Making your own Mini-Mash Kits?

[Hardball]

I am buying kits online and paying around $25-$30 for them. I researched the same ingredients as if I was buying them seperately and it looks like you save almost $5 per kit??? You can't get exact amounts and would have to measure out grains, hops , etc. Is the extra $5 really worth it? I love kits but as I evolve in my brewing life I am getting more intrigued by recipe creation.

 

[david_42]

It really depends as you have to add in the cost of a grain crusher once you start buying in bulk. I buy the grains at my LHBS as needed and crush them there. I have mice and wood rats, so I use my freezer for storage and hops are probably best suited for bulk buys, for me.

For many people, yeast washing/culturing are easy ways to save money.

 

[CBBaron]

It seems like it depends on the source.
If I add up everything included with the Grape and Granary kits I have looked at it pretty close or more expensive than the kit by itself. If I buy in bulk it is cheaper but not if I buy the amounts included in the kits.
However it looks like the Austin Homebrew kits are more expensive but they have a much better selection of recipes.
The problem is when buying online most sites do not list the ingredients for the recipe, (Northern Brewer is the exception here) so your usually not quite sure what you are comparing against.
I like to play with my own recipes so it is often a mute point.
Craig