how much does it cost... for you?

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stevedasleeve

stevedasleeve

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So I am on a quest to brew really good extract beer at the absolute lowest cost! For me a really good brew needs to be a hoppy IPA and not too low on the ol' ABV either.

So far my best attempt still works out to a little under $4 a six pack. This one used dry and liquid malt extract, crystal 60, and hops to the tune of 60 IBU - cascade, amarillo and chinook. Nottingham is still the least expensive hard working yeast at $1.60 per dose and so I used that.

OG 1.067, FG 1.017, ABV around 6.5%. mmm, mmm, good and a little under the price of a 6 pack of Milwaukee's Best (light.)

I am certainly considering all or partial grain brewing to go lower of course, but the addition of extra equipment and time is slowing me down on this path. I am happy right here for now - how about you?
 
Do you buy your hops in bulk?
Where do you get your extract?

Hopsdirect sells hops by the pound and then end up being super cheap at under 1.00 / oz
Morebeer has a great price on LME.

here is a recipe for 5 gallons of IPA
9 lbs LME from morebeer = 20.70
1 lb crystal = 1.50
4 oz of bulk hops = 4.00
1 package of US05 yeast = 3.00

total cost = 29.20 or 3.50 per six pack +/-
 
Yep I buy from the same places! And about what I paid for the last few batches. I do 5.5 gallon batches as a rule, sometimes 6 to get a little more bang for the buck.

I suspect if I liked lower gravity beers like English pale ales and such I'd save more but push comes to shove when I am thinking about brewing I almost always incline towards stronger ales.:cross:
 
I think trying to lower the cost of the batch by a dollar or two will not be worth the effort. Short of buying bulk DME/LME you can't get much lower then you are.
 
Bulk ingredients will give you the most bang for your buck. I think North Country Malt has some good deals on DME but I don't know the specifics. Hopsdirect will give you the best hops prices but you have to buy by the pound. Freshops will also give you good-but-not-as-good prices without requiring you to buy by the pound.

You could also wash yeast. I know the cost savings won't be great at first given you're using cheap dry yeast, but I personally wash some Safale strains and have used them up to 10 times off one packet of yeast. You did say "absolute lowest cost."

I'm only mentioning this because you did first but if you are interested in cheaply moving to all grain or PM, let us know what equipment you have and we can probably work out a low cost way to at least try it out. My move to all grain only cost me $3 over what I already had on hand. But there are plenty of ways to get well under $4 per six pack without mashing grain.
 
hal2814 said:
Bulk ingredients will give you the most bang for your buck. I think North Country Malt has some good deals on DME but I don't know the specifics. Hopsdirect will give you the best hops prices but you have to buy by the pound. Freshops will also give you good-but-not-as-good prices without requiring you to buy by the pound.
Click to expand...

If hes brewing mostly IPAs, buying by the pound is a good thing.
 
I love IPAs and had bookmarked hopsdirect, but my laptop, well long story but I had forgotten about the site. Thanks.
 
I spend just around $50 bucks for an extract batch it seems. That includes the malt extract, hops, and steeping grains (and maybe a muslin bag or two if I get one). Considering I get about 2 cases of beer from that, that's not too shabby.

My last batch was $48 bucks (for an Irish Red) which included 2 cans of LME, 2 ounces of hops, 4 different types of steeping grains, White Labs 002 English Ale liquid yeast, and a few muslin bags. I threw a whirfloc tablet in there too and those things are cheap. In PA you'd be looking at around $35 bucks a case for Harpoon's Irish Red so I'll take it!
 
One thing you can do is wash and save your yeast, or at least repitch another batch on the yeast cake from a previous batch. That will amortize the yeast cost over several batches.

Another is even if you don't want to go AG, you can go partial mash and steep some 2-row in with your crystal to reduce the extract cost.

Also $1/oz for hops is pretty high.
 
I buy DME from NCM for $120 / 50 lbs (includes shipping) 1 lb DME = $2.40
Hops from Hops Direct at ~ $10 / lb so 1 oz = $0.63
Grains are cheap so we'll just throw out a cost of say $3 / batch for those
I wash and reuse yeast so that costs nothing.

Simple 5 gallon 1.040 recipe would break down to:
5 lbs DME = $12.00
3 oz Hops = $1.89
Grains = $3.00
Water (I buy bottled) = $4.50
Yeast = $0.00

Total = $21.39 which comes to $0.45 a bottle and $2.67 / 6 pack.

I knew I was saving money but never realized how cheap it was until now!
 
bknifefight said:
I buy DME from NCM for $120 / 50 lbs (includes shipping) 1 lb DME = $2.40
Hops from Hops Direct at ~ $10 / lb so 1 oz = $0.63
Grains are cheap so we'll just throw out a cost of say $3 / batch for those
I wash and reuse yeast so that costs nothing.

Simple 5 gallon 1.040 recipe would break down to:
5 lbs DME = $12.00
3 oz Hops = $1.89
Grains = $3.00
Water (I buy bottled) = $4.50
Yeast = $0.00

Total = $21.39 which comes to $0.45 a bottle and $2.67 / 6 pack.

I knew I was saving money but never realized how cheap it was until now!
Click to expand...

1.040 That's kinda weak. I don't really make anything under 1.050.

How much cheaper is it really buying DME in 50lb bags compared to buying LME from morebeer? DME works out to 2.40/lb LME at morebeer works out to 2.30/lb. It takes more LME to make the same gravity as DME but not that much more. The bulk DME may only save you $2-$3 per batch. With the LME at morebeer you don't need to buy a bulk container. They are giving you the bulk price for any amount over 6lbs. The only stipulation with morebeer is that you order over 60.00 to get the free shipping. Just something to consider for those buying bulk extract to save money.
 
I need to start buying in bulk. Only problem is that I have absolutely no interest in formulating my own recipes. Do you just buy DME and hops in bulk then order grains for a bunch of recipes from online sites? That's likely the route I would go.
 
It takes 125% of LME in place of DME. So if LME is 2.30/lb it is the equivalent of: 2.30/.75 = $3.06/lb DME. Which at around 5-6 lbs per batch is a savings of $3-$4 if you buy in bulk. So if you are really counting it makes almost as much of a difference as buying hops in bulk (for low IBU beers). Plus DME can be kept on hand and stay fresher longer then LME.
 
"Well low cost is all relative. "

In this case my comparison is to Milwaukee's best Light in cans (see above) and my beer is close to DFH 60 minute IPA - better this time according to my wife(!!) DFH 60 minute IPA relative to Milwaukee's Best Light...

"cheap and extract don't go together ...... "

Really good beer, cheaper than the worst of the worst macro light beers. That's what I'm talking about! So I think cheap and extract clearly go together.

Steve da sleeve
 
mosquitocontrol said:
It takes 125% of LME in place of DME. So if LME is 2.30/lb it is the equivalent of: 2.30/.75 = $3.06/lb DME. Which at around 5-6 lbs per batch is a savings of $3-$4 if you buy in bulk. So if you are really counting it makes almost as much of a difference as buying hops in bulk (for low IBU beers). Plus DME can be kept on hand and stay fresher longer then LME.
Click to expand...

1.00/1.25 = .80

Wouldn't it be $2.3/.80 = 2.84/lb DME? for a 6lb DME batch (1.050 SG) that's a 2.58 difference.

The advantage of the LME from morebeer is that you'd never need to order a huge amount. You get the bulk price for normal batch sized amounts. I'm not saying it costs less. I'm saying it's possibly much easier to deal with compared to 50lbs of DME and only costs slightly more. Even if it was $3-$4 more per batch it is the price of convenience that some folks may want to pay. Other may not.
 
My math skills aren't too great this morning. I'm not saying its the way to go. Just putting out a point for all these people insisting on cutting costs to an absolute bare minimum. Which is crazy in my opinion.
 
"I buy DME from NCM for $120 / 50 lbs (includes shipping) 1 lb DME = $2.40
Hops from Hops Direct at ~ $10 / lb so 1 oz = $0.63
Grains are cheap so we'll just throw out a cost of say $3 / batch for those
I wash and reuse yeast so that costs nothing."

I was just checking the NCM website and it looked like they dealt with grain only. Where did you find extracts?
 
mosquitocontrol said:
I need to start buying in bulk. Only problem is that I have absolutely no interest in formulating my own recipes. Do you just buy DME and hops in bulk then order grains for a bunch of recipes from online sites? That's likely the route I would go.
Click to expand...

Yes but there are some hidden costs. Like you'd probably need a good scale for weighting out hops and stuff.

Also, storing bulk hops properly requires an oxygen free container. Pellet hops work best. If you use them very quickly you'd probably be OK just putting them in a jar in the freezer. Some folks invest in a food saver to package the hops without air. That's what I've started doing.

I get my recipes from books. I highly recommend "Brewing Classic Styles". It's a great book with awesome award wining recipes written for both extract and all grain.
 
The Noble Grape by my house sells put together extract kits fairly cheap. I just picked up a blonde ale kit for $28.99. and by kit i dont mean pre hopped extract in a can with no-name yeast. its like a recipe with everything for it included. i think ita pretty sweet deal, but some of the kits can go up to $40 and $50 dollars
 
maida7 said:
Yes but there are some hidden costs. Like you'd probably need a good scale for weighting out hops and stuff.
Click to expand...

Maida has been on the money this whole post IMO.

With any decrease in cost per batch, there is going to be an initial investment and usually a time investment too.

  • Bulk hops: Scale and Foodsaver
  • Bulk DME: Low Humidity Storage and Scale
  • All Grain: HLT and MLT, Scale, Grain mill
  • Yeast Slanting: Pressure cooker and vials, stir plate, flasks

Of course, with all of these things you can pretty easily do a beer like you describe for very cheap. I would estimate 5gal of 1.060 OG 60IBU late hop addition IPA to be about $20. About $.40 per 12oz or $2.4 per sixer.

Just depends how deep you want to go!
 
Finnagann said:
"I buy DME from NCM for $120 / 50 lbs (includes shipping) 1 lb DME = $2.40
Hops from Hops Direct at ~ $10 / lb so 1 oz = $0.63
Grains are cheap so we'll just throw out a cost of say $3 / batch for those
I wash and reuse yeast so that costs nothing."

I was just checking the NCM website and it looked like they dealt with grain only. Where did you find extracts?
Click to expand...

It is really buried deep in their site. The second time I ordered some I couldn't find it. Just call the 800 number and order it that way. It is like $96 for 50 lbs and ~$20 for shipping.
 
maida7 said:
Yes but there are some hidden costs. Like you'd probably need a good scale for weighting out hops and stuff.

Also, storing bulk hops properly requires an oxygen free container. Pellet hops work best. If you use them very quickly you'd probably be OK just putting them in a jar in the freezer. Some folks invest in a food saver to package the hops without air. That's what I've started doing.

I get my recipes from books. I highly recommend "Brewing Classic Styles". It's a great book with awesome award wining recipes written for both extract and all grain.
Click to expand...

Since most of my equipment costs we paid years ago I dont even consider them anymore. Good point though for someone starting out.

As far as the hops, I have them in ziplock bags in the freezer and have no issue. But a good foodsaver could run you $150+
 
Nice, just found I can use my old united airline miles to get a good quality scale. One free piece of equipment closer to bulk buying.

I've heard freezer bags for hops will keep them good for a year. So a foodsaver isn't exactly necessary. As for the DME could likely store in the same way that people store bulk grains. I'd look at a food grade bucket with a good liner and gasketed lid. If you didn't want to split it up. I do a decent amount of batches so a 50lb bag of DME would probably be gone in 3-4 months anyway.

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_ZA B105_A_name_E_Metallized Liner for Buckets
 
mosquitocontrol said:
I've heard freezer bags for hops will keep them good for a year. So a foodsaver isn't exactly necessary.
Click to expand...

It's debatable. I'd like to see some more tests done on this. FYI: you can get a full blown foodsaver at walmart for 100.00. There is another brand (I think it's Rival "seal a meal") that goes for 60.00. Foodsaver makes some lower powered models that go for as little as 20.00 Lastly, a simple "pump n seal" does almost the same thing.

Another very helpful tool is brewing software like beersmith.
 
dkershner said:
Maida has been on the money this whole post IMO.

With any decrease in cost per batch, there is going to be an initial investment and usually a time investment too.

  • Bulk hops: Scale and Foodsaver
  • Bulk DME: Low Humidity Storage and Scale
  • All Grain: HLT and MLT, Scale, Grain mill
  • Yeast Slanting: Pressure cooker and vials, stir plate, flasks

Of course, with all of these things you can pretty easily do a beer like you describe for very cheap. I would estimate 5gal of 1.060 OG 60IBU late hop addition IPA to be about $20. About $.40 per 12oz or $2.4 per sixer.

Just depends how deep you want to go!
Click to expand...
Eh, people overstate the initial cost.

Going to bulk cost me roughly $25: $10 for a digital gram scale (As cheap as $7 on amazon), $8 for a battery operated vacuum pump, and $8 for a jar sealer. (Add another $7 if you don't already have a dozen quartsized mason jars)


The cost to go all grain was $20 (corona mill) + $40 ( $12.99 igloo 5g cooler + $25 or so in fittings).


Now, when we're talking about the difference between $45/batch to $15 a batch, thats like 3 batches to pay for everything.
 
bknifefight said:
Gram Scale? What is the max weight it can handle? My scale goes up to 11 lbs and I wish it could handle more.
Click to expand...

I think mine will take about 8lbs. Measured in grams or ounces. Grams are more useful for hops.



The hopper of my corona only holds about 3lbs of grain, so its not really an issue.
 
Synovia said:
Eh, people overstate the initial cost.

Going to bulk cost me roughly $25: $10 for a digital gram scale (As cheap as $7 on amazon), $8 for a battery operated vacuum pump, and $8 for a jar sealer. (Add another $7 if you don't already have a dozen quartsized mason jars)


The cost to go all grain was $20 (corona mill) + $40 ( $12.99 igloo 5g cooler + $25 or so in fittings).


Now, when we're talking about the difference between $45/batch to $15 a batch, thats like 3 batches to pay for everything.
Click to expand...

What cheaper options are there for vacuum pump that will still accept the mason jar attachment. Coul dyou p oint me to the type you use or anything I could use on amazon (short of the large fullsize foodsavers)
 
maida7 said:
It's debatable. I'd like to see some more tests done on this. FYI: you can get a full blown foodsaver at walmart for 100.00. There is another brand (I think it's Rival "seal a meal") that goes for 60.00. Foodsaver makes some lower powered models that go for as little as 20.00 Lastly, a simple "pump n seal" does almost the same thing.

Another very helpful tool is brewing software like beersmith.
Click to expand...

Using ZipLock freezer bags I've let cascade, hallertau, and centennial get that old in pellet form and they've all been fine. To be clear though, I take the vaccum-sealed hopsdirect bag, cut it open as little as possible, and keep those hops packed in the original bag as tightly as possible. After measuring out my hops for a batch, I put the cut open hopsdirect bag in the Ziplock and squeeze out as much air as possible. It's not vaccum sealed at that point but the hops are packed in the bag pretty tight. I hear saaz ages horribly and I'd like to try letting it get that old but I can't seem to hold onto 1lb of saaz long enough :)

I only spent $3 going to all grain but I already had a 5g Igloo cooler and a $5 postal scale. I don't crush my own grain though.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
maida7 said:
Do you buy your hops in bulk?
Where do you get your extract?

Hopsdirect sells hops by the pound and then end up being super cheap at under 1.00 / oz
Morebeer has a great price on LME.

here is a recipe for 5 gallons of IPA
9 lbs LME from morebeer = 20.70
1 lb crystal = 1.50
4 oz of bulk hops = 4.00
1 package of US05 yeast = 3.00

total cost = 29.20 or 3.50 per six pack +/-
Click to expand...


+1...I make almost the same thing. I use about 8lbs LME and 2 pounds fresh 2 row...price is about the same.

I love IPA's...thank GOD for HOPS DIRECT....:ban:
 
I don't know how technical you guys want to get, but you are missing a couple things that I didn't see anyone point out. Shipping costs for online stores? Gas (for those using propane)? Bottle Caps? Priming Sugar? Yeast starters (if you do, which I'd highly suggest)? If you calculate all of that in, it actually increases the cost a decent amount...

My biggest cost savers so far are buying hops in bulk, harvesting yeast, and switching to all-grain. For me, your recipe above calculates out to about $19.

BUT...if you include all the extra costs that kind of linger in the background I think you'll be surprised:

12 lbs Grain = $13.80 (equal to 9 lbs. LME)
1 lb crystal = $1.35
4 oz. hops = 2.68
Yeast = Reused
Starter = $0.80 (dme used)
Priming sugar = $0.79
Bottle Caps = $1.00
Shipping = $3.50 (order two batches at once, total shipping is $7)
Propane = $4.00

Total = $27.92 including all costs I can think of...

As you can see I like to get down to the nitty gritty lol.
 
This is getting way too nitpicky. Everyone's situation will be different depending on what you bought in bulk or already had in hand. I think its getting way too far from the point of just general ways to lower cost of extract batches.
 
TheMan said:
I don't know how technical you guys want to get, but you are missing a couple things that I didn't see anyone point out. Shipping costs for online stores? Gas (for those using propane)? Bottle Caps? Priming Sugar? Yeast starters (if you do, which I'd highly suggest)? If you calculate all of that in, it actually increases the cost a decent amount...
Click to expand...

Shipping is free for >$60 at Morebeer, I include shipping as part of the cost for Hopsdirect, corn sugar is so cheap I don't even count it (3-5 oz per batch for priming, um 50 cents?) I don't use propane, bottle caps - $2 for 5 billion (I don't worry about it) and yeast starters are for sissys and people who like the word "utilize", or worse "utilization" and drive SUVs instead of Hybrids and like sweet fruity beers instead of macho IPAs and like to insert "carboy" into every conversation.

:)

Steve da sleeve
 

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