Cost Per Serving: Does Homebrew Really Save Money?

Thanks for the replies, I really like the idea that you don't have to count anything with a dual use.

All of my ingredients are really just fertilizer that needs to be boiled, and I think my bottle brush and siphon supplies are the only things I haven't used for something else. This brings my total cost to ~$30 or ¢3.75/serving. Pretty soon this stuff is going to be cheaper than tap water.

Just did a quicky calc for the cost of equipment and ingredients over the last year and a half and I'm getting a cost of $2.28/12oz serving . Most of my big purchases have been made so my cost per serving should be going down.

Now, the important thing is, I would still be brewing if my cost was $5.00 per serving because I just freaking love to brew. SWMBO has come to recognize the value of letting me have a solid 7 hours uninterrupted on some weekends. The whole family is happier and she gets to have whatever she wants on one of the taps at all times. Seems a great setup for us both.

Sweet #'s man -- I love to see how much I'm spending per brew. Granted one day I hope to make a serious brewhaus -- in which case the fixed costs will probably never be offset by the savings, lol

Since I buy in bulk, grow some of my own hops, save yeast by yeast washing, etc, the cost has gone down per batch.

However, saying I homebrew to save money on beer is like saying I'm buying a new car to save gas. Sure, my old 20 mpg car uses more gas, but it'll take a LONG time (maybe not even during the car's lifetime) to say that my new 37 mpg car saves money. The initial cash outlay alone could buy me 8,333 gallons of gas for my old car! But, I want a new car for other reasons.

Same as brewing. My per batch cost is way under $20, but I have a new burner, and all the other gear I've spent money on over the years. Propane costs money each time, even though it's not a big cost. I'm sure I am no where near the break even point, and I still want more gear! I want to get more keggles, and get a brewing sculpture, for example. It'll make my brewdays less labor intensive, but definitely not going to be cheap!

We recently had a week long power outage and boil order. I'd have been a fool not to buy my new KAB6 in case it happens again!

Bobby_M said:

So that $1500 is for your equipment and ingredients totals to date? What about propane/nat gas?

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Hell I charge $25 an hour for my time, so I think I average about $7.50 per beer, so I am on par with drinking the good stuff at a bar.

Not only that, but I go out and buy an obligatory $6 12oz Evian bottled water in order to stay hydrated while brewing. I only hope to get down to the cost of bottled water one day...sigh. And to think that some people don't even pay for their water. Bwahahaha

I don't think it is about justifying anything, at least it isn't for me. I just think it is cool to know how much each pint is costing me.

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Be careful what you seek, you may not like what you find.

I was actually pleasantly surprised! I thought I would be around $5/12 oz. but I was actually at $2. That isn't bad at all, and as long as I keep brewing through my remaining upgrades I should be able to keep that number in check. I just think it is fun to know!

If you're talking about a hobby, I don't think trying to figure out the cost analysis is worth the trouble. How do you calculate the entertainment value?

My father-in-law had a sailboat. He is the most OC person I know (research physicist) - he gave up calcualting the cost per nautical mile. There was no way he could justify having it on cost alone.

Most of my ales cost me about .50/12oz bottle. The very best price I can get for commercial beer is $1/12oz bottle and most are closer to $1.50/12oz bottle. So yeah, brewing my own saves me a lotta $.

Rubberband said:

When someone says "This is the best beer I have ever drank", I feel pretty good knowing I made it.

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As the TV ad says, "Priceless"

If you only count materials and equipment - and not time - it adds up quickly enough. I spent about $1000 on equipment to do AG, including a kegerator and some kegs. Beer prices have gone up enough that I don't see any beer that I would buy for less than $8/6 pack, while a batch costs about $30 (actually closer to $20 as I am buying in bulk and reusing yeast), so I save roughly $30 (very roughly) per batch. Brewing about every 3 weeks, it takes about 2 years to pay off for me. Not that I'm actually looking to save money to justify it, but it's easily done as long as I can restrain myself on equipment purchases.

I don't count the cost of equipment its a tangible item I could easily sell it for more than I paid or made it for.

So my last beer was Eds Bavarian Hefeweizen 10 gallons

12 lbs wheat @73 Cents per pound =8.76
6 pounds Pilsner @ 70 cents per pound =4.20
1 lbs rice hulls free Thanks to Bad Coffee
1 Packet 3068 = 5.75
1.25 oz of halletau @ 1.20 a pound 1.51

about 2 lbs propane = 4 $

24.22 cents for 10 gallons .

That comes out to .30 cents per pint. Any decent Hefe will run 2 bucks per 12 once bottle .

9 years on and I think it is now worth it to do it yourself, if you can get it right at least in the SF bay area for cask ale (if you can find it). Effectively ~$12 for a 20 Oz pint after tip and tax, and not always remarkably good (but sometimes it is very good, some Freewheel, Magnolia, or North Coast Red Seal)

springer said:

I don't count the cost of equipment its a tangible item I could easily sell it for more than I paid or made it for.

So my last beer was Eds Bavarian Hefeweizen 10 gallons

12 lbs wheat @73 Cents per pound =8.76
6 pounds Pilsner @ 70 cents per pound =4.20
1 lbs rice hulls free Thanks to Bad Coffee
1 Packet 3068 = 5.75
1.25 oz of halletau @ 1.20 a pound 1.51

about 2 lbs propane = 4 $

24.22 cents for 10 gallons .

That comes out to .30 cents per pint. Any decent Hefe will run 2 bucks per 12 once bottle .

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I buy grain in bulk and I don't get anywhere close to the prices you list.

I can't imagine too many people paying top dollar for my DIY equipment and there's no way I could sell my used equipment for more than I paid new.

Gameface said:

I buy grain in bulk and I don't get anywhere close to the prices you list.

I can't imagine too many people paying top dollar for my DIY equipment and there's no way I could sell my used equipment for more than I paid new.

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Hey Gameface.....the prices are higher now because this thread is 9 years old.

Bulk prices for 2-row are still $0.70/lb in Oregon if you buy by the bag.

Brownalemikie said:

Hey Gameface.....the prices are higher now because this thread is 9 years old.

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lol, got necro'd

Well if you factor out all your equipment, and just look at you ingredients.

I just did a 5 gal brew of IPA
Ingredients = $43.50
5 gal = 640 oz
640 oz roughly comes out to 8 6packs +/-
43.50 ÷ 8 = $5.44/6pack

Average IPA 6 pack is $8.99

Thats roughly a 40% cost savings...

So yeah, A HUGE savings...

Where I live, the average IPA 6 pack is $14.50. Costs me $60.00 for 10 gallons of an average IPA. That includes 20 gallons of RO water. The savings are incredible compared to buying Craft Beer in Canada.