Considering that i am constantly upgrading, experimenting, and using my time. I dont think homebrewing will ever be cost efficient. Plus i still buy a lot of commercial beer.
The best way to make brewing cost efficient, is to get a job brewing :cheers:
[quote=“ickyfoot”]Great thread!
On a side note, for those of you who buy hops by the pound, how do you store them? I have some open packages doubled bagged in ziplocks in the freezer, but they get that weird freezer smell before too long…
It’s awesome buying grain in bulk and shoveling it into the grinder out back on the patio :cheers: [/quote]
1lb will fit in a qt mason jar.
:shock:
:shock: [/quote]
:shock:
[quote=“bunderbunder”]YEAST at 14 Euros per smack pack. . .
[/quote]
Man, I would start bottle-harvesting at that point. Isn’t Fermentis (US-05, S-04, etc) a European Company? I would guess that price has some serious import costs built in for WYeast.
As many others mentioned… buying in bulk. You can get base malt for under 60¢/lb. Specialty grains for only a little more. Hops you can get at $1/oz or even much lower. New Belma hop this year was $5/lb. That’s about 31¢/oz. Vacuum sealing your hops and freezing them will help them last. Collecting and reusing yeast is a HUGE money saver. Rinsed yeast in a sanitized mason jar in the fridge can last months.
And when you get to the point when you’re ready, buy in bulk but split things with other brewers. I’ll get my own sacks of base malts and things like Munich or Vienna, but I’ll split sacks of flaked grains, crystals, and roasted malts. Hops too. Buy many different varieties and split 1lbs into 1/2lbs and share the cost and shipping with other brewers. Swap yeasts with other brewers.
2 years ago I made a Belgian Triple that cost me only about $10 for 5 gallons. The grain and hops were dirt cheap from buying in bulk group buys. The yeast was collected and reused from a Patersbier.
[quote=“Pietro”][quote=“bunderbunder”]YEAST at 14 Euros per smack pack. . .
[/quote]
Man, I would start bottle-harvesting at that point. Isn’t Fermentis (US-05, S-04, etc) a European Company? I would guess that price has some serious import costs built in for WYeast.[/quote]
That is the price for WYeast, which does need special care to ship from the US NW. Fermentis packs go for about 5€, and yes I have at times engaged in extreme attempts to get the most from a yeast purchase, but I really like brewing variety, so I pay what i have to.
What I have not yet tried is dried yeast from a local mfg, but it only comes in 3 strains: beer, wine & bread.
I think if you brew Belgians and sours, this hobby is very cost efficient. I love Orval, but it costs $5-6 per bottle. That’s $120-$144 per case, or ~$250-$300 per 5 gallons. Same is true for Rochfort beers. Love them, but they would easily cost $300+ per five gallons if I were to buy them at retail. A lambic or sour can often run $15-$20 per bottle.
I’ve probably brewed 30 or more belgian and sour beers over the past several years. But even brewing one batch can significantly offset your costs. I figure I’ve already offset my ingredients and equipment several times over.
So really, it’s all perspective.
[quote=“sl8w”]I think if you brew Belgians and sours, this hobby is very cost efficient. I love Orval, but it costs $5-6 per bottle. That’s $120-$144 per case, or ~$250-$300 per 5 gallons. Same is true for Rochfort beers. Love them, but they would easily cost $300+ per five gallons if I were to buy them at retail. A lambic or sour can often run $15-$20 per bottle.
I’ve probably brewed 30 or more belgian and sour beers over the past several years. But even brewing one batch can significantly offset your costs. I figure I’ve already offset my ingredients and equipment several times over.
So really, it’s all perspective.[/quote]
Funny thing, I was just running some numbers for a project on my HBC’s site. I figured a cost of close to $400 for a 5g batch of average beer. From recipe conception to in the bottle. Expendables at $40-50 and labor in the $300 range for 15hrs of work. That is $20/hr. Then take out taxes, insurance, retirement… you are down to ~$12/hr.
That is for supplying someone with beer.
If I’m doing it for myself, it only cost $15-$20 for ingredients. Everything else it free. :cheers:
Here in Sweden I do save a lot on brewing good beer. Today I went to the liquor shop “systembolaget”, they monopoly chain we got here. They totally rob you. :evil: I was looking for some USA brewed beer, so i could taste some of them I want to clone brew. I tell you what
one 355ml Brooklyn lager cost 3,45 dollar
one 355ml Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA cost 4,22 dollar
one 355ml Samuel Boston Ale cost 2,98 dollar
even a single Budweiser cost 2,58 dollar
I spent 27 dollar on 8 bottles… Blaaam!
If i brew an all grain clone of Boston ale it cost somewhere around 45 dollar for 20 liter that’s 0,75 per bottle, or lets say I save 150-180 dollar per brew.
That what I love about this
Cheers :cheers:
WIth high gravity beers, hard to beat NB kits compared to the commercial beers.
Most Costco cases of decent beers like New Belgium, Boulevard, and Sam Adams are about $23 a case and an equivalent Northern Brewer kit is still cheaper than 2 cases of that.
[quote=“wictorsson”]Here in Sweden I do save a lot on brewing good beer. Today I went to the liquor shop “systembolaget”, they monopoly chain we got here. They totally rob you. :evil: I was looking for some USA brewed beer, so i could taste some of them I want to clone brew. I tell you what
one 355ml Brooklyn lager cost 3,45 dollar
one 355ml Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA cost 4,22 dollar
one 355ml Samuel Boston Ale cost 2,98 dollar
even a single Budweiser cost 2,58 dollar
I spent 27 dollar on 8 bottles… Blaaam!
If i brew an all grain clone of Boston ale it cost somewhere around 45 dollar for 20 liter that’s 0,75 per bottle, or lets say I save 150-180 dollar per brew.
That what I love about this
Cheers :cheers: [/quote]
hopefully your cost at the store will go down after this gets up and running
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jan ... to-europe/The problem over here is not the breweries, even though I do welcome foreign breweries to establish here for more brands to choose from. The problem is Sweden. Even the cheapest worst quality beer her cost about 1,70 dollar for 33cl and 1,20 of this is tax. At a pub, around 10-12 usd for “crap” beer
Welcome to the land of taxes…
But, if i go to Germany (250km) I can buy a 24 pack 33 cl Carlsberg, Spendrups or even a Swedish Norrlands Guld, exported beer to Germany for 7 usd.
How do they think then, if they think at all.
Once you have all of the equipment it is allot cheaper to brew your own depending on how much you drink/brew. I was spending around 300-400$ a month on store bought beer. Now i brew a few times a month and I spend less then half of that.
If you want cost efficient beer . . . . buy a good fridge to put a commercial keg in and buy/serve your beer in bulk. If you want an awesome hobby, a sense of satisfaction and the ability to eventually match what the big boys do . . … . .keep brewing (and buying all manner of things). Truth be told, the “cost effectiveness” of brewing would be questionable at best. But, that is ok - it is a great hobby, and, it is a hobby that does offset some expenses (buying beer) that you would still have. But, I don’t know that you get to a point where you start “making money” or anything like that. It is kind of like asking a hunter when the meat he gets, from the game he hunts, will cancel out the cost - probably never - but, who cares - it is awesome.
As mentioned -the key is really all grain/bulk purchase of hops, grain and reusing yeast. Ingredients can easily get to $15-$20 a batch… but you will find ways to spend your savings elsewhere - I promise:)
Holy christ man… You on a diet of all-belgian-sour beers at $15 for 750ml bottles? I thought I spent a crazy amt. on beer…How? I suppose if you drank 100 $4 pints a month at a bar… I need to know:)
Holy christ man… You on a diet of all-belgian-sour beers at $15 for 750ml bottles? I thought I spent a crazy amt. on beer…How? I suppose if you drank 100 $4 pints a month at a bar… I need to know:)[/quote]
I did beer trades for one. 4 6packs on a weekend (10-15$ each) Plus another bomber or two (8-22$ each) then another 6 pack or 2 over the week days (another 10-15$ each) plus if the wife and I stopped at the brewery you can put another 30-50$ on there. This was just a average week.
Yeah my wife encourages me to brew now. Most the beer I brew is around 20$ or less for 5 gallons. Last one came out to less then 14$ per 5.5 gallons. Because of buying in bulk, using well water, and harvesting yeast.
In played golf one time; broke a hundred, but by then it was too dark to play the second hole.
Home brewing is supposed to be ‘cost-efficient’? :o
