Texas DFW Area - I see a lot of brewing equipment for sale

[user 30639]

I started brewing over in Fort Worth in 2009 partially out of interest and partially out of the absolute lack of selection of beer. There wasn't a lot of craft beer going on those days. I remember going to that beer festival but I don't remember what it was exactly. Big Texas Beer Festival?

No...Big Texas Beer Fest started in 2012 bu I'm pretty sure it was always at Fair Park.

Went through my email and the one in Irving was just called the North Texas Beer Fest. They no longer have a website and I can't tell from a 10 year old email who put it on. I was off by a year as well. This one was 2012, not 2011.

Edit to add. Really trying to figure out the timeline because I know Deep Ellum was at the beer festival in Irving but was not pouring. They opened in 2011 so it doesn't make any sense, even with the backwards TX alcohol laws at the time, they wouldn't have been pouring at a 2012 fest. There was a NTBF in 2011, but it was in Plano and not Irving. Who knows.

 

[lumpher]

If I was still in DFW you'd see most of mine up for sale, also. I stopped brewing months ago. But then again, if I was still in DFW, I'd probably still have time. I moved out almost 4 years ago, and as I get more projects going around my house and land here, I just don't have time to brew, or the neighbors to help me drink what I brew. As it is, I live out in the middle of nowhere, so my brewing equipment is in the shed or 1 of the spare bedrooms packed away.

 

[user 30639]

I also think it's a sign of the state of the hobby that a 5 gallon keg priced at 40 bucks is still available. At the risk of sounding old, back in my day if you saw a keg in good shape on craig's list you needed to get on it because someone else would beat you to it.

I've also read/heard around the internet that the AHA membership numbers are way down but I have no way to independently confirm that.

 

[bracconiere]

Brewing your own beer to save money is like buying a bass boat and fishing gear to save money on fish.

huh, your just nervous....

 

[Oleson M.D.]

$40 is the average asking price for these.
Not what I would call a fire-sale.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

$40 is the average asking price for these.
Not what I would call a fire-sale.

Yeah, now. There was a time in the not too distant past that they were double that for a very rode hard keg. I think what he was getting after is that demand is slowing and price is showing that fact.

 

[lumpher]

Yeah, now. There was a time in the not too distant past that they were double that for a very rode hard keg. I think what he was getting after is that demand is slowing and price is showing that fact.

Yep. There was a time not too long ago when, if you saw a keg for sale that needed a complete rebuild for 40 you jumped on it because there were no kegs available hardly. Kegs go through a cheap phase, then hard to find, the flooding the market, then back to rare...

 

[user 30639]

Yeah, now. There was a time in the not too distant past that they were double that for a very rode hard keg. I think what he was getting after is that demand is slowing and price is showing that fact.

That's exactly what I was getting at. When I started kegging, it was a matter of you took whatever you could find it whatever condition it was in and there wasn't a whole lot of room for negotiation. It was just the demand outstripped the supply. Now it's the complete opposite. At least for 5 gallon corny kegs. I had some 2.5 gallon kegs that had a lot of interest and I should have raised the price on.

 

[Drinkerbell]

The past couple years, the economy has tanked, plus Covid. I haven’t brewed as often, I’ve spent more time on my real business, making sure all is done to stay in operation. In bad economic times, it is hard to justify brewing all day Saturday when the main focus is to keep the company solvent, and doing all you can to remain so.

So brewing has taken a back seat to more pressing issues this year, like many other hobbies I’m certain. It is a fun hobby for good times. If we can somehow dig out of the current economic crisis, I plan on picking it back up. In the mean time as stated above, Total Wine and Bevmo are there to fill in.

I'm glad to hear your optimism. I'm in talks to buy a LHBS in Atlanta, but business has been really slow this summer. One or two places in the area have closed, but I'm hopeful.

 

[Drinkerbell]

I started brewing over in Fort Worth in 2009 partially out of interest and partially out of the absolute lack of selection of beer. There wasn't a lot of craft beer going on those days. I remember going to that beer festival but I don't remember what it was exactly. Big Texas Beer Festival?

There are always people getting in and out of homebrewing due to life changes or losing interest; however, the hobby has always been propped up in part by the group who brewed because it was cheaper or because it was easier to brew than hunt down craft beer. As craft beer continues to normalize and become easily available, that group is a permanently vanishing part of the hobby. Over here in Denver, I see a lot of the same thing with people trying to sell entire setups for next to nothing, jumping out of the hobby. Quarantine gave a lot of home food/drink hobbies a bump but most of those people are getting out.

I was feeling that the slowdown was related to craft beers being everywhere too, until last week when I noticed their prices going through the roof. I can definitely brew for less now. Off to rework my marketing...

 

[Bassman2003]

It is tough. I agree, homebrewing is not a huge cost savings to some extent. But, if you prefer good, expensive beer I do believe it is cost effective. Buying Belgian beer is an eye opening experience. If one can learn to brew these beers at home, they will be fresh tasting and lower cost. IPA I have my doubts as you can get good examples for not too crazy prices. The brewer needs to purchase a lot of hops to make these beers. But breaking even over time is in the cards. It is just a fun hobby for me. I have spent quite a bit over the years (20) on equipment as I enjoy the hardware side.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

I will never come close to break even...unless we brew a kazillion barrels.