Homebrewing is getting more expensive, as I find myself spending more money on craft brews as my beer taste has improved. Research? Higher standards? There's alot of "ooo, that looks interesting" at the beer store these days.
Spending more on craft brews
- Thread starter sdillow
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Yeah. I post this whenever some naive new brewer comes on here saying they will NEVER buy another beer again, now that they're homebrewers.
You're not the only one.
*Laughs uproarioulsy* Ah, the naieviity of the new brewer...
I probably spend MORE on commercial micros of an expensive nature since I started homebrewing....it's called research.
Especially hanging out on here, you read about so many interesting beers that you just have to try. You want to brew a new style, so you have to try a bunch of different versions. You want to make a clone of something so you have to keep buying to try to nail it. You have a full pipeline, with 3-4 beers drinkable, but you just happen to be in the mood for a double chocolate bourbon jalapeno porter, so you drop 12 bucks for a bomber of it.
When you start brewing your beery horizons broaden so much, you really can't escape buying beer.
(Heck, I'm getting a feel for the bock style of beer, and looking at brewing one, in one week I bought 3 different sixers of it, one of them was 14.00 for the six- Bell's Celebrator Dopplebock.)
Not to mention new shiny brewing toys, ingredients, yeasts, books, magazines, and whatever else I stumble upon.
You can't escape it.
You're not the only one.
bruin_ale
Well-Known Member
yep, you got it.. stopped buying the SNPA and other common things and now mostly buy DIPA, barleywine, old ales, belgians, etc. Went from $6 a sixer to $6 a bottle.
That happened with me, although I wore out on BMC beers about 10 years ago. I think it's fun to see what is out there. I think there is almost infinite variation in flavors with grains, yeasts, hops, etc, and it's cool to see these craft brewers making good beer and making a living at it. I'll gladly pay them $8 for a sixer.
beergolf
Well-Known Member
Just call it research..............
mlg5039
Well-Known Member
I love market research.
rico567
Well-Known Member
Oh, I buy 'em....but "interesting" stops for me at about $8 / six.
kpr121
Well-Known Member
Being from PA, we havent had much in terms of bottle shops to buy 6ers and singles, but recently there has been a push to allow grocery stores to carry beer. The Giant Eagle right across the street from work just upgraded their beer selection to include about 50 varieties of singles/bombers. So far I have been there 4 times in the last two weeks picking up a bomber or 3 of something I havent tried. I can see this getting ugly fairly quickly.
When they know know name at the beer store, you might be there too often.
When a trip to get a good beer to go with dinner turns into a $60 adventure into tasting the range of Geuzes beers that are offered on the market.
This is when homebrewing is not cheaper(not that it ever really has been, we just like to tell our selves that.) However, I did just breech that barrier with 15 gallon SMaSH beers.
Beer stores are just no good for our kind of people. We will spend just as much on a bottle as it would cost up to brew 5gallons of Hefeweizen.
When a trip to get a good beer to go with dinner turns into a $60 adventure into tasting the range of Geuzes beers that are offered on the market.
This is when homebrewing is not cheaper(not that it ever really has been, we just like to tell our selves that.) However, I did just breech that barrier with 15 gallon SMaSH beers.
Beer stores are just no good for our kind of people. We will spend just as much on a bottle as it would cost up to brew 5gallons of Hefeweizen.
When you walk in and they open the cooler hold up a bottle of some fancy and expensive beer like Bell's 10th anniversary and say "Hey we were just gonna open a couple, you want one." You more than likely spend enough there to justify throwing you an expensive freebie every now and then.
The scary thing is I have 3 or 4 stores where that happens.
I actually have to disagree, shocker
I buy WAY less beer. Every-so-often (3 months?), I will stop at a store that I know has good beer, and I will drop $50-100 in one shot, but other than that, I buy beer MAYBE once a month, and IF that much, it's only a 6-pack.
I have so much beer at home, and I don't like getting too backed up, that there's just no reason for me to buy beer on a regular basis. I will only pick something up if I specifically want to try that beer.
I buy WAY less beer. Every-so-often (3 months?), I will stop at a store that I know has good beer, and I will drop $50-100 in one shot, but other than that, I buy beer MAYBE once a month, and IF that much, it's only a 6-pack.
I have so much beer at home, and I don't like getting too backed up, that there's just no reason for me to buy beer on a regular basis. I will only pick something up if I specifically want to try that beer.
kpr121 said:
I hear you. A client to the south enables me to get a once a month run to a Maryland store where I can pick up a variety of sixers at reasonable prices. Here in PA I'd have to buy whole cases at higher prices. At least my project lasts for another few months.
I admit that I buy less beer from the grocery store than I used to as well, although I almost always pick up a 6 pack of something when I want some motivation for the next weeks brew. I do however find myself dragging the family to specific restaurants almost every week though because I know they have local beers on tap. I'd say I spend about as much in microbrew now as I used to in Coors for the month, and I spend about that same amount on homebrew ingrediants. Throw in all the equipment upgrades and i'm way over budget, but shhhh don't tell my wife i'm not building a savings account with all my savings
downtown3641
Well-Known Member
I'm just getting started with homebrewing. My craft beer budget is already pretty large. But, it's split pretty evenly between trying new stuff and purchasing beers with which I'm already familiar to have around and drink casually. Hopefully, the homebrewing will eat into some of the tried-and-true beer budget.
smithnick0
Well-Known Member
I always have a 1/2 barrel keg of a domestic on tap, then i randomly buy craft beers to try out, plus my own Seems to work well for me
Seems to work well for meLiving in the UK leaves me little choice, we don't really get '6ers' here. Only the same boring english mild/pale/bitter or mass produced Belgians (Chimmay etc).
So I've found myself spending a lot less since homebrewing, but as others do, I'll occasionally do a big online order for a selection (to try and justify postage costs). My most recent purchase was a few bottles of Southern Tier Imperial Choklat that found its way to UK shores... I was in the states the first year it came out and fell in love with it, but it ran out so quickly!
So I've found myself spending a lot less since homebrewing, but as others do, I'll occasionally do a big online order for a selection (to try and justify postage costs). My most recent purchase was a few bottles of Southern Tier Imperial Choklat that found its way to UK shores... I was in the states the first year it came out and fell in love with it, but it ran out so quickly!
carlrobinhood
New Member
As my point of view Homebrewing is more expensive, because I found myself spending more money on craft brewing, beer, my taste has improved. Research? A higher standard? There are many "OOO, looks very interesting," These days, the beer store.
Well said.
noodledancer77
Well-Known Member
As my nearest brew store is 30 miles away, I don't buy alot, but when I do, I hear about from the wife. I'm a year in and making good beer, but not as good as the breweries. I used to have some beast light every now and again, but that's getting harder to do.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
As my taste changes I do find that I am buying way more expensive beers, but I am also enjoying them more. I am more happy now with one bottle of DFH Pangea then I ever was with a 12-pack on a Friday night. Call it research or whatever you will, it definitely has gone up in my case.
kpr121
Well-Known Member
Its funny because since my last post on this thread (April) I would say that my craft beer purchases at six-pack shops and distributors have drastically decreased. When I am home, I am pretty much only drinking homebrew now. If I am running low on the pipeline, I will pick up a case of yuengling or PBR to hold me over.
However, I have noticed that any time we go out to dinner we are picking places that sell great craft beer on tap, and I am usually ordering the most expensive beer on the menu. So I am usually dropping between 6 to 12 dollars a pint when I used to spend 12-15 on a sixer at the grocery store.
So in short, I am still spending a sh*tload of money on beer.
However, I have noticed that any time we go out to dinner we are picking places that sell great craft beer on tap, and I am usually ordering the most expensive beer on the menu. So I am usually dropping between 6 to 12 dollars a pint when I used to spend 12-15 on a sixer at the grocery store.
So in short, I am still spending a sh*tload of money on beer.
I find myself buying more than ever. Last night I picked up two bottles of Sam Adams Infinium (one for me, one for a friend), we also host a ton of tastings at our house. I doubt i'll ever not buy beer out of the sheer fact that I don't have enough time to brew everything I'd want to try.
I never have more then 3 to 5 style of beer in keg or in bottle, so there is no way I can stop buying beer, not just for tasting new stuff to have new idea, but to have a variety of style at home...
Maybe someday I'll be able to have a dozen of choise on tap or in bottle, then I might slow down on buying!
Maybe someday I'll be able to have a dozen of choise on tap or in bottle, then I might slow down on buying!
