Cheapest fastest brewing beer for a young guy

[MaltyHops]

Bonus botulism too

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

I like where it quotes:

"... each of the 4 inmates drank ≈16 ounces or more of the pruno, which they described later to a prison nurse as being “magenta in color” and “smelling like baby-poop."

 

[Grott]

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


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.

Your obviously still alive, so spent between $5 and $9.99? :chug:

 

[monkeymagik]

If you can find a supermarket that still stocks kits

- Coopers Pale kit
- 1 kg coopers light dry malt

maybe grab some extra hops from a homebrew store. Cascade, galaxy or Citra

Follow this recipe https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Ds7iqgerF748&ei=agveVJP1I8uD8gXYhoCQCQ&usg=AFQjCNGUuhc8lV2Dvr_OyYiH1PAF0agoGA&sig2=x-2WmxSKQpOCHOLXnMnZSA&bvm=bv.85970519,d.dGc

Also worth signing up to the coopers online store. They give a discount just for signing up, often have really good beer of the month recipe kits and also frequently throw in free delivery.

 

[Jazzman]

I've been on a quest for povo beer too!
I made one with the homebrand draught and brew enhancer 2. It is ok except under carbed because I have grolsch bottles and was frightened of bottle bombs. But fizzy and cold would be fine. The coopers Pale I made was ok too.
As said try and keep the temp to 20. Thats really important. DAMHIKT.
Also, check out Pat Macks Caps. I bought some of these and the yeast he sells and I've got some crackin cider in the fridge now. Cheapest homebrand apple juice and a bit of sugar. It's all on the site. ! week from start to drinking!!!

 

[Jazzman]

Sorry didn't read the entire thread so missed Bribie G's most excellent recipes!
You could do that with the caps then you don't need fermenters etc. All done in PET bottles.

 

[bonk1972]

I've recently experimented with the Woolworths homebrand cans mainly the draught I've used just Dex.... I've used inhancer 2 ....also used 1kg of light dry malt .... in the first 3 brews in the 4 brew I used galaxy hops witch I got from big w for $3.00 .... As a tea bag I think it was brigalow brand..
The nicest beer was the draught can $8.60 .,brew inhancer 2.. $6.00, brigalow galaxy hops..$3.00 add after 5 days using the yeast under the lid... The hops really makes a difference....can't believe I haven't used hop before.... I've just bottled the woolies lager can using the same ingredients haven't tried it yet

 

[alburke90]

I saw some homebrand cans the other day for $12... comes with yeast.

It wont be good but it will be beer.

To be honest, I have to disagree. I just posted a recipe that costs about 45 bucks when you include water costs (8 bang for 20 litres from ALDI) and it is the best I have ever made.

I would highly recommend the Home Brand Draught from Woolies

Just ping in 30 gs galaxy and 30 gs cascade, 1 kg LMDE, carapils grains and s05 yeast and your good to go for a hoegaarden/stone and wood style beer :kooi:

 

[Pogierob]

Op wants cheap and doesn't care for.flavour.
For $45 he could basically get a double batch if not a triple if bought in bulk.
I know most of us are thinking. Quality over quantity but I'm pretty sure he is thinking quantity over quality.

 

[mrsupraboy]

If u wanted cheap but good I buy everything in bulk. Grain hops etc. I find a 25l batch barely costs $15 when you add it up.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

If u wanted cheap but good I buy everything in bulk. Grain hops etc. I find a 25l batch barely costs $15 when you add it up.

If you ignore the cost of gear. I suspect young mate wants to invest in little more than a fermenter and rinsing out some VB bottles.

 

[TheBigD]

I've just purchased a can of home brand lager $8.60 and Tooheys lager $10 from woollies just to experiment with them. planning on brewing them with BE2 and Nottingham yeast pitched to 20L to see how they taste. Hoping for fast cheap mega swill tasting keg fillers.

 

[Jazzman]

I've gotta say, even though l recommended it, my woolies mega swill tastes like weak tooheys.
And l don't like tooheys.
So......
Get a coopers can, an old paint bucket ( cleaned with brewers soap, the pink **** you get from the homebrew shop- this is GOOD **** and the half kilo lasts forEVAH)
then go onto
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator/
add some sugar
don't make 23 litres, maybe 14, ( it's what l do and comes out frickin AWESOME!!! )
Chuck in some hops toward the end ( 10gms of Galaxy- all your mates will say "YOU ARE ROCKIN !!!")
Then bottle it with raw sugar to gas- it's the best, really.

 

[Nizmoose]

Jeeez what were some of you people doing during uni!? I'm not a fan of getting on the old high horse but I'm in my fourth year of full time study work two jobs have two cars and brew small batch all grain do some nightfill or something and smash out some completely reasonable coopers kit beers and never buy beer again

 

[i-a-n]

Woollies home brand kit draught $8.90
1 kilo of home brand sugar $1.98
kit yeast
mix to 23l and place FV in your laundry tub fill with cold water some large ice blocks or ice packs you freezed the night before, change ice packs or ad ice as needed to keep the temp down

Two and a half cartons for under $11

That's just what we did as students.
Fermented it out, transferred to something like a Bunnings 25 litre water carrier fitted with a tap and drank it flat. Maybe added a drop of cheap cider for fizz.
Happy days.

 

[TheBigD]

I just kegged my homebrand beer over a week ago and bottled four tasters

here is what I did

Homebrand kit plus 1 kg of light dry malt 400grams of dex (didn't bother with BE2) made to 21 litres pitched @ 23c rehydrated US05, fermented at 17-18c

I wasn't going to bother hopping just to see what the kit was like but I tasted a sample after four days in the fermentor and I got the better of myself, I thought f#ck it I don't want a bland beer so I did a 15min hop tea with the following
15g nelson sav
15g chinook
15g Amarillo

Straight into the fermenter unstrained and then dry hopped with the same amount and kegged after two weeks.

I just had a taster after a week and its really good at this early stage and some what surprised.

Even though I didn't do a super budget brew I would definitely use a homebrand can again for a base.

 

[AntonW]

This is a great thread.

This is what I'd do, based on everything here, plus a few of my own ideas:




1. Buy PET bottles (use lemonade or something else that's carbonated, ferment that too, and keep the bottles.)

2. A fermenter (there's always someone getting rid of one - keep scrounging until you have at least two though).

3. Get a decent yeast like Notto, treat it well and reuse it indefinitely.

4. Onecan or toucan, maybe with a little sugar

5. Avoid infected beers by cleaning everything promptly, and by not touching your beer stuff with anything dirty. Use bleach if you must - you might have to use a bleach preparation on the fermenters you acquire.



Once I'd saved a litte cash making my own drinks, I would get:

1. A stand capper and some caps. (Optional, if the PETs are working fine.)

2. Temp control, an old chest freezer (cheaper to run) and a heat source.

3. Thermometer.

Then I'd make a 5-7 litre stove top mash, I'd sparge with a colander and a kettle, boil the wort with some hops, and ferment the result with a ~15 litre onecan or toucan.

 

[trustyrusty]

Woolworths I think now have home brand kit (red label, think it maybe Tooheys New) - $ 8.90 + 1kg sugar (dont worry about good fermentables here) (or maybe 2kG if want it stronger ) = 10.90 = 60 x stubbies = 17c each (or 34c Long neck).. 2 weeks in bottle = cheap beer. Probably won't be great but you will P&%&^&ed...

Sorry did not see post from BIGD re home brand.... my prices where spot on

By the way in BIGW you can get the airlocks for $4.00 (and the taps I think) - so if you can get a good seal container - pretty sure the 25 lt plastic paint containers are ok...., add that and away you go? +$20? cheers

 

[michaelpls]

Just an idea, not sure if it has been brought up already.... But would making Belgian Candi from cheap cane sugar and then using it with something like a Coopers real ale kit be a good idea? That would work out fairly cheap.

-Coopers Real Ale Kit : ~$12
-1KG (or 2KG) Home brand sugar : ~$2-$4

Total - ~$14-16

 

[thylacine]

"...Of course if one is a poor uni student or a 'brewer' after quick alcohol, a reliable remedy is "Bush Champaign...l"
ie. Methylated spirits and Sal Vital

"...Roger Jose lived terrible close
To a place they call The Loo
He lived in an upturned rain water tank
And he played the didgeridoo
Roger liked to drink bush champagne
'Twas he who coined that title
To a bloody good slug of metho
And a spoonful of Sal Vital..."

 

[panzerd18]

Just an idea, not sure if it has been brought up already.... But would making Belgian Candi from cheap cane sugar and then using it with something like a Coopers real ale kit be a good idea? That would work out fairly cheap.

-Coopers Real Ale Kit : ~$12
-1KG (or 2KG) Home brand sugar : ~$2-$4

Total - ~$14-16

Yep, you could really do anything. I think that's part of the fun of it.