[email]jdjordahl@sbcglobal.net[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> I've been brewing for about 8 years, not too adventuresome, and still
> using the partial-grain method. My last batch of ingredients, for a
> Sam Adams "clone," came to $44. (Hops and yeast have gone up
> considerably, and I can buy SA for about $40 a case). My supply store
> had kits (Brewer's Best and a British one) for $25 to $35 for other
> beers I like, so can someone talk me out of going that route?
> Thanks.
> Dave J[/color]

Easy, buy in bulk and the cost goes down dramatically. I buy the base
malt in 25kg bags, crystal malts etc, in 3-4 kgs amounts, hops the same.
The initial outlay seems high until you break it down across the
number of batchs you'd get from a 25kg bag of MO.