How much $$$ does it cost YOU a batch?

[Oaky]

Do a search for "yeast washing illustrated." Great post with pics and complete walkthrough. I'm on 5 or 6 generations now with one strain and it's still rocking.

ty - that is very helpful. I've been going off primary and i think i've been getting more bitter beers from going on top of the yeast cake with all the trub.. this will help.

 

[maztec]

Extract always costs me $40-$60. Grain typically costs me $20-$35.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

I am also in the 25-35 area with all grain, I wash my yeast but I just use them for the 2nd generation only. I pay $1.60 for a lb of 2row, and $2 for all speciality grains.
Hops just seem get more expensive, along with gas etc.
Maybe a grain mill and bulk orders are in my future.

 

[The Pol]

I am also in the 25-35 area with all grain, I wash my yeast but I just use them for the 2nd generation only. I pay $1.60 for a lb of 2row, and $2 for all speciality grains.
Hops just seem get more expensive, along with gas etc.
Maybe a grain mill and bulk orders are in my future.

Yah, if you desired, you could get your 2-row down to $.80 or less per pound and your specialty malts in the $1.50/lb range.

Hops, if you had a vaccuum sealer and did a group buy, you could easily go to Puterbaugh and pick up 8oz of 10-15 different varieties for about $1/oz inculding shippng.

Bulk really is the key.

 

[adx]

This may have just convinced me to get a mill, even if it's just a corona.

Yea so I bought a Barley Crusher instead My big cost has been grain lately. I have a pretty generous smattering of hops in the freezer and usually use dry yeast.

 

[Hotspur]

I can drive to North Country Malt in upper NY, so I bought bulk grain from them, about $33 for a 55lb sack of 2row. They also sell hops in bulk, about $18-$22 per pound, depending on variety. So, the Oktoberfest I'm making today will run about $17 in materials, because I needed to buy 5lbs of Vienna and a Wyeast lager propagator at the LHBS. If I pick up Vienna the next time I got to NCM, combined with yeast washing, it'll probably be about $12 per lager batch, which is about where my ales are. (Volume into fermenter: 5.5 gal.)

I also snagged a few extra Nottingham packs while I was there, he's still selling them for $1.80, but that'll get counted towards a different brew.

As other people have pointed out, this ignores travel costs, Barley Crusher, stir plate, scale, etc. However, a lot of these are sunk costs, and you'd likely end up buying them anyway.

As a shameless plug for good people, NCM is part of the Country Malt Group, and if you can drive to one, they have a great selection and really good prices if you buy a sack. The per pound prices are about the same as most LHBS, ~1.55 per pound. I ordered hops and had them shipped since I was too lazy to do the 2hr round trip drive, and it was about $8 in shipping, which works well for being on the East Coast. Freshops may be good, but shipping from one coast to the other is pricey!

 

[dontman]

I'm as low as $11 for a Kolsch with washed yeast, as high as $22 for an IPA with lots of hops and a new WL yeast vial (a rare purchase.)

I did spend over $30 for an apricot ale.

Edit:I use NCM also and I usually add a pound or two of hops to the sack orders. The shipping price usually is unaffected by the hops addition.

 

[iddqd]

My first and only batch cost me about $70 for five gallons, but I have about 3.5 oz. of hops left. Then again, I'm brewing extract. I also think ingredients are a bit more expensive here in Sweden than in the US.

 

[mew]

These are all averages:

12 lbs grain - $1.00/lb = $12.00

3 oz hops - $2.00/oz = $6.00

Dry or Liquid Yeast = $4.00

2 gal Distilled H2O - $1.00/gal $2.00

Propane = $2.50

24 Bottle Caps - $0.04/cap = $1.00

Misc. Electricity (rough estimate) = $1.50




Total (avg.):

$29.00

 

[Jsamp]

So what are some good websites to get bulk ingredients? This noob has spent hours searching and found some sites but I was wondering what you people use that have really cheap production costs. As far as I know so far there isn't anywhere to get bulk items in Parkersburg, WV. I'd even be willing to drive if its cheaper than shipping (car is good on gas). Any places in Ohio or southern Pennsylvania?

 

[craven_morhead]

Hops direct for hops.

 

[AdRock3]

How much can I expect to spend to get up and running for my first run at brewing? Can you recommend a good reputable site to buy the "goods"? Thx.

 

[chefchris]

Brewmaster's Warehouse, Austin Homebrew Supply, More Beer, Midwest Supplies, Northern Brewer

Price all depends on what you're making.

 

[Hotspur]

So what are some good websites to get bulk ingredients? This noob has spent hours searching and found some sites but I was wondering what you people use that have really cheap production costs. As far as I know so far there isn't anywhere to get bulk items in Parkersburg, WV. I'd even be willing to drive if its cheaper than shipping (car is good on gas). Any places in Ohio or southern Pennsylvania?

Country Malt Group is the place I go, at least to their NY center. Their online store has a link to Maryland Homebrew. Not sure if that's another place "Doing Business As" Country Malt Group or not. Country Malt may be cheaper on shipping than Hops Direct, or Freshops. Alternatively, Brwemaster's Warehouse may be cheaper still, since he using flat rate shipping even for sacks, and is in GA, I think. Shop around, and call around!

 

[El_Pistolero45]

in my Brown:
DME= $8
LME=$13
Water= Well Water
Hops= $4
Yeast= 4
Under 30 bucks for 6 gallons of 8% Brown Ale

 

[Jsamp]

Country Malt Group is the place I go, at least to their NY center. Their online store has a link to Maryland Homebrew. Not sure if that's another place "Doing Business As" Country Malt Group or not. Country Malt may be cheaper on shipping than Hops Direct, or Freshops. Alternatively, Brwemaster's Warehouse may be cheaper still, since he using flat rate shipping even for sacks, and is in GA, I think. Shop around, and call around!

Thanks for the reply. I haven't seen those sites yet. I'll look at it tomorrow when I'm a little more sober lol.