Price Diff For K&k V Ag

[drag]

Can somone tell me the cost difference in K&K compared to a AG.
Matt

 

[troydo]

well an avg ag cost me maybe $30ish... depends on grain bill

But the flavour ... SOOO WORTH IT!

Done 2 ags so far planning about a dozen just dont have the time or room!

 

[Trent]

Drag
It will cost you about $1-$1.50 per longneck, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the style. Then you factor in time, cost of equipment that you require, etc... and all grain is alot more expensive that K+K, but gives you infinitely more control over the finished product. No doubt some AG guys will say they dont do theirs for more that 50c a longneck, but I really dont care what mine costs, I make good beer, and am happy to pay even up to $3 or more per longneck (which is about what it costs me to do a barleywine or RIS). I dont think (IMO) that price should really be that much of a factor, it comes down to how much time you are willing to put in, and how passionate you are about it. If you are doing it to make cheap beer for swilling, then stay K+K. If you really wanna make beer that you enjoy drinking (and hence you will find your consumption will actually lower), then look into going all grain. Just dont let cost be the deciding factor.
All the best
Trent

 

[warra48]

For me, AG turns out to be more expensive than K&K, but that is primarily because we brew with quality ingredients of grains, hops, and yeasts. The advantage is that you have much more control over exactly what you want to brew.
There are ways of containing the costs, eg culturing liquid yeasts into multiple starters, buying grain in bulk etc.
In the end, we brew AG because we enjoy the process and the control it gives us, and generally, but not necessarily, produce better quality beers.
There is a cost involved in setting up the equipment, and an ongoing cost in time, so it comes down to what your own objectives are.
So long as you enjoy what you do, and are happy with your product, then that's all that matters. Cost is in my view a secondary consideration, as the beer produced by any of these methods will always be cheaper than commercially purchased beer.

 

[Wrenny]

From Memory, when I was doing Basic Kit & Kilos it worked out about $15 per batch
With a bit of Hops and some steeped grain and better yeast it got up to about $25

When I started AG it was about $30 per batch including fresh hops and decent yeast.

Now with some grain bulk buys, hops and yeast farming, it costs about $15 per brew.

This is what i tell the missus.

The full story - all the gear. I started off simply with a bucket in bucket which I borrowed off a friend. Without this leg up, I wouldn't have got started in AG. Next came the Mash Monster Mark 1 (esky mash tun with copper manifold - only about $20, but I had the esky already). Better thermometer ($10). New spoon cause I broke the old one mashing ($6?). Imersion chiller ($20). Another fermenter. Mill for the grain ($100). Vials and jars for the yeast.

Next on the list is a chest freezer and temprature controller.

Then a keg and kegerator.

A 40l Stock Pot. A NASA burner.

A hopback.

A Herms.

I'm at a good point now with equipment. Got everything I NEED. Just so many things that I WANT. Listening to the guys on here, I don't think it will ever end.

You could get into AG with the BIAB method, cost you $10 for a grain bag and $100 for a decent sized pot (correct me if I'm wrong BIAB gurus)



But Troydo is spot on. Definately worth it.

Cheers,
Wrenny

 

[Wrenny]

That's 23l Batches - after Trub ends up abour 25 longnecks.

 

[Sammus]

I got a 20L staino stock pot for $20 and a 2 metres of swiss voille that cost $6/m i think at spotlight. I use it to do half batches. Well...plan to havent yet though

 

[troydo]

all you need is a big boiler, pot or keg, and a fermenter.. and you can do ag

use your fermenter as teh mashtun with some braid in the bottom and your sweet

 

[Zizzle]

Does it matter? Life's too short to drink K&K.

 

[braufrau]

Can somone tell me the cost difference in K&K compared to a AG.
Matt

That's a "how long is a piece of string question!"

If you're dissatisfied with your K&K and you think its because you're lacking whatever it is that mashing gives ... grain flavour, better attenuation, control over the mash bill ... then mash!
If you want better hop flavour and aroma and control over the bitterness ... then boil!

Note: you can boil without mashing (extract brews) but you can't mash without boiling.
For full boils you need a very large pot, around 40l, a burner powerful enough to bring about 30l to the boil and somewhere to do it safely.

 

[drag]

Alot of people around here like exotic type & imported beers, thats not me.
Is everyone doing AG for that exotic & import type of flavour or is it more for the personal satisfaction of I did it all.
I am mainly coming back to HB becouse of comercial beer cost, so it seems if im happy with the taste of K&K I should stick to it then.
Am I right?
Are my taste buds boring?

 

[manaen]

If you buy your ingredients in bulk, AG can be quite cheap.

I usually make double batches (40L) and this is a rough costing on the ingredients:

9kg base grain (part of grain bulk buy) $10
1kg specialty grain (part of grain bulk buy) $2.50
150g hop pellets (part of hop bulk buy) $4
Whirfloc tablet $0.50
Yeast (I usually spilt into starters) $2
LPG $5

So I guess for 40L (nearly 4.5 cartons) of decent AG it is only costing me around $25

I am lucky enough to get my ingredients in bulk through the Canberra Brewers bulk buys so this decreases the cost a lot!!!

 

[grod5]

Alot of people around here like exotic type & imported beers, thats not me.
Is everyone doing AG for that exotic & import type of flavour or is it more for the personal satisfaction of I did it all.
I am mainly coming back to HB becouse of comercial beer cost, so it seems if im happy with the taste of K&K I should stick to it then.
Am I right?
Are my taste buds boring?

Go for it drag. You are not on the wrong track, but try someones AG of an "ordinary Beer" and make up your own mind. I don't think exotic and beer should be used together. Good beer is to be enjoyed by all weather a Rochford or home grown home brew. We should never stop experiencing what the brewed beverage has to offer.

Brew on my man, where ever that takes you.

(what did I just say?)

g

 

[Zizzle]

Alot of people around here like exotic type & imported beers, thats not me.
Is everyone doing AG for that exotic & import type of flavour or is it more for the personal satisfaction of I did it all.

AG brewing just to reproduce VB/Tooheys New/XXXX style megaswill would be a damn shame.

Unfortunately, to the typical Australian palette, anything that doesn't taste like megaswill is considered "exotic".

 

[warra48]

I've got a wine cellar going back to the 1970's. My beer cellar has its oldest beer of 8 months. I love wine, but I think there is just as much variety and nuances in beer as in wine. I consume a hellavu lot more beer than wine these days, with the added satisfaction I've brewed exactly what I wanted to brew, and brewed it myself. Whatever floats your boat, you can find a beer style to suit you, and a recipe to brew it. Can't say that about wine.

 

[mika]

I'd get a fermenting fridge before moving to AG. If you can control the fermenting temperature accurately, add some grain to the KnK and use a liquid yeast, you'll be brewing a nice beer which takes a fraction of the time it takes to do an All Grain.

 

[gregb]

...we brew AG because we enjoy the process ...

Agree.

There is a cost involved in setting up the equipment, and an ongoing cost in time, so it comes down to what your own objectives are.

Agree.

Cost is in my view a secondary consideration, as the beer produced by any of these methods will always be cheaper than commercially purchased beer.

Agree.

Sorry for the otherwise useless post, but Warra48 basically summed it all up for me.

Cheers,
Greg.

 

[microbe]

I'd get a fermenting fridge before moving to AG. If you can control the fermenting temperature accurately, add some grain to the KnK and use a liquid yeast, you'll be brewing a nice beer which takes a fraction of the time it takes to do an All Grain.

This is the post that's summed it up for me. I think I would enjoy brewing a beer from scratch (and tasting the end result), but am not going to put too much time, effort or expense into it while I've only got a large soft side esky as fermentation temp control (which I'm still getting used to.) That being said, I have started using small amounts of grain and the difference is definitely noticeable.

On Topic - I think if finances are your #1 concern and you're happy with what you're making now then RDWHAHB. If you think that you can make better beer by taking "the next step" - then go for it and good luck.

Cheers,

microbe

 

[reveler]

My latest K&K cost me quite a bit

1 goop tin = $13.50
1 kilo malt = $8.80
Hops = $16
Spec Grain = $4
Yeast = $15

Total = $57.30

65 stubbies = 0.88c

or $21 a carton.

Thats probally the most expensive brew I've ever done.

Compared to my cheapest

1 goob tin = $13.50
1 castor suger = $3.50

= $17

 

[Darren]

I usually make double batches on a single day (2x65 litres)

1 bag of malt $~50

Hops $ 15 (if you buy in bulk)

Yeast $10 (if dry)

Gas $10

Extras $ 10

So, If I were to bottle it would make ~346 stubbies at a cost of 26 cents each

That runs a carton of 24 at ~$7 each


The economy of scale makes a huge difference. I suspect that the megabreweries probably cost at 10c/carton prior to marketing and QC

cheers

Darren