homebrewing costs

[DrJerryrigger]

If you brew with a cooler you got 10yrs ago with a copper manifold and ball valve($25) on you turkey fryer from Walmart that 10yrs old ($35) and in your 36qt bayou classic pot ($70) then you will save money.

That's basically my rig! But mine is all new so hasn't paid for it's self yet. But it actually will pay for it's self unlike the fancy rigs some people have (not talking trash, I wish I had one myself).

I'd like to spend lots of money on brew equipment, but I'm broke as **** (I didn't really cuss, I just typed stars).

I also spend a lot of time a money on my garden. It's funny; it's harder to calculate how much I would spend on vegetables that how much I spend on beer. Guess I'm a regular drinker, but just a social eater. But it's the same basic thing. I send a notable amount of money, and a anus ton of time for limited financial pay back. But every year I make it cheaper. This year I grew everything from seed saving lots of money. Next year I'll grow my own barley and combine hobbies (joking).

 

[Bobby_M]

Holy hell, why won't this topic die already? If you save money by brewing and you enjoy it, awesome. If you blow all of your disposable income, free time, and carry incredible credit card debt buying Blingman conicals, but you enjoy yourself, extra awesome. Nothing that will be said in any of these cost-themed threads is going to drive anyone away from brewing so it's irrelevant. If you thought you were saving ton of cash and someone convinced you that you were wrong, you'll still brew this weekend but your boner will only be half mast.

 

[bob1852]

Holy hell, why won't this topic die already?

Bobby, my last batch cost me $0 to make. The way I figure it, if people aren't going to include their time, water, propane, equipment that make bulk purchases reasonable (mills, yeast rinsing, vaccuum sealers for hops, etc.), then I'm not going to include any costs at all!

My homebrew is free!

 

[Pascal]

half mast? I'm planning a choc cherry stout this weekend. I don't see that as a problem.

 

[joeybeer]

Almighty Me has the answer to all your problems, and here it is !!!
If you won the lottery tomorrow - would you still homebrew ???
Damn right I would, but on a MUCH larger and more exciting scale, and all of y'all would drink for free !

 

[DannPM]

Depends on what you drink. My favorite beers are Trappist beers, averaging around $5 for an 11.2 ounce bottle. That's roughly $285 for 5 gallons before sales tax. Cheaper in the short run, much cheaper in the long run. Plus it's my passion, win win.

 

[emjay]

Almighty Me has the answer to all your problems, and here it is !!!
If you won the lottery tomorrow - would you still homebrew ???
Damn right I would, but on a MUCH larger and more exciting scale, and all of y'all would drink for free !

If the lottery winnings were large enough, I'd open a freaking brewpub.

With a smaller amount of winnings, I'd definitely AT LEAST pimp out my homebrew setup.

 

[joeybeer]

Let's be honest, if I won $200 it would improve my beer somehow..if I won $250M we'd all be skateboarding in my empty fermenters

 

[Bobby_M]

If I didn't have to work for money, the LAST thing I'd do is open up a commercial brewing operation of any kind. That's just a new way to work your ass off. I'd still be brewing 5 gallons at a time but I wouldn't feel as bad about the time spent doing it (i.e., I'd already be paying people to do all the crap I normally have to get done). I'd probably also have cleaning staff of some kind and yes, cleaning the "brewhouse" would be included in the list of duties.

 

[emjay]

If I didn't have to work for money, the LAST thing I'd do is open up a commercial brewing operation of any kind. That's just a new way to work your ass off. I'd still be brewing 5 gallons at a time but I wouldn't feel as bad about the time spent doing it (i.e., I'd already be paying people to do all the crap I normally have to get done). I'd probably also have cleaning staff of some kind and yes, cleaning the "brewhouse" would be included in the list of duties.

I would open up a small brewpub and just pay people to do the same stuff. Breaking even, or even taking a sustainable loss, would be alright - profit would only be a concern as long as I am able to love what I do.

 

[Bobby_M]

I guess I just don't look at running a business, even at a loss, as something fun to do.

 

[DrJerryrigger]

I guess I just don't look at running a business, even at a loss, as something fun to do.

I do, at least 80% of it, there are some details I don't ever want to deal with. But running a business at a loss is just depressing, so I think of myself as the customer and don't buy fancy equipment.

But to each their own. Understand how people just don't look at the money end in terms of production. But rather an investment in their hobby.

What I can't understand is why this thread is still going. I feel like we've hit on all the possible topics 12 times.

 

[Airborneguy]

If I didn't have to work for money, the LAST thing I'd do is open up a commercial brewing operation of any kind.

Totally agree. Why bother? I'd rather spend the money traveling the country trying to taste every single handmade beer at every single brewpub in America. I've been doing that for 5 years now, but it would be a lot easier if I was wealthy and purposefully-unemployed.

 

[boo boo]

This is the way I explained to the people who ask if it's cheaper.
If you drink $12 a case beer then it is definitely not cheaper but once you start drinking good beer that starts getting up to two and three dollars a bottle then you can make beer that is just as good and way cheaper.

Jeez, even the local cheap beer is $12 a 6 pack around these parts. Good
beer is much more expensive