ArcaneXor
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
- Messages
- 4,502
- Reaction score
- 128
A year or so I ago I posted a comparison of homebrew store prices for a fairly typical ingredient/equipment order. I thought it was high time to repeat that research, this time using ingredients for three all-grain kits (a Koelsch, an IPA and a Smoked Porter), along with 2 smack packs, 1 satchel of dry yeast and 1 lb of light DME to make starters. I ignored water salts/yeast nutrients, etc. Substitutions were made when necessary.
The total comes to 30.25 lbs of various domestic, British and German unmilled grains and 6.5 oz of pellet hops from the same countries of origin.
In detail:
9 lbs Maris Otter
8.5 lbs German Pils
6.5 lbs Domestic 2-Row
2 lbs Weyermann Smoked
2.5 lbs German Vienna
1.25 lbs German Pale Wheat
1 lbs Chocolate Malt
1 lbs Briess C-60
0.5 lbs British Medium Crystal 55-65
0.25 lbs British Light Crystal 15
0.25 lbs Carafa Special III
3.7 oz Simcoe
1.35 oz German Magnum
1.15 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
0.3 oz EKG
Wyeast Koelsch
Wyeast Denny’s Favorite 50
Safale US-05
1 lbs light DME for starters
Total cost shipped to north central Florida for this order were (i.e. the price includes the shipping costs listed below):
Brewmaster's Warehouse: $88.11, including widely available 10% off discount code ($97.12 without the code; incl. shipping $6.99)
Austin Homebrew Supply: $101.71* (incl. shipping: $7.99)
Rebel Brewing: $102.21 (incl. shipping: 16.34)
Midwest Supplies: $103.60 (incl. shipping: $20.75)
Northern Brewer: $112.54 (incl. shipping: $7.99)
Chi Company: $129.34, including current 5% Christmas discount (incl. shipping: $53.88)
*since free shipping kicks in above $100, you could essentially order an additional $6.28 in ingredients free and end up with a total of $100 instead of the $101.71 indicated here, which includes the $7.99 shipping
BMW, Midwest and Northern Brewer required the fewest ingredient substitutions. Picking grains from AHS was difficult since they don't specify the maltster and sometimes not the region of origin. They do not appear to stock British crystal malts. Except for Northern Brewer, no store specified the cultivar of the Hallertauer hops. Milling is free from all stores except Chi (+$0.95) and Northern Brewer (surcharge varies). No store had the British C-15 in stock (Muntons makes it).
Of course, your mileage may vary, especially depending on where you live, consider that Midwest and Chi charge actual shipping rates (although Chi's shipping charges were more than twice of Midwest's).
While I usually shop from the LHBS, I have had good experiences with all of the above except Chi, which I have not bought anything from. Best-designed web sites, in my opinion, are AHS and BMW; they let you customize amounts much easier than the others, and also allow for precise amounts of grain instead of having to round up to the next full (or 1/2) pound.
Substitutions: All stores: Briess C20 instead of Munton's C-15. AHS: Debittered Black for Carafa Special III. U.S. Magnum instead of German Magnum. Chi: White labs for Wyeast, Rye malt for Weyermann smoked (I didn't see any smoked malts on their site, so the sub is pretty arbitrary), domestic Vienna instead of German Vienna, Chocolate for Carafa Special III, 1.4 lbs Alexander's kicker instead of 1 lb DME. In several stores I also subbed domestic white wheat for the Weyermann pale wheat, but I didn't write down where - it's a fairy minor substitution since the wheat is basically an adjunct for head retention in all of these brews. Rebel: Crystal Maris Otter for Crystal 55-65, Carastan for Crystal 15.
The total comes to 30.25 lbs of various domestic, British and German unmilled grains and 6.5 oz of pellet hops from the same countries of origin.
In detail:
9 lbs Maris Otter
8.5 lbs German Pils
6.5 lbs Domestic 2-Row
2 lbs Weyermann Smoked
2.5 lbs German Vienna
1.25 lbs German Pale Wheat
1 lbs Chocolate Malt
1 lbs Briess C-60
0.5 lbs British Medium Crystal 55-65
0.25 lbs British Light Crystal 15
0.25 lbs Carafa Special III
3.7 oz Simcoe
1.35 oz German Magnum
1.15 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh
0.3 oz EKG
Wyeast Koelsch
Wyeast Denny’s Favorite 50
Safale US-05
1 lbs light DME for starters
Total cost shipped to north central Florida for this order were (i.e. the price includes the shipping costs listed below):
Brewmaster's Warehouse: $88.11, including widely available 10% off discount code ($97.12 without the code; incl. shipping $6.99)
Austin Homebrew Supply: $101.71* (incl. shipping: $7.99)
Rebel Brewing: $102.21 (incl. shipping: 16.34)
Midwest Supplies: $103.60 (incl. shipping: $20.75)
Northern Brewer: $112.54 (incl. shipping: $7.99)
Chi Company: $129.34, including current 5% Christmas discount (incl. shipping: $53.88)
*since free shipping kicks in above $100, you could essentially order an additional $6.28 in ingredients free and end up with a total of $100 instead of the $101.71 indicated here, which includes the $7.99 shipping
BMW, Midwest and Northern Brewer required the fewest ingredient substitutions. Picking grains from AHS was difficult since they don't specify the maltster and sometimes not the region of origin. They do not appear to stock British crystal malts. Except for Northern Brewer, no store specified the cultivar of the Hallertauer hops. Milling is free from all stores except Chi (+$0.95) and Northern Brewer (surcharge varies). No store had the British C-15 in stock (Muntons makes it).
Of course, your mileage may vary, especially depending on where you live, consider that Midwest and Chi charge actual shipping rates (although Chi's shipping charges were more than twice of Midwest's).
While I usually shop from the LHBS, I have had good experiences with all of the above except Chi, which I have not bought anything from. Best-designed web sites, in my opinion, are AHS and BMW; they let you customize amounts much easier than the others, and also allow for precise amounts of grain instead of having to round up to the next full (or 1/2) pound.
Substitutions: All stores: Briess C20 instead of Munton's C-15. AHS: Debittered Black for Carafa Special III. U.S. Magnum instead of German Magnum. Chi: White labs for Wyeast, Rye malt for Weyermann smoked (I didn't see any smoked malts on their site, so the sub is pretty arbitrary), domestic Vienna instead of German Vienna, Chocolate for Carafa Special III, 1.4 lbs Alexander's kicker instead of 1 lb DME. In several stores I also subbed domestic white wheat for the Weyermann pale wheat, but I didn't write down where - it's a fairy minor substitution since the wheat is basically an adjunct for head retention in all of these brews. Rebel: Crystal Maris Otter for Crystal 55-65, Carastan for Crystal 15.