Ok, I am switching to all grain from extract. When you are looking or ordering a kit, it gives you the list of grains with amounts of each as well as the other ingredients. My question is, how much are you generally paying for the convince to have a kit put together versus buying the ingredients separately? Also, is there something that is added in the grain bill in a kit that may not be listed so they can keep people from doing this? I have a LHBS about 20 min away, so that could be an option but most of the time I don’t mind ordering online and having it delivered. Thanks for any insight.
It depends. I’ve compared the kit price on several different kits to what it would cost if you ordered the ingredients separately. I’ve noticed that the kits are generally slightly cheaper for hoppy beers and slightly more expensive (but not by much either) for simpler recipes. That said, the only real way to save money is to by in bulk, but in order for that to pay off you need to brew enough to use up the ingredients while they’re fresh.
I can’t imagine NB would put anything “secret” in the kits. Those are just there to make it easier for their customers who prefer to make a tested recipe or who only want to buy exactly what they need as they need it.
If you spend the time to look for good pricing of bulk ingredients, you can save a lot of money on malt, hops and even dry yeast if you buy it by the 500g brick. But using them up while they are still fresh does become an issue. With uncracked malt, that’s not a problem - keep it dry in a sealed container and it will essentially last forever. But hops and yeast have very limited shelf lived, a couple years at most.
Thanks guys.
Re-using yeast from previous batches is saving me at least 8 bucks on a 10 gallon batch. That right there is a good saving.
I get my grain at 1.60/lb crushed no matter what the mix so it’s pretty cheap for me.Costs me $16 to $20 a batch. I save and reuse yeast and buy my hops in bulk. I’ve been tempted to buy kits when they go on sale but they usually make you choose a yeast which along with shipping is the deal breaker. There is a convenience factor in buying kits if you don’t have a LHBS. But if you don’t need the yeast or priming sugar that they include you can probably save a couple bucks. I have also been tempted by discount kits, I thought I might order a couple and break them up and make my own recipes since a lot of those are kits I’m not interested in but then I worry about their freshness which is another reason to buy from you LHBS.
Not everyone has the storage space or time to use up large amounts of ingredients when bulk purchasing. Check your locality for any home brewers clubs (you can search via American Homebrewers Assn
). Some clubs arrange bulk buys and split it up among the members to save costs. Joining a local club has many other benefits as well.
I’m one of those who doesn’t have room for storing 50 lb sacks of grain, but I do harvest yeast to save money. I also don’t mind paying a little extra to buy kits, usually a few days before I brew, for the convenience and to ensure the freshest ingredients…
Same here. Bulk grains don’t work for me either no room for storage. You save 4 or 5 bucks. Bulk hops are easy to store in my freezer above keg fridge, I pay about .50/oz so save about $6/ batch. I don’t know about the kits being fresh. Are they crushed to order or are they sitting on a shelf for awhile?
I agree with this. If I find a recipe that comes as a kit, I compare the individual ingredients before purchasing. Most of the time, as mentioned, the simple kits are cheaper when you compare what you can buy. However, what I find is that you end up having 8oz of this, a pound of that, etc. left over that you have to find something to do.
Pretty soon, I am going to make a “kitchen sink” brew and (within reason) use up most of what I have sitting around. That includes hops as well.
I too harvest my yeast, and then I just try and find recipes that will allow me to use that yeast up. Sure, it can sometimes dictate the style of beer that I have to brew, but I have 3-4 strains stored that I can pick from for a while. In fact, I have two vials that I haven’t used yet (purchased recently, so still fresh).
The kits that I do buy, unless I plan on using them right away, I get unmilled, so they will last longer.
Same here. Bulk grains don’t work for me either no room for storage. You save 4 or 5 bucks. Bulk hops are easy to store in my freezer above keg fridge, I pay about .50/oz so save about $6/ batch. I don’t know about the kits being fresh. Are they crushed to order or are they sitting on a shelf for awhile?[/quote]
Depends on your situation. The home brew stores here sell malt somewhere between 2.20 and 4.00 Euro/kg ($1 - $2 per pound). I can buy 25 kg sacks directly from the malting company for 12-15 Euros ($0.23 - $0.29 per pound). I save $10-$15 on a typical batch by buying malt in bulk. And I’ll save $8-$12 per batch (if you include the cost of DME for a starter) if I repitch harvested yeast.
My total cost of a typical 5 gallon batch runs about $3-$4 for malt, $3-$6 for hops, $0-$12 for yeast, and $6-$7 for propane.
It can be a very cheap hobby, if you don’t count all the hours spent on it.
Same here. Bulk grains don’t work for me either no room for storage. You save 4 or 5 bucks. Bulk hops are easy to store in my freezer above keg fridge, I pay about .50/oz so save about $6/ batch. I don’t know about the kits being fresh. Are they crushed to order or are they sitting on a shelf for awhile?[/quote]
I am fortunate in that I live by Northern Brewer’s St. Paul location and work near their Minneapolis location, so just stop in to their stores. The all grain “kits” are not prepackaged for retail store customers, and exist on paper only. I have to pull all of the grains from the bulk bins and then crush them myself in their mill room, as well as pull the hops and yeast packages from their refrigerators. Since they turnover their stock quickly I am assured of always getting relatively fresh ingredients.
Same here. Bulk grains don’t work for me either no room for storage. You save 4 or 5 bucks. Bulk hops are easy to store in my freezer above keg fridge, I pay about .50/oz so save about $6/ batch. I don’t know about the kits being fresh. Are they crushed to order or are they sitting on a shelf for awhile?[/quote]
Storing large quantities of grain isn’t a real problem for me, my only issue would be using it all before it lost its freshness.
Buying hops in larger quantities is a good idea. How long will they stay fresh in a freezer?
Here is a link to a good article:
From what I’ve read if you can store the unmilled grains in an air tight container that also keep pests at bay, the freshness will last quite a while.
I currently don’t brew enough to buy a bunch at a time, so I just buy what I need when I want to brew and brew within a few days.
I bought my hops vacume sealed. Once you open them probably should use them within six months. I got a lb of amerilla incase there is another shortage.
I brew 1 gal batches, kits and self assembled ingredients. I’m not running a business and don’t have to make a profit, its a hobby. At the end of the brewday, did I enjoy myself? (PS I’ve more expensive hobbies than brewing).
I have a couple of the big 60 lb vittle vaults(appr $30 each on amazon) currently holding munich and 2 row that I bought from the local LHBS. The sack of 2 row was about $50. I think a pay about $65 for 55lbs Munich and Vienna.
I also buy the hops I use most in 1 lb bags and have been storing them in double zip lock bags, that I try to squeeze as much are from as possible, in my lagering fridge. So pretty close to freezing. They seem to last quite a while.
I harvest and reuse yeast from nearly every batch if I’m not pumping fresh wort right onto the previously used cake.
SWMBO will tell you I’m the least thrifty person alive. I just like the idea of being able to brew on short notice.
Last year I brewed 25 batches averaged about $25/ batch. What’s a kit average, maybe $40. That’s 15x25=$375. To me that’s nice change.
