So,,,,,how much will I save
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It all depends on how you look at it.
If you only drink what you brew and don't drink more after you brew than before you brewed, that $6/glass will now be $.50/glass. (roughly).
If you make this your hobby, giving up the 30K bass boat (or 15K golf equipment?) and again only drink your own beer, your hobby cost will go down (or your bar bill, or both).
But if you are like me, you will be drinking more now than before (before I wouldn't buy any beer, now I buy a kit avg every 1.5 month, well more because I also do wine... and mead... 'Hello I'm ACbrewer and I have a fermenting addiction')
And then you could end up going all sorts of equipment and sampling other styles, etc and spend more than you do now.
Being discipled enough to limit your comercial beer purchases and such, this hobby can save you money, if not out right, atleast in comparison to whatever else you might do as a hobby instead. Still, don't expect to really save money doing this.
PS the midwestgroupon is good, and craigslist offten has used brewing equipment. All my equipment came off caigslist.
If you only drink what you brew and don't drink more after you brew than before you brewed, that $6/glass will now be $.50/glass. (roughly).
If you make this your hobby, giving up the 30K bass boat (or 15K golf equipment?) and again only drink your own beer, your hobby cost will go down (or your bar bill, or both).
But if you are like me, you will be drinking more now than before (before I wouldn't buy any beer, now I buy a kit avg every 1.5 month, well more because I also do wine... and mead... 'Hello I'm ACbrewer and I have a fermenting addiction')
And then you could end up going all sorts of equipment and sampling other styles, etc and spend more than you do now.
Being discipled enough to limit your comercial beer purchases and such, this hobby can save you money, if not out right, atleast in comparison to whatever else you might do as a hobby instead. Still, don't expect to really save money doing this.
PS the midwestgroupon is good, and craigslist offten has used brewing equipment. All my equipment came off caigslist.
motobrewer
I'm no atheist scientist, but...
holy expensive sticks!! gold-plated, or?
Let's see. If you have a hobby that costs x amount of dollars and you enjoy doing it, then you also go out and drink a few pints a week on top of that, you are spending a fair amount.
If brewing is your hobby, and you spend x amount on THAT and spend less on pints from the store or pub, then you are saving money.
What will get you is your sudden interest in all of those different beers you think you want to make and so you go and buy a few from different breweries for tastings. And then you keep thinking that you really ought to upgrade this or that to make your brewing better or easier.
I can tell the wife that I can make Two Hearted Ale for about 1/3 the price, and even show her the ingredients list, but I suspect she really knows how much my homebrewing is costing...
If you just go by the ingredients, then in general, I'd guess that most people could make a comparable beer for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of a commercial.
If brewing is your hobby, and you spend x amount on THAT and spend less on pints from the store or pub, then you are saving money.
What will get you is your sudden interest in all of those different beers you think you want to make and so you go and buy a few from different breweries for tastings. And then you keep thinking that you really ought to upgrade this or that to make your brewing better or easier.
I can tell the wife that I can make Two Hearted Ale for about 1/3 the price, and even show her the ingredients list, but I suspect she really knows how much my homebrewing is costing...
If you just go by the ingredients, then in general, I'd guess that most people could make a comparable beer for 1/3 to 1/2 the price of a commercial.
Well,as of now,we have all the brewing equipment we need for both of us to brew at the same time. That's a max of 12G of ale at once. Don't really see the need for more equipment at the moment. Price-wise,my 1st IPA (we just drank the last of wed),cost me only 57c per 12oz bottle. But it did use 6oz of hops & nearly 7lbs of malt extracts. The Burton Australian ale will be pushing about 70c or so per bottle. It'll have some 10.5lbs of malt extracts in a 6G batch. Maybe 8oz or so of hops.
So we're more at the point of spending on the brews end of the spectrum. Ha,"Brews Brothers"!! Wish I'd have thought of that one when I was looking for a brewery name...
So we're more at the point of spending on the brews end of the spectrum. Ha,"Brews Brothers"!! Wish I'd have thought of that one when I was looking for a brewery name...
squirrelly
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I have to agree. As I stated in another thread I don't think anyone who entered this hobby, or any hobby for that matter with had the intention of saving money. All of the hobbies my wife and I share are sheer cash vampires, but they bring us joy, relaxation, and things to do together. Aside from brewing we both collect and smoke high grade briar pipes, and are model train enthusiast. Neither of these things save us any money whatsoever.
You will find that while extract brewing is a lot of fun, and makes pretty darn drinkable beer, you will one day wish to expand your brewing knowledge and move into all grain. Perhaps wine making and sake making will interest you. Before you know it you placing online orders weekly and spending more and more time at your local homebrew shop.
For example: we have 4k invested in just our brewing sculpture. I just spent another 3k to take it back up to more beer for a fully digital package. That should satisfy us for a couple years until we master the system, then I'm sure there will be other upgrades we can't live without.
For us brewing is fun; Can you really put a price tag on quality time and fun?
[email protected]. on tap: easy virtue blonde, fruity monk belgian wit. primary: American pale ale, American stout, blow your top steam, and heffewitzen
You will find that while extract brewing is a lot of fun, and makes pretty darn drinkable beer, you will one day wish to expand your brewing knowledge and move into all grain. Perhaps wine making and sake making will interest you. Before you know it you placing online orders weekly and spending more and more time at your local homebrew shop.
For example: we have 4k invested in just our brewing sculpture. I just spent another 3k to take it back up to more beer for a fully digital package. That should satisfy us for a couple years until we master the system, then I'm sure there will be other upgrades we can't live without.
For us brewing is fun; Can you really put a price tag on quality time and fun?
[email protected]. on tap: easy virtue blonde, fruity monk belgian wit. primary: American pale ale, American stout, blow your top steam, and heffewitzen
mychalg9
Well-Known Member
I just brewed my 4th batch, and it cost me about $0.60 per beer
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I agree with this. Every brewer is different. I'll buy the occasional bottle, pint, or sixer but I keep my pipeline filled these days. I would say that I am more open to spending (good amounts) of money on high quality craft beer now than ever before, and brewing is to blame for this. However the beer I brew is fantastic (to me) and suits my changing tastes throughout the seasons. I'm not a gear junkie like many brewers. I have a humble, although entirely complete all grain rig capable of brewing 20 gallon sized batches of all grain beer.
In response to the OP's question of the cost to brew 20 oz (?) of wheat beer, my rig would run around .56 per "tall." I'm happy with that.
CidahMastah
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+1 passedpawn
I rarely drink commercial beers unless they are given to me. I brew my beer.
System cost aside I have my cost at about 18-36 cents per pint for cost of grain and hops. 18 for the lwer abv hefes and 36 for hte higher abv hopped IPAs.
I have an electric system and participate in grain bulk buys and I wash yeast.
I would say you would have to brew for several years to pay off your system and start "saving money". You have to discount the time spent as a hobby too. From my perspective, if I wasn't doing this I would be spending money on something else. So part of my cost rationalization is.... this is entertainment. But seriously... I love brewing.
You will probably never save money brewing with extract though. You have to go all grain to really rack in savings.
I rarely drink commercial beers unless they are given to me. I brew my beer.
System cost aside I have my cost at about 18-36 cents per pint for cost of grain and hops. 18 for the lwer abv hefes and 36 for hte higher abv hopped IPAs.
I have an electric system and participate in grain bulk buys and I wash yeast.
I would say you would have to brew for several years to pay off your system and start "saving money". You have to discount the time spent as a hobby too. From my perspective, if I wasn't doing this I would be spending money on something else. So part of my cost rationalization is.... this is entertainment. But seriously... I love brewing.
You will probably never save money brewing with extract though. You have to go all grain to really rack in savings.
chrissomebody
Member
equipment excluded, about $0.50 per beer if you are brewing extract. much less than that if you're doing all grain. unless you go crazy overboard on your equipment, it will all pay for itself (including kegerator, kettle, fermentors, etc).in 10-15 batches if you're doing extract, less if ag.
Wyrmwood
Well-Known Member
i probably spend more on commercial micros of an expensive nature since i started homebrewing....it's called research.
+1
While clubs might be cheep, what aregreens fees? and then will you play just one game? or lots over the year? and soon instead of vacations to the Brew Festivals, it is vacations with famous golf courses involved.... it can add up...
motobrewer
I'm no atheist scientist, but...
just like any hobby, it can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be.
Bewbzout
Well-Known Member
Depends on your set-up as many others have said. I get my beer for free as i tell everyone that comes over $3 to drink all you want. 12 people and you basically have enough money to buy another kit. Not sure about your friends but 12 of my friends (includes girls) will usually only drink 2 - 2 1/2 gallons in one night. Pretty easy on their wallet as well so they dont mind. Well now they are getting tired of drinking just 1 beer so i need to get going on getting multiple beers on tap.
runningweird
Well-Known Member
HAHAHAHAHA! save money! what a great joke
vfinch
Well-Known Member
Man, you need to move one province over... In BC we're chockabloc full of awesome craft breweries. On Vancouver Island there's at least 10 or 12 craft breweries and brew pubs that bottle. Craft beers start around $11 for a 6pack.
As for saving money on beer by brewing yourself, it is possible. However I do have to agree with everyone that we all tend to get carried away since we love the hobby so much.
Well,that's the key. Get just enough equipment (doesn't have to be high end) to reliably brew 2 batches up to 6G. That way,you have the capacity for any brew kit or recipe out there up to 6G. I did that,& we can brew up to 12G at the same time. Like Bill Cosby's "200 MPH",dual everything! We have what we need to do that now,so no more equipment is needed up to partial mash/BIAB. 
