Question on cost per batch

[bpgreen]

I think most of us have moved on from using the prehopped extracts. Some of us may still be in that phase, and that's fine. And I've used a few in the last couple of years, when they've gone on sale.

I'm just curious about what everybody estimates for the cost of a batch of beer.

I'm a cheapskate. I was doing partial mashes with bulk LME from my LHBS until I bought the Mash&Boil. I tend to buy in bulk, and I also grow my own hops (and when I buy hops, I buy in bulk). I also use raw wheat from Costco (35.5c/lb) as a fermentable.

And I reuse yeast (even dry yeast)

So for me, a typical 5 gallon batch costs about $15.

What's your cost per batch?

[FedoraDave]

It's a little tough for me to say, since I make both 5 gallon batches and 2.5 gallon batches, and I buy ingredients for at least two batches at a time when I go to the LHBS.

But there have been times when I've casually mentioned something along the lines of, "65 dollars for seven and a half gallons of beer. Not bad." So my cost per batch varies depending on the size, but I have to figure it's >dollar/gallon overall.

And it depends on the beer I'm planning on making, too. I've got recipes that demand 12 pounds of grain and 4 ounces of hops for five gallons, and I've got recipes that call for 4 pounds of grain and 1 ounce of hops for 2.5 gallons. Then there are things like Whirlfloc and bottle caps and whatnot....

[RickBeer]

My cost per batch when I was doing 5 gallon LME batches was between the low $20s and high $20s.

Now that I'm doing BIAB, I'm only making 2.5 gallon batches, but my cost per 5 gallon batch is more in the high teens. I was putting in everything and calculating each batch, but when I had to make a bunch of batches this Fall for my son's wedding, I never went back and calculated that out. Big difference is instead of using LME at $2.50 a pound, I'm using grains that range from $1.20 to $1.80 a pound.

[John Sand]

A rough estimate is $20, not including propane. Still way cheaper than buying beer!

[mashani]

I would say anywhere from ~$12 to $16 for my 3 gallon BIABs, depending on what I'm making.

[Crazy Climber]

Interesting to see so many under-5-gallon brewers on this forum. I brew either 2.5-gallon or 4-gallon batches (even some 1-gallon stovetop experiments) and thought I was way outside the norm, but apparently not.

FWIW, I've been averaging about $30 for a 2.5-gallon batch lately. Much of that is due to pitching more yeast, thanks to the results I've gotten from following mashani's teachings about pitching larger amounts. Yeast ain't cheap, and I tend to use dry yeast, so a couple of packets of dry yeast can end up being about half of the cost of a batch, right there. Another $7-ish for grain, and $5-6 for hops (I use home-grown hops for bittering, saving a bit there), and I'm close to $30. If it's a heavily-hopped IPA, it can go up from there.

[mashani]

Hey Crazy Climber, usually for a 1.05-1.06ish beer with dry yeast one 11g pack is a big enough pitch rate for a 2.5 to 3 gallon batch even when using Brewers Friends big yeast pitch rates like I do. 2 packs would only be needed for something on the bigger side. It's a 5 gallon batch where Brewers Friend would say "not enough" even for a 1.05-1.06 beer. I usually just pitch a full 11g pack into a 3 gallon batch.

This depends on the kind of yeast of course too, but if you look at the Brewers Friend yeast pitch calculator web site and scroll down there is a little chart of dry yeasts they tested with cell counts for each brand, so that will give you an idea of what is good and what you might need more of.

Also for liquid yeasts, just make a *really huge* starter and then save half of it for another batch and that will save you money. I always make a 2L starter, even if I don't need it.

[Crazy Climber]

Thanks, mashani. I should have clarified that lately I've been making lagers (due to ambient temps), which require more cells, and that's why I've got two packs of dry yeast on the forefront of my brain.
For most ale batches, I do tend to use one pack of SafeAle US-05 as a go-to for my 2.5-gallon batches. If need be, whether doing 4-gallons or a higher gravity, I make a starter -- and definitely do so when using liquid yeast.
As for saving yeast from a starter for another batch, I only brew about once every 6 weeks, so I'm usually not ready to turn around a starter very quickly. Still, your point is valid, and I will give that some thought in the future!

(BTW - since following your lead on pitch rates, I've been very happy with my results. A tip of the cap to you for sharing that info with the Borg!)

[berryman]

Thanks, Mash
(BTW - since following your lead on pitch rates, I've been very happy with my results. A tip of the cap to you for sharing that info with the Borg!)

Yes on this, I think one of the biggest improvements to my beer and process.

[HerbMeowing]

Ingredients cost ... including shipping charges ... for my (I)PAs range between $12 - $16 per 2.5G batch.

Cranberry wheat: $~18
Raspberry wheat: ~$25
Barley wine: ~$35

Cost controls
Back in the day when I was experimenting with different recipes ... I'd order just enough product for the next 3 or 4 planned recipes.
Once I settled on my favorites ... started stocking up when grain (#10 bags) and hops (by the pound or by the ounce) went on sale.

[berryman]

Ingredients cost ... including shipping charges ... for my (I)PAs range between $12 - $16 per 2.5G batch.

Cranberry wheat: $~18
Raspberry wheat: ~$25
Barley wine: ~$35

Cost controls
Back in the day when I was experimenting with different recipes ... I'd order just enough product for the next 3 or 4 planned recipes.
Once I settled on my favorites ... started stocking up when grain (#10 bags) and hops (by the pound or by the ounce) went on sale.

Herb are you including yeast cost in this? I can make a batch of beer cheap, but the yeast cost me

[HerbMeowing]

... are you including yeast cost in this? I can make a batch of beer cheap, but the yeast cost me

Short answer: yes

I pitch 1/2 sachet of dry yeast per batch (~2 level teaspoons).
Cost: ~$1.40
The slurry could be washed and re-used ... but why bother.
Dry yeast is cheap at half the price.

Back in the day ...
Pitched whole vials of liquid yeast ... such as WLP001 ... @ $6.95 each procured from an o-LHBS ... washed the slurry ... and re-used 3 times.
$6.95 / 4 = $1.75 / batch

[Kealia]

It's been quite a while since I figured out my costs, but now that you guys made me spend money on a new Mash & Boil I have to amortize that cost into my beers, too!

IIRC, my 5G batches were somewhere in the $20 range depending on yeast (reusing versus fresh pitches).

[swenocha]

My next three batches will be super cheap based on walking into some good sales... thinking $15ish per 5g batch (maybe less if I repitch). I like to brew low grav stuff (though I'm itching to do a big stout later in the year), so the next three are a session IPA, Dos Perros, and a pale lager (or light ale if I decide to use ale yeast). For instance, my Dos Perros (clocking in at 3.5%ish) runs me currently $11.63 (pre-tax) without yeast. If I need a fresh pitch of WY-1968, that's another $7.99, though I've done with ESB dry ($4.69) or S-04 ($3.79) before as well, and I'm inclined to just use the dry ESB now. So I'm somewhere around $16 normally for that brew day (assuming no repitch), but as mentioned above, I ran into a good sale, so this time will be a couple dollars less. And no, I'm generally not this anal/precise about the recipe cost, but I occasionally run it through just as a curiosity and had run the Dos Perros just a few days ago. The version of Dos Perros I do is based on their old recipe (3.5%), but the new recipe is 5.2%, so this isn't apples/apples, but I can way undercut the costs of buying commercial on this one assuming $9/sixer retail ($75ish retail at $1.50 per bottle). And I tend to like my lower grav one just as well... so... win! Not that I don't give Yazoo enough of my money anyway even without this...

[mashani]

but now that you guys made me spend money on a new Mash & Boil I have to amortize that cost into my beers, too!

I brew so much that I am only a dozen or so more batches from paying for my Mash & Boil in ingredient savings since I was using extract as my base malt for most beers. I'm literally paying 1/2 as much for my "base malt" equivalent now per batch for many beers.