You da man!

JB, does Coopers Vintage Ale fall under your “massed produced” definition, given that it’s not made all year round? I bought a slab of it for an outrageous price a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been slowly savoring it. It’s the best commercially brewed beer I’ve ever run across, superior to Little Creatures, and almost as good as some of Christoph Zierholz’s masterpieces.

And an outstanding 7.5% alcohol as well, IIRC.

The Aldi beer may be cheap, but there’s a reason for that. I’ve never tried one that I liked. An alternative source of cheap beer is Costco, where you can generally find Stella, Boags, Becks and a few others at good prices.

We reviewed the vintage not that long ago.

Certainly excellent, but pricy and of uncertain availability.

Mass produced for mine means available on tap in most bars and on the shelf in most grog shops.

Is the Rekorderlig cheap there?

Mothy said :

Is the Rekorderlig cheap there?

blurgh

Who cares? Not me!

Or brew your own, using Coopers kits, for less than 50c per longneck bottle…

switch said :

Or brew your own, using Coopers kits, for less than 50c per longneck bottle…

Yes and when I want to spend my Sundays washing bottles I’ll do just that again.

Hopefully in 2013 I’ll get a keg rig running.

johnboy said :

switch said :

Or brew your own, using Coopers kits, for less than 50c per longneck bottle…

Yes and when I want to spend my Sundays washing bottles I’ll do just that again.

Hopefully in 2013 I’ll get a keg rig running.

What’s holding you back, JB?

Duffbowl said :

What’s holding you back, JB?

Teh moneys.

I need more of you buggers to take out a premium subscription.

johnboy said :

Yes and when I want to spend my Sundays washing bottles I’ll do just that again.

The secret is to always rinse the bottle out straight after emptying it. This gets rid of the yeast residue while it’s still runny and then they take very little cleaning next time you make a brew.

switch said :

The secret is to always rinse the bottle out straight after emptying it. This gets rid of the yeast residue while it’s still runny and then they take very little cleaning next time you make a brew.

Been there, done that, still a better use of my time to buy the case IMHO. Your mileage may vary.

Alid have some great beer from time to time. Their Aldi brand stuff is not great, however they get specials in all the time. Got a case of Singha there a couple of weeks back for $40. Mothy, they have Rekorderlig from time to time as well, usually about $5 per bottle. BWS is only slightly more at 3 for $18.

johnboy said :

switch said :

Or brew your own, using Coopers kits, for less than 50c per longneck bottle…

Yes and when I want to spend my Sundays washing bottles I’ll do just that again.

Hopefully in 2013 I’ll get a keg rig running.

Pays for itself after about 387 or so beers. Which if you’re anything like me, is not very long at all.
Also much more environmentally conscious, just refilling your schooner glass, rather than having all that packaging and beer miles.

In summary, homebrewing in kegs is something you can’t afford not to do.

Nice spot. Out of the Aussie beers, Coopers Pale is in my top 5. Little Creatures is a bit better I reckon. If you’re going to go international – Newcastle Brown Ale. OMG taste, and OMFG price.

Mess said :

Alid have some great beer from time to time. Their Aldi brand stuff is not great, however they get specials in all the time. Got a case of Singha there a couple of weeks back for $40. Mothy, they have Rekorderlig from time to time as well, usually about $5 per bottle. BWS is only slightly more at 3 for $18.

Not to mention the occasional bottles of Bulmers Cider now and then. Apple heaven, I swear.

johnboy said :

Duffbowl said :

What’s holding you back, JB?

Teh moneys.

I need more of you buggers to take out a premium subscription.

Second hand equipment is sometimes available through brewers’ forums, such as Aussie Home Brewer. The local brewers club, The Canberra Brewers, is also a good spot for picking up ideas and sourcing equipment.

More than happy to discuss homebrew with just about anyone.

Duffbowl said :

johnboy said :

Duffbowl said :

What’s holding you back, JB?

Teh moneys.

I need more of you buggers to take out a premium subscription.

Second hand equipment is sometimes available through brewers’ forums, such as Aussie Home Brewer. The local brewers club, The Canberra Brewers, is also a good spot for picking up ideas and sourcing equipment.

More than happy to discuss homebrew with just about anyone.

So, can you tell me how to make a decent Flanders Red Ale?

knuckles said :

So, can you tell me how to make a decent Flanders Red Ale?

Nah, a middling to fair one, perhaps.

gospeedygo said :

Mess said :

Alid have some great beer from time to time. Their Aldi brand stuff is not great, however they get specials in all the time. Got a case of Singha there a couple of weeks back for $40. Mothy, they have Rekorderlig from time to time as well, usually about $5 per bottle. BWS is only slightly more at 3 for $18.

Not to mention the occasional bottles of Bulmers Cider now and then. Apple heaven, I swear.

Costco sell it by the case for a reasonable price. I bought my wife a case but I cant remember what it cost.

RE Aldi Beers, the Cape Cyan Blonde is exceptional value at under $30 per case and is not bad on the palate either. I have converted a few folk to it.

Might have to pop in for a carton. How anyone can drink that feline urine that’s mass-marketed as “beer” in Australia will be forever beyond me.

Cleanskin bear. $30/case from a tight-arse local, summer of George is here.

Diggety said :

Cleanskin bear…

They’re usually really dirty, with the berries and salmon and all.

devils_advocate said :

johnboy said :

switch said :

Or brew your own, using Coopers kits, for less than 50c per longneck bottle…

Yes and when I want to spend my Sundays washing bottles I’ll do just that again.

Hopefully in 2013 I’ll get a keg rig running.

Pays for itself after about 387 or so beers. Which if you’re anything like me, is not very long at all.
Also much more environmentally conscious, just refilling your schooner glass, rather than having all that packaging and beer miles.

In summary, homebrewing in kegs is something you can’t afford not to do.

Cheapest you can really get into kegging is for $750 (2 keg system, picnic taps, already have a suitable fridge), and you really want at least 4 kegs (2 on tap, 2 conditioning). Kegging in Australia is hilariously expensive.

$350 co2 bottle
$200 for 2 kegs
$50 for 4 disconnects (2 gas 2 liquid)
$100 for a regulator
$50 in beer line/clamps/etc

I’d have done it ages ago, but that means you price the annoyance of cleaning a bottle at $2 per bottle, or $48 per case!

I bottle a batch as 24 stubbies, and then 18-20 longnecks. Round it to 42 bottles per batch.

For me, at those costs, I’d need to go through 35 kegs for it be worth it financially (if I consider it worth 50 cents a bottle to clean and then cap). This is obviously ignoring the “badass” factor, which is why I EVENTUALLY will anyways (I have plans to build a 6 tap keezer)

Mess said :

Alid have some great beer from time to time. Their Aldi brand stuff is not great, however they get specials in all the time. Got a case of Singha there a couple of weeks back for $40. Mothy, they have Rekorderlig from time to time as well, usually about $5 per bottle. BWS is only slightly more at 3 for $18.

Singha beer is pure filth. I can’t even drink it in 35 deg heat and massive humidity, the taste is so bad. In singapore it is as cheap as anything (I think it’s made across the bridge in malaysia) but i’d take a Tiger for the same price over a singha any day.

devils_advocate said :

Mess said :

Alid have some great beer from time to time. Their Aldi brand stuff is not great, however they get specials in all the time. Got a case of Singha there a couple of weeks back for $40. Mothy, they have Rekorderlig from time to time as well, usually about $5 per bottle. BWS is only slightly more at 3 for $18.

Singha beer is pure filth. I can’t even drink it in 35 deg heat and massive humidity, the taste is so bad. In singapore it is as cheap as anything (I think it’s made across the bridge in malaysia) but i’d take a Tiger for the same price over a singha any day.

Singha is made in Thailand, which is probably why it is so cheap in Singapore. Aldi also do 12 packs of Tiger for $20. I like Singha, but each to their own.

knuckles said :

$350 co2 bottle
$200 for 2 kegs
$50 for 4 disconnects (2 gas 2 liquid)
$100 for a regulator
$50 in beer line/clamps/etc

I’d have done it ages ago, but that means you price the annoyance of cleaning a bottle at $2 per bottle, or $48 per case!

I bottle a batch as 24 stubbies, and then 18-20 longnecks. Round it to 42 bottles per batch.

For me, at those costs, I’d need to go through 35 kegs for it be worth it financially (if I consider it worth 50 cents a bottle to clean and then cap). This is obviously ignoring the “badass” factor, which is why I EVENTUALLY will anyways (I have plans to build a 6 tap keezer)[/quote>

Mate, you’re doing it wrong and scaring Johnboy in the process

CO2 Bottle 6kg filled – $220.00 delivered http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Australian-Standard-Carbon-Dioxide-CO2-Gas-Bottle-Cylinder-9-1Litres-6kg-FULL-/290828866924?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item43b6c0556c

2 x kegs – $60.00 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=898

4 disconnects – $52.00 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=731

CO2 regulator – $42.00 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Dorado-Dual-Guage-Co2-Regulator-Home-Brew-Beer-Keg-Aquarium-/271107545663?pt=AU_Breweriana&hash=item3f1f44da3f

Quality beer line – $1.90 per meter http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=750

About half the cost of what you’re saying

poetix said :

Diggety said :

Cleanskin bear…

They’re usually really dirty, with the berries and salmon and all.

swish

Mothy said :

Is the Rekorderlig cheap there?

I got Rekorderlig at Erindale the other day for $4.95 a bottle. Which is about $1 to $2 less than Woolies or Coles.

knuckles said :

BBQNinja said :

$350 co2 bottle
$200 for 2 kegs
$50 for 4 disconnects (2 gas 2 liquid)
$100 for a regulator
$50 in beer line/clamps/etc

I’d have done it ages ago, but that means you price the annoyance of cleaning a bottle at $2 per bottle, or $48 per case!

I bottle a batch as 24 stubbies, and then 18-20 longnecks. Round it to 42 bottles per batch.

For me, at those costs, I’d need to go through 35 kegs for it be worth it financially (if I consider it worth 50 cents a bottle to clean and then cap). This is obviously ignoring the “badass” factor, which is why I EVENTUALLY will anyways (I have plans to build a 6 tap keezer)[/quote>

Mate, you’re doing it wrong and scaring Johnboy in the process

CO2 Bottle 6kg filled – $220.00 delivered http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Australian-Standard-Carbon-Dioxide-CO2-Gas-Bottle-Cylinder-9-1Litres-6kg-FULL-/290828866924?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item43b6c0556c

2 x kegs – $60.00 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=898

4 disconnects – $52.00 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=731

CO2 regulator – $42.00 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Dorado-Dual-Guage-Co2-Regulator-Home-Brew-Beer-Keg-Aquarium-/271107545663?pt=AU_Breweriana&hash=item3f1f44da3f

Quality beer line – $1.90 per meter http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=750

About half the cost of what you’re saying

-CO2 cylinder you can sometimes find cheap like that. I’ve been looking, and that guy sometimes has them and sometimes doesn’t. When he doesn’t, even ebay prices rise up to $300. So I’m happy if you subtract $130 from my price

-Read reviews on the regulator you chose. It leaks after a few months, and isn’t accurate. You can maybe get away for $80. The one you chose is $55 with shipping anyways.

-the price you quoted for disconnects is $2 more than what I quoted anyways, PLUS shipping

-the kegs you posted were $60 each, not $60 for two, and they require cleaning and replacing the seals (which is usually an $8-10 kit). That also isn’t priced shipped! Ebay sellers charge $20-30 per keg to ship, so if we assume $20 to ship, and a $10 seal kit to fix it up, you’re back up at $90 a keg.

-beer line is $1.90 a meter, yes. You’ll need 2-3 meters per keg. You’ll also need 4 clamps per keg at $2-5 each.

-You’ll also need a manifold if you want both kegs “on tap”, call that $20-30 (I forgot that price too!)

-How are you going to dispense said beer without taps? Picnic taps are

So you found a co2 cylinder for markedly cheaper (when he has them available), but the rest isn’t really any cheaper.

Your total came to ~$600, mine to $750. Even at $600 that’s 30 KEGS to get through to equate to 50 cents a bottle in cleaning. Double that to a dollar per bottle in cleaning trouble and that’s 15+ kegs.

Again, do it if you hate bottling or you are going to build an awesome keezer/kegerator, but it is in no way cheap.

BBQNinja said :

knuckles said :

devils_advocate said :

$350 co2 bottle
$200 for 2 kegs
$50 for 4 disconnects (2 gas 2 liquid)
$100 for a regulator
$50 in beer line/clamps/etc

I’d have done it ages ago, but that means you price the annoyance of cleaning a bottle at $2 per bottle, or $48 per case!

I bottle a batch as 24 stubbies, and then 18-20 longnecks. Round it to 42 bottles per batch.

For me, at those costs, I’d need to go through 35 kegs for it be worth it financially (if I consider it worth 50 cents a bottle to clean and then cap). This is obviously ignoring the “badass” factor, which is why I EVENTUALLY will anyways (I have plans to build a 6 tap keezer)[/quote>

Mate, you’re doing it wrong and scaring Johnboy in the process

CO2 Bottle 6kg filled – $220.00 delivered http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Australian-Standard-Carbon-Dioxide-CO2-Gas-Bottle-Cylinder-9-1Litres-6kg-FULL-/290828866924?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item43b6c0556c

2 x kegs – $60.00 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=898

4 disconnects – $52.00 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=731

CO2 regulator – $42.00 http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Brand-New-Dorado-Dual-Guage-Co2-Regulator-Home-Brew-Beer-Keg-Aquarium-/271107545663?pt=AU_Breweriana&hash=item3f1f44da3f

Quality beer line – $1.90 per meter http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=750

About half the cost of what you’re saying

-CO2 cylinder you can sometimes find cheap like that. I’ve been looking, and that guy sometimes has them and sometimes doesn’t. When he doesn’t, even ebay prices rise up to $300. So I’m happy if you subtract $130 from my price

-Read reviews on the regulator you chose. It leaks after a few months, and isn’t accurate. You can maybe get away for $80. The one you chose is $55 with shipping anyways.

-the price you quoted for disconnects is $2 more than what I quoted anyways, PLUS shipping

-the kegs you posted were $60 each, not $60 for two, and they require cleaning and replacing the seals (which is usually an $8-10 kit). That also isn’t priced shipped! Ebay sellers charge $20-30 per keg to ship, so if we assume $20 to ship, and a $10 seal kit to fix it up, you’re back up at $90 a keg.

-beer line is $1.90 a meter, yes. You’ll need 2-3 meters per keg. You’ll also need 4 clamps per keg at $2-5 each.

-You’ll also need a manifold if you want both kegs “on tap”, call that $20-30 (I forgot that price too!)

-How are you going to dispense said beer without taps? Picnic taps are

So you found a co2 cylinder for markedly cheaper (when he has them available), but the rest isn’t really any cheaper.

Your total came to ~$600, mine to $750. Even at $600 that’s 30 KEGS to get through to equate to 50 cents a bottle in cleaning.

Double that to a dollar per bottle in cleaning trouble and that’s 15+ kegs.

Again, do it if you hate bottling or you are going to build an awesome keezer/kegerator, but it is in no way cheap.

I got started on a system similar to this, the additional kegs were quite cheap as I recall, and all shipped for the same price.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/XPERT-TESUCO-KEGGING-KIT-BREW-BEER-KEG-SYSTEM-CORNELIUS-/290830295225?pt=AU_Barware&hash=item43b6d620b9

the regulator seems to work really well, threw a bit of thread tape on there and no leaks.

If I could find my spreadsheet of costs I could give some more detail, but it’s been a few years so prices probably out of date. Which is why I gave my cost recovery threshold in beers rather than dollars.