Cheapest drinkable beers

[GIDDYUP]

After reading about the kits to stay away from I was wondering what the cheapest brew people have made and enjoyed.
For me a Coopers Pale Ale with Liquid sugar. All from Wollies and all under $20.
A friend of mine wanted to make him a Pale Ale and as I don't drink the stuff I thought I would just try this mix. He is very happy with the result.
So any others out their that can be honest let us know.....

[Matt Wilbur]

For me a Coopers Pale Ale with Liquid sugar.

Exactly what I was told by someone when I was looking at beers in Big W. I have the ingredients so I will try this one next.

[lethaldog]

I brewed a coopers standard lager with a brewcraft #60 and it turned out fantastic, cost me nothing for the can(normally $8 at coles or safeways but mine came with a new micro brew kit) and $9 for the #60 kit converter so if i had of paid for the can your looking at $17 dollars total and it is very yummy

Also just done another chimay ( recipe under belgian strong ales), ingredients cost me about $30 and then the stubbie of chimay $8.50 on top, i consider this a cheap brew as a 750ml bottle of chimay blue retails for $20 and ive just made 20 bottles for under $40

[Scatts]

Managed to pick up some past-used-by-date Tooheys Draught for $3 from the Warehouse, Brigalow Yeast for $1 & Brigalow Dextrose $2.60 from BigW and made 23L for 7bucks.

Works out to be 11c a stubby, or $2.74 per traditional slab.

Drinkable? Just better than a VB - So Yes, and definitly cheep!

Great for quaff'n in front of the Footy!

[Timmsy]

Nothing wrong with VB. I think im easily pleased

[DJ]

Nothing wrong with VB.

[Timmsy]

Its not that bad. But as i said im proberlly easily pleased

Has anyone tried "homebrand" brew?? I tried one from wollies and used normal suger and after a few months it wasnt to bad. Anyone else tried the cheap stuff and what did you think of it? I heard its made from the big companys

[muddy]

I have done a 2 can homebrand draught. Just to get rid of the homebrand cans I was given. Used a heap of saaz and some light grain (?? cant recall at the moment how much or what type) and saflager.
It spent 6 weeks at 4deg CI and is now a month in the bottle. Is quite impressive for homebrand cans.

I reckon you would have to have the most sensitive palate in the world to pick this as a generic can brew.

cheers

muddy

[velophile]

Managed to pick up some past-used-by-date Tooheys Draught for $3 from the Warehouse, Brigalow Yeast for $1 & Brigalow Dextrose $2.60 from BigW and made 23L for 7bucks.

Works out to be 11c a stubby, or $2.74 per traditional slab.

Drinkable? Just better than a VB - So Yes, and definitly cheep!

Great for quaff'n in front of the Footy!

I also scored several Tooheys kits cheap from Warehouse at $3.15 each.

Did a double can Lager with re-cultured Coopers yeast. Yummo, a big malty beer for under $7!

[mikey]

I brewed a coopers standard lager with a brewcraft #60 and it turned out fantastic, cost me nothing for the can(normally $8 at coles or safeways but mine came with a new micro brew kit) and $9 for the #60 kit converter so if i had of paid for the can your looking at $17 dollars total and it is very yummy

Also just done another chimay ( recipe under belgian strong ales), ingredients cost me about $30 and then the stubbie of chimay $8.50 on top, i consider this a cheap brew as a 750ml bottle of chimay blue retails for $20 and ive just made 20 bottles for under $40

I tried a search using Belgian Strong Ales but couldn't find it.

[lethaldog]

I brewed a coopers standard lager with a brewcraft #60 and it turned out fantastic, cost me nothing for the can(normally $8 at coles or safeways but mine came with a new micro brew kit) and $9 for the #60 kit converter so if i had of paid for the can your looking at $17 dollars total and it is very yummy

Also just done another chimay ( recipe under belgian strong ales), ingredients cost me about $30 and then the stubbie of chimay $8.50 on top, i consider this a cheap brew as a 750ml bottle of chimay blue retails for $20 and ive just made 20 bottles for under $40

I tried a search using Belgian Strong Ales but couldn't find it.

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ldme 2.3kg
black grain (crushed) 30g
soft dark brown sugar 400g
blended honey 250g
bittering hops hallertau 40g
bittering hops goldings 20g
if you can get hold of a bottle of chimay blue label then make a starter out of it but if not just use a good ale yeast eg. safale or wyeast abbey ale
final volume 15litres

boil all ingredients for 40 min then strain and adjust to 15 litres with cold water, wait to pitch yeast untill it reaches 25*c.

sit back and crack a cold one as usuall

Its in the recipe section under that title Belgian Strong Ale Recipes

[GIDDYUP]

Talking to a bloke today about home brew and the Cooper's Pale Ale. He was saying to use the CPA with the liquid sugar but instead of the supplied yeast use a Cooper's Sparkling Ale as the yeast starter. I asked what he was talking about but left the shop.
How do you get a yeast starter from a beer from the pub???????????

[dogsbeer]

My cheapest and non favourite was a Coopers pale ale with the Coopers Brew Enhancer 2. I had high hopes but was shot down in flames.
Yet I made a Coopers Pale with the liquid sugar when first moved to SA and was impressed. Thats why I tried the all Coopers brew. Never again......

[Shaun]

Talking to a bloke today about home brew and the Cooper's Pale Ale. He was saying to use the CPA with the liquid sugar but instead of the supplied yeast use a Cooper's Sparkling Ale as the yeast starter. I asked what he was talking about but left the shop.
How do you get a yeast starter from a beer from the pub???????????

When you buy a stubby of coopers that stuff in the bottom is yeast. You can use this in place of the kit yeast with some work have a search on here you will find info on culturing yeast.

[nt]

I am confused... Can someone explain what liquid sugar is? Is it a dextrose or table sugar in hot water?

[lethaldog]

Talking to a bloke today about home brew and the Cooper's Pale Ale. He was saying to use the CPA with the liquid sugar but instead of the supplied yeast use a Cooper's Sparkling Ale as the yeast starter. I asked what he was talking about but left the shop.
How do you get a yeast starter from a beer from the pub???????????

Save the sediment out of the bottom along with a little of the beer, Add 1 heaped tablespoon to half a cup of boiling water( from the kettle) give a stir and add to a steralised longneck then about half fill with cold water, add sediment ( give the bottle a swirl to make sure you get it all) then top up to about 100 mill from the top and bung and airlock the longneck, wait about 24-36 hours then pitch this into your brew( once again swirl to make sure you get all the sediment) sit back and wait for the little buggers to do their job
Oh and dont forget to crack a cold one

[Noodles]

Save the sediment out of the bottom along with a little of the beer, Add 1 heaped tablespoon to half a cup of boiling water( from the kettle)

Add 1 heaped tablespoon of what?

[rwh]

Light dry malt.

[lethaldog]

Save the sediment out of the bottom along with a little of the beer, Add 1 heaped tablespoon to half a cup of boiling water( from the kettle)

Add 1 heaped tablespoon of what?

Sorry ldme

[Matt Wilbur]

Just wondering whether it would be better to use the sediment from a couple of beers. Just to make up yeast numbers and for an excuse to drink 2 long necks of Coopers Sparkling.