Cheapest fastest brewing beer for a young guy

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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).
 
haha i was just replying when i saw the goon post Thewiggman gets it.
 
Is there much of a consensus on the homebrand coles and woolies kits? Which ones to avoid/which are good?
 
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.
 
Bribie G said:
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?
 
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.
 
Droopy Brew said:
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.
 
Bribie G said:
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!
 
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.
 
this one ?

PeakBeerSmall.jpg
 
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.
 
Bribie G said:
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 :p
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.
 
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