Buying Beer As A Homebrewer

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Going to meander around Central to SE Pa. Might be anywhere from Harrisburg to Quakertown, West Chester, or Lancaster. Just going to wonder around to see what has changed since moving out to C-bus.
It has been 20 years since I hit the Victory tap room so I was thinking of swinging by there at some time, and going to catch up with some old freinds at a few points.
Your profile says Oxford, and I was down that way quite alot in the 90's (damn I feel old now saying that, lol).
 
Brew_Dude41 said:
Going to meander around Central to SE Pa. Might be anywhere from Harrisburg to Quakertown, West Chester, or Lancaster. Just going to wonder around to see what has changed since moving out to C-bus.
It has been 20 years since I hit the Victory tap room so I was thinking of swinging by there at some time, and going to catch up with some old freinds at a few points.
Your profile says Oxford, and I was down that way quite alot in the 90's (damn I feel old now saying that, lol).
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Oxford is real south and real east. We’re on the Maryland border.

Victory built a new giant facility in Parkesburg, PA in addition to the one still in Downingtown. Worth a visit if you’re from here and went to Victory years ago.

If you remember Stoudt’s, they closed up and aren’t around anymore.

If you get near Lititz, there is the Bull’s Head which is as close to a British pub as you’ll find on this side of the Atlantic. I love that place and don’t get out that way nearly as often as I’d like.

We have Iron Hill which is a chain in the area. They are in West Chester and Lancaster.

Lots of other small brewpubs, search on the area you’ll be in.
 
Brew_Dude41 said:
Going to meander around Central to SE Pa. Might be anywhere from Harrisburg to Quakertown, West Chester, or Lancaster. Just going to wonder around to see what has changed since moving out to C-bus.
It has been 20 years since I hit the Victory tap room so I was thinking of swinging by there at some time, and going to catch up with some old freinds at a few points.
Your profile says Oxford, and I was down that way quite alot in the 90's (damn I feel old now saying that, lol).
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Victory for sure. I would also highly recommend Troeg's brewing in Hershey, PA, maybe about an hour west of Downingtown.
 
I buy beer for a myriad of reasons.

1.There is so much good stuff out there.
2. My HB is not anywhere near the level of stuff that I can buy (hoping this is very much a yet statement)
3. I’m in a Beer Drinkers w/a Soccer Problem league and due to #2, I have no choice. No US macros allowed, craft highly encouraged. Down side is your damn cooler duty weekend is borderline as pricey as the damn league fees.
 
I just really like beer. I like to drink a variety of beers, and I like to try new and different beers. As noted above, I didn't get into brewing with the plan that I would only drink my own beer from now on. I always thought lots of breweries are encouraging to homebrewers because people who homebrew also buy lots and appreciate a variety of beer.
I do have friends whose beverage of choice is vodka with various forms of mix, who once they got into making their own only very very rarely buy any.
I agree with Bracconiere that as far a recreational drugs go, alcohol is my true love.
 
acrowe said:
I agree with Bracconiere that as far a recreational drugs go, alcohol is my true love.
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In addition to beer, I have about 60+ bottles of various wines in the house, mostly reds. We almost always have those with dinner. Roast beef and cabernet, stuffed peppers with pinot noir, seafood with sauvignon blanc, vinho verde or gruner veltliner. And I like bourbon best of all when it comes to hard liquor. I also like scotch but that comes in a clear second.
 
I like to purchase beer to check out a style I want to brew, particularly when it is one that has set the bar for that style. For instance, when I became interested in brewing a few Belgian Dark Strong Ale recipes, I made it a point to buy a few of the well-known and universally well-regarded ones.
 
Now that the craft brewing revolution that I fought for since the mid-'80's has succeeded, I can't afford to buy any, except when I have let my pipeline run dry and am desperate, or maybe a six-pack for my birthday. The last time I bought beer without cringing, it was $6.00 a pack for something pretty good, and $3.00 a pint in a brewpub. Now, it is double that, and not doable on Social Security, a seasonal greenhouse job, and the dribble my little homebrew and winemaking supply shop brings in.
I took my wife to a restaurant that was a branch of a microbrewery for her birthday four years ago. 2 Reubens, 2 tiny bags of chips, 2 beers and a cider, and a tip were about $45. That was my first and last visit to a place that would otherwise be my neighborhood bar, but for the prices. And that was before inflation. Luckily, I am a competent brewer and get supplies at a discount, but sometimes am short of brewing opportunities.
Go buy something from your local shop once in a while, or the variety and freshness will decline, if it manages to stay open.
 
Grainpaw said:
Now that the craft brewing revolution that I fought for since the mid-'80's has succeeded, I can't afford to buy any, except when I have let my pipeline run dry and am desperate, or maybe a six-pack for my birthday. The last time I bought beer without cringing, it was $6.00 a pack for something pretty good, and $3.00 a pint in a brewpub. Now, it is double that, and not doable on Social Security, a seasonal greenhouse job, and the dribble my little homebrew and winemaking supply shop brings in.
I took my wife to a restaurant that was a branch of a microbrewery for her birthday four years ago. 2 Reubens, 2 tiny bags of chips, 2 beers and a cider, and a tip were about $45. That was my first and last visit to a place that would otherwise be my neighborhood bar, but for the prices. And that was before inflation. Luckily, I am a competent brewer and get supplies at a discount, but sometimes am short of brewing opportunities.
Go buy something from your local shop once in a while, or the variety and freshness will decline, if it manages to stay open.
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Last place I went to recently we had a brussel sprouts appetizer, a large order of belgian fries, a burger, 3 beers, 2 glasses of wine and it was $90 with tip. Everything is up.
 
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Let's just say, if you could legally sell me your homebrew, I'd buy it just to see where my skills are. So I sample the commercial stuff, just to stay grounded in reality. I'm finding that I do better at Saisons than what I can buy. Like this Boulevard Tank 7 clone. But about everything else? I buy it to give me a proper standard.
 

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bwible said:
Last place I went to recently we had a brussel sprouts appetizer, a large order of belgian fries, a burger, 3 beers, 2 glasses of wine and it was $90 with tip. Everything is up.
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$90 is 9.7% of my SS check. More than any other monthly bill I have. Can't be doing that for snacks and a few drinks. I don't have any occasion that special. I quit going to brew club meetings in 2008 because of the expense, and they had gotten big and unproductive, and my wife felt obligated to drive me home, so it tied up half a day for her, too. We could get a decent air fryer for less than $90. Brussels sprouts simmered with ham and rosemary is mighty tasty.
 
Grainpaw said:
$90 is 9.7% of my SS check. More than any other monthly bill I have. Can't be doing that for snacks and a few drinks. I don't have any occasion that special. I quit going to brew club meetings in 2008 because of the expense, and they had gotten big and unproductive, and my wife felt obligated to drive me home, so it tied up half a day for her, too. We could get a decent air fryer for less than $90. Brussels sprouts simmered with ham and rosemary is mighty tasty.
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Well brew club meetings don’t really cost anything except the price of gas to drive. Take some of your homebrew. I agree you have to be careful what you drink and somebody has to drive home. It’s nice if your wife can be designated driver. Or maybe you take turns each meeting who drives. I like to buy at least one beer at whatever place is hosting us. Most of the time the places we have our meetings at don’t even sell food. So we eat before we go, The problem I have is my wife works a lot of overtime and can’t usually be home in time to drive to meetings.
 
Awnry Abe said:
Let's just say, if you could legally sell me your homebrew, I'd buy it just to see where my skills are. So I sample the commercial stuff, just to stay grounded in reality. I'm finding that I do better at Saisons than what I can buy. Like this Boulevard Tank 7 clone. But about everything else? I buy it to give me a proper standard.
Click to expand...
If I could have legally sold homebrew, without a bunch of red tape and fees, I'd have worked my way up to running a small microbrewery eventually. I don't claim to be a great homebrewer, just competent. I used to buy beers to try something new, or check a style out before committing to brewing it. Yes, there are beers better than I can brew out there, and I enjoy them on rare occasions, but now, entire styles have come and gone that I've only read about. I have made some beers that had people calling me a beer guru, and inspired many people to start brewing. Then again, you don't have to know much to look smart to someone who knows next to nothing, as is the case with many beginners. I'm still dealing with Prohibition-era BS here in WV, and would-be moonshiners who have seen those TV shows.
My big spending project now is to finish the wiring, plumbing, insulation, and walls in the garage I had built at home two years ago, to get my tiny LHBS out of a basement in a flood zone, and to have a place to be able to use my 15 gallon all-grain system again. I've eaten into savings for that.
 
I cut down on buying beer a lot since I got back into brewing. I now buy beer for only these reasons:

- Beers to bring on the boat when I go fishing
- Beers to bring with me for any other occasion, as I keg my beers and do not have anything packaged
- Local brewery releases one of my favorites or has something new/interesting
 
bwible said:
Oxford is real south and real east. We’re on the Maryland border.

Victory built a new giant facility in Parkesburg, PA in addition to the one still in Downingtown. Worth a visit if you’re from here and went to Victory years ago.

If you remember Stoudt’s, they closed up and aren’t around anymore.

If you get near Lititz, there is the Bull’s Head which is as close to a British pub as you’ll find on this side of the Atlantic. I love that place and don’t get out that way nearly as often as I’d like.

We have Iron Hill which is a chain in the area. They are in West Chester and Lancaster.

Lots of other small brewpubs, search on the area you’ll be in.
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Sorry to hear about Stoudt's, used to hit their brewfest every fall for quite some time. Yes, Oxford is a bit South, but not out of my range.
Grew up in West Chester, and will be in New Holland for at least one night, so the spot in Lititz is a real possibility.
I knew Victory has expanded, and I doubt that they are in the space I knew. The Troegenator is a favorite of mine that I will pick up 2-3 times a year out here (not the fan of the Mad Elf that I used to be).

But this is why I still buy commercial beer as a homebrewer: to see what is out there, meet others with a similar interest in good beer, and of course, support those that have taken the risk that I can't dream of risking. My home brew is fine, but absolutely nothing wrong with go to the store for a six pack or growler.
 
The entry-level threshold to the market for selling your beer is much lower in Europe. We pour at about four festivals a year and that keeps us afloat. I think beer and wine are cheaper in Europe because of it. It affords us the opportunities to purchase beers so that we can see what others are up to. We also do trades with other local brewers and we take turns hosting brew days in order to help each other out. The information that I get from here is amazing and it is nice to share that with our small brew club.
 
Plastic Brewkettle said:
I've noticed on several threads people mentioning buying beer. This surprised me because one huge reason I got back into homebrewing was so that I would not ever have to buy beer again. Since I can make it cheaper and at least as good (and many times better) as store bought, I see no need to purchase beer. In fact, when people bring me 6 packs of this or that, I find myself annoyed that I have to drink a few inferior beers because it is against the law to throw drinkable beer away (as we all know).
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I buy beer for a couple reasons. First, it lets me experience new styles that I haven’t had before, or just let me see exactly how a style is supposed to taste/smell. Second it lets me buy beer for people who only drink beer I hate… like my wife who loves pasty stouts and gimmicky adjunct beers, or for times when my dad visits (who only likes american light lagers). I’m not wasting fermenter time on a bud light clone or an XX-Sweet Gooey Toffee Pie Porter
 
Here in the UK most beers served in pubs, and sold in supermarkets, are average at best. A lot of my beer is average but it is 1 / 18 th of the pub price, so the money I save I spend on known (to me) bottles of superb beer - Dark Star is my favourite.....
 
bobtheUKbrewer2 said:
Here in the UK most beers served in pubs, and sold in supermarkets, are average at best. A lot of my beer is average but it is 1 / 18 th of the pub price, so the money I save I spend on known (to me) bottles of superb beer - Dark Star is my favourite.....
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1/18th the price??? That’s some crazy efficiency or ridiculous bar prices. At most bars where I am beers cost $6-7 per pint. The very cheapest, happy-hour type places may have local stuff for $5. I cant really get much lower than a $0.90-$1 per pint on 5 gal batches of homebrew. It’s obviously much cheaper and even stomping the “new prices” of commercial microbrews at $12/4-pack… but it’s nowhere near 1/18th.
 
Was hoping Stoudts still kept the restaurant and brewed their beer for it. But looks like they sold and IronSpire Complex owns it now?
Anyone try it?
 
Brew_Dude41 said:
Sorry to hear about Stoudt's, used to hit their brewfest every fall for quite some time. Yes, Oxford is a bit South, but not out of my range.
Grew up in West Chester, and will be in New Holland for at least one night, so the spot in Lititz is a real possibility.
I knew Victory has expanded, and I doubt that they are in the space I knew. The Troegenator is a favorite of mine that I will pick up 2-3 times a year out here (not the fan of the Mad Elf that I used to be).

But this is why I still buy commercial beer as a homebrewer: to see what is out there, meet others with a similar interest in good beer, and of course, support those that have taken the risk that I can't dream of risking. My home brew is fine, but absolutely nothing wrong with go to the store for a six pack or growler.
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Agree about Mad Elf. Never warmed up to it. Troeg's to me is a lot like Sam Adam's used to be. I either don't like one of their 'different' beers or I REALLY like them a lot. The "core" beers are all very good. They don't stay in any particular lane, which is good, but when they stray too far out of MY wheelhouse they can leave me behind. Fortunately the don't mess with my favs.
 
Brooothru said:
Agree about Mad Elf. Never warmed up to it. Troeg's to me is a lot like Sam Adam's used to be. I either don't like one of their 'different' beers or I REALLY like them a lot. The "core" beers are all very good. They don't stay in any particular lane, which is good, but when they stray too far out of MY wheelhouse they can leave me behind. Fortunately they don't mess with my favs.

***DOUBLE POST.. PLS DELETE***
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LMAO I do love the comical entertainment this forum provides. I am happy that some homebrewers are making such outstandinng beers that none of the commercial breweries can compete. From my experience judging competitions there have been very few in the 30 plus years that I felt were worthy of producing on the commercial level. I personally have won awards for beers that I have brewed and even have a couple being mass produced by larger craft breweries. That said, I continue to visit as many brew pubs and craft breweries as possible and I still keep a stock of commercial beers on hand because I like them. I like my creations and I enjoy good offerings of other homebrewers. But as long as I keep finding craft breweries that are new to me, I will continue to sample their brews. As far as cost of homebrew vs commercial beers, according to my wife, she estimates a pint of my beer cost about 10 times that of the most expensive store bought beer when you factor in the cost of equipment, gadgets and ingredients. That's OK I enjoy my brewery, that's why I do it. And I like beer.
 
I still buy a fair amount of beer, and last Friday at the bar I finally had a moment where my homebrew was superior to the stout they were serving. Of course it was a Chocolate Milk Stout with plenty to hide behind. I am closing out my 3rd year of brewing

Like most of you I am my worst critic, but this one made me smile! My brewing motivation-meter gained a little that day :)

Research, comparisons, community fun and support, Tuesdays... there are plenty of reasons to buy beer
 
I'll buy "special bottles" to add to "my collection", from time to time.
although, I haven't seen anything in a while that I thought was worthy of buying, but I do now live in the middle of nowhere and it is a good drive to get to any store that has "the good stuff". The last time I was in a store that I thought should have some good beers, I was like WTF, is this all you have, I'm outa here.
 
Joggin said:
Was hoping Stoudts still kept the restaurant and brewed their beer for it. But looks like they sold and IronSpire Complex owns it now?
Anyone try it?
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I went by there must have been 6 months ago and even the IronSpire complex was closed. From what I could tell the property was up for rent again and not being used.

Ed and Carol Stoudt had a big auction where they auctioned off much of the stuff that used to be in there. I didn’t hear anything about the Duesenberg they used to have in the lobby.

Their press release said they sold the building and property only and held onto their name and all their recipes and intellectual property in the event they decided to open up again I guess. I know they are both retirement age. And I’m sure covid didn’t make things better.
 
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I brew beers that typically are good for 2-3 months or more in a spunded keg (because I dont kill kegs like I used to), taste good in any season and with a variety of foods.

…and buy the occasional pint or sixer of something I “don’t 5 gallon like” but get a hankering for. Like a nice bracingly bitter West Coast IPA, hefe or gose.

it’s beer. Do what makes you happy
 
I buy very little beer to drink at home but I drink out socially in a pub maybe once a week and being in England this enables me to drink cask beers. I am not the type to set up a cask system at home. And good cask beer is really worth paying for.

The cost of commercial bottles and cans tends to shock me a bit now and I consider how much beer I could brew for the price of a few cans! But I sometimes pick up cheaper supermarket beers if they look a bit interesting.

Commercial beers, for me, are often diminished by processes like pasteurisation and filtration, rendering them not worth the money. Here in England at least. A lot of the craft beer doesn't suffer from this, but is just over priced, and often not that great. Not worth the money. There are exceptions obviously. Some very good craft beer that is worth the cost.
 
YeastFeast said:
I buy most of the beer I drink. Just a guess but maybe 95% is purchased. I brew 4-5 times a year 4-5 gallons at a time.
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Did you just give us a math word problem?

If Y brews 4 gallons of beer 5 times per year, and this represents 5% of total beer consumption, how many bottles of beer does Y buy per year?

Sorry, that was too tempting.
 
Kee said:
Did you just give us a math word problem?

If Y brews 4 gallons of beer 5 times per year, and this represents 5% of total beer consumption, how many bottles of beer does Y buy per year?

Sorry, that was too tempting.
Click to expand...

You were supposed to figure out how many homebrew beers I’m able to drink a day 😆
 
I ran out of kegged homebrew in my keezer recently. Rather than buy a few 6 packs to hold me over, I called the local BevMo and was pleasantly surprised to find that they had a 5 gallon keg of Pizza Port's Swami's on hand. Although I had sticker shock originally ($140 + $40 keg deposit), I bit the bullet and am glad I did. Since I already have the keezer all set up, had room in it, had an open tap, had the CO2 tank and had a sanke coupler with ball lock connects, I thought why not go all out and buy a keg. I am glad I did. While I love my own homebrew, it was nice to have one of my favorite commercial beers on tap for a few weeks. (and no, I did not take credit and claim that I made the Swami's when friends came over).
 

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