Skinflint guide to brew

[24902657]

Hi All,

I thought it might be a funny idea to see how many ways we can make up or show have been used to either

A/Make a brew the cheapest way.

Or

B/ Make a brew by using the cheapest methods of which have worked for people.

Lets see how many we can come up with.

 

[Dutto]

I used to brew a beer in the Middle East that was incredibly economical. The UK version would be:

• 2 x 454g of Holland & Barratt Malt Extract (£2.99 with BOBOF)
• teaspoonful of Allisons Bread Yeast (+/-10p)
• 1kg sugar (+/-60p)
• 25 litres of warmish water

Sling ingredients into a dustbin, stir, cover in cling-film, stick lid back on loosely and wait for a couple of weeks.

When it stops bubbling add:

• 500ml lemon juice from Tesco (£1) for bittering.

It tasted:

1. Like nectar if you'd not been home for a couple of months.
2. Krap if you'd only just arrived from back home!

But at about 10p a pint it tasted okay as long as you kept an eye on the Poster that graced our kitchen wall which said:

'Eat **** - ten million flies can't be wrong!"

 

[MyQul]

Ive often thought about this

• Make it low OG so your not using a lot of grain

• Choose a style that has a low hopping rate Dark beers are good as you can get away with not even using a late hop addition. A mild is perfect for this as it it also only uses a small amount of grain too

• Use some cheap adjuncts in the grist, like table sugar to off-set the cost of the grain bill

• Use high AA% hops for bittering charge and save the more expensive hops for the flavour additions

• Re-use yeast

 

[marshbrewer]

Mash low for higher abv per lb of grain maybe? Use lots of cheap cornflakes in the grist? Glucose? As has been said, high AA bittering hops and no late additions. Highly attenuating yeast?

Hang on a sec.... That's how they make Fosters!!!!!!!

 

[prog99]

Grocery store beer. Theres a link to the tasting of the final product there too. Not a bad channel actually even if the music grates and he tastes his beer too early at times.

 

[Clint]

TC...

 

[Bigcol49]

• 2 x 454g of Holland & Barratt Malt Extract (£2.99 with BOBOF)
• teaspoonful of Allisons Bread Yeast (+/-10p)
• 1kg sugar (+/-60p)
• 25 litres of warmish water

Sling ingredients into a dustbin, stir, cover in cling-film, stick lid back on loosely and wait for a couple of weeks.

When it stops bubbling add:

• 500ml lemon juice from Tesco (£1) for bittering.

. . . and that's how to make Boddington's

 

[Duxuk]

How about finding wild hedgerow hops. Reuse your yeast forever and add wheat, barley or whatever to your malt at the highest rate which will still turn the starch to sugars. Mash for 12 hours to ensure the fullest conversion. Don't go for a high ABV to ensure high attenuation.
I'd drink it.

 

[-Bezza-]

Interesting thread.

Add stale bread or biscuits to the beer too. And probably use saison yeast.

 

[Cwrw666]

1. Make a SMASH - single malt, single hop.
2. Use a cheaper type of pale malt than Maris Otter.
3. Use English hops as they're the cheapest.
4. Buy everything in bulk.
5. Mash at lowish temperature.
6. If BIAB use a very fine grind for greatest efficiency.
7. Boil for 30 minutes instead of 60 or even 90.
8. Re-use crown caps.
9. Re-use yeast trub for the next brew.
10. Use Gervin yeast from Wilkos.

 

[Brewed_Force]

A good way for a newbie to keep costs down is to go BIAB and save a fortune not buying a Hot Liquor Tank, Mash Tun, and Boil Kettle.
Of course it won't work retrospectively...unless you sell your kit

 

[Oneiroi]

A good way for a newbie to keep costs down is to go BIAB and save a fortune not buying a Hot Liquor Tank, Mash Tun, and Boil Kettle.

If you want to go really cheap, use a plastic brewing bucket (~£6-8 new) and a £5 Tesco kettle element (or 2), with a cheap BIAB bag to get going on 20 litre batches for about £20. Then if you want to get fancy, add a cheap tap for a couple quid and some bubble wrap/foil insulation for mashing.

 

[Dutto]

..........

I'd drink it.

Er .... ???

I'm sure others are thinking the same thing!