My cost to brew 10 gallons has been around $30 for the last 2 batches. (that’s roughly $0.30/bottle) The cost is largely the cost of malt, though the last two purchases have also included some yeast packets, and in this recent batch, $4 for spruce essence. The last two batches have also been on the “larger” side, so I could easily drop the price even further.
Hops are not a cost I consider. And I’m glad. I recently visited two brew shops for parts and ingredients and I was kind of floored by the cost. $3.50 for an ounce of Amarillos or Cascades? Jeez! My Cascadian Dark Ale used a total of 11 oz of hops (not including the home crop). That’s nearly $40 in hops alone! So… Thanks Doug!
The benefit I suppose is that with the batch only costing around $30, I save an estimated $90 on beer. Now, clearly I don’t do this to save money, but that’s satisfying. Half a dozen more batches, and I’ll have paid for a stainless steel conical fermenter.
Yeah hops aren’t cheap that’s why I started growing my own. Hopefully in a couple years I won’t have to buy hops anymore.
It is true that hops can easily be the most expensive part of a batch.
Then again, we live where the hops are grow – so good deals are out there if you look for them. I just found NorthwestHops in Hubbard, Oregon. They currently have Cascade & Centennial for $10/lb – I stocked up and spent a few hours last week repackaging the blocks. My house still smells like citrus 🙂
Yeast can also be quite expensive. I now do a yeast wash after each batch, but it only lasts 3-6months in the fridge. Have you ever tried freezing yeast for long term storage?