I've more than broken even so far. I've brewed over 100 batches on the same set of equipment:
10 gal cooler MLT
10 gal bayou classic pot
Camp Chef SH-140L burner
50ft homemade immersion chiller
Thermapen
2 liter flask
homemade stirplate
SS spoons
2 glass carboys and 4 better bottles (replaced the better bottles once, just to be safe)
$100 Craigslist 14CuFt freezer turned keezer with STC-1000 and picnic taps and barrier lines.
20# and 10# CO2 tanks off CL for $35 for both
2 mini fridges off CL for $20 total, two more STC-1000s and plugs and I have two fermentation chambers for $80 total.
The most expensive parts I have are my ball lock kegs, of which I have 12
I've made something over 25000 bottles worth of beer on this system, so yeah, I've broken even.
BUT!
Now I am building an EHERMS system and all of my break even is about to go out the window. Pumps, quick disconnects, hoses, The Electric Brewery control panel, heating elements, temperature probes, kettle fittings, valves, false bottom, etc, etc. I'm saving where I can but most of it I have to buy new. I got 2 Keg shells for free from a local liquor store, just need one more and I can make my keggles. That's about the only thing I"m gonna get away for cheap on. In the end I could have stayed low tech and saved a lot of money, but where's the fun in that???
10 gal cooler MLT
10 gal bayou classic pot
Camp Chef SH-140L burner
50ft homemade immersion chiller
Thermapen
2 liter flask
homemade stirplate
SS spoons
2 glass carboys and 4 better bottles (replaced the better bottles once, just to be safe)
$100 Craigslist 14CuFt freezer turned keezer with STC-1000 and picnic taps and barrier lines.
20# and 10# CO2 tanks off CL for $35 for both
2 mini fridges off CL for $20 total, two more STC-1000s and plugs and I have two fermentation chambers for $80 total.
The most expensive parts I have are my ball lock kegs, of which I have 12
I've made something over 25000 bottles worth of beer on this system, so yeah, I've broken even.
BUT!
Now I am building an EHERMS system and all of my break even is about to go out the window. Pumps, quick disconnects, hoses, The Electric Brewery control panel, heating elements, temperature probes, kettle fittings, valves, false bottom, etc, etc. I'm saving where I can but most of it I have to buy new. I got 2 Keg shells for free from a local liquor store, just need one more and I can make my keggles. That's about the only thing I"m gonna get away for cheap on. In the end I could have stayed low tech and saved a lot of money, but where's the fun in that???