Anyone completely self sufficient?

[SmallScaleOperator]

Just curious who here brews 100% of the beer they drink? Not counting nights out. My goal is to get to the point where I am making all the beer I drink at my house. I have significant gains to make in output, and losses for input to get there.

 

[BrewingAroundtheRrealm]

I stopped drinking beer outside the house a few years ago. Not long after I started brewing. Mostly because of cost. It's hard to justify paying $5+ for a draft when I have 10+ gallons of beer at home. Which definitely didn't cost $5 a pint to make. I do occasionally purchase a 6-pack of a limited release. Usually to compare to something I've made that I'm trying to clone. The last actual 6-pack that I purchased was Bell's Oberon. So that I could culture the yeast for a Two Hearted clone last summer.

 

[day_trippr]

Based on volume we're around 99% home brew - at home. Every so often something lands here for tasting but otherwise with 6 brews always on tap there's zero motivation to buy more.

Otoh, I'm nearly 0% away. Summertime I'll bottle some boat beers on occasion, but otherwise my beer is best enjoyed in its natural habitat

Cheers!

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

I took a break fro a couple years from brewing, I was sufficient before then. I am about 3-4 weeks out now from being self sufficient again.

The only beer at home that is not Homebrew will be “special” beers. Rare beers, trade beers, limited release, that type of stuff. Other than that I have 4 taps to keep me happy and a bunch of kegs that are always on deck for when one kicks.

We usually do and English ale ( for her), a saison or Trappist single (for me) a hoppy ale for both of us. Those are the house ales, then we do a rotating tap for stuff we find interesting or seasonally appropriate.

The sours are all in bombers.

 

[Hammy71]

I could be but choose not to be. Too much good beer out there now not to do "research". I give away more home brew than I drink. Love to share.

 

[madscientist451]

I could drink all my own brew, I currently have enough beer,cider and wine inventory to last for several years. But I like trying new things and don't mind occasionally paying ridiculous craft beer retail prices now and then. I like to get variety 12 packs. A local shop puts "out of date" beer on sale at prices too low to pass up and sometimes I come out of there with a mixed case of high ABV stouts, porters and seasonal brews that don't go bad anyway.

 

[fun4stuff]

I guess i could be. I have 7 taps. It’s not enough for me though!! I still like to enjoy the occasional local craft beer now and then. So i also have a beer fridge full of other beers too!

 

[SEndorf]

I stopped drinking beer outside the house a few years ago. Not long after I started brewing. Mostly because of cost. It's hard to justify paying $5+ for a draft when I have 10+ gallons of beer at home. Which definitely didn't cost $5 a pint to make. I do occasionally purchase a 6-pack of a limited release. Usually to compare to something I've made that I'm trying to clone. The last actual 6-pack that I purchased was Bell's Oberon. So that I could culture the yeast for a Two Hearted clone last summer.

This question came up with two brew buddies a few days ago.
Aside from a 6-er of Alaskan Amber I bought to compare to my clone, no one seems to remember the last time they entered a liquor store. When my wife and I go out to a restaurant, I'll have one or two of their taps; many of which are disappointing.
Well... that's why we brew right?

 

[Dland]

Have not bought beer for some time now, but had a can of heddy topper at my sister's at christmas and nephew 'slpained me I should have read instructions on can to drink from can and not pour to glass..(& sometimes I wonder if he can even read),,otherwise only homebrew.

I did get into some scotch that gal brought home from her folk's house, she found clearing it out, not sure if that counts as cheating though.. {;

 

[Transamguy77]

I started brewing 10 years ago and up until I moved and have not been able to brew I only drank what I brewed at home.

Looking forward to getting back to brewing so I can stop buying beer.

 

[verboten]

I could be, but I like too many things. So I keep my kegs full, share often, and drink whatever I want.

 

[seatazzz]

We're on a fairly tight budget, so I try to keep something on tap at all times so I don't have to buy beer. I buy my grain and hops in bulk, and harvest yeast, so a 5g batch costs pennies compared to buying commercial. The occasional bomber of something new, a 12-pack of something cheap when we go to a party and I don't want to take a growler, but that's about it. My current kegerator only holds two kegs so it can get a bit boring at times, drinking the same thing; sometime this spring going to build a new one that will hold at least four, with three taps, so I have a variety again.

 

[RevA]

I'm at about 90% self sufficient. I bottle as CO2 is a bit of an effort to get where I am, so when I'm low on bottles I buy beer for the bottles.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I could be but choose not to be. Too much good beer out there now not to do "research". I give away more home brew than I drink. Love to share.

pretty much this.
95% of the beer I drink is my own.
I bring PET growlers with me everywhere filled from my taps.

but when i go out to events my own beer isn't an option and why deprive myself of good beer?

 

[Yesfan]

I'm about 95% too. I too visit my local store for those, as mentioned, "out of date" beers. The owner there is a pretty good guy. He's gave me some pretty cool glassware that his distributors give him plus there's the occasional discounted or free beer for brands that don't sell well.

His store and the local breweries where my club meets are about the only time I buy beer.

 

[thisjrp4]

I’m 100% home brew. Even for parties. Been that way for years.

 

[Blazinlow86]

I make more beer than I can drink personally and trade 70% of my beer for other items. I like to have a variety so I buy alot of commercial stuff. I don't brew to save money. Cheers

 

[Staticsouls]

I was, till I moved, and then moved back. Just kegged my first batch in a new space, and damn! I used crystal hops from 2015 and ****! Back to having better beer than shelf beer! I hate buying beer even if it is a some special release. Any home brewer can make just as good if not better beer than a commercial OP. We don't have to drive profits just flavor!

 

[ba-brewer]

Close to 100% for me. I have 4 taps of different styles and brew various size batches to keep things interesting. Very seldom do I brew the exact same recipe.

 

[brewbama]

99.9% here. I rarely if ever buy beer to drink at home. I’ve been drinking what I brew since 2013.

 

[Baglorious]

I can't stand paying $14 for a 4 pack (64 oz) of craft brew at the liquor store.

So, in order to avoid that, I've now spent about 2 grand on equipment. Couple hundred here, couple hundred there... next thing you know, it's real money. So, now, with my 240v electric basement setup, I can get great beer at significantly lower ingredient costs per 64 oz.

I am confident that, in a couple of decades, as long as i don't buy beer made by anyone else... I should break even on equipment costs.

The more I drink, the quicker I amortize the equipment.

(NOTE: I've already trademarked "The more I drink, the quicker I amortize the equipment" as a registered homebrew slogan. T-shirts coming shortly.)

 

[fun4stuff]

I can't stand paying $14 for a 4 pack (64 oz) of craft brew at the liquor store.

So, in order to avoid that, I've now spent about 2 grand on equipment. Couple hundred here, couple hundred there... next thing you know, it's real money. So, now, with my 240v electric basement setup, I can get great beer at significantly lower ingredient costs per 64 oz.

I am confident that, in a couple of decades, as long as i don't buy beer made by anyone else... I should break even on equipment costs.

The more I drink, the quicker I amortize the equipment.

(NOTE: I've already trademarked "The more I drink, the quicker I amortize the equipment" as a registered homebrew slogan. T-shirts coming shortly.)

Oh yea, it's like buying a boat to Get cheap fish.

 

[SmallScaleOperator]

For a very long time when I wasn’t brewing I could usually find an abundant supply of good craft beer for decent prices. However, I have noticed in the past maybe five or so years that the price of commercial beer has skyrocketed. That and the influx of hard soda water taking up space in the local brewery section of the stores where I live have really impacted the amount of good beer I buy. Now I mostly buy a 12 pack of shiner bock to keep around for when I run out of home brew.

 

[kh54s10]

I did for the most part for a few years. (the occasional buy for "research") Then a little over 3 years ago started working on my house for sale and a move. Projects at my new place have kept me from brewing often enough to not have to buy.

 

[beersk]

I'm not 100% either. I'd like to be, but it just doesn't make a lot of sense to limit yourself so much. I like to buy a 4 pack of Murphy's stout now and again or Boddingtons or St. Bernardus ABT12, or Weihenstephaner... I mean, I just can see myself being 100% homebrewed beer.

I think the main thing is maybe to limit the amount of money you spend going to bars and breweries where they charge $5+ for a pint/pour. That's where it gets expensive.

 

[John Eberly]

The more I brew the more I buy. I started into home brewing 25 years ago when “import” beers were exotic.

There have been so many fads and trends since that the beer market is un - recognizable. Every rule has been broken and so many of the old brands are gone. How can you learn from other brewers if you only drink your own?

I went through a phase of trying to sample everything at my lhbs but had to give that up.

I guess I am lucky that the cost of a six pack never held me back from trying anything. I could be “beer sufficient “ but why bother until after the apocalypse?

 

[RealRayDizzle]

99% here, only buy beer from the store if I am out of town/ on the beach.
picked up a bottling wand for making my own 6/12 packs, and growlers for parties.

Draw back would depend on how much you drink and how much time your have. I have 6 beers on tap and at least 1 strong ale in bottle, but if I do not brew at least once if not twice a month I could get behind.

Then there is the yearly crawfish boil, we go through 15+ gallons easy, so have to plan in advance.