How much have you spent?

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
It's really funny reading this thread, most people are in two camps, the under 500 and over 1000.

For me starting in 2001, I spent about $150 to start extract brewing.

then about another $50 to start PM.

After that It went to hell in a hand basket, when I started All grain brewing.

I'll say I'm in 1500 to 2000 for my HERMS, CFC, Pumps, Stir palate, RANCO, Pot's,Banjo burner, and two Fermentation Cabinets.

The next project is to convert two kegs I have to a Kettle with Hop back , and a HLT/ Whirlpool vessel. so I can see that being another $100.

And then I'll need a 15Gal conical fermenter...

And then I'll need....

And then...
 
I guess I have lost count as well... But indeed I KNOW I must be in the latter camp...

Brutus Ten:

brutus1.jpg


Pub Phun:

pub1.jpg


And by Jan next year, a whole new garage epoxy floored brewery with all the brewery fixins to match Pub Phun...

I can't stop. I am Virgo.

Yea... Homebrewing is cheaper than buying store bought!

Lonnie Mac
 
I have probably spent $500 but much could have been avoided through research. One mistake I made was not getting large enough equipment in the first place,so I needed to continually upgrade,larger pots better burners etc:
 
I just started in the late spring even though I've been lurking since 2006...

2 converted kegs: $100 (kegs free, but bought a new Bosch Angle Grinder and cutting wheels)
Barley Crusher - $130
Grain - $250-$300
Hops - $75-100? Not sure.
Yeast - $50-80? Been using US-05 mostly.
Starter Kit - $65 (carboy, bucket, racking stuff, etc)
Bottling Bucket/Lid - $17
6 Primary Buckets - $60
mix-stir - $16
Mash paddle - $20
mash tun - $35
propane burner - $45
2 propane tanks - $52
propane - $40
50' IC - $80
Erlenmeyer Flask Starter Kit - $25
Stir plate - $30
Scale - $40
CO2 - $33
CO2 Regulator - $150
8 Corny Kegs - $160
Misc Tubing and other Odds and Ends - $200+
Shipping - No special $5.99 to here :p - $100+

Total: $1850 or so.
 
Lately I've been considering buying a grain mill and it got me to wondering just how much money I've spent on homebrewing since I started. That got me to thinking that maybe now was a good time to re-visit this thread.

The interesting thing to me is how everything is relative. This is a very inexpensive hobby compared to many others. Take my other hobby, for instance, which is photography. Even though the prices of digital camera gear have been falling fast over the past couple of years, it is still very easy for someone to drop a couple of grand on cameras, lenses, etc. Yet, if someone here announced that they had spent $2K on a beautiful SS rig for all grain brewing, we would be wowed, to say the least.

What have I spent on homebrewing?

Let's see... I think this is pretty close:

Homebrewing starter kit and misc. stuff $150
More carboys 50
Bottles 50
Stockpots 60
Turkey fryer 35
All grain system 180
Keggin system 135
Other misc. widgets & stuff 50?

$710

Now, I have no idea how much I've spent on indgredients and cleaning supplies over the past 2 or 3 years that I've been brewing. Probably about another $500, maybe? I don't keep any records on this, so I just don't know.

On balance, though, this is a very reasonably priced pastime to be involved in. Heck, if I wanted a new camrera and lens right now I could easily spend more than $700 in an instant. An I worry about the cost of getting a Barley Crusher, or even a kegerator?

And, we can't forget-- a lot of the homebrew that we make and drink very likely replaces a great deal of expensive commericial beer, wine and liquor that we would otherwise be buying at full retail price if we weren't drinking homebrew.
 
McCall St. Brewer said:
Lately I've been considering buying a grain mill and it got me to wondering just how much money I've spent on homebrewing since I started. That got me to thinking that maybe now was a good time to re-visit this thread.

The interesting thing to me is how everything is relative. This is a very inexpensive hobby compared to many others. Take my other hobby, for instance, which is photography. Even though the prices of digital camera gear have been falling fast over the past couple of years, it is still very easy for someone to drop a couple of grand on cameras, lenses, etc. Yet, if someone here announced that they had spent $2K on a beautiful SS rig for all grain brewing, we would be wowed, to say the least.

What have I spent on homebrewing?

Let's see... I think this is pretty close:

Homebrewing starter kit and misc. stuff $150
More carboys 50
Bottles 50
Stockpots 60
Turkey fryer 35
All grain system 180
Keggin system 135
Other misc. widgets & stuff 50?

$710

Now, I have no idea how much I've spent on indgredients and cleaning supplies over the past 2 or 3 years that I've been brewing. Probably about another $500, maybe? I don't keep any records on this, so I just don't know.

On balance, though, this is a very reasonably priced pastime to be involved in. Heck, if I wanted a new camrera and lens right now I could easily spend more than $700 in an instant. An I worry about the cost of getting a Barley Crusher, or even a kegerator?

And, we can't forget-- a lot of the homebrew that we make and drink very likely replaces a great deal of expensive commericial beer, wine and liquor that we would otherwise be buying at full retail price if we weren't drinking homebrew.
Click to expand...


I have a brew partner and he is setting up a spreadsheet to tell us cost of equipment, ingredients and supplies. We could then do a per unit cost analysis.

But, cost aside, we are having a ball with this thing. We could go out and buy a ss brwe system but have opted to do this as cheaply as possible.

So we also find kegs and convert them. Rather than a sight glass, we use a dip stick. Why? Because that is the chalenge of it all. Therefore, the fun.

You can make this what you want, as long as you make it enjoyable and yes, beer as well.
 
I started last month - the bills are adding up quick

Four corney kegs - $160
Chest Freezer to convert - $177
Taps/lines/ Regulator/connector for kegerator - $160
CO2 tank - $85
Thermometer - $50

Two better bottles - $35
Wort Chiller - $45
siphon/yeast starter/strainer/misc - $50
MLT conversion (DIY) $30

STILL NEED - Turkey Fryer and Keggle.

So I am in the $700 range.. But my kegerator rocks!! LOL
 
I don't know for sure but this past Christmas I dropped a boat load, around $750 or so. But that got me the following:

Chiller big enough for 10G batches
15lb. Barley Crusher
Burner
Lumber for 3 stands
Propane Tank
50lb. of 2-row
50lb. of munich
15lb. each of Carapils, Vienna, Crystal 90L, Black Patent, Chocolate and Roasted Barley
Airtight storage containers for all the above grains
A 6' x 6' shelving system for the basement to help store all the new gear

Prior to that I probably spent $2-300 on the gear I had for doing extract and PM. My next major investment will be a kegerator of some sort or at least the gear to start kegging.
 
hmmm...I'm going to have to think about this.

My first kit was apporx $100
30qt stock pot was $40
Wort Chiller was $50
Mash/Lauter tun was cheap - $10
Turkey Fryer was Xmas present - $0
7.2cu ft $100
4 kegs $80
10lb CO2 - $60
Regulator - $30
Manifold - $30
Various tubs, hoses, strainers, stirring wands, thermometers etc - lets call it $100

So, roughly $600. Of course this is not including ingredients.
 
I went balls to the wall a purchased the MoreBeer 10 Gal Brew Sculpture and paid $2500. Plus I purchased a stainless steel fermentor for $600.
This makes brewing so much easer.
 
I think I'm in good shape.

My wife bought me all my equipment to start extract brewing for my birthday. My buddy gave me a turkey burner, stockpot, stir plate and starter flask, all of which he'd gotten for free. I got all my books, and a bunch of plumbing/all grain supplies for Christmas, as well as a Home Depot gift card, which I used to build my chiller.

So basically, I have spent out of my own pocket:
Cooler for MLT- $22
Promash- $24
Recent Northern brewer for sundry items- $26
Last Home Depot trip for plumbing stuff- $78
Total- $150

Crap. I think this means I can go buy a load of stuff this weekend. I'm way low.
 
Hummm, for just equipment???

kegerator(before I started brewing)=$450
8 Kegs=$200
Shanks &taps to make kegerator a 3 tapper=$75
3 converted kegs&accesories for AG=$175
CFC=$75
Fermenters=$40
Odds and ends=$75
Fermentation chamber(in the works)~$100

Total=$1190
Thank God for student loans and a wifes income:D :D :D
 
Starter kit from Midwest Brewing, plus add'l bucket: $110

3 kegs and professional conversion of kegs into MLT, HLT and Kettle: $0

Materials necessary for keg conversion: $90

Miscellaneous tools and materials I've had to buy: $30

Total: about $230

Not too bad overall. The ingredient costs aren't much either. It's the shipping that's killer. :drunk:
 
chriso said:
12/7/07 Anyways, this comes out to around $1042
Click to expand...

Added:
- 3 more lbs hops - $50
- 8 cornies - $120
- 5# CO2 + reg + gas line - $100
- PBW and Oxi-Clean/dispensing tap/bulk o-rings - $55
- Stirplate project - $28

So far: $1395.00

Still need to buy:
- Fridge to replace ours for my kegerator - $1000 (SWMBO wants the bottom-freezer one)
- 3 Perlicks - $90
- More hardware (distrib, check valves, hoses) - $50
- Some kind of bigger boiling pot for 10 gal batches (Keggle?) - $120
- Hopstopper and pickup for above - $30?
- More bulk grain - $150?
 
Starter kit $60
22 Qt Brew Pot $50
50' Immersion Chiller $50
freezerless fridge $250
Temp Controller $45

$455
 
So far

Carboys $80
AirLocks & Misc $80
Cooper Tubing and vinyl $50
Mash Tun $30
Chemicals $20

Not counting supplies and what I know I have forgotten $260

The bad news check out the number of post, I have just got started!
 
Well, i could put my homebrew cost to date up here, but they would be small since i have only started. What i can do, for a comparison, is put my cost of personal computer equipment for the last 3 years, which is as far back as a i have logged. With the cost on monitors, big video cards, and way to many upgrades, im looking at $3900. There is more ways to spend that hard earned money then we could imagine, question is, are you enjoying it. If you are, and the wife never adds it all up, is all worth it.
 
about $2500 in the last 2 months.
The breakdown I'm not doing but in this it includes:

ingredients for 2 5 gallon extract batches.
used Stainless sink with drainboard + plumbing in garage.
bottle tree
turkey fryer stand
2 full propane tanks.

whole skid full of gear including:
box of ballvalves and assorted hardware
brew rack including 1 propane burner
2 converted kegs(some assembly still required)
cooler w/ slotted manifold, some precision thermometers + thermos for kegs
2 cornies
co2 tank + regulator
small refrigerator
ranco controller
stirplate
bunch of glassware for culturing, inlcuding slides, petri dished, graduated cylinders, agar, alcohol burner, butane burner,etc, etc.
oxygen tank assembly
braised plate counter-flow chiller
lab grade plastic wall hanging drying rack
refractometer
heat resistant gloves
assorted plasticware and other misc stuff I must be forgetting about like the stainless steel slant rack and 6 various books on brewing

got for free a minibrew 15 Gal Conical Fermenter from an ex-brewer friend
luckily I have access to about 100 free grolsch style brown glass bottles .
 
Not counting ingredients...

Starter kit $110
AG setup $150
Barley crusher $130
Toys and extra carboys .. $100?! .. :drunk:
Kegging rig $200
Kegerator $500

Beer that even makes your light beer drinking neighbor think you are a god... PRICELESS!! :rockin: :ban: :fro:
 
i spent $150 on ingredients LAST WEEK.
Equipment I do really good on...untill My temper takes over.
In Example, I got a great deal on a keg, Regulator, and 5# tank, hoses and picnic tap. Except I couldn't find anywhere local to fill the tank, forgot it when we went to the city, and ended up cutting a check for $375 for a 50# C02 Tank....then still ended up spending $20 to trade the little tank in for a full one (It fits in the $800ISH Keezer a bit better)

Thank the loard that I'm still not that interested in Conical Fermentors.
 
I'm at about $1000 excluding ingredients, and that's with a keezer that's still missing 3 taps (and the 3 I have aren't pretty, but they were free!)


Now let me see, what else do I need?
 
On a rifle site I have frequented (another hobby) one poster was criticizing someone else's wasted money spent on spiffing a former military rifle. I thought the other guy's reply was wise. It went something like this:

"Man, this is my hobby. I do this for the pleasure I get from it, not to make a profit. If my hobby is to throw money down holes, and it gives me pleasure, harms no one, and is legal, then why do you care? Leave me to do it, and let me be"

(Actually, the last phrase was more strongly worded, but I doubt the language would fly here).

I think he must be a wise man.
 
I've spent $650 just at AHS since January on ingredients and odds and ends. And another $275 on 2 chest freezers (1 for fermenting and 1 for conditioning)and temp controllers. This doesn't count any brewing equipment or my kegerator. That would have to add another $1000 to $1200.
Jeebus, now im depressed.:(
 
Let's see...

Several years ago, starter kit: $100

A few months ago when I started brewing again:
New kit (everything pretty much needed replaced): $140 (incl. an ingredient kit)

Since then, including shipping but not including ingredients:
MLT (cooler and parts): $65
Keg: $40
Extra carboys: $40
Misc. extras from LHBS like carboy handles, stoppers, etc.: $20
Turkey fryer: $40
Digital scale: $30
Digital thermometer: $20


So, about $400 since I've gotten back into brewing, excluding ingredients. Not so bad, now that I think about it. I thought I'd spent more.

<Heads to AHB website...>
 
Starter kit = Notta... Gift from SWMBO (plus one kit)
Brewpots = $42 (three cheap, and I emphasize CHEAP, SS pots from Big Lots)...
Burner = Had one from my days of frying turkeys... W/ propane tank...
Fermentation chiller = $30... Had a spare sheet of Foamular from a house project... Got another sheet, some caulk and sealing tape... Had a spare computer fan with speed control and a 12V power supply lying around...
Kegs = $200 for a used 20# CO2 (full), a brand new 5# CO2, Micromatic regulator, and A LOT of Cornies...
Kegerator in the making = So far, free... Grandma passed away a few months back and I am getting the 50's style Westinghouse fridge that still works like a charm...
'New' keggle - $20 + Free use of plasma cutter... Now to order the drain fittings... Ugh...
Two new Better Bottles = Prolly $60 for the ported w/ racking system and $25 on a non-ported...

I am sure if I keep going I will just start to realize one of the vehicles could have been paid off buy now.... However, I think it is about a wash considering what I was spending at the local beer store per week...

:mug:
 
Okay here it goes, I'm only revealing this because SWMBO bought it all for me.

Sabco all stainless BM = $5,600.00
Sabco 15.5 G fermenter= $750.00
Sabco Chill Wizzard = $649.00 (on sale!!)

This was December of 2006, I refuse to count anything prior to that and to be honest I don't think ingredients count either, but I'm not sure.

Love you SWMBO!!!!!!


Eastside
 
Ok so hear it goes, I am sure there are things that I am missing. I got lucky and started out brewing on some one else rig for the first 3 years. On average we are doing 2 ten gallon batches a brew session and as many as we can. With that said we brew on average once a month. Sometimes twice if we have a lot of party's taking place. I have fallen head over heals with brewing. I am giving brew away just to be able to brew again the next week or month.

  • 8 Corny Kegs and hardware to support @ $180
    6 taps with 4 shanks @ 150 ish
    1 fridge turned into a kegerator @ costed me a kitchen remodel for the wife (but I cant count that)
    Misc hard parts and spares for above mentioned $100
    3 Blichmann Kettles @ $1200
    1 Blichmann wort chiller @ $194
    Steel for home brew stand @ $100
    March Pump @ $118
    Quick Disconnect for all the above mentioned kettles and march-pump @ $120
    Stir Plate that I built @ $16
    Beakers for Stir Plate @ $ 24
    Spin Bars @ $6
 
Lol, I'm ghetto fab.

$35 brew pot
$10 two colanders (one is much finer than the other)
$20 igloo cooler
$25 2x2gal walmart water containers, 2x3gal walmart water containers
$25 stoppers, airlocks, autosiphon and a wooden spoon

115 bucks. I do 2.5 gallon batches usually. Secondary into the 2 gallon containers if I need to. I manage to do AG batches and do all the work indoors. I get around 70% efficiency which I consider awesome for stovetop AG.

I just bought a wort chiller for 60 bucks though.. now I'm in the big leagues!
 
I'd love to answer you but, if my wife ever saw this thread she'd never let me live it down. I have waaaaaay to much gear considering how short a time I have been brewing.

(Drooling over Brew-Magic & Chill wizard)
 
John Beere said:
Ever since I picked brewing back up early last year, I've spent more than I care to share. The funny thing is I'm only about a quarter of the way finished converting my garage into a proper brewery. The walk-in cooler was just phase 1...
Click to expand...

Phase II is nearing completion. I have just about everything I will ever need, including enough spare parts and raw ingredients to open a LHBS as the closest shop is over 80 miles away. I have no idea what I have spent but look at it as a serious investment. Who knows where this will lead or how soon you'll start seeing Deep Six at your local quick stop...
 
I bought about 400 dollars worth of stuff and was scared to death that I didn't have what i needed, now 2 brews into my home brewing career I've used about 125 bucks worth of the stuff and love the hell out of it. For sure one of those little 100 dollar kits that are sold by the home brew supply shops is all you need to get started, don't be scared like i was at first, just do it.
 

Similar threads

Ragman
Make your own beer, they said. You'll save money, they said.
2 3 4
Replies
125
Views
8K
Surly
Surly
jwalk4
Post #1001 Photo Journal
Replies
7
Views
1K
Jtk78
Jtk78
J
  • Article
Which is Right for You? BIAB or Extract
Replies
37
Views
5K
Beer &amp; Tall Buildings
B
T
North Carolina Homebrew Equipment Cleanout
Replies
24
Views
6K
ThatEthanolGuy
T
D
Step by Step All Grain Brew Day
Replies
5
Views
2K
Qhrumphf
Qhrumphf

Latest posts

Back
Top