why do friends think homebrew is FREE?

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.
Haputanlas said:
You need to start buying your hops and grain elsewhere. Even these more expensive beers should be costing you less than a buck per pint.

You could also save some cash by propagating your yeast.

I don't buy bulk yet but it still usually only costs me about 20-30 per batch. Hops by pound and base malt by 50 pound bag is a must eventually. Can support the LHBSs inflated prices via yeast and specialty grain ;)
 
Now that my friends and I are all in our mid-30's, informal sharing seems to rule the day. One friend keeps a keg of something good around all the time (usually Switchback). I brew for any event i'm hosting and make sure people know they are welcome to it.

We do have one set of friends who hold and charge for an annual party they do (not homebrew, but they buy nice beer for it). I have yet to go to that party because frankly it feels tacky. Similarly, when i grill for people I buy burgers and dogs and smoke ribs and pork shoulder, I'd rather do that than go buy filet mignon and put out a money jar.
 
Since I've been homebrewing, my friends drink my homebrew and do not leave any money. That said, I have been finding that when I go to a pub with those same friends, I end up having most of my rounds bought for me. That and all my friends contribute bottles.
 
We keg almost everything and always let friends drink for free when they come by but we also have a tip jar on top of the cabinet that holds the beer glasses. So people see it when they grab a glass and fill up. We never say a word about putting money into it but when we check it there is always enough cash inside to fully pay for at least one or two batches. It's been a great way for those who can to give and for us to keep making them all more beer.

tip-jar-e1314035911873.jpg
 
Aside from the obvious problems with selling homebrew, it sounds like you just have crap friends.

I don't mind sharing homebrew with people as long as they appreciate it. If I had people come over more often I'd probably keep a brew or two of cheap session ale around that people would be welcome to drink as much as they like. When you can do 5 gallons for about $10-15 then even 6 beers amounts to about $2. No big deal.

As somebody said before, friendship isn't about reciprocity so I wouldn't expect people to leave behind cash or bring something over. However, I would expect friends to realize that time and money goes into the beer and be just as generous in return. Friends should appreciate one another and if they don't appreciate the free beer they don't appreciate me. That said, I've yet to run into the problem where a friend became a mooch.

That said, if I were OIP and felt taken advantage of, I'd probably stop inviting them over.
 
Very well put. It's not worth having "friends" over if they're just gonna mooch off of you.

Those aren't really friends anyways.
 
I have to agree with what appears to be a majority sentiment... sharing is good. I brew more than my wife and I can drink, and having people over gives me an excuse to brew more--which is something I really enjoy.

I like the sharing aspect, because it gives me an opportunity to evangelize homebrew, craftbeer, and the brewing experience. My sister gave me the biggest compliment I can imagine when she recently told me, "I don't like beer, but this is really good." I hear this frequently, and that makes sharing my brew worth all the time, energy, and money I spend on it.

That all being said, I don't provide beer at no cost for parties, etc. If you want that, as others have said here, you get to pay for materials.
 
My house always seems to be the central party house for our friends and family. All of them love my brews and I feel extremely proud of what I produce and encourage everyone to drink freely. I am fortunate that my circle of friends and family are not mooches and always bring a 6'er of their favorite beer as well as snacks and food. Quite often a friend will call and ask if I need any grains when they are in town. Basically it seems to balance out and when I go to a friend's house I always leave them some beer.
 
cimirie said:
Yeah, I'm with permo on this. I love to brew and I love my beer (well, most of it), but I really love sharing it with others. But even if I didn't brew my own, any guest in my house (friend, relative, etc...) is welcome to refreshment that I have on hand. That's just the way I am. For me, charging people for a beer is kinda.... tacky.

Now, if you have a limited supply brew (specialty, or the Pliny clone you spoke of), I can see holding that back a bit - I did that with an RIS that I only did 2.5 gallons of (first mistake) that took a year of aging. Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry got some.

Now, you mention they come by, hang out, and try the latest homebrew... That's one of the big reasons homebrewing is so cool to me - people make excuses to come by and hang out. I would LOVE it if more people did that.

So how do I handle freeloaders? I invite them in.

You the man!!
 
They think it is free because you're a ***** and don't tell them otherwise.
 
I have come to realize over the years with friends coming and going that usually, you get help or services or favors one way or another. Keeping tabs in relationships, friendships or family defeat the purpose of those relationships. You may as well be business partners.

Sharing is good. But, there is a difference between sharing and being a victim of freeloading. Granted, there is a fine line. Like some of you mentioned, most good chracter friends will pay you back or help you out one way or another, helping paint, moving etc... For me, I never expect anything is return. If you "expect" things, it could ruin the friendships that you have. It tends to make people bitter, IMO.

OP, If it is bothering you to the point that you had to bring it up with us, it has crossed that line for you. Perhaps just politely tell themt hat hosting for you is no longer going towork because it is too expensive. or ask all of them to bring a good 6'er. And YOU keep what isn't consumed. I really Zixxer10R's Idea of beer Roulette.

All in all, they are your friends and you, more than anyone on here, know their intentions. It is up to you to decide if their intentions are worthy of your friendship and beer. If they are, and they are good friends; then sharing shouldn't be an issue.
 
I don't mind sharing I never have....just please if I give you a sixer or hell any bottles at all please please please return them....I am into recycling :) , Also from reading all of the responses to the OP's question, it seems that this has turned from a "hey Bob I here you home brew...." to a "Hey Bob where's the good stuff?" I might be wrong....

I love sharing the homebrew it gives me a second opinion on what I have put together and sure as sh*t I found out the neighbor down the block homebrews as well.....so a surpise birthday party for one neighbor and 15 bottles of my hop head red and his 15 bottles of lemon wheat yielded one heck of a night..... :D
 
Its one of those "The grass is always greener.." issues. I used to brew some pretty bad beer and would LOVE for friends to actually like a batch I brewed - heck, I strived for this. Now that I am making good beer, my keg seems to dissapear quickly without me getting much time to enjoy the batch and I wish they would slow down a bit... LOL

Overall - I would much rather have the latter than the former...
 
If it were my friends, I'd just be honest with them and say something like "Hey, I don't mind providing the beer, but do you mind chipping in a few bucks to cover the cost? This was an expensive one to make." If they truly are your friends, they will gladly chip in a few dollars to help keep the beer flowing. The alternative is to make a beer available to everyone that isn't so expensive to make like a pale ale or a hef, and keep the good stuff for yourself. Or, if they are over a lot, try offering up the idea that you all come up with a recipe, buy the stuff together, and brew together. Then you all get to enjoy the beer, and you don't feel like you are doing everything.

I don't mind giving mine away, mostly because my wife doesn't drink, so unless people are over, its just me, and it would take me a very long time to finish off a keg. Giving it away helps keep a variety in my pipeline.
 
TheWeeb said:
I have never asked for money from them, yet homebrew is NOT free, and some of the more extreme ones probably cost $2-$3 a pint

my typical IPA costs me around $.55 a pint to make. Now granted I buy bulk grain and hops and reuse all yeast.

But beyond that I'm glad when my friends come over to drink. It tells me I'm doing something right. I would never charge them.

On a side note, you could always put out a "homebrew tip jar".
 
On a side note, you could always put out a "homebrew tip jar".

hahah I mentioned this idea to my girlfriend when I stepped up my brewing and build a 5-tap keezer. We always have friends over, and my friend drink A LOT. When I have friends over, we'll usually go through around 10 gallons of beer. Even buying everything in bulk, that gets really expensive.

I suggested to my gf that we put out an "ingredients contribution box," and she looked at me like I was the biggest piece of white trash. We made a compromise: I get to have one out when it's just my friends (who always give way more than I'd like), and when it's her friends, it goes away. I only agreed to this when she agreed to start splitting the cost of all my ingredients 50/50.
 
Honesty is always the best policy. It sounds like your aggitated with your friends. Let them know. I am assuming this is routine thing for them. If something is bugging me I always am up front and air it out. I also have surrounded myself with friends that are similar and thick skinned. I would either tell them to bring good food.. snacks... beer and some ladies.. If your still unhappy don't invite them over....bring a 6 pack of your brew (or how much you are willing to share) and bring it to them next time you all hang out. Your in charge of your brew...do with it whatcha want...
 
I wish I had more space to have people over. I like making food and stuff too. I would love to make more beer than I do as well.
 
My friends wanted to pay for beer, then I explained that they couldn't, then they wanted to pay for ingredients and equipment. I also declined that offer. I will get invited to a Big Memorial Day BBQ, at least one Chicken Stew, and likely several other cookouts though.
 
I defo wouldn't sell it as per law but I would have a hard time passing on ingredients. I am poor.
 
You're doing it wrong.

I brew more than is humanly possible for 2 people to drink, I love giving it away.


_

+1 on this, I frequently host a "drink my beer" poker game just because I've accumulated too much brew to physically fit in my apartment. The only thing I will take issue with is when friends (BMC drinking friends) complain about the taste of their free beer because it has something called "flavor" ;)
 
Being a new homebrewer, my first two batches weren't all that good. I needed friends to help drink the bad beer so I can make more and do it right and learn from my mistakes.
 
My friends that come over and have some often either bring food over to eat while drinking or leave a donation for the next recipe.
 
bmick said:
+1 on this, I frequently host a "drink my beer" poker game just because I've accumulated too much brew to physically fit in my apartment. The only thing I will take issue with is when friends (BMC drinking friends) complain about the taste of their free beer because it has something called "flavor" ;)

I saw a comment on Facebook "I like a cold Coors Light, I have never been a big fan of flavored beers". Have fun with that! LMAO
 
to the OP. tell them to kick in a few dollars or they can't drink, its not an unreasonable request.
 
I give my homebrew away freely to anyone who cares to drink it. I have more of a problem with people not liking "Good" beer. However if/when the economy collapses and we return to a bartering society then... Well us homebrewers should be in a decent position ;)

Huh, I never thought about that. Guess it is good insurance to be able to brew!
 
IMO a $35 5gl batch of home brewed craft beer is pretty cheap. I told a buddy who said that was a lot try buying it for $3 a bottle at the beer store. This isn't Bud we're talking about people! If you're spending more to make it than it cost to buy it you're crazy.
 
I have a hard time drinking a ton of the same beer. Even a 12pack of something really good is tough for me. I like new and exciting. So giving away half or more of my batches works well for me. The friends I give my beer to have all helped me brew and one point or another, and that's good enough for me.
 
I share my homebrew with friends because that's what they are...friends. I enjoy having someone come over, talk a little and have a pint.

What do I get in return? Knowing that I am cool enough to have great friends come over on a fairly regular basis.
 
if i have a really special brew and I know people are coming over, i'll only throw a few in the fridge. Other than the "specials" it's all fair game. I get payment in the form of brew-day labor. Also, the guys that come over most often usually will bring a sixer of something.
 
Didn't read this whole thread but my buddy and I host a poker night. 10 bucks gets you 5 in chips and all the beer you can drink. A lot of fun too.
 
I had a sign engraved that says "remember to tip your homebrewer" more of a joke than anything, but when I have friends over, there's usually at least a few bucks sitting on the bar.
 
I too share my home brew for free with who ever shows up at the man cave,(which at times can be quite a few people). I put a tip jar out for awhile to try and help cover expenses.There were a few contributors. I began to feel somewhat guilty for taking their money, so I removed the tip jar after only a couple weeks. I enjoy sharing the fruits of my labors freely and take joy in the fact that I am introducing people to what great tasting beer is all about. I hope also that some of them will be inspired to begin home brewing and further expand our wonderful hobby.
 
When I told people I was home brewing when I started last yeah EVERYONE wanted to try it, and doing 2.5 gallon stove top batches meant I ran out really quickly... not too mention bottle shortages.

Now I limit it to people who actually like beer or my flat mate gets beer in payment for cleaning the apartment haha.
 
I keep four taps flowing, when people come drink my beer it is a favor to me. An empty keg is an opportunity to try the next batch. If I have a party, or take a keg to a party I will set a tip jar out.
 
I don't know enough people to worry about it, personally.

If I did, I think just letting them know how much it costs would be enough incentive to get them to help a brother out. If not, well, they aren't that great a friend then, huh?

Also, consider that making beer is supposed to be for personal use, and not for selling, so technically...

But honestly, do these people think it's ok to come over and eat a steak out of your fridge whenever they want??
 
I've been tracking this thread and I'm glad to see that my thoughts on the matter aren't the dissenting opinion.

Honestly, a big part of the enjoyment I get from having a beer is the comradiery (sp?) of sharing it with friends and family. Nothing like a good conversation had over a pint, commercial or homemade.

That being said, I feel it an honor when a friend/etc sits down and has a pint of my beer. Maybe it's my Bavarian heritage. When you have company, you offer them something good to eat and drink. That's the unwritten rule.

Now, I don't have roving bands show up by the van-load to clean me out every week, either. But, I brew and keep enough beer to share with whomever in my close band of friends may drop by.
 
Back
Top