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Craft Beer Prices - Getting Expensive or Just Me?


DonPolo

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Cap'n you and me brew similar beers with similar hop bills and timings. My brews usually cost around the $40 mark for Hoppy pales. Latest IPA is a bit more expensive because of the copious weights of hops,both late and dry.

Specialty malts can add up because I don't buy them by the sack, instead by the kilogram. Varies from $6-$9 per kilo depending on the malt/grain. This smoked porter I did got quite expensive with NINE different malts: pale, smoked, Munich, chocolate, oats, caramalt, Crystal, black, brown!

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1 minute ago, joolbag said:

Cap'n you and me brew similar beers with similar hop bills and timings. My brews usually cost around the $40 mark for Hoppy pales. Latest IPA is a bit more expensive because of the copious weights of hops,both late and dry.

Specialty malts can add up because I don't buy them by the sack, instead by the kilogram. Varies from $6-$9 per kilo depending on the malt/grain. This smoked porter I did got quite expensive with NINE different malts: pale, smoked, Munich, chocolate, oats, caramalt, Crystal, black, brown!

Yeah I’ve noticed that too joolbag. I buy bulk  base malt and that’s it. The specialty grains are usually around $7kg and hops are $1/10g 

that porter definitely would have added up. 

My stout is cheap on hops expensive for grain ha ha ha

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I’m going to say that being from the country that there’s not any competition from other businesses as well as there’s quite literally only three wholesale places in Perth drives that price difference. 

I support my LHBS regardless of that price though and will stick with them. I’m sure if I bought 3 or 5kg off them they would probably give it too me cheaper but I’m ok with not either.

Captain

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I only buy it in those amounts because I don't like the idea of doing a 45-50 minute round trip every couple of brews ? 

Usually the spec grain will last me around ten batches per grain type, except the darker roasted ones as I don't use them as often. Might only grab a kg next time I restock those, the current lot are about 3 years old now I think, maybe more.

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I often pay as little as $6/100g for hops, or about $30/500g, in 500g lots, from places like cheekypeak, or on special at beerco. 

Just made an order from beerco in melbourne, (i'm in sydney) where I bought two sacks of fresh gladfield ale and pils malt, these are now $64.95 each, but got 10% off the whole order, quite easy to achieve if you give back a review. Bought some 5kg bags of munich and vienna, these were $16.95 but a shade over $15 with the discount. So just over $2/kg for base malts and $3/kg for others. Usually $14.95 flat rate shipping but because a larger order it was free. 

Some beers I make with minimal hops using multigeneration harvested yeast cost me very little above $10, including power. I get a kick out making something of great quality at low cost. Most definitely the hoppier pales and IPA's skyrocket in price with the addition of hops, hence the price of  pirate life. Still, it would only add maybe $6-$10 to a case price max. The excise tax on a case is $15.85. There is the labour associated with brewing beer properly like this too, compared to the giant automated breweries that are making something that they call beer, but it's actually not. 

I liken that megaswill beer to dogfood. If society started eating tinned dogfood, and that became normal, then this would be like the megaswill of the food market. 

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  • 4 months later...
On 6/20/2018 at 8:23 AM, MUZZY said:

Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this one but if you're looking for a cheap, easy drinking, commercial beer I've been enjoying Arc Valley premium lager from Dan's when I'm out of home brew.
Only $33 a slab, probably cheaper outside SA because we have 10c container deposit here.
Small 330ml bottles but ounce for ounce still cheap compared to other 375ml brands.
4.8% ABV. Much rather drink this than a midstrength of a similar price.

Well I ran out of home brew today, so I went to Dan's to grab my favourite cheap commercial beer, Arc Valley, to get me through the famine. To my surprise it hadn't gone up in price since last year. Discovered the ABV had dropped from 4.8% to 4.0%. I didn't buy it....not even at that price. So disappointed.

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On 1/17/2019 at 12:16 AM, NewBrews said:

I only tried it in the last week or so. Damn good actually! Very impressed.

Hey Newbrews, was it the 4% version or the 4.8% version you bought? I'm willing to give the 4% version a try if you reckon it's good but my experience in 4% beers is they tend to taste a bit watery eg. Fosters "Classic", Carlton Cold etc.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's not just the price of craft beer at the bottleo that's ludicrous - I find the whole pub scene for discerning beer drinkers has gone to shit in the last few years, at least where I'm at in Brisbane.  Drinks are expensive, range is limited at bigger pubs because they're all owned by Coles or Woollies and full of megaswill and megacraftswill.  You can get a nice beer at a dedicated craft place around town, but I've had sessions where 3 schooeys have set me back the cost of a whole batch of kit swill.  And then, all the interesting places close early now cos of the lockout laws.  It feels like prohibition by stealth!  These days I go out for something to eat, try a couple of interesting brews and go home and tuck myself into bed before curfew, so I don't anger the fun police.  I wonder how long it'll be before they try to ban home brewing cos health  

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3 minutes ago, NewBrews said:

I hear ya! I wandered into the Mill on Constance a few weeks ago for a sly one on the way to the station? Three pints  and it was $30 and that was at happy hour.

At least your pints are pints. Here in SA it's accepted that a pint is 425mls. Yeah, nah. FFS.

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7 hours ago, NewBrews said:

I hear ya! I wandered into the Mill on Constance a few weeks ago for a sly one on the way to the station? Three pints  and it was $30 and that was at happy hour.

At those prices I find it hard to justify these days... I'll do it for a treat but when you start thinking about how much home brew you could've had for the same price suddenly the whole thing loses its appeal.  Nights out in the land of Oz are stupidly expensive!

7 hours ago, MUZZY said:

At least your pints are pints. Here in SA it's accepted that a pint is 425mls. Yeah, nah. FFS.

That's weird, isn't 425 a Schooner?  Is that a random historical thing?  Speaking of odd glass sizes, has anyone else noticed that some of the craftier venues have started using older glass styles and names that are non standard?  I've found myself paying pint prices for pots that look like brandy balloons without realising.  Another sly trick I've noticed lately is using pot glasses that are thinner and narrower and cut to look like larger ones.  But you're still paying the schooner/pint prices.  I get that decent beer costs more to produce, but it's tough for punters.  With a mortgage and bills and stuff to save up for I can't enjoy a session out anymore without watching the bank balance.

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14 hours ago, Beervis said:

 

That's weird, isn't 425 a Schooner?  Is that a random historical thing?  Speaking of odd glass sizes, has anyone else noticed that some of the craftier venues have started using older glass styles and names that are non standard?  I've found myself paying pint prices for pots that look like brandy balloons without realising.  Another sly trick I've noticed lately is using pot glasses that are thinner and narrower and cut to look like larger ones.  But you're still paying the schooner/pint prices.  I get that decent beer costs more to produce, but it's tough for punters.  With a mortgage and bills and stuff to save up for I can't enjoy a session out anymore without watching the bank balance.

There's a few theories on how SA became the 425ml pint state. The one I think has most merit is from WWII when the govt increased booze tax.

"In 1940, the Federal Government imposed higher taxes on beer as part of the war effort. While New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia decided to charge more for their beers, South Australia kept prices the same, but reduced serving sizes."  - source www.abc.net.au

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45 minutes ago, MUZZY said:

There's a few theories on how SA became the 425ml pint state. The one I think has most merit is from WWII when the govt increased booze tax.

"In 1940, the Federal Government imposed higher taxes on beer as part of the war effort. While New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia decided to charge more for their beers, South Australia kept prices the same, but reduced serving sizes."  - source www.abc.net.au

So that’s why the local pub (in Lincoln) I went to, got in actual pint glasses for me when I asked for an imperial pint all those years (15) ago. 

Those cheeky south aussies and there pragmatic ways. 

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On 1/28/2019 at 11:17 PM, NewBrews said:

Are you the wierd state where you have to ask for an Imperial Pint if you don’t want a schooner?

You sound like an Eastern stater NewsBrews. No, every state has their own weirdly developed ism's when it comes to available beer glass sizes poured over the bar.

https://www.eatplaylovetravel.com.au/2017/06/28/order-beer-australia/

Also don't lay your finished glass down on the bar in some states once emptied, else that could get you into a bit of bother with the locals if you hang around long enough after. 😉

Cheers,

Lusty.

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2 minutes ago, Beerlust said:

Also don't lay your finished glass down on the bar in some states once emptied, else that could get you into a bit of bother with the locals if you hang around long enough after. 😉

Yep, it’s upside down where I live that’ll leave you hurt....... quickly. Well maybe back in the old days. 

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9 hours ago, Beerlust said:

You sound like an Eastern stater NewsBrews.

Yep. Born and bred Queenslander.

And an upside down glass on the bar meant you’ll fight the bar. Knocked over glass just meant you were p1ssed 😆

I remeber we never had schooners years ago, you either got a pony (5), a beer (7) or a pot (10). The old fellas used to drink fives and we thought they were nuts until we figured out they never really had time to get hot even if you were taking your time.

Age and experience will win over youth most of the time. 

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