Kits Or Ag Cheaper? Pros/cons?

[zebba]

The "any style of your choosing" is the best bit. I stay up at night trying to think how I could best express a given flavour, or what unconventional flavours I think would work well together.

Of course, I'm still new to the game, so I'm wrong on those fronts as often as I'm right, but it's still great fun. And a "bad" homebrew (as in, the flavours didn't interact how I thought, or didn't "pop" like I expected, not infections!) is still better then most under $60 cases you can grab @ dans

My case swap backup I botched royally and was grossly under gravity. It's a massive disappointment to me... Yet you could give a heinekin drinker a glass of it and they'd think it was the bees knees

when you are paying 60 bucks for a case of little creatures and an absoulte maximum of 60 bucks on 2 cases worth of home brewed beer, any style of your choosing. you just cant lose!

 

[bum]

Anything that involves brewing in the kitchen f^% right off IMO.

Gotta say I agree with this completely. I recently had my first full volume AG brew day (previously had been using the old stovetop 7V system) and even though pretty much every step of the day was new to me it was much more enjoyable than tripping over my own feet in the kitchen. And I didn't have to hear from SWMBO about spilling sticky wort on her floor (or spill any at all, for that matter - how good is silicon hose?).

For the record, I agree with whoever it was that said extract brewing is the most expensive method. Not looking at it holistically of course, in the short to medium term the new system mentioned above will make my AG beers quite pricey for the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't worry about the lumps, Mark. The yeasties will get 'em.

 

[MarkBastard]

Dude, the lumps were as big as golf balls. But I ended up scooping them out and hitting them with a bit of boiling water, which took care of them no problems.

 

[Nick JD]

I used a comparison of a supermarket K&K with a simple AG Aussie Lager because that's the closest you can get recipe-wise to K&K.

Comparing a $60 ingredients list to K&K beer and saying AG is more expensive is stupid. They are not in the same league.

Chimay and VB are the same - they're both beer...

 

[bum]

Whoa. You invented dexballs.

 

[MarkBastard]

Whoa. You invented dexballs.

From what I understand brew enhancer 2 is 50% dry malt extract, 30% malto-dextrine and 20% dextrose.

 

[bum]

I'll put this Nobel Prize away then, shall I? Just having a laugh, bloke.

 

[A3k]

Slightly off topic.
I think you've got to enjoy the process to get anything out of AG. If you don't enjoy it (I do) then you should also take the time into the cost equation. If i didnt enjoy it and enjoy drinking my own beer over commercial, id be better off working the extra 4-6 hours and use the money to buy beer.
But i really enjoy it, so i start thinking about it as 4-6 hours of entertainment ontop, which is pretty cheap for $30-$50 with beer.
I have made really cheap beers, but not to be cheap, but just cos it turned out like that (eg 4.5% Saison with an OG of 1.002 doesnt need much malt). But when formulating a recipe, i think about the recipe and just buy it. The 4-6 hours and then enjoyment would be what id worry about over the cash.

Cheers, and hope i didn't sound like a knob,
Al

[edit] Not talking about setup here.

 

[MarkBastard]

What I mean is I'd like to know if anyone else has seen this when working with say dry malt extract.

I've never used dry malt extract before. I always used liquid when I did partials / extracts.

Oh, and another annoying thing is dealing with the sticky mess involved with LME and kits! horrible.

BIAB in an Urn + silicone hose + no chill is so damn easy in every aspect it's not funny.

 

[bum]

I've never had the problem to the extent you describe but I have read of things like people chucking solid blocks of BE2 in and having no noticeable adverse effects.

 

[Kieren]

Gotta say I agree with this completely. I recently had my first full volume AG brew day (previously had been using the old stovetop 7V system) and even though pretty much every step of the day was new to me it was much more enjoyable than tripping over my own feet in the kitchen. And I didn't have to hear from SWMBO about spilling sticky wort on her floor (or spill any at all, for that matter - how good is silicon hose?).

I have been AG brewing in my kitchen for the last couple of years, no outside area/shed to brew in. Just have to be wary of the hazards of having a NASA burner cranking in the kitchen. Limitations - hard to hook up a chiller - so I no chill, can get messy. I don't have a misses to b*tch and moan though

Back on topic - agree with what's been said
-generally cheaper once your all set up, equipment wise
-brew to enjoy the process and the result, not necassarily because it's cheaper.
-if you can afford the extra time, go AG and you won't look back

 

[dago001]

Cost me about $200 to go all grain. $105 for a 50 litre stainless pot, had an esky, acquired a stainless valve and made some stainless all thread (I'm a plumber by trade). Had a 15 litre pot from brewing extracts. Built my own grain mill at work. 3 ring burner $50.00. Bought a hose and fitting for the burner and the bloke at the plumbing shop forgot to charge for the med pressure regulator. Don't use a false bottom, just use my old swiss voile - so I suppose I'm doing a 2v BIAB.
I went from k&b to extract in 3 brews. 6 months later did a partial and thought if I was going to go to all the time that it takes I might as well go all grain.
Bulk buy of 250 kg grain - $450 icluding delivery to Tassie. Brews cost between $15.00 - $35.00 to do. Enjoyment factor - priceless.
Oh and the beer is a hell of a lot better.
Cheers
David

 

[mckenry]

Some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

NOT pointing the finger at anyone here. AG is worth every penny. You just cant compare properly.

AG has a romance, a feeling, a passion that K&K doesnt. It's mabo, it's the whole vibe...

 

[A3k]

Some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

NOT pointing the finger at anyone here. AG is worth every penny. You just cant compare properly.

AG has a romance, a feeling, a passion that K&K doesnt. It's mabo, it's the whole vibe...

Agreed.
A feel of making and achieving something great.

 

[MeLoveBeer]

What I mean is I'd like to know if anyone else has seen this when working with say dry malt extract.

I've never used dry malt extract before. I always used liquid when I did partials / extracts.

Yeh, I get DME clumping up all the time when using it for starters etc... it was one of my pet hates about k&k brewing and a catalyst for me going AG.

 

[MarkBastard]

Some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

NOT pointing the finger at anyone here. AG is worth every penny. You just cant compare properly.

AG has a romance, a feeling, a passion that K&K doesnt. It's mabo, it's the whole vibe...

I agree.

But I do see people here giving misleading advice when it comes to the cost of this hobby.

The fact is it can be very expensive. Saying "I know someone that made an AG rig for $20" doesn't mean that that's the typical or recommended investment.

 

[Phoney]

As has been pointed out many times before though, brewing isnt an expensive hobby when compared to other hobbies. Geez earlier this year I forked out nearly $20 grand on a 4WD, im now looking at spending another couple of grand on fitting it out for comfortable camping & 4wd'ing, after that i'll probably buy a boat for another few grand...at least, then there's my penchant for overseas holidays to exotic locations, and the list goes on... $1000 for my AG setup? meh. chump change. At least with that I dont have to buy cases of Fat Yak for $50 or $60 a pop like my mates do.... Because I can brew it for a quarter of that price! Happy days!

 

[QldKev]

Hobby 1:
Cost me >$20,000 for my 4wd + another $5,000 for stuff to go with it

Hobby 2:
Cost me >$20,000 for my V8 passion + another $5,000 in mods

Hobby 3:
Cost me lots for my caravan, and all bits n peices to go in it

Hobby 4:
Cost me lots for my boat, and lots more for my fishing rods, echo finders etc.

Hobby 5:
My homebrewing is a fairly cheap hobby to get into; and it saves me money compared to drinking commercial beer at the same quality.

 

[Bribie G]

At least they are onto Fat Yak, hope for Australia yet :icon_cheers:

 

[bum]

Hobby 1:
Cost me >$20,000 for my 4wd + another $5,000 for stuff to go with it

Hobby 2:
Cost me >$20,000 for my V8 passion + another $5,000 in mods

Hobby 3:
Cost me lots for my caravan, and all bits n peices to go in it

Hobby 4:
Cost me lots for my boat, and lots more for my fishing rods, echo finders etc.

Hobby 5:
My homebrewing is a fairly cheap hobby to get into; and it saves me money compared to drinking commercial beer at the same quality.

Video games and masturbation cost me next to nothing. Homebrewing is terribly expensive!!!

This justification by comparison is kinda pointless. It costs what it costs and it is worth it or it isn't.