Is it about brewing good beer or being overly friggin cheap-a$$?

Um.....both.

I enjoy the process and creating great beers that taste fantastic.

However I also enjoy the DIY aspect of it and appropriating things along the way, altering them to fit my needs and being able to sustain my beer supply.

emjay said:

Heck, I've spent thousands on equipment just this year alone. The guy talking down at people for "confusing shiny equipment with mastery of process" can bite me, because they are nowhere near mutually exclusive.

Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood me. I was trying to point out that the dilemma in the OP was a false one. "Being overly friggin cheap-a$$" and "Throwing good money after bad because you confuse sweet equipment with mastery of process" are both caricatures that probably apply to few of the people posting here.

Sorry if my tone offended you, that wasn't what I was after at all.

tonyolympia said:

I think you misunderstood me. I was trying to point out that the dilemma in the OP was a false one. "Being overly friggin cheap-a$$" and "Throwing good money after bad because you confuse sweet equipment with mastery of process" are both caricatures that probably apply to few of the people posting here.

Sorry if my tone offended you, that wasn't what I was after at all.

Click to expand...

alright... I'm uninstalling my Android forum-post tone-detector app, it doesn't seem to work on HBT.

It started as a desire to save money on good beer. To get anything better than Yuengling where I live, you'll pay 2 - 7 dollars a bottle. I can brew it much, much cheaper than that, even taking into account the cost of equipment. Now, though, it is an obsession/hobby that actually has a practical use.

There are many, many hobbies that easily cost way more than brewing. I think I have spent $400-500 on equipment over the past two years. We don't have a very technical set up. If I had the money, time, space and expertise I'd like to spend a lot to build an awesome set up, but I am happy to work with what I have.

For two people (my wife and I) spending $500 over two years plus the cost of ingredients, in my general estimation, is still cheaper than if we bought craft beer in place of all the homebrew we have drank, especially if you factor in the cost of doing a different hobby in place of brewing. I don't think of my time as an expense because I get satisfaction out of learning, talking about it and brewing. I would spend the same time on a different hobby if not for brewing and I would buy craft beer to drink while I do it.

That said, I don't think you have to get into brewing to make cheap beer or spend thousands to brew. You should brew because you enjoy it and enjoy the end result.

Chia said:

thought i was doing good at 5 gallon for $20. what are you doing to get 10 for $15, and how can i do that?

Click to expand...

Like folks say, do All Grain, buy hops & malt in bulk and propagate your yeast.

It really helps to buy a few bags of grain at a time.

Its a money saver for me. I like good beer and I like that I can make 2 cases for the same or less than what I would normally buy it for.

kpr121 said:

Click to expand...

This pick shows you how sick and dangerous this hobby is. See that swimsuit hanging on the rail? He's got a naked chick sunbathing in his swimming pool, but he is taking a picture of his keggle. SICK I tell yah!!! SICK!

hey man, it takes at least 60 min boil, right? plenty of time

unionrdr said:

Sex on the beach is even better. The drink ain't bad either...

Click to expand...

Doesn't give a whole new meaning to "pound sand"?
Sand is messy use a protection, a blanket.

Scooby_Brew said:

This pick shows you how sick and dangerous this hobby is. See that swimsuit hanging on the rail? He's got a naked chick sunbathing in his swimming pool, but he is taking a picture of his keggle. SICK I tell yah!!! SICK!

Click to expand...

That's not a swimsuit... it is a dress.

bniesen said:

Doesn't give a whole new meaning to "pound sand"?
Sand is messy use a protection, a blanket.

Click to expand...

Poundin sand is good,you should try it sometime.

LVBen said:

That's not a swimsuit... it is a dress.

Click to expand...

Oh sure,burst our bubble...

Hey Hey Hey. Thats my wife in the pool! And believe me I was snapping pics of her, but thats for another thread at another time!

BTW yes that's a dress. That would be a pretty large swimsuit, hers is much more tiny!

kpr121 said:

Hey Hey Hey. Thats my wife in the pool! And believe me I was snapping pics of her, but thats for another thread at another time!

BTW yes that's a dress. That would be a pretty large swimsuit, hers is much more tiny!

Click to expand...

Nuh uh. Put up or shut up.

Boneyard, NOW!!!