Price comparsion?

[tomy2]

Is AG brewing cheaper ( ingredients wise) that buying a extract kit?

 

[cercueil]

Yes..The process of making dry malt extract and liquid malt extract drives the price up. There is an initial cost up front for AG equipment but I made my first all grain (BM's Blond Ale) for $25..or 45 cents a 12oz beer!

 

[mattjmac]

Price out an AG hefeweizen or something similar and your jaw will drop at how cheap they are to make. Especially if you wash yeast from a prior batch.

 

[Edcculus]

If you bulk order grain from Mid Country, you can get it as low as $.065/lb. You have to have a grain mill though. That will cost you anywhere from $30-$200. You can get your yeast cost per batch down if you wash. You can buy bulk hops for $6-20/lb depending on the variety. You have to have some sort of vacuum saving system to store them though.

So, an AG Hefeweizen would cost you (5 gallons):

$7 for 9lbs of grain @ $.065/lb (I rounded up a little assuming wheat malt is a little more expensive)
$1 for 1oz Hallertau (off of Hopsdirect's price of $10/lb for Hallertau)
$2 for yeast (rounding up a little. Assuming you only get 3 batches out of a washed cake and make a starter).

That makes it in the neighborhood of $10 for that batch of beer. You also have a lot invested in equipment. Mash tun, burner, kettle, stir plate, grain mill, foodsaver etc. In the end, I don't think people go all grain to save money.

 

[tomy2]

wow...did not realize that!....like i just bought a beer kit to make a lager (5gal) for $54. hoping I can reproduce that cheaper with the AG brewing cheaper.....

 

[kunstler]

if your lucky, you'll find someone that already has a set-up and wouldn't mind a brew buddy. You brew together and split the batch 50/50 (either just get 2.5 gallons each or make a 10 gallon batch)

this way, the initial cost of all the equipment to jump from Extract to AG is taken out of the equation. You pay for the coolers and all that out of the money you saved per batch.

You spent $54 - the other batch would have cost around 20 (we'll jump up the price just incase you don't wash yeast or for whatever reason) that is a difference of $34 - and your buddy already paid for the equipment to brew. Do that say for 10 5 gallon batches worth and you saved $340. Take that $340 and start to slowly piece together a set-up of your own over time. This way your not shelling out the massive amounts up front and then when you get your set-up your brew buddy can come to your place and brew.

 

[maida7]

only the grain is cheaper. The hefeweizen is not the best comparison as it uses very little hops. Do an IPA and the numbers will be closer. Buy fresh yeast for every batch and the numbers get even closer. Tack on the cost of equipment... You're not gonna save lots of money doing AG.

 

[Synovia]

this way, the initial cost of all the equipment to jump from Extract to AG is taken out of the equation. You pay for the coolers and all that out of the money you saved per batch.

There really isn't any initial cost difference if you go in assuming you might go to AG at some point. Theres only a big cost if you have to buy new pots and such.


$17 for a Corona mill and $17.99 for a 5g igloo cooler was all it cost me. Already had an 8g pot.

 

[Synovia]

only the grain is cheaper. The hefeweizen is not the best comparison as it uses very little hops. Do an IPA and the numbers will be closer. Buy fresh yeast for every batch and the numbers get even closer. Tack on the cost of equipment... You're not gonna save lots of money doing AG.

Sure you are. Even an IPA I can do for well under $20 for 5g.

 

[malkore]

wow...did not realize that!....like i just bought a beer kit to make a lager (5gal) for $54. hoping I can reproduce that cheaper with the AG brewing cheaper.....

the last 55lb bag of grain i bought was $60 and I'll get 5-6 batches of beer out of it.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Per batch is obviously cheaper but the obsession of having better and better equipment is where AG brewing can become expensive. Over the long run, AG is cheaper and I think more fun.

 

[JuanMoore]

I made most of my all grain equipment using stuff I already had on hand, and the LHBS has a grain mill for customer use, so the only investment for me to go AG was $64 for a 60 quart boil pot.

Using my average batch of 5.5 gal at an OG of 1.070, this would require 8.75# of DME @ $3.75/# (LHBS price) which comes to $32.81. My efficiency has been about 78% so far, which means the same batch requires 13.5# of grain @ $1.09/# (LHBS price) which comes to $14.72, for a savings of about $18. Even figuring the increased propane use, I figure the savings will have covered the cost of the new boil pot when I brew my 5th AG batch this weekend. This does not include the extra time involved, but if brewing weren't fun we wouldn't be doing it, right?

The biggest savings for me have been from buying hops in bulk. The LHBS charges $3-$5 /oz for most of their hops, and I figure with shipping costs I'm now paying about $1.15 /oz. Being a hop-head, that makes for some serious savings.

 

[wadner]

My time is worth at least $100 an hour. AG 6 plus hours. Extract, less than 2. Extract brewers save way more money.

 

[DoubleXL]

My time is worth at least $100 an hour. AG 6 plus hours. Extract, less than 2. Extract brewers save way more money.

If you look at it that way your still talkin $200.00 for 2 1/2 cases of beer plus the kit. Sounds like you would be cheaper to go with the local cap and cork shop.

 

[shek]

If you look at it that way your still talkin $200.00 for 2 1/2 cases of beer plus the kit. Sounds like you would be cheaper to go with the local cap and cork shop.

Well said...

 

[oldtrucker]

Brewing is a hobby for me. But, not the only one. Time is scarce for me. I can extract brew good beer for a good price in a short time. Maybe years down the road I'll try Ag. But not now. It's not worth the extra hazzle.

 

[cryptonic84]

I made the jump to Partial mashing and after 2 batches i am going into AG. For me, i wanted to try to understand the principles of AG and so i put together my MLT. The 2 batches of PM i made covered the cost of the MLT (with all parts). I had a burner and 8 gal pot already, so its time to jump to AG. I figure if i was brewing at about $1.25/beer before, i can get that cost way down (even after equipment). buying in bulk and vac sealing is the way to save money. even if you PM or extract. you can save 15 dollars buying DME in bulk.

Its all about how far you are willing to go to stretch your money. If you spend the time washing your yeast. if you buy in bulk, if you share brew equipment. Hell, i had a friend by me my burner as a thankyou for drinking a 6er of my beer. bam instant savings!

 

[The Pol]

You can brew an AG IPA for under $20 easy. $8 for malt, $5 for hops, $2 for yeast.

You can also brew an AG batch in 4 hours.

I love these pissing match threads...

Bottom line, each of us has priorities on time, cost, obsessiveness...

If you are talking about materials, AG is MUCH cheaper.

If you are talking about equipment, AG costs more.

If you are talking about time... that is debatable.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Personally I like the extra time that AG allows me to brew. I don't like 6 hour brew days but lately they have been 4.5-5 hours which I like. The extra time versus extract brewing lets me enjoy the process much more. I wouldn't be making beer if I didn't like the brew day itself.

 

[The Pol]

Personally I like the extra time that AG allows me to brew. I don't like 6 hour brew days but lately they have been 4.5-5 hours which I like. The extra time versus extract brewing lets me enjoy the process much more. I wouldn't be making beer if I didn't like the brew day itself.

Right, it is about priorities.

I mean, this is like asking "liquid or dry" "aluminum or SS" "HERMS or RIMS".

Really, who cares? What matters to you?

I thougt the OP was asking about ingredients, then we go on all sorts of tangents to defend why WE do what WE do. Who cares what we do, he asked about ingredients, and yes AG ingredients can be had for MUCH less than extract.

I can brew 4 AG Lagers for the cost of your one extract. That is how wide the difference is in ingredient costs.

 

[The Pol]

Is AG brewing cheaper ( ingredients wise) that buying a extract kit?

Yup, ingredients.

 

[JKoravos]

I agree with what someone said earlier. You can buy bulk hops and wash/slant yeast if you brew extract. Even specialty grains end up costing the same. The savings is in AG is in base malt over malt extract.

I recently bought about 400 lbs of grain from NCM as part of a group buy (2-row, Maris Otter, Pils, Munich). Including shipping, 2-row is $0.56/lb, the other grains are around $0.80/lb. You can also get DME or LME in bulk from NCM. With shipping ($0.06/lb for my group buy) DME would be $2.02/lb and LME is $1.28/lb.

If you run those numbers out to 'per batch' costs, assuming a 1.050, 6 gallon batch and 75% efficiency for the AG batch. The base malt cost per batch comes out to:

DME: $13.07
LME: $9.86
2-row AG: $6.05

All else being equal, you can save $4-$7 per 6 gal. batch in going extract to AG. If course, depending on where you plan to buy ingredients, these numbers can change.

 

[maida7]

I agree with what someone said earlier. You can buy bulk hops and wash/slant yeast if you brew extract. Even specialty grains end up costing the same. The savings is in AG is in base malt over malt extract.

I recently bought about 400 lbs of grain from NCM as part of a group buy (2-row, Maris Otter, Pils, Munich). Including shipping, 2-row is $0.56/lb, the other grains are around $0.80/lb. You can also get DME or LME in bulk from NCM. With shipping ($0.06/lb for my group buy) DME would be $2.02/lb and LME is $1.28/lb.

If you run those numbers out to 'per batch' costs, assuming a 1.050, 6 gallon batch and 75% efficiency for the AG batch. The base malt cost per batch comes out to:

DME: $13.07
LME: $9.86
2-row AG: $6.05

All else being equal, you can save $4-$7 per 6 gal. batch in going extract to AG. If course, depending on where you plan to buy ingredients, these numbers can change.

Thanks for putting up some real numbers. I'll stick with the extract.

 

[tomy2]

i also think it comes down to the brewing aspect as in enjoying the brew process as it pertains to the hobby. just was wondering which was more cost effective stricky ingred wise.

 

[JuanMoore]

I agree with what someone said earlier. You can buy bulk hops and wash/slant yeast if you brew extract. Even specialty grains end up costing the same. The savings is in AG is in base malt over malt extract.

I recently bought about 400 lbs of grain from NCM as part of a group buy (2-row, Maris Otter, Pils, Munich). Including shipping, 2-row is $0.56/lb, the other grains are around $0.80/lb. You can also get DME or LME in bulk from NCM. With shipping ($0.06/lb for my group buy) DME would be $2.02/lb and LME is $1.28/lb.

If you run those numbers out to 'per batch' costs, assuming a 1.050, 6 gallon batch and 75% efficiency for the AG batch. The base malt cost per batch comes out to:

DME: $13.07
LME: $9.86
2-row AG: $6.05

All else being equal, you can save $4-$7 per 6 gal. batch in going extract to AG. If course, depending on where you plan to buy ingredients, these numbers can change.

Man, you're reminding me that I need to get on the ball as far as putting together a group buy for grains. I've found some good deals, but the minimum order is 2000#, which is definately more than I can handle on my own.

 

[JKoravos]

Thanks for putting up some real numbers. I'll stick with the extract.

i also think it comes down to the brewing aspect as in enjoying the brew process as it pertains to the hobby. just was wondering which was more cost effective stricky ingred wise.

Yeah, when you run out the numbers it doesn't really come out to some enormous saving, but it is cheaper in the long run. Personally, I brew AG because it gives me more control over my process, not because it saves me money.

Man, you're reminding me that I need to get on the ball as far as putting together a group buy for grains. I've found some good deals, but the minimum order is 2000#, which is definately more than I can handle on my own.

North Country Malt is really good about homebrewer bulk buys, it's great to have them around here. You can put any amount up to 2200lbs on a pallet and get a flat rate. For my area the shipping it $75/pallet regardless of the amount. We had about 1500lbs on our pallet back in May.

 

[tomy2]

wow! thats alot of grain!

 

[JKoravos]

wow! thats alot of grain!

yup, and it'll make lots of beer.

 

[DoubleXL]

OK easy AG is cheaper for grain bill over buying extract for a batch. The whole **** bang and kaboodle for all grain is a set back. Did i have a lot of fun doing extract w/ steeped grain sure i did. only 3 be for i went all grain. Do I really love being able to look over at a bag of grain laying in a tote and the mash tun up on the shelf and tell friend the whole long story "every time i pull a pint" sure i do yest the cost per batch is cheaper but the equipment will set you back depending on how DIY you are. So sure i hate the money threads if i made 100+ an hour i sure wouldn't be on HBT at almost 1 am reading beer reviews "Or would I Lottry draw is a great thing" So its up to you and what you want you can make a damn fine beer for under $15 or you can go and spend $15k on a good sized brewery . Me i like good beer if I can make it at home that it one week I dont have to run to the Cork and Cap..


I didnt go all grain to save money.... But I am sure glad I have