Cost to brew?

I think there are to many variables to ask that question like that, but I think i do save money. If you really enjoy doing it you shouldn't worry about the money at all and enjoy yourself. I ain't saying to go and blow your whole paycheck on brewing and not pay your mortgage though.

I busted my ass to land a job where I can earn enough money to waste all the money on homebrewing that I want to.... oh, and to post on HBT all day too.

Seriously though, this debate has been err debated to death already. There are equal camps of yes it does save money, no it doesn't, and I don't give a ship if it does or not. I liken the opinion that homebrewing saves money to the opinion that free energy machines are a step in the right direction. If you really want to prove to your SWMBO that it's cheaper to brew than buy, some of the Enron accountants might work cheap.

Bobby_M said:

If you really want to prove to your SWMBO that it's cheaper to brew than buy, some of the Enron accountants might work cheap.

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Yes, Enron made a lot of money telling people they had money that actually wasn't there. Reminds me of something else always in these threads...

$50 for a 5 gallon extract batch, assuming its not an IPA with a lot fo hard to get hops...sounds way too high.

also don't compare craft brewing prices to Budweiser or Miller or Coors. You'll never make 2 cases of Bud for less than it costs to buy it at the grocery store.

Now, something like Guinness, which is $8 a 4-pack here....yeah, you'll save TONS over the duration of your brewing lifetime.

malkore said:

$50 for a 5 gallon extract batch ... sounds way too high

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It's on the high side, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Not everyone has access to an LHBS with bulk extract on hand. When buying *ME by the individual bag or can, it's pretty expensive. Things get even more expensive when shipping becomes a factor.

Yuri_Rage said:

It's on the high side, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Not everyone has access to an LHBS with bulk extract on hand. When buying *ME by the individual bag or can, it's pretty expensive. Things get even more expensive when shipping becomes a factor.

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Yeah, extract at my LHBS is about $13 a can, most beers require two cans, that's $26. Toss in a pound of specialty grains, up to $28, 3 oz of hops will run you about $10 to $38, liquid yeast to $44, then you factor in tax and you're pretty darn close to $50.