commercial which still more than paid for the cost of them.

 

[Fedora]

I brew all grain and save money by getting all my grain, hops, and yeast for free.

I brew with well water and don't pay the electric bill on the well pump, so nothing there.

All my brewing and kegging equipment has payed for itself in beer savings, so I don't count that.

I don't factor in my time and labor. As was already said, this is a hobby.

I do use propane, so a tank fill is about twenty bucks. That's really my only cost. A tank will last, say five brews? Probably more. I don't really know as I use my tanks for other things besides brewing.

So twenty dollars divided by five is four dollars for a five gallon batch. Roughly two cases of beer. So I'm in for all of sixteen cents per twelve ounce pour. Probably less. but I always pour sixteen ounces.

 

[justenoughforme]

I save money by not buying every single gadget (hi-tech or otherwise) that is offered by a corporation telling me that I just GOTTA have it or my beer won't be fit to flush down a toilet....

this made me laugh hard.


pricelessbrewing, best advice i've heard since i'm an enormous trippel fan !


Fedora, what's your secret

 

[Psylocide]

this made me laugh hard.


pricelessbrewing, best advice i've heard since i'm an enormous trippel fan !


Fedora, what's your secret

Work for a brewery.

 

[SnakeRidge]

One thing that rarely gets mentioned in these kinds of threads is beside cost, we can brew beers that can't be had for love or money. I started Homebrewing in 1997 in SC where the only beers other than BMC was Sam Adams, Guiness, Heinikin, and Petes Wicked Ale. I started brewing for the variety, the cost savings was secondary.

 

[Fedora]

Work for a brewery.

Yup. Brewers don't make much money, but it has it's benefits.

I drink alot of beer.

 

[justenoughforme]

Snake Ridge,

my first beer was a trappist clone for the same reason. i just can't pay 10$ for a 22 oz. bottle.

but this stuff, i swear it's as good.
... and that's why i'm hooked.

 

[SnakeRidge]

My first was an Anchor Steam clone cause it was like $12.99 a sixer (in 1997 and college student $$$)

 

[GHBWNY]

IMO, you can't put a price on a good homebrew. If you're doing it for the love of doing it, then just do it at whatever budget is within your reach. Ultimately, a commercial equivalent of something as good as you can brew yourself is ALWAYS going to cost more, so why worry about it?

 

[Qhrumphf]

At my cheapest, I'm looking at about 15-20c per 12oz bottle. But that's a session beer, with malt and hops bought in bulk, and repitched yeast. About $8-10 per 5 gal batch. More average gravity or highly hopped beers, or when I deviate from a house yeast strain I already have on hand to repitch, it'll be 30c-40c per bottle. However I factor in neither water nor fuel, as I brew in a small apartment with all my utilities included in my rent (as in brew or don't brew, I pay the same). That does factor in water salts, whirfloc, oxygen, pH calibration buffers, priming sugar, etc though.

 

[madscientist451]

I have probably spent over $300.00 on equipment, so that also needs to be amortized so lets say six batches per year times 2 years adds $25.00 per batch.

At the end of the day - this isn't a money saving proposition.

I don't see why it needs to be amortized at $25/ batch. What if you brew for 10 years and then sell all your brewing equipment for $100? Maybe you'll start brewing more than once every two months or use some of the same gear for cider or wine?
Its not all about money anyway, I've learned so many things about beer, wine and cider by making my own that is impossible to put a price on.
Really good sour beer is $10-25 for a 750ml bottle, mass produced Gose is $50/case, if you count my time making those types of beer, yeah you're right, I'm not saving anything, but I'd still rather make my own.

 

[asterix404]

Use a starter. Reuse yeast. Do the same type of beer back to back, 3 days apart. Use minimal hops and buy grain in bulk. The most expensive thing you buy is yeast. If liquid yeast is too much, get really good dry yeast.

The most expensive beer to make is an imperial IPA, barr none. For me, the cheapest beer is a belgian wit. Thankfully, I love wits.

Go all grain, it will save you a ton of money. My MLT was about 80$ all told (home depot cooler, SS ball lock spigot, and home made copper bottom thing), my 42 qt SS brew pot was about 200, that I bought 5 years ago, the immersion chiller was about 80$, but you can make that yourself for almost the exact same amount... so yea. For about 300$, maybe a bit less or more, I can produce the first 5g of beer for about 25$, and the second 5G of beer, for about 15$. Grain is dirt cheap in 25KG bags... like a dollar a pound. Oh, actually my crusher was about 150$ that my awesome wife bought me for my birthday. You need that to do stuff really cheap.

Basically, to do it right costs money but it all pays for itself in about 2 years or less, compared to extract brewing. I produce beer that is about 20% the price per case where I live for very similar results. Of course, I am very good at brewing beer. That also has to be taken into account. I have spent a fortune on books and reading materials. I also don't have any fermentation temperature controls which is really expensive and the next step up for me. I also know WAY too much about brewing and making beer. I sort of go all out with hobbies and I find applied micro biology to be really fun.

 

[Firewalker11]

How many links do you want? Centennial is going for about $16 a pound, $1 an ounce right now.

http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.c...-crop/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0
http://www.hopsshack.com/store/HP1041.html
https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/Centennial-Hops-%2d-1-lb-Pellets-.html
http://www.hopsdirect.com/centennial-pellets/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0

Many, many more out there. Look for the local guys too, I support Mighty Axe Hops, they are local and allow you to pick them yourself.

 

[Cider123]

If I wanted to save money, I would never have bought all this brewing equipment. I would have kept buying Coors light at the grocery store.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

that's cute! someone thinks they can save money brewing! dream a little dream...ipe:

 

[KartRacer54]

Just my 2 cents, home brewing is a hobby and all hobbies cost money. When you become passionate about your hobby the price goes up. For me, building equipment and upgrading my process IS the hobby. The side benefit is great beer at affordable cost. Throwing everything aside like, equipment, time, fuel and water your product can be reasonable approximately 50 cents to 1 dollar a bottle. There are lots of variables in the recipes that affect the cost. If your brewing to save money, I recommend you quit. No offense intended!

Oh forgot one important factor, that's not what I tell my wife

 

[SnakeRidge]

that's cute! someone thinks they can save money brewing! dream a little dream...ipe:

We don't all have well stocked cellars full of bud lite man.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

We don't all have well stocked cellars full of bud lite man.

well aged Bud Light.

 

[hockeybrewer]

How many links do you want? Centennial is going for about $16 a pound, $1 an ounce right now.

http://www.farmhousebrewingsupply.c...-crop/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0
http://www.hopsshack.com/store/HP1041.html
https://bellsbeer.com/store/products/Centennial-Hops-%2d-1-lb-Pellets-.html
http://www.hopsdirect.com/centennial-pellets/?page_context=category&faceted_search=0

Many, many more out there. Look for the local guys too, I support Mighty Axe Hops, they are local and allow you to pick them yourself.

Have anyone ever used the hop shack yet? How can you tell freshness?

 

[BrewSavage]

It seems like buying in bulk is the most practical way to lower costs.

Bulk is good for base malts of course but being part of a group buy gives you the chance to split up sacks of specialty grains as well. And being part of group buy is good way to meet other brewers in you area. I'm really pleased with the group buy I found here on the HBT forums.

 

[Hello]

I really don't do enough to try and save money brewing. I do buy base grain in bulk and I try to buy hops in bulk. I don't reuse yeast, yet. I was going to do it yesterday for the first time then realized I shoved a hose that had hit the sink back into the carboy. I figured the risk of infection was there and I just dumped the yeast.

Cost per bottle? I honestly do not know.

 

[Firewalker11]

Have anyone ever used the hop shack yet? How can you tell freshness?

I just got a pound of Willimette and Cascade from them, I'm doing an all Cascade 2 hearted clone tomorrow (may rain though) so I'll report back on how fresh they are.

They are 2014, came vacuum packed in mylar and foil... Should be good to go.