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

[yeoldebrewer]

I brew extract w/ steeping grains on an irregular schedule and I'm still on the learning curve to boot. So if I'm honest with myself about incidentals, like bottled water, paper towels, cleaners etc., cost comes to $0.70 - $0.85 per pint. Not as cheap as I would like. But still cheaper than good stuff from the store. And this is a hobby, after all.

Good news is that my Dumb-A mistakes factor is going down with experience which means both better and cheaper brews. My $.80 cent pint of home brew is still one heck of a better value than cheap BMC.

 

[lehr]

About 42 to 48 cents a pint.

Pat

 

[mattmcl]

One thing I'd like to understand better is yeast washing. I have noticed a taste impact as I pitched over a yeast cake... how often do you yeast wash (how many batches) how much do you leave vs remove at each batch. And how do you do it? Do you boil water first to sterilize? Do you separate using a strainer? How do you do it with yeast that create a hard cake (like Safale 04/05 I forget which?)

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.

 

[IrregularPulse]

I washed some notty a while back according to the thread, but have just been to scared to use it....It's been sitting in 3 mason jars in my fridge for probably 6 months now. I'll probably just toss it. Maybe I'll wash my next brew using a non-dry yeast.

 

[Revvy]

I washed some notty a while back according to the thread, but have just been to scared to use it....It's been sitting in 3 mason jars in my fridge for probably 6 months now. I'll probably just toss it. Maybe I'll wash my next brew using a non-dry yeast.

Wussy wuss

OllllO or Yuri posted a thread just this weekend using nearly year old washed yeast, and it was fine....Just make a starter and apply the sniff test to it...

If we can harvest a huuuuge starter from the dregs of a god knows how long it's been sitting on the shelf bottle of Rogue or Hoegaarden where maybe 1 in four cells are still viable, then properly washed, sealed and cold stored yeast will, under most circumstances be fine as well....

I have year old washed yeast in my fridge, I wouldn't hesitate to make a starter and test it and consider using it in a beer.....but I wouldn't dump it without making a starter and sniff testing it at least.

 

[boredatwork]

What's you price/pound of grain? That is the determining factor in AG- Extract pricing..I mean an ounce of hops or a vial of yeast is usually the same price regardless of whether or not you are doing AG or Extract. It's the price of the fermentables where the savings lie....

Today I just spent 14 bucks on 10 pounds of grain...

4 1/2 # Pils- $6.30
3 # White Wheat- $4.20
2.5# Flaked Wheat- $3.50

This wasn't even buying bulk, just out the door at my LHBS.

At the same time I bought a 3# sack of Extra-light dry malt extract for starters and stuff and that cost me $11.00, for three measly pounds.

If you are not saving much buying grain compared to extract, then you are not getting the best prices you could be. No offense to Ed.

I had this discussion once before. I don't think its the grain cost but the extract cost. For my extract batches I always used LME. I could pick up an extract kit from my local MoreBeer for $35-40 with yeast. My last AG order cost me $32 with yeast (before shipping).

Maybe the conclusion should be that that DME is expensive.

 

[h4rdluck]

I mean if i was a cheap 5% beer I can whip up an extract batch at easily under 30 dollars (6 pounds DME at 11$ per 3 pounds). I don't use alot of hops and I reuse yeast often.

If I want a 7-8% beer we are now talking ~33$ for 9 pounds DME plus 3-4 dollars in specialty grains.

Right now I've made 3 imperial batches with 12 pounds DME at ~44$ with a total of like 50$ after extra hops and molasses. (I made one with a mix of fresh berries and homegrown berries and spent probably another 7-8 dollars), but we are talking 55$-60$ or so for a beer that will likely make it over 10% alcohol content...I don't know how much grains the AG batches take that reach an OG of 1080-1.100 are but from reading the recipes some of them are taking like 30-35 pounds of grains if not more, so if you are making big beers I'm not quite sure about the price difference (As well as the work invovled...)

 

[h4rdluck]

oh plus it all runs me a little cheaper than this because I have a membership to the store and get 15% off.

So I am actually paying around $3.10 per pound of extract. The cheapest I have really found it online is around $2.50 per pound not including shipping.

I'm sure AG is cheaper, however right now I'm very happy to be an extract brewer. I usually brew at least once a week and have lots of beer circulatin, and when good beer easily costs 8-10 dollar a six pack, and I am making it easily for .70cents to 1$ a bottle and the good stuff we buy is 1.40-2$ a bottle its definatly a hobby that save you a little cash in the long run and is loads of fun.

Not to mention all the trading that goes on with friends.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

You know this thread has given me an idea. Why can't hops be re-used? I understand that do to utilization that they'll have diminished returns on hops that where in for the full 60-90 minutes, but what about the hops(whole) that were added at flame out? Surely they could be re-used?

So I think the next three batches I'll take the whole hops that I strain out, dry them in my dehydrator, vacuum seal them and put them in my freezer. Once I collect enough I'll brew a beer with it and start a thread.

From what I have read you can reuse hops using the french press method. Use the french press at the start of the boil and extract the goodies then they can be reused for the 60 minute boil for bittering.

My current costs are around $24 for Ed's IPA. I include everything from the pH test strips, sales tax and the propane because I have OCD. This is with dry yeast, hops at $1.99 x 4oz and base malt at $1.07. I have called and searched everywhere and $1.07 is the cheapest I can find basic 2-row. Seems like most people that get it for cheap are in the midwest which figures.

I soon will be buying bulk hops but this will be tough because I bounce around drastically in styles and don't have enough experience yet to pick the hops I will need with confidence. Regardless, $24 for 2 cases of beer is not bad especially when you consider that it dosen't taste like coors light. Plus I don't have to pay outrageous alcohol taxes. :rockin:

 

[petep1980]

Yeah, I'm at the point of only re-using my liquid yeast for my O-fest, and using Notty for all my ales. And if the price indeed does triple I'll use Cooper's Ale. I'm at the point with yeast that I'll NEVER notice a difference between strains used at identical temps. Sure I get ridiculous attenuation out of wyeast 1056 with a starter but that's like $10 extra. For what? 80% attenuation over 75%? Who cares.

I have come up with a great method to lager and plan to pitch the hell out of my lager yeast. I got a pack of Wyeast 2206 yesterday with a date of 7/14/09. Now that I know how to store, start, ferment and store lager yeast I see no reason I can't keep using this yeast for ages. On top of that lagers have at most 2oz hops, so I'm looking at yeast = free, no starter (will pitch onto cake), 2oz hops = $6 locally, and 10-11# grain will run around $20.

Even getting completely hosed at LHBS I can be looking at $26-$28 for Oktoberfests.

 

[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.