Whats Your Cheapest?

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mje1980

Old Thunder brewery
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Whats the cheapest you have made beer for??. My missus is pregnant, so ive decided to start making more low gravity bitters every 2nd or 3rd brew to save cash ( i also really like bitters ). Just finished one today that comes in at the princely sum of 43c per 500ml pint!!, or 32c a schooner haha!. Uses a bit of sugar to stretch it out even further, and with only 3.03 kg's of grain and 300g sugar, managed 20 litres of 1040 bitter ( 5 points above my target ). Aptly named "tight arse bitter", im looking forward to tasting this, although from the post boil sample, its pretty tasty already!!.

So, let me know what's your cheapest.
 
I think my cheapest so far would be a pale ale from 5kg of Powells Pale Malt ($7) and 40g of Pride of Ringwood ($2.75) + a couple of stubbies of coopers and a cup full of malt extract to make a yeast starter.
 
My cheapest was 45 litres of pale ale for $6-7.

Home malted grain, with 500 gms commercial crystal and two kilos of pale ale malt, home grown hops and home cultivated yeast. Was a very nice drop, but a bit cloudy. To go cheaper you would need to "dirt brew" with all home grown barley, malted and brewed with home grown hops.

Did read in a mag of some bloke who was estactic with his brewing proceedure, a tin of the cheapest home brand kit split between two fermenters with a kilo of sugar in each, so about 45 litres of thin "beer" for under $10.

Each to their own.
 
probably my latest brew, 5kg of Powells Malt ($5) 100 grams of hops ($3) plus gas.. 21 litres maybe $12 all up.

This should be the average costs for a while now, well until the cheap grain and hops run out.
 
sluggerdog said:
probably my latest brew, 5kg of Powells Malt ($5) 100 grams of hops ($3) plus gas.. 21 litres maybe $12 all up.

This should be the average costs for a while now, well until the cheap grain and hops run out.
[post="69353"][/post]​

I go with SD on this one since our sources are the same, thanks to Batz and Hoops. However, I noted that sean's Powells Malt is about $2.00/Kg dearer...Come to think of it, my cost must be cheaper than that since mine is naturally carbonated in bottles (OK, only by a few cents)...

:chug:
PeterS....
 
mje1980 said:
Whats the cheapest you have made beer for??.
So, let me know what's your cheapest.
[post="69329"][/post]​
When I was "practising" my lagering last year. I got 4 tins of coles home brand draught for $2 each. I had some Wyeast 2007 and used that.
I made 2 x 2 can screamers. one came out ok. The other got diacetyl I beleive.
johnno
 
This isn't home-brew, but I remember about 15 years ago I was working in a rather special town (!) called Whyalla sharing a government house with an English teacher who was the most scabby-arsed ******* around. I mean he would leave kitchen cupboard doors open to save energy just in case he wanted to get something later...
Anyhoo, after an extended session on a calculator he worked out that the most cost-efficient beer ($ per alc/vol) was West End Light (cannot believe I even bothered to write that with capitals). Second in the value stakes was Coopers Draught cans. We went Coopers as we didn't want to spend more time pissing on the back lawn than actually drinking. Dunno if it's still the same. Any scabby-arsed bastards out there who has done the calcs more recently?

Cheers!
 
Peter Shane said:
I go with SD on this one since our sources are the same, thanks to Batz and Hoops. However, I noted that sean's Powells Malt is about $2.00/Kg dearer...
[post="69356"][/post]​
My Powells was bought through Grain & Grape. We're not quite up to freighting a direct order from Powells to Mildura yet (but give it time).
 
My daughter worked as a student at KMart & picked me up about 10 Coopers brews for $2 each, reduced because the tins were dented. Thank you very much!
 
RobW said:
My daughter worked as a student at KMart & picked me up about 10 Coopers brews for $2 each, reduced because the tins were dented. Thank you very much!
[post="69402"][/post]​

Rob.

Did she give your hammer back? :lol:

Warren -
 
Rob.

Did she give your hammer back?

Warren -


:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Andrew said:
Any scabby-arsed bastards out there who has done the calcs more recently?

[post="69370"][/post]​

Saturday arvo in the local Woolworths liquor store I found cartons of Monteith's Ale for $20 a carton. Must have almost been out of date. If I had $20 on me it would have been invested in the Monteith's straight away.

Hate being a broke student.

Cheers!
 
sluggerdog said:
probably my latest brew, 5kg of Powells Malt ($5) 100 grams of hops ($3) plus gas.. 21 litres maybe $12 all up.

This should be the average costs for a while now, well until the cheap grain and hops run out.
[post="69353"][/post]​

Why does malt cost $10/ kg at my local HBS? :angry: ($5 for 500g)

Should I think about mail order? I think this question is within the TAB vain of this thread...
 
BeerIsGood said:
Why does malt cost $10/ kg at my local HBS? :angry: ($5 for 500g)

[post="69451"][/post]​

You're surely joking? :eek: My HBS charges $2.95 per kg for Aus. base malts and $3.95 for imported base malts.

Beer is Good... I'd seriously consider changing suppliers. <_<

Warren -
 
BeerIsGood said:
Why does malt cost $10/ kg at my local HBS? :angry: ($5 for 500g)

Should I think about mail order? I think this question is within the TAB vain of this thread...
[post="69451"][/post]​

Are you buying the pre-packaged stuff in little plastic bags? That's usually more expensive. Buy loose by the kilo.
 
[/quote]

Why does malt cost $10/ kg at my local HBS? :angry: ($5 for 500g)

Should I think about mail order? I think this question is within the TAB vain of this thread...
[post="69451"][/post]​
[/quote]

Are you referring to malt extract or grains? That might be an acceptable price for dry malt extract, but it is an insane price for grains!

- Snow
 
At $10 per Kg of grain i wouldnt bother brewing at all. :eek:
I would walk up the road and buy my import beers.
<_<
 
(BeerIsGood @ Aug 1 2005, 02:31 PM)

Why does malt cost $10/ kg at my local HBS? ($5 for 500g)

Should I think about mail order? I think this question is within the TAB vain of this thread...


Holy smokes B.I.G ... I just noticed your locale!

...And I thought that I was 'the only gay in the village' ...with reference to Little Britain on ABCTV!!! :D

We could be neighbours? :blink: Are you Nth or Sth side?
 
Jimmy, I'm not familiar with "Little Britain", so I'll try to take that expression the right way... :blink:

I've actually been thinking that I'm the only shining light in Rocky that doesn't just K&K&D, so it's good to know. I live and work on the Northside, but distances in Rocky are nothing. Perhaps we should arrange mutual brewery visits? :party:

I've just rung around and got local prices. Both HBSs in Rocky will sell bulk dried malt extract between about $140 and $160 / 20kg bag. That's about $7.00-$8.00 /kg. Also, Rocky HB Supplies sells 28kg tubs of Coopers liquid matl extract:

Dark = $130.00 = $4.64 /kg (x 5/4 is $5.80 /kg DME equivalent)
Light = $125.00 = $$4.46 /kg (x 5/4 is $5.58 / kg DME equivlanet)

(Palmer book says that 4lbs DME is equivalent to 5lbs LME, so just trying to compare apples with apples).

:excl: Hang on :excl: I've been talking about malt extract. I hope that's what everyone else means, and not grain. If I've made a %$*#, then do these prices look more reasonable?
 
It may not be my cheapest ever but I just got all the fix'ins for 28 litres of Vienna style Lager for $24.00. And that was 4kgs of JW Vienna, 2kgs of Czech Pilsner & 200 grams of Caramalt + 50 grams of Hall. hops + 175g of dex & a whilfloc tab. To me thats a great deal.
Hops are the killer. If you are hell bent on making cheap beer dont make an IPA.
 
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