As long as my retirement fund keeps going up, I can absorb brewing ingredient increases as well as the food store.
Ingredient Price Increases
- Thread starter MIWI
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I'm still spoiled - there's a pretty decent LHBS <20 minutes away, even if it really is more of a gardening shop with a homebrewing apendage. In fact, I'm even more spoiled then I used to be since a local maltster opened a retail store that is also <20 minutes away. I can order online and pick up in store, and the prices are pretty decent IMO.
The "good" news -- commercial beers are increasing along with everything else, so we retain an economic advantage in brewing our own, and that doesn't even take into account the positive impacts on our lives of having a hobby that not only keeps you busy, but results in delicious consumables!
There is that.
Homebrewers operate at marked disadvantage wrt ingredient costs, but then we don't pay salaries to anyone
I think that's the sum of our "savings"...
Cheers!
Homebrewers operate at marked disadvantage wrt ingredient costs, but then we don't pay salaries to anyone
I think that's the sum of our "savings"...
Cheers!
Toronto dry yeast prices are twice that.
If costs went down would we ever notice since we mostly see them going up?
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
Moderator's note:
Some posts have been deleted or edited.
Please stay on topic: The rising cost of homebrewing ingredients.
No need to compare to other hobbies that have nothing to do with homebrewing and its ingredients.
This was already pointed out before by @doug293cz:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/ingredient-price-increases.732427/post-10371761
Some posts have been deleted or edited.
Please stay on topic: The rising cost of homebrewing ingredients.
No need to compare to other hobbies that have nothing to do with homebrewing and its ingredients.
This was already pointed out before by @doug293cz:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/ingredient-price-increases.732427/post-10371761
BrewnWKopperKat
ʘ‿ʘ
FWIW, the prices I listed where "same store over time" and did not include shipping (aka "Free shipping isn't free") costs.
With regard to ingredient prices, on line stores
- with warehouses in urban environments or
- that are owned by corporations
mashpaddled
Well-Known Member
Yeah prices for homebrewing ingredients are up along with everything else. I reuse yeast extensively so I don't buy it too often these days. I bought some packs of WY3278 for some sour beer and paid $17 per pack. I swear just a few years ago these were still $7. I'm not sure why yeast prices have skyrocketed but definitely makes reusing yeast even more valuable. Grain prices are up but I buy mostly local maltsters so I know I'm paying a little more than I could.
The only ingredient that doesn't appear to have shot up in prices are hops. The new varieties are always ridiculously expensive but the older varieties aren't out of line with prices even pre-2020. There was a big hop glut and it seems that's drying up, so I wouldn't be surprised to see prices start moving up again. I guess it's a good thing I have like 12 pounds of hops in my freezer and four varieties on the bine.
Even with escalating prices, it's still way cheaper to homebrew than buy beer. Locally pints are hitting $7-8 with higher ABV beers clocking in over $1/oz. Four packs ~$15 even for low cost lager styles. That $17 pack of WY3278 plus water, gas and grain comes out to about $65 in costs to make ~25 750ml of sour beer. At the low end of $20/750ml that would cost $500 to purchase. Even if you wanted to throw in all the costs of cleaning supplies, bottle caps and fractional costs on the equipment, it's still not even 20% of the purchase price for that beer. Clean beers don't quite carry that margin for homebrewers but the costs only become a real issue IMO if you're brewing IPAs with only the most expensive and newest hops.
The only ingredient that doesn't appear to have shot up in prices are hops. The new varieties are always ridiculously expensive but the older varieties aren't out of line with prices even pre-2020. There was a big hop glut and it seems that's drying up, so I wouldn't be surprised to see prices start moving up again. I guess it's a good thing I have like 12 pounds of hops in my freezer and four varieties on the bine.
Even with escalating prices, it's still way cheaper to homebrew than buy beer. Locally pints are hitting $7-8 with higher ABV beers clocking in over $1/oz. Four packs ~$15 even for low cost lager styles. That $17 pack of WY3278 plus water, gas and grain comes out to about $65 in costs to make ~25 750ml of sour beer. At the low end of $20/750ml that would cost $500 to purchase. Even if you wanted to throw in all the costs of cleaning supplies, bottle caps and fractional costs on the equipment, it's still not even 20% of the purchase price for that beer. Clean beers don't quite carry that margin for homebrewers but the costs only become a real issue IMO if you're brewing IPAs with only the most expensive and newest hops.
Homebrewing....."Penny-wise, but pound foolish" about sums it up for me. 
I just put an ingredient list in the shopping cart. Yeah, sure everything has gone up in price, but it looks to be the yeast which is significantly driving cost/batch. For me the reality is that it's the equipment capital expenses that are killing me (and I fully blame this community).....and why I never look at cost/beer 
I just put an ingredient list in the shopping cart. Yeah, sure everything has gone up in price, but it looks to be the yeast which is significantly driving cost/batch. For me the reality is that it's the equipment capital expenses that are killing me (and I fully blame this community)
.....and why I never look at cost/beer - Joined
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I try and buy yeast in the winter and grow it out and yeast bank it. Keeps me good for at least a year, i just grew a 3 yeast old frozen yeast. I buy bags of grains at a time from my LHBS and his prices are great, im trying to get in contact with some local breweries to see if i can buy directly from them.
I enjoy the hobby, if it costs a bit more, so be it. I am guessing any other comments regarding uptick in commercially manufactured beer is off limits? I don't quite understand why, as they are probably paying more for their ingredients as well. As I said, I enjoy the hobby, so paying a bit more is ok with me. I usually get about 40 12 ounce bottles out of my batch. Most batches are in the 40 to 50 dollar range in just ingredients. I don't count my time as I don't think it is right to do so. I also don't count the water, which is a huge part of this hobby in both making it, cleaning up after it and the other stuff we use it for. For me, like fixing up an old car, you have to weigh the cost versus the enjoyment of the time spent. Well worth it in my opinion
Save where you can. All hobbies are costing a little more theses days. If it's too expensive to brew your own, move on.
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
My local beer store puts “out of date” beer on sale for $1 a bottle. Of course it’s not always something that suits my taste, but when it is I always buy a mixed case for $24. Some time that includes 16 oz imperial IPAs and Stouts, with low prices like that my homebrewing has decreased in light of the high ingredient costs.
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I am guessing overhead is a big part of it. Lease or rental costs have sky rocketed and I am appalled how expensive online website, point of sale machine charges, etc is. Not to mention staffing costs. With cost of living increasing, wages have had to follow.
I just put in my annual HopsDirect order for 7lbs at $62 delivered, and I even splurged on some Citra and Amarillo!
I found a local brewery who will let me tack on to their basemalt orders for $37/sack.
And I just finished the last quart of London yeast slurry from March - having made 45 gallons from one packet and a couple quarts of starter wort.
On the docket this weekend looks to be a $20 batch of Barleywine.
I found a local brewery who will let me tack on to their basemalt orders for $37/sack.
And I just finished the last quart of London yeast slurry from March - having made 45 gallons from one packet and a couple quarts of starter wort.
On the docket this weekend looks to be a $20 batch of Barleywine.
Lucky you with the grain purchases!
Dude! This is Bracconiere-class economy without the alternative fermentables. My most recent barley wine was about three times that, including yeast, malt, hops and a few bucks for water and electricity.
