Cheapest fastest brewing beer for a young guy

[shacked]

+1 for spending a little extra coin to get a better product. Coopers have some good ingredients and some straight forward recipes on their site.

If you are looking to save a bit, why not look into reusing your yeast or re-culturing yeast from a coopers tallie (or other bottle fermented beer).

You could then buy a better yeast like US05, Notto etc for $5 and reuse it over 3 or 4 brews OR just buy a tallie for $5 and drink the beer and reuse the bottle yeast!

 

[Florian]

Get Belle Saison and ferment @ ambient, she'll be rite maite!!!

Memainmon: DON'T try this until you're WELL familiar with a lot of beer styles & know what you like to drink. He's having a lend of you....... 'Nuf said.

Why? Because most of us have done it that way?

OP is looking for cheap piss, why not at least use a yeast that naturally ferments best (meaning less off flavours) at higher temps, rather than a yeast that ferments best at 18 degrees and throws heaps of horrible flavours into the beer when fermented hot?

I reckon a coles twocan fermented with a cheap saison yeast in the garage might serve his purpose just right.

 

[indica86]

. He's having a lend of you....... 'Nuf said.

Not really. It'll be good beer.

 

[memainmon]

If you can find Coopers original series Lager on special for $12 or less, just use two tins with one of the kit yeasts (it tends to froth a bit) and keep it as cool as possible .... wet towels whatever.
You'll get a far more tasty beer than using dextrose and fewer off flavours, and still ten bucks a slab equivalent.

How would one can compare to two? And I am going to rig up a bar fridge so I can easily control the temp, is the lower end temps always better? I've decided fastest isn't the way to go but i'm still trying to save money.

 

[sp0rk]

How would one can compare to two? And I am going to rig up a bar fridge so I can easily control the temp, is the lower end temps always better? I've decided fastest isn't the way to go but i'm still trying to save money.

The second can is being used for it's sugar content (also the bitterness and malt flavours make some contributions to flavour) instead of adding a kilo of dextrose/sugar/dry malt
If you don't use a second can, you'll need to add a kilo of extra sugars

 

[InterCooL]

memainmon, what equipment do you have already?

My first brew from woolworths using coopers kit, brew enhancer 2, drops and caps cost about $25 for 23L. Is that too expensive?

 

[Killer Brew]

Why? Because most of us have done it that way?

OP is looking for cheap piss, why not at least use a yeast that naturally ferments best (meaning less off flavours) at higher temps, rather than a yeast that ferments best at 18 degrees and throws heaps of horrible flavours into the beer when fermented hot?

I reckon a coles twocan fermented with a cheap saison yeast in the garage might serve his purpose just right.

Agreed. I knocked this up and just started drinking now. Must say that it is very good! All up around $50 for 23 litres and 6% ABV. Fermented at mid 20's.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/84632-easy-saison/

1.7kg Blackrock Pale Ale
1.7kg Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat
500g LDME
25g Saaz Hops
11g Belle Saison Yeast

 

[TheBigD]

:icon_drool2:

er, sorry, I meant

:icon_vomit:

at the end of the day, (from my perspective) it's worth paying a little more for some quality ingredients, you cant turn a pile of **** into chocolate cake but you can make a chocolate cake **** (referring to even quality ingredients can be ****** up) but if the quality is there and you have the process, it's gunna be OK

LOL yeah it will be below par but the OP did request cheap! Ive never brewed a woollies can but im sure id be able to get through it no problem and neither would broke uni students and it would probably resemble what they usually drink Tun Bitter or hammer and tongs so theyd love it even more.

 

[Bribie G]

Are the kit yeast included in the tins you mentioned or do you buy them seperate?

The kit yeast isn't too bad, and as posted it's under the lid. Out of necessity I've recently done two AG brews with kit yeast and they turned out ok.. not the best but good quaffers.

Using two tins you get a more commercial tasting beer as opposed to a thinner more "cidery" brew that you often get with just one tin and a kilo of sugar or dextrose or something.

Pity you live in Geelong, the Aldi stores don't have liquor there yet. So you won't be able to chug Rivet Lager at a dollar a tin while you are waiting for your next brew

 

[TheWiggman]

I've been a uni student and that meant for many occasions I couldn't drink anything except Fruity Lexia if I wanted to drink and eat lunch that week. $30/week was all I had to go by and home brew looked bloody good because it meant I could drink beer.
A group of blokes actually split the cost of a Coopers kit so they could afford it. We then did a brew off-campus (weren't allowed to brew) and donated empties to fill. I still remember my first sip actually... tasted cheap, and wasn't wine. Oh yeah.

Fermenting fridge? Additional hops? Controller? Pah, I was lucky enough to afford meals outside of summer. I can understand where OP is coming from and I'm impressed at the advice in this thread. Sadly some people can't pay more for quality so it's either low quality, or go without.

I say go with home brew and love it. I support the toucan Coopers lager.

 

[memainmon]

I have been swayed to the toucan idea, seeing as I'll be using a small brew fridge is the colder end of the temp range always better? I have decided to not worry about the time factor. Theres some nearby aldi's with liquor but if we're going for off the shelf savings the poor student cocktail i've seen is goon and cordial (shudders).

 

[memainmon]

haha i was just replying when i saw the goon post Thewiggman gets it.

 

[memainmon]

Is there much of a consensus on the homebrand coles and woolies kits? Which ones to avoid/which are good?

 

[Bribie G]

Of course if you want to get really hammered on the cheap:

4kg white sugar, cheapest you can find
250g of powdered ginger (buy it in packs from an Asian Store, not the ripoff little Mckenzies packs at supermarkets)
3 teaspoons of yeast nutrient, the white one from a home brew shop
Champagne yeast from home brew shop. Can be reused several times.

Ferment to dryness, serve with a splash of Bickfords or Bundaberg ginger beer cordial per glass, crushed pineapple, mint leaves, cocktail umbrella..... :lol:

That's how I started on the slipperty slope to beer brewing. Tastes remarkably ok if served cold and a good splash of the cordial. Drunk for $3. Dead Drunk for $5. Dead for $10.


Another winner at about $1.20 a litre:

20L Aldi clear apple juice at a dollar a litre
3 tsp yeast nutrient
kilo of white sugar
champagne or cider yeast from brew shop.

Ferment to dryness and serve with a splash of Bickford's cloudy apple cordial per glass.

I make this one regulary, turns out just as good as Bulmers. Not a gourmet farmhouse cider, but not intended to be anyway.

 

[memainmon]

Of course if you want to get really hammered on the cheap:

4kg white sugar, cheapest you can find
250g of powdered ginger (buy it in packs from an Asian Store, not the ripoff little Mckenzies packs at supermarkets)
3 teaspoons of yeast nutrient, the white one from a home brew shop
Champagne yeast from home brew shop. Can be reused several times.

Ferment to dryness, serve with a splash of Bickfords or Bundaberg ginger beer cordial per glass, crushed pineapple, mint leaves, cocktail umbrella..... :lol:

That's how I started on the slipperty slope to beer brewing. Tastes remarkably ok if served cold and a good splash of the cordial. Drunk for $3. Dead Drunk for $5. Dead for $10.


Another winner at about $1.20 a litre:

20L Aldi clear apple juice at a dollar a litre
3 tsp yeast nutrient
kilo of white sugar
champagne or cider yeast from brew shop.

Ferment to dryness and serve with a splash of Bickford's cloudy apple cordial per glass.

I make this one regulary, turns out just as good as Bulmers. Not a gourmet farmhouse cider, but not intended to be anyway.

Think il pass on the first one hahah. Do you just use an oztop for the cider? Actually interested in doing a drinkable cider. Also any idea on the beer temp question?

 

[Droopy Brew]

Ferment at 18C and you wont go wrong mate

 

[Bribie G]

I keg my cider but you can use supermarket 1.25L sparkling mineral water bottles (the 69c variety) plus a well heaped teaspoon of sugar in each (get a small funnel) to prime them and they work just fine.
I'd even be tempted to buy the bottles in the form of lemonade and toss most of that into the fermenter as well, would probably make something quite palatable alongside the apple juice.

Kit beer does best at around 20 degrees.

Or 18 as posted, 20 gets you there a tad quicker.

 

[memainmon]

Ferment at 18C and you wont go wrong mate

Nice no variance with beer type? I was going to just go bottom end of the recommended kit range otherwise.

 

[Florian]

I'd even be tempted to buy the bottles in the form of lemonade

Now where is that photo again?

Come on Michael, there are people here that haven't seen it yet!

 

[TimT]

Go with what the other folks suggest, shell out the $5 or so for a packet of good yeast like Nottingham or something like that and keep it going indefinitely. After a few days it'll sink down to the bottom of the brew and within a week - two weeks, tops - you'll be able to bottle your brew and pitch another beer on top of the yeast cake.

Over generations the yeast will develop a tolerance for higher alcohol levels, and you can also breed it - ie, when it's at its most active and is all floating around the top of the brew, you can take a scoop off the top and build a yeast starter on that. Then you'll have two batches of yeast where previously you had one, and should one fail you'll be able to bring the other out. Repeat as necessary.

I reckon you can keep a good yeast like Notto going indefinitely.

 

[pipsyboy]

Now where is that photo again?

Come on Michael, there are people here that haven't seen it yet!

I haven't.

 

[memainmon]

whats this photo thats got such a following?

 

[Maheel]

this one ?

 

[fletcher]

if you're after the cheapest and 'fastest' thing to drink, why spend money? grab some bread crusts, water, and sugar and make pruno. $5 tops. enjoy.

 

[elcarter]

Oh my...

 

[stux]

if you're after the cheapest and 'fastest' thing to drink, why spend money? grab some bread crusts, water, and sugar and make pruno. $5 tops. enjoy.

Bonus botulism too

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660710/

 

[memainmon]

So long as we're trading pubmed links

''i did not inhale''
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14870871

 

[stux]

So long as we're trading pubmed links

''i did not inhale''
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14870871

She must've done one helluva good job

 

[billygoat]

Pity you live in Geelong, the Aldi stores don't have liquor there yet. So you won't be able to chug Rivet Lager at a dollar a tin while you are waiting for your next brew

Not sure where you got your information, but Aldi stores in Vic sell alcohol. So if he wants to chug Rivet Lager he is most welcome.

 

[fletcher]

Bonus botulism too

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660710/

must have no-chilled it...