Cost To Make All Grain Beer

[pjwhite5]

Hello All,

I have just brewed my first All Grain Beer (BIAB) and am just wondering what all you All Grain brewers spend on average on the Malt bill for your beers.
I have been using Beersmith to play with a few recipes and inputting the cost of grain from the various HBS in my area, and most beers are costing in the vicinity of 25 dollars in grain per brew, I understand the buying Bulk grain the cost is reduced, but just wondering what the average brewer spends on grain.

Thanks in advance

Cheers


Cede

 

[Barramundi]

i got 5 kgs of base grain for $17 on the weekend

 

[Dave86]

Depends on if you pay postage on your malt, using specialty malts, etc... I use maris otter and weyermann bo pils as my base malts, more expensive, but figure it should make up for my lack of skill slightly My last batch was made using 4.65 kg of malt for 23L (some of which was posted) and it would have cost me about $14.90 So, that works out to be $3.20/kg. Buying your base malts in bulk really is the way to go, you'll use it faster than you think :icon_drunk:

 

[reg]

I get my grain from G&G
I am in the grain book, which basically means I paid $130 for 50kg of grain.
When I need the grain I just give them a call and they have what ever I want cracked and waiting.
They store it and everything.
Most brew shops should do the same thing.

Reg

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Depends on if you pay postage on your malt, using specialty malts, etc... I use maris otter and weyermann bo pils as my base malts, more expensive, but figure it should make up for my lack of skill slightly My last batch was made using 4.65 kg of malt for 23L (some of which was posted) and it would have cost me about $14.90 So, that works out to be $3.20/kg. Buying your base malts in bulk really is the way to go, you'll use it faster than you think :icon_drunk:

Also depends on your system efficiency.With good efficiency it should take an average 17 kg to make 100 liters of 1048 beer.Which equals 1.7 kg per 10 l , at the price we sell imported base malts per 25 kg bag ($3.00 per Kg), Weyerman, bairds etc it would cost locally as a pick up $5.10 per 10 L so 100 l would cost $51.00.Cheap.
GB

 

[dc59]

Most HBS's sell 25kg bags of JW base malt for $60. Which turns out to be $2.40 per kilo. If you get in on a bulk buy you could be paying as little as $45 for a sack, don't buy in 4 kg bags each time you brew it'll cost way to much.

I use dry yeast and normally reuse them once, so price of yeast is $2 per brew

I'm a lttle more conservative with hops than others and will generally use about 50-60grams per brew which will cost about $5 per brew (100g for $9 at my local HBS).

Including a couple dollars each brew for gas and another couple dollars for specialty grain and it probably costs me about $20 for most beers. Not bad for two cases worth of beer B)

 

[jojai]

I've spent up to $50.00 for a brew and I would do it again, 2 cartons of full flavor beer and a day worth of fun brewing it, it's priceless. I bought bulk grain recently and I can see that making it a lot cheaper, as others have said, even hbs sell 25kg bags usually (more expensive than bulk buys, but still pretty cheap). Get a grain mill and start cracking!

 

[sinkas]

As Jojai alluded too, but far too few seem to, unless your tighter than a fishes asshole, or a dero, the actual cost of the ingrediants is insignificant, in that the amount of your time put into making it, should be valued at many many times the ingrediants.
HAving said that, I think some HBS's her are taking the piss with 90+dollar bags of Pils malt...

 

[Barramundi]

I've spent up to $50.00 for a brew and I would do it again, 2 cartons of full flavor beer and a day worth of fun brewing it, it's priceless. I bought bulk grain recently and I can see that making it a lot cheaper, as others have said, even hbs sell 25kg bags usually (more expensive than bulk buys, but still pretty cheap). Get a grain mill and start cracking!

still 1/2 the price or better that if you had to buy an equal beer to that which you made ...


bulk grain buying is the way to go but you also need somewhere to keep it ... for those in melbourne the grain and grape 'grain book' seems a good plan , call them for details on how it works exactly but in a nutshell you buy two bags of grain upfront and collect what you want when you want it (they require a days notice to crack it for you)until you knock off your 50 kgs , your buying bulk without the hassle of storing it and you get it fresh every time too as they dont actually put the grain aside ....

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Also depends on your system efficiency.With good efficiency it should take an average 17 kg to make 100 liters of 1048 beer.Which equals 1.7 kg per 10 l , at the price we sell imported base malts per 25 kg bag ($3.00 per Kg), Weyerman, bairds etc it would cost locally as a pick up $5.10 per 10 L so 100 l would cost $51.00.Cheap.
GB

Cheap when you compare the price at around $14 per litre over the bar for megaswill, or near on $4 per litre by the carton.

BYB

 

[alexbrand]

Hi,

I never tried to calculate the cost. I'm afraid of the result!

Well, I mean it's a hobby...

Alex

 

[Trent]

If I have a day off work, even just taking into account it takes about 6 hours, then you put in the $25 cost of ingredient, plus 6 hours at $25 per hour, then another 2 hours for racking and bottling, is approximately $225 for a 23L batch.
Maybe I should give up and just buy megaswill
realistically, if yer in this to make cheap beer, stick with K+K, or go all grain and do 1035-1040 OG, with 15IBU. An extra $10 spent on ingredients works out about an 20 cents per glass of beer - hardly worth worrying too much about. Or thats my 2c (20c?) worth.
All the best
Trent

 

[stowaway]

bulk grain buying is the way to go but you also need somewhere to keep it ... for those in melbourne the grain and grape 'grain book' seems a good plan , call them for details on how it works exactly but in a nutshell you buy two bags of grain upfront and collect what you want when you want it (they require a days notice to crack it for you)until you knock off your 50 kgs , your buying bulk without the hassle of storing it and you get it fresh every time too as they dont actually put the grain aside ....

Do the good guys at Craftbrewers (Ross) do this?? [or anyone in Gold Coast would be good too]

 

[stowaway]

I got into brewing 2/3 months ago. (im going to all grain this weekend)
My costs so far (roughly. memory is a bit foggy):
Fridge $100
Original Tap/regulator Setup: $200
CO2 Bottle: $300
Second Tap: $50
Wine Fridge: $150
Fermenter x 4 : $120
Cubes x 4 : 80
Hydrometer x 3 (broke 2) : $45
Kits x 10 : 150
Malt/dex x 10: 150
yeast x 5 : 15
Misc Grain for extras: $ 10
Misc Hops for extras: $20
Easy Siphon: $15
Beer Filter: $80
Misc Hosing: $10
Sanataiser/wipes/cleaners: $20

all grain
------
Stockpot : $120
Refractometre: $60
Burner & Reg : $120
Grain&Hops for 1st grain: $20
-------
$1745 First 3 months
------
Hope it gets cheaper
People spend alot more on their hobbies tho.

 

[reviled]

I got into brewing 2/3 months ago. (im going to all grain this weekend)
My costs so far (roughly. memory is a bit foggy):
Fridge $100
Original Tap/regulator Setup: $200
CO2 Bottle: $300
Second Tap: $50
Wine Fridge: $150
Fermenter x 4 : $120
Cubes x 4 : 80
Hydrometer x 3 (broke 2) : $45
Kits x 10 : 150
Malt/dex x 10: 150
yeast x 5 : 15
Misc Grain for extras: $ 10
Misc Hops for extras: $20
Easy Siphon: $15
Beer Filter: $80
Misc Hosing: $10
Sanataiser/wipes/cleaners: $20

all grain
------
Stockpot : $120
Refractometre: $60
Burner & Reg : $120
Grain&Hops for 1st grain: $20
-------
$1745 First 3 months
------
Hope it gets cheaper
People spend alot more on their hobbies tho.

People do spend more, and they dont save money at the same time, think of how much it would have cost you to buy all of those beers at the shop!!! :icon_cheers:

 

[stowaway]

i just worked out the cost of my second ag (havent even done the first one yet)
its going to be $43 for all ingredients from craftbrewers.

im making Oscar Octoberfest (with a few adjustments.. as i cant get all the right hops)

 

[Dave86]

Very true. Was this price in bulk, or the regular kg price?

The base malt was bulk, some of the wheat malt came through the post, and a small quantity of crystal wheat purchased from my LHBS, which is about 180 k away, being the main reason I buy in bulk or through the post. Don't really have the option of ducking down if I run out of something, so have to plan in advance

As Neville pointed out efficiency is important too in determining costs, I only get about 70% (depending on the brew), but it doesn't bother me too much, its only a couple of dollars. Once I sort out a HLT, hopefully my efficiency will increase though..

In terms of total costs, the most expensive brew I've done cost me $6.60/L being an partial imperial stout with 110g of hops in 12.5 L and an OG of 1095. Expensive, maybe. Worth it, definately! :super:

 

[Screwtop]

Cheap when you compare the price at around $14 per litre over the bar for megaswill, or near on $4 per litre by the carton.

BYB

+1 "geez, it's hard to get something good for nothing"

Buy in bulk here, average $15

 

[Cortez The Killer]

Thread on point here

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=301688

Cheers

 

[Pumpy]

My latest brew 'Old Bugmans Aussie Ale' cost's 22 cents a middie , I cant get enough of it

and a nice drop too !!!!

sometimes we make recipies too complicated recipies

Often some of the simplest are the best :blink:

Just mashed another 40 litres of it He!he!


Pumpy