You still buy Beer

The shop makes a huge difference. World Market is the worst I have experienced. They must store their beers in a kiln because by the end of summer, everything on their shelf is awful.

I don't know how far east Grocery Outlet goes, but they seem to keep much better temperature control. The only issue with them is that some breweries sell them "seconds" that never should have gone to market in the first place.

I haven't been brewing too long but, I definitely buy less commercial beer. I've had probably 97% of the beer that's available here without paying a fortune for it (ex. Cigar City sweet stout aged in Conac barrels for $20 a bomber) ill pay for quality but that's nuts. One of the reasons I got into brewing was to try new beers, and do some cost savings. Paid $11 for a 6 of DFH 60, tonight, and its def been mishandled, not good.

It might wear off, but for right now, really enjoying my own brew. Cheers!

I buy less commercial but I was thirsty for a brown ale. Picked up a six pack of Goose Island Nut Brown Ale. Not bad.

Bigscience said:

I used to only really drink what I brewed unless I was out but my time has gotten so sparse, I don't get to brew that often anymore. My wife would complain about brew days so I started to buy more beer. Now when she freaks out over the money I spent on nice beer I say "well I could have brewed a whole batch for that much money but I haven't brewed in awhile." This technique got me my last brew day. I may need to up the scale and bring home a whole keg and tell her the kegerator doesn't work right unless it's full.

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You guys are lucky....my wife bitches at every penny i spend. "What!! You needed gas? You should drive to work less." She hates when I brew even though I explain that it's a fun hobby.

Women....ugh.

emiller0408 said:

You guys are lucky....my wife bitches at every penny i spend. "What!! You needed gas? You should drive to work less." She hates when I brew even though I explain that it's a fun hobby.

Women....ugh.

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tht the saddest story if heard on HBT in a wile.

Just for your sake go out and brew another batch.

And buy yourself a kegerator!!!

emiller0408 said:

You guys are lucky....my wife bitches at every penny i spend. "What!! You needed gas? You should drive to work less." She hates when I brew even though I explain that it's a fun hobby.

Women....ugh.

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I know,right? They ***** because YOU'RE spending THEIR money that YOU went out & earned. Why do you think we say marriage is $9 down & your paycheck the rest of your life?...I always told her it'll be OUR money when WE take turns EARNING it. 'nuff said

I have a huge lot (say 8 to 12 cases full) down in my basement. But there are still 2 that I really go out for -- Newcastle Werewolf and SVYTURYS Ekstra...I'd go across state line if need be to get Svyturs

I tend to buy beer on a weekly basis, usually seasonal beers, or something new that I haven't tried yet. Last week I bought (6) bombers of Sweetwater's latest Dank Tank offering....Danktoberfest, and it is awesome. I also visit my local Taco Mac weekly to get something new (and on draught)...I am currently at 650+ different beers tried there, and love that I can watch sports while drinking great craft beer. If i want something really different, I reach in my cellar...some of beers in there go back to 2007.

I think the reason I am drinking more store bought beer than I have brewed myself is because I want my beers to have bottled to be conditioned properly. It's so tempting to see 100+ bottled beers just sitting there waiting to be drank!

If nothing else, coming to this forum makes me thankful for several things: my wife enjoys beer as much as I do, we both know how to behave like adults, and she encourages supplemental beer purchases and convinces me that I'm being ridiculous when I think I need to constrict my beer budget.

When I saw Double Dead Guy on the shelf I had to buy a bottle even though I have 15gals of homebrew at home.

Mostly, the beer i make is for home consumption. I rarely bring any with me when i go out mostly because i dont want to lug a growler or two around and that i'll have nothing to drink when i get home!

I'm fond of grabbing a 4 pack of Heady Topper wherever i go.

Just grabbed a 12 pack of this from the Maker http://www.beerjobber.com/p/209/hoho And will have more bottles to fill with my own.

I think homebrewers are probably the largest consumers of commercial craft beer. I know I still buy plenty of beer just because I want to try it.

Not sure about that but I have a few buddies that brew now and they really only drink what they make. Unless you offer them something ells.

I call it "research". There are some great beers out there, why not try them and then try to replicate?

Tombraider2 said:

Not sure about that but I have a few buddies that brew now and they really only drink what they make. Unless you offer them something ells.

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I still buy beer often. I like what I make, but im not the only brewer in the world that makes delicious beer. I want to try them all! I feel like only drinking your own homebrew is ridiculous. I understand the money saving part, but there are too many great brews out there to limit it to your house IPA, cream ale (which are boring bu nture to begin with), stout, and ESB. Get out and live!

I pretty much only drink homebrew at home, but since I don't like to bottle I will pick up a 12 pack when I go to a buddies house.
Other than that I only buy beer if I'm at a bar.

The last store bought beer I brought home was a couple months ago. I made a clone and wanted to compare.
I split one bottle with a buddy, then we drank what I made. I still have 5 from that 6 pack sitting there.

I started to brew because crappy beer is expensive.
Decent beer, doubly so.
None of that has changed, so I still don't buy much beer.
Fortunately, I'm a member of a homebrew club so I can still taste a wide range of beer styles and types for pretty much free.
I can say that most of the members though have taken to buying more beer as a result of their brewing.

I enjoy the variety of great beers so yes, I buy commercial craft beers often. Makes going to grocery store much more enjoyable!

RainyDay said:

I still buy beer often. I like what I make, but im not the only brewer in the world that makes delicious beer. I want to try them all! I feel like only drinking your own homebrew is ridiculous. I understand the money saving part, but there are too many great brews out there to limit it to your house IPA, cream ale (which are boring bu nture to begin with), stout, and ESB. Get out and live!

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An IPA, cream ale, stout and ESB??? I have a bock, wee heavy, dubbel, IPA, Oktoberfest, Kolsch, CAP and Sapporo clone on hand. I still buy beer, but I like to buy stuff that's different, and expand my consciousness.

Well I'm glad that I had store bought beer in the house.
My CO2 ran out and I'm glad that I had some beer in the fridge.
I'm brewing a fresh batch and I've got Black Butte and Weinhard's IPA to keep hydrated!

BreezyBrew said:

I haven't been brewing too long but, I definitely buy less commercial beer. I've had probably 97% of the beer that's available here without paying a fortune for it (ex. Cigar City sweet stout aged in Conac barrels for $20 a bomber) ill pay for quality but that's nuts. One of the reasons I got into brewing was to try new beers, and do some cost savings. Paid $11 for a 6 of DFH 60, tonight, and its def been mishandled, not good.

It might wear off, but for right now, really enjoying my own brew. Cheers!

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+1!
Embarrassed to say, but I've never really thought about that. Maybe I've been lucky. Definately a valid point! And, like you, I'm also enjoying my own brew. While the cost effectiveness is obvious, I eat & drink out often, which offers its own rainbow of tastes. But I'm one who works and lives in that realm so variety is everywhere.
But I think your point of mishandled/neglected storage practices totally influencing one's impression of what could truly be an amazing beer, but ends as a deflated sack of $hit. Not the beer's fault!

Home brewing has driven my store bought beer through the roof haha not slowed it down. It is research. There are too many styles out there and Id be arrogant to think I could just come up with good recipes for all of them on my own. Why experiment a few hundred times of wasted grain when there's a ton of other great brewers out there that have done some of the work for me. if I'm getting ready to make a stout, you better believe for 2 weeks before I make my recipe, I'm out buying every stout I can find. Then every one I like, I'm tearing the Internet apart for clones and such, like "what's in this thing... Ohh they used vanilla bean? Hmm thats an interesting grain bill... Ohh dark roast coffee no chocolate?"