Why is PBW so expensive?

[JoshAsh]

Done a bit of reading thanks to these forums, and I've picked up the main ingredients of PBW from a cleaning chemical supplier, Sodium Metasilicate and Sodium Percarbonate....

Around 2-3 bucks per kilo landed for a close PBW clone minus surfactants and water softeners!
I don't know why PBW itself is so dear, seems excessive unless there's something else in there we don't know about??

 

[Lodan]

I feel the overheads Five Star of being an approved cleaning chemical provider for commercial breweries are what makes the PBW product more expensive than an equivalent made at home.
Think of costs such as verifying the quality/purity of ingredients, manufacturing/blending of the cleaning agents, packaging, sales etc. it is the cost for a business to be profitable

 

[Fat Bastard]

Small volumes sold to (mostly) kit brewers + LHBS profit margin.

Napisan works quite well, but if you can get enough folks together, a bulk buy of Sodium Metabisulphate & Metaslicate will sort you out for a year or two.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Dont forget that those that supply you with the finished pre packed product have legal obligations, along with all the operational, packing and distribution costs.

Those costs add up.

 

[dicko]

PBW from a retailer in the USA is $230.00 usd. for a 50lb tub so import costs aussie dollar and mark up make it pretty expensive in Aus.

It is a great product and the bottom line is wether you want to pay the retail price of mix it yourself.

 

[Batz]

PBW from a retailer in the USA is $230.00 usd. for a 50lb tub so import costs aussie dollar and mark up make it pretty expensive in Aus.

It is a great product and the bottom line is wether you want to pay the retail price of mix it yourself.

It is a great product but importing from the US seems a bit silly, why doesn't an Aussie firm make a knock-off?

 

[Yob]

Damn... Your mate just got the mixer too

Could call it GBC... Granulated brewery cleaner.. Copywrite pending

 

[glenos]

It is a great product but importing from the US seems a bit silly, why doesn't an Aussie firm make a knock-off?

They do its just called someting else. Looking at the SDS' for both product, PBW doesn't have enough info on thiers, this would be a pretty close match.
http://www.agar.com.au/Browse-Products/Safety-Bleach-Sanitises-and-Destains.aspx

Here's a big bucket of sodium percarbonate, http://store.centralcleaning.com.au/browse/ProductDetail.asp?code=T7021

 

[pcmfisher]

Done a bit of reading thanks to these forums, and I've picked up the main ingredients of PBW from a cleaning chemical supplier, Sodium Metasilicate and Sodium Percarbonate....

Around 2-3 bucks per kilo landed for a close PBW clone minus surfactants and water softeners!
I don't know why PBW itself is so dear, seems excessive unless there's something else in there we don't know about??

For the same reason that the ingredients in a bottle of White King probably cost about 5 cents.

Lucrative business this chemical business.
Nearly as good as cosmetics................

 

[Truman42]

Small volumes sold to (mostly) kit brewers + LHBS profit margin.

Napisan works quite well, but if you can get enough folks together, a bulk buy of Sodium Metabisulphate & Metaslicate will sort you out for a year or two.

Did I hear you say your going to arrange the next bulk buy???

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

It is a great product but importing from the US seems a bit silly, why doesn't an Aussie firm make a knock-off?

I agree but its covered by a patent as far as I know, you know like Viagra
Well actually Viagra is no longer protected by a patent as it expired.
Boners on the cheap now
Nev

 

[manticle]

Mine are usually free.

 

[Florian]

But they might not be so forever...

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Mine are usually free.

Yes but I am talking about giving one not taking one h34r:

 

[mofox1]

Yes but I am talking about giving one not taking one h34r:

Damn! You want fries with that?

 

[Spiesy]

PBW from a retailer in the USA is $230.00 usd. for a 50lb tub so import costs aussie dollar and mark up make it pretty expensive in Aus.

It is a great product and the bottom line is wether you want to pay the retail price of mix it yourself.

Spot on. Importing a hazardous chemical is SUPER expensive. Believe me.
Freight alone from the States is usually quite expensive, but when you factor in the additional charges - it's crazy.

Unfortunately, with a lot of the products us homebrewers cherish, Australia gets burnt pretty heavily with freight charges, duties and taxes.

Liquid yeasts for example, White Labs and Wyeast in particular get hit with around 50% freight charges as they're air frighted, arriving within 3-4 days time, door-to-door. The yeast arrives cold and in top nick, but we pay for it.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Spot on. Importing a hazardous chemical is SUPER expensive. Believe me.
Freight alone from the States is usually quite expensive, but when you factor in the additional charges - it's crazy.

Unfortunately, with a lot of the products us homebrewers cherish, Australia gets burnt pretty heavily with freight charges, duties and taxes.

Liquid yeasts for example, White Labs and Wyeast in particular get hit with around 50% freight charges as they're air frighted, arriving within 3-4 days time, door-to-door. The yeast arrives cold and in top nick, but we pay for it.

I hear you brother, even more expensive to get it to WA as well, about 60% of the wyeast cost is Fedex charge !
I too inquired about PBW and starsan direct from the states, by time all charges were added on it just is not viable.
Nev

 

[pk.sax]

I was having a gander on the Internet about sodium metasilicate and discovered this product:

http://www.ecostore.com.au/products/auto-dish-powder

Contains both active ingredients of pbw and a few other 'eco' dishwasher things. Made for the job? I'll definitely be looking in the shop for it and any other generic dishwasher powder for their ingredient mix. At 10 bucks a kilo for this one it's not exactly expensive.....

 

[peas_and_corn]

I don't really want my equipment smelling like lemon or grapefruit

 

[pk.sax]

I've got no issues rubbing down the kettle with a lemon. Citric washes off easily and is perfectly food safe.

Will look in the supermarket and see if there are some unscented ones though.