What is the most economical ingredients?

[Cold_Steel]

Is it Malt Extracts liquid/dry?
Is it grains?
Of course buying in bulk right?

 

[COLObrewer]

Is it Malt Extracts liquid/dry?
Is it grains?
Of course buying in bulk right?

Home grown everything.

 

[The Pol]

Cheapest...

Grain in bulk at about $.50/pound from a malt supplier (Mid Country Malt etc..)

Hops in bulk at about $10/pound from Hops Direct

I can brew almost anything for $10 flat.

 

[Cold_Steel]

Home grown everything.

not to be crazy silly but thats not really true. The cost of land, equipment and labor.
However, honey, herbs, and adjuncts I do believe you have a point.

 

[Cold_Steel]

Cheapest...

Grain in bulk at about $.50/pound from a malt supplier (Mid Country Malt etc..)

Hops in bulk at about $10/pound from Hops Direct

I can brew almost anything for $10 flat.

Is this (Mid Country Malt etc..) The Country Malt Group

Hops Direct, Cherries Direct - available today from Puterbaugh Farms

 

[The Pol]

Is this (Mid Country Malt etc..) The Country Malt Group

Hops Direct, Cherries Direct - available today from Puterbaugh Farms

Yes, exactly...

 

[COLObrewer]

not to be crazy silly but thats not really true. The cost of land, equipment and labor.
However, honey, herbs, and adjuncts I do believe you have a point.

True true, just my quest to be self sufficient in all aspects of everything I suppose. Farm living is conducive to the lifestyle.

 

[Homercidal]

Hops for $10 a lb? Not usually. Add shipping to that too.

But, yes, bulk grain and hops seems to be the lowest cost. Also harvesting your yeast can save a bunch of $$ too.

 

[Synovia]

Hops for $10 a lb? Not usually. Add shipping to that too.

I think I averaged about $.95 / oz with hops, shipped, this year. If you buy at the end of the year, you can get much lower. I wouldn't be surprised, with the way the harvests are coming in, if you can get willamette and cascade for $5/lb in the next couple weeks.

 

[The Pol]

I paid about $1 per ounce SHIPPED in May of this year. Hops are cheap, as long as you buy them intelligently. Shipping is aggregate, you can get them shipped for less than $1 per pound from HD if you try.

 

[Homercidal]

Every time I've looked there, they are between $15 and $20 a pound, plus shipping. Ecept for the recent sale of course.

 

[Synovia]

Hops are cheap, as long as you buy them intelligently.

Not only that, but you can do all sorts of things to save cost when you buy hops in bulk, like buying a pound of Magnum, or some other clean bittering hop, and using .25 oz of that instead of an ounce of some 4% hop for your 60 minute additions.


in some styles it wont work, but in plenty of them, it does.

 

[Cold_Steel]

I paid about $1 per ounce SHIPPED in May of this year. Hops are cheap, as long as you buy them intelligently.

Just picked up 8oz for $7 shipped this week. Shipping is aggregate... the more hops you buy, the lower your cost/oz to ship.

What would be intelligent purchasing patterns be?

 

[Synovia]

Every time I've looked there, they are between $15 and $20 a pound, plus shipping. Ecept for the recent sale of course.

I paid $78 shipped for 5lbs back in June. Thats comes out to $.97/oz.




until you calculate in that I actually got almost 6 lbs of hops (the bags were all well above 16 oz), and then the actual cost, shipped, comes to about $.85/lb.

 

[The Pol]

What would be intelligent purchasing patterns be?

Everyone complains about shipping, or having to buy full pounds in bulk.

Simple group buys will solve those problems. You can get hops shipped for less than $1 per pound if you try from HD.

Also, I never said that $10/lb was the norm, but they can be had for that this time of year. In May it was 15-20 bucks... still, cheap compared to any online or LHBS. With bulk grain, you can still brew anything you want (almost) for $10 per session while paying 15-20 bucks per pound of hops.

 

[conpewter]

All grain will cost more to get going, but you save in the long run with buying grain and hops in bulk.

 

[Picobrew]

With that 137gal fermenter of yours crystalcabot, grain is the only economical option. Like the Pol said, $10 a batch is pretty easy to achieve for 5gal. In my batches now the most expensive thing is the yeast, so I have been cultivating it.

 

[Synovia]

All grain will cost more to get going, but you save in the long run with buying grain and hops in bulk.

The only additional expense in AG, is a $30 mill, and a $40 turkey frier kit. You can add another $60 for a MLT if you want, but you could mash in your boil pot.


I think I paid for AG equipment in the first 5 or 6 batches. Those $40 extract kits add up quick.

 

[conpewter]

The only additional expense in AG, is a $30 mill, and a $40 turkey fryer kit. You can add another $60 for a MLT if you want, but you could mash in your boil pot.


I think I paid for AG equipment in the first 5 or 6 batches. Those $40 extract kits add up quick.

exactly...

 

[Cold_Steel]

4lbs extra light DME
3.3lbs gold LME
1.5 light belgian candi sugar
8 oz caravienne
4 oz aromatic
2 oz styrian goldings
1 oz willamette
1 oz sweet orange peel

So how would I scale this up to an 80 gallon partial mash recipe and get it for the best price.

 

[Homercidal]

Um, Multiply by 16 and buy bulk? You can get DME bulk too.

 

[Synovia]

Um, Multiply by 16 and buy bulk? You can get DME bulk too.

You can, but its still going to cost a fortune. If you're gonna make 80 gallon batches, you should really be doing AG.

We're talking 50+lbs of DME and 50+ lbs of LME vs, what, 120 lbs of 2-row?

The cheapest I can find 50lb boxes of DME, shipped, is about $140. I think you can get 60lbs of bulk LME for about $120.


120lbs of 2 row?
You can get 110lbs for $55, so figure 60ish

 

[Cold_Steel]

OMG i am such a FOOL! I was using the wrong numbers THANK GOD!

Thanks guys!

 

[Julohan]

Do I need to have a password to get the pricing for mid country malt? When I go to the site it gives me other links, the cheapest I saw was $1.50.

 

[The Pol]

Do I need to have a password to get the pricing for mid country malt? When I go to the site it gives me other links, the cheapest I saw was $1.50.

You arent looking at bulk pricing then.

I have thier current price PDF if you want it.

Expect about $.60 per pound in 55 pound sacks.

 

[Julohan]

Yeah, could you send it me? I'll PM you my email address. Thanks a lot.

 

[The Pol]

Yeah, could you send it me? I'll PM you my email address. Thanks a lot.

No problem bro, here it comes...

 

[mandoman]

the most economical ingredient is yeast - it's the only one that increases as you use it. Pay for one batch, be careful, and have yeast for tons more if you brew enough.

 

[Cold_Steel]

So bags never come in the exact size you need some left overs are going to happen.
What 3 recipes would you order to get the most beer for the least amount of waste in shipping and ingredients?

 

[homebrewer_99]

The cheapest I can find 50lb boxes of DME, shipped, is about $140. I think you can get 60lbs of bulk LME for about $120.

Buying LME in bulk is like paying to ship water...pound for pound DME is cheaper.

It also has a better/longer shelf life and won't darker over time which makes your brews go "out of style" as far as color goes.

I've never recommended LME and never well.

 

[Picobrew]

So bags never come in the exact size you need some left overs are going to happen.
What 3 recipes would you order to get the most beer for the least amount of waste in shipping and ingredients?

Most people store stuff, and use it across batches.

 

[GlassblowersBrew]

The only additional expense in AG, is a $30 mill, and a $40 turkey frier kit. You can add another $60 for a MLT if you want, but you could mash in your boil pot.


I think I paid for AG equipment in the first 5 or 6 batches. Those $40 extract kits add up quick.

So which mill are you saying costs $30...?

 

[The Pol]

So which mill are you saying costs $30...?

Corona Mill, not a roller mill

 

[Cold_Steel]

Where can you purchase bulk adjunctions?
I have a hard time believing $2.40 for oz. sweet orange peels is a DEAL!

 

[Cold_Steel]

Buying LME in bulk is like paying to ship water...pound for pound DME is cheaper.

It also has a better/longer shelf life and won't darker over time which makes your brews go "out of style" as far as color goes.

I've never recommended LME and never well.

So is there any difference between a gold liquid and a gold extract?

 

[LiquidAthlete]

No problem bro, here it comes...

What are their bulk minimums though? Do you have to buy a pallet? or do they sell to individuals?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Tap water at $0.0029 a gallon.

 

[Cold_Steel]

Label Peelers- Has bulk everything!

 

[The Pol]

What are their bulk minimums though? Do you have to buy a pallet? or do they sell to individuals?

There is no bulk minimum... I mean you have to buy it in 55 pound sacks, but you can buy just one sack.

Of course they sell to individuals, they have a full homebrewing catalogue full of bulk grains. They sold to me and half of HBT at this point it seems.