Home Brewing = Saving Money?

[One Eye Ross]

Because of equipment costs, it will take me about a year to break even....but by year two it should be about half the cost of retail beer - I like stouts and craft IPAs, which tend to run about $2 a bottle or more...of course, as my equipment ages or I see something new, my costs will go up again.

Never really going to save money but I am having fun and using those skills I learned in US Army lab school and 25 years or so of lab work. Keeps me from being a street walker, and I just don't have the legs for that any more. Can't make money at it...

 

[El Nino]

Hahahah ZOMBIE THREAD!

Haha yeah I know Some forums hate you for making a new thread before using the search function so I kinda grew accustomed to reviving a new thread over making a new one. That's a sweet tap setup you got there, you got some lucky friends if they can come over and drink all the time for free lol.

 

[JAReeves]

Keeps me from being a street walker, and I just don't have the legs for that any more. Can't make money at it...

Haha, exactly! I sell art and collectibles on the side to pay for two things: being a teacher (which doesn’t pay a living wage in Los Angeles) and brewing my own beer, which allows me to drink good beer on the cheap!

 

[Saunassa]

Homebrewing saves me a LOT of money compared to my previous hobbies; snowmobiling & fishing.

I still snowmobile and ride atv and I agree not cheap

I have.gone easy.on equipment purchases and when I figure cost per bottle I don't include equipment price. I can brew up a couple cases of AG blonde or cream ale white cheaply.

 

[snarf7]

It's definitely a money saver once you pay off the equipment costs. I calculated that it costs me about $30 to make a keg of beer...which is 55 12 oz bottles so that's about $0.55 cents a beer. And if I use my own homegrown hops its even cheaper.

 

[Tim H]

I'm too broke to buy beer from the store after buying all the fancy crap to brew, store, and pour it. Actually, I renovated our basement myself and decided it would be fun to build a bar with four wall-mounted taps.... Needless to say, I needed a few kegs just to get through the project and realized it was crazy to spend $119-$139 (x2) on 1/6 or 1/4 kegs that would be empty in a month or so. BIAB clones run $30-$45 for similar beer with minimal effort, and endless opportunity to create my own favorites. I appreciate the cost savings (around $70-90 per keg... Living outside of D.C is expensive), but there is a considerable sense of personal pride to pouring a beer I made from a bar that I built.

 

[bracconiere]

NICE WORK! doesn't look cheaper then a 30-pack of Natty, but oh so much more respectful!

 

[MGamber]

It really depends on what I'm making / what you like to drink. My two favorite IPAs are Bissell Brothers' Swish and Maine Beer Co's Dinner which requires a drive of 1000 miles, at least two nights in a hotel (could do it with one, but I'm not that young anymore), food, gas, etc....plus the cost of the beer. I also have a dead on clone recipe for each. If I buy everything at premium LHBS prices, it costs about $95 to make a 5 gallon batch (LOT of hops). That sounds expensive but you can't get nearly that much at the brewery, a case there costs close to $100 and I'm not paying for all the incidentals mentioned above. I brew beer I like and don't really care about the cost but, when I think about it, it's a ton cheaper, even with equipment costs, for me.

 

[Tim H]

which requires a drive of 1000 miles, at least two nights in a hotel (could do it with one, but I'm not that young anymore), food, gas, etc....plus the cost of the beer.

That is some serious dedication right there.......

 

[MGamber]

That is some serious dedication right there.......

I'm serious alright. Portland, Maine makes the best beer in the world, IMO. I drive up to Maine 3-4 times a year for beer. It used to be 5-6 times a year but now that I have some good clone recipes and it's starting to make it's way down here (and Portland is getting pretty expensive) I've been slacking a bit.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I used to be homeless, begging for every dollar I had to my name. Then I started homebrewing... Now I've got Scrooge McDuck money. I swim in my vault of gold coins every morning. So yeah, the money savings can be significant.

 

[applescrap]

I'm serious alright. Portland, Maine makes the best beer in the world, IMO. I drive up to Maine 3-4 times a year for beer. It used to be 5-6 times a year but now that I have some good clone recipes and it's starting to make it's way down here (and Portland is getting pretty expensive) I've been slacking a bit.

We have 90 plus breweries here in Denver that I think would challenge that opinion . Throw in fort Collins, loveland. Longmont, and boulder all less than an hour drive away and you have access to most of the states 471 breweries.

 

[Katman]

I think this is the oldest forum post I have ever replied to LOL . After my first couple of batches I have cut my beer cost by around 50%. By the time I get the ingredients, buy water and a large bag of ice, then add a little for the propane I have about $1 per beer. Since a decent 6er at the store is about $12 that's not to bad a savings. I just have basic equipment a lot of it I already had around here scales and other kitcheny stuff, I think I have spent around $150 total. Also I brew extract and specialty grains recipes mostly darker ales. If I ever switch to AG i think it would cut my cost in half again but I am good where I'm at for now. I would still be brewing if I saved no money at all since I am really enjoying this hobby.

 

[El Nino]

@tim_h That's freakin' sweet man!

 

[firerat]

Since I finally stopped buying so much equipment and am happy with my current setup (for now) I can say I might be getting closer to breaking even.

I only need to brew like maybe 14 or 15 hundred more brews and I'll be even.

 

[TMpgh]

I haven't read the entire thread, but want to comment that I believe there can be significant cost savings IF you don't keep upgrading the gadgets. I got most of my gear second hand on craigslist with 90% of what I need for all grain brewing for under 200 bucks. However, even if I brew from extract kits at 45 or 50 bucks a pop, I'm saving money. I get two cases, essentially, for the price of one. A case of a good craft beer is going to be 45 or 50 bucks. I get two when I brew my own. With my start up cost at 200, I break even after 4 kit brews and start saving thereafter. All grain brewing increases that time line. If you don't brew often or much, it will take longer to save, but you will save. UNLESS you keep buying new gadgets, as others have said.

 

[JAReeves]

I'm too broke to buy beer from the store after buying all the fancy crap to brew, store, and pour it. Actually, I renovated our basement myself and decided it would be fun to build a bar with four wall-mounted taps.... Needless to say, I needed a few kegs just to get through the project and realized it was crazy to spend $119-$139 (x2) on 1/6 or 1/4 kegs that would be empty in a month or so. BIAB clones run $30-$45 for similar beer with minimal effort, and endless opportunity to create my own favorites. I appreciate the cost savings (around $70-90 per keg... Living outside of D.C is expensive), but there is a considerable sense of personal pride to pouring a beer I made from a bar that I built.

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Beautiful work!

 

[Dancy]

I haven't read the entire thread, but want to comment that I believe there can be significant cost savings IF you don't keep upgrading the gadgets. I got most of my gear second hand on craigslist with 90% of what I need for all grain brewing for under 200 bucks. However, even if I brew from extract kits at 45 or 50 bucks a pop, I'm saving money. I get two cases, essentially, for the price of one. A case of a good craft beer is going to be 45 or 50 bucks. I get two when I brew my own. With my start up cost at 200, I break even after 4 kit brews and start saving thereafter. All grain brewing increases that time line. If you don't brew often or much, it will take longer to save, but you will save. UNLESS you keep buying new gadgets, as others have said.

Yep, I agree with all you stated. Home brewing is like any other hobby which requires a variety of equipment (like photography, my primary hobby with home brewing after that). A lot of people love equipment/gadgets -- many other hobbies require at least some of those things. Combine that with the fact many (maybe most) people simply like buying stuff and you have people who will often spend more than necessary in pursuit of their hobby -- because the consumer behavior is (for some) almost as gratifying as the hobby itself. To be fair, home brewing can be done on a lot of levels. If you really enjoy the science side at a higher level, then you will need to spend money in equipment to support the hobby at that advanced level. But let's face it, there will always be a percentage of people who simply look for a reason to buy stuff for their hobby, regardless of what it may be. Some will LOOK for a reason to buy stuff. I brew 5-6 gallon batches in my small condo kitchen on an induction burner with my kettle wrapped in Reflectix. I cannot devote a big budget to home brewing, but I want to brew quality AG beer and I can do that but I won't be spending $$ to get a water analysis. Instead, I treat RO water from the grocery store; also I will never have the space to keg so I am resigned to bottling beer. Now I just need a GOOD pH meter....

 

[Jayjay1976]

In addition to the obvious beer, the rewards of homebrewing include:

-Camaraderie; here on HBT, as well as joining a brew club, or just hanging out at the LHBS shooting the breeze with fellow brewers.

-Quality time with your spouse if you brew together (my wife loves to brew)

-Street cred, as in all of the friends you'll make being the genius down the block who brews his own beer, friends who gladly spare you the burden of drinking all that beer yourself.

-Education, I mean, what's that worth? All of that hard-earned knowledge and experience acquired in the first year or two of homebrewing? Learning to build, tune, service, and maintain a real draft beer serving system, that's all very valuable knowledge, not to mention the education about the art and science of beer in general. Last I checked, 20 weeks of professional instruction runs almost $30K (not drawing an equivalency here, but learnin' ain't cheap!)

Add all of that up, and together with the constant, plentiful supply of 'free' beer, the costs of homebrewing as a hobby seem pretty damned reasonable even if your tastes in beer and gear tend to the extravagant...

 

[jack13]

In addition to the obvious beer, the rewards of homebrewing include:

-Camaraderie; here on HBT, as well as joining a brew club, or just hanging out at the LHBS shooting the breeze with fellow brewers.

-Quality time with your spouse if you brew together (my wife loves to brew)

-Street cred, as in all of the friends you'll make being the genius down the block who brews his own beer, friends who gladly spare you the burden of drinking all that beer yourself.

-Education, I mean, what's that worth? All of that hard-earned knowledge and experience acquired in the first year or two of homebrewing? Learning to build, tune, service, and maintain a real draft beer serving system, that's all very valuable knowledge, not to mention the education about the art and science of beer in general. Last I checked, 20 weeks of professional instruction runs almost $30K (not drawing an equivalency here, but learnin' ain't cheap!)

Add all of that up, and together with the constant, plentiful supply of 'free' beer, the costs of homebrewing as a hobby seem pretty damned reasonable even if your tastes in beer and gear tend to the extravagant...

I defy anyone to name a better hobby. Go ahead, I dares ya!

 

[davidabcd]

bar that I built.

Fantastic work.

 

[davidabcd]

Some of the theme is "not saving money if always upgrading." Sounds true but I wouldn't put a price on things that "feed your soul," whether it's opera tickets or football tickets or a beautiful piece of equipment for brewing.
Personally, I have minimal equipment and don't intend to upgrade to anything. I'll replace worn out things as they come up. Extract isn't cheap but relatively it is. I drink mainly $12-$14 (sometimes more) 4-packs. When I can brew a beer anywhere from $.80 -$1.15 and drink four, even if I'm somehow not saving money, I still think I am.

 

[deeve007]

I'm serious alright. Portland, Maine makes the best beer in the world, IMO.

What's your favourite brewery up there? I was there last year visiting a friend and absolutely LOVED the beer: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9F5rpGgA23cZeqr68

It's where I discovered sours & goses too, which are now my favourite style

 

[deeve007]

Being in a country for just the next half year or so, have been wanting to keep all my equipment costs down as much as possible, which has been a good learning curve to see what I could get away with. So far I've spent less than US$100, which has included the minimum equipment I needed, 1 x 10L recipe kit (Pale Ale), and 2 x 20L recipe kits (Oatmeal stout + IPA).

Can't complain, especially as it's like home schooling myself learning all this, all ready for when I head home and can buy some more equipment.

 

[eimar]

After more than 15 years of use, I retired my 3 tier system for a grainfather. I'm not an impulsive buyer and in my own case , without any doubt, homebrewing = saving money.

 

[odie]

you will never save money unless you are unemployed or minimum wage. The cost/value of your time will exceed any cost savings. even if your equipment and ingredients are free.

As a hobby, your time no longer counts. It has an economic value of zero. Keep your system simple. Don't buy all the silly gadgets. A kettle, a bucket, a BIAB bag, some old free bottles, some odds and ends...minimal cost to get started...

 

[MaaZeus]

In a country where a 4-pack of Guinness, 0,44l cans, costs 14€ and 40 cents the answer is HELL YES. It is a massive cost saving especially if you start with cheap BIAB equipment.

 

[huh?]

1 gal wholesale cider from orchard = $4 gal. 1 gal Woodchuck at local beer store = $16.44. Some here make this harder than necessary.

 

[mashpaddled]

I haven't done the math over ten years of brewing but I think I am running below the cost of buying beer. After ten years of brewing I have not bought a lot of equipment and my brewing system is rudimentary (still rocking turkey fryer and cooler system and still fermenting in the first brew bucket I bought). I buy ingredient in bulk and reuse yeast often. I brew a lot of sour beer which is expensive to purchase but cheap to brew so that cuts comparative costs considerably.

 

[MaxStout]

I don't brew to save money, I do it for the enjoyment, though it's nice to make 5 gallons of beer for about $20. I doubt the savings will ever sink the investment costs I have in gear, anyway.

I have a friend who reloads ammo. He says he'll never break even on the cost of his gear, though the box to box costs are much less than commercial ammo. He does it for fun.

 

[Dave Sarber]

I have a friend who reloads ammo. He says he'll never break even on the cost of his gear, though the box to box costs are much less than commercial ammo. He does it for fun.

I reload my own ammo. If you count your time and the components, it costs much more to reload your own, but you can have MUCH BETTER ammo than what you can buy.

Similarly, the beers I enjoy the most ( RIS, Barleywines, Scotch ales, Belgian tripels and quads, etc ( all high ABV)), are very hard to find locally, or extravagantly priced, or somewhat less quality than what I'd like to drink.

So, bottom line, I brew my own not to save money, but so I can drink BETTER BEER!

 

[TGFV]

Most of my gear is second hand, which has huge savings attached to it. And let me pay it all off in savings in less than a year.

5 gal pot, 60 bombers, siphon, 3 buckets with airlocks, full bottle of starsan, brushes, spoon, 300 caps, pump bottle sanitizer (can't remember the name): $100
6 better bottles: $30
7 gal kettle: $50 (can with a siphon, 15kg of barley, 6oz Galaxy, 12oz El Dorado thrown in)
Corona mill + drill: 45
60 bombers: $20
66 bombers + 24 swing top 1L: free


So my total gear cost was 245, plus expendable items (caps, starsan, brew bags etc) per batch.

For the beer in the other hand, it costs roughly $6.50 average for a bomber here, and my set up gets me 30 of them, which is $195 if I bought them, plus tax and bottle deposit.

But for brewing it costs me $12 grain, $4 hops, plus whatever fruit or other adjuncts/spices I use (say average of $10 because I like my fruit beers), so roughly $26 a batch since I buy my grain and hops bulk, and reuse the hell out of my yeast. Which gives me a saving of $169 a batch, which if I am regularly drinking is a monthly saving, so $2,028.

Factor in gas, which my two year credit ran out on 4 months ago (got to love when a utility company royally screws up and compensates you), I easily break even making delicious beer.

All the above being said though, I would probably only be having a beer or two a week if I didn't brew, which would be about the same amount lol.

 

[Dancy]

All the above being said though, I would probably only be having a beer or two a week if I didn't brew, which would be about the same amount lol.

Exactly! I definitely drink more beer as a home brewer. Something about having 2-4 cases around AND it being beer I brewed myself makes it enticing to have a couple after work every day.

 

[Saunassa]

Exactly! I definitely drink more beer as a home brewer. Something about having 2-4 cases around AND it being beer I brewed myself makes it enticing to have a couple after work every day.

I had forgotten about the going from a six pack every two weeks or so to a beer in the evening each day. My buddy has provided about 8 cases of bottles that he made the sacrifice of buying and drinking so the bottles are free. Of course in exchange for this he tends to get a case of beer from me from each batch - he says for quality control testing Now if only I can get him to buy some of the grains like he did all the brass for reloading ammo when prices were sky high.