DYI vs Off the shelf breakeven point?

[mrpeccator]

I love the DIY aspect of this hobby and will generally spend the same amount if I feel that my product will be the equal of what I would have purchased. Heck, because of homebrewing I know way more about plumbing, electrical, and metalworking than I EVER would have otherwise. As a homeowner, DIY in homebrewing has saved me so much money, (we bought a foreclosure,) and earned so much credit from SWMBO it is unquestionably worth it.

 

[germanicus81]

For myself the DIY aspect can mean quite a lot. I have a decent background in electronics, microcontrollers, and mechanical engineering. I've built my own pump box, stir plate, fermentation chamber, coffin-lid keezer, and a small kegerator. Given the $/hour I make at work most of my projects have ended up money losers compared to just buying it at retail prices. However, I enjoy putting my knowledge to the test and learning how the things I use work. I like knowing that I can fix my equipment myself if it breaks, because I built it myself.

I've also used my skills to build a custom sous-vide cooker for perfectly cooked steaks, roasts, and fowl for about 1/4 what a commercial version costs. Sure I spent 4 hours building it which completely negated any cost savings (if I only look at my hourly wage) but I have increased my knowledge and competency by building it.

Building things is becoming a lost art here in the states, and being able to understand how a complex system works and building one of your own is a skill that any employer will understand means that you can be someone who Gets.Things.Done!

My other DYI adventures include building a 3d printer, home theater with subs built into the couch, custom car subwoofer-to-home-subwoofer rebuild, and a cheap-a@@ home machine shop.

 

[timbudtwo]

I think of it in the economic terms of opportunity cost.

I DIY things for two reasons:
1. It can be fun
2. I don't have the money to buy the real deal.

If we are considering just part 1, then really money is not the main issue. For example I make aluminum castings with my forge I built to melt aluminum. This was all costly and really had yielded nothing worth value except fun.

However, if we are considering 2, then the cost of materials vs. the cost of the product comes into play. Using the aforementioned story, I built my own forge because a real forge is 1. expensive and 2. hard to get. However it is not a very high quality forge.

When I need to include BOTH of the ideas opportunity cost comes into play. So I think "How much do I want to build this, How long will it take, and how much does the real deal cost?"

Those three things are key to any project. Currently I am installing a new stereo in my car, a very DIY project. However, you need a wiring harness to connect the new deck to the stock internals of your car. Sure I could wire one up myself, spending hours researching information that will be used once in my life, and then spending a couple hours building it. I do enjoy learning, and I do enjoy soldering, but building a mundane wiring harness isn't a fun DIY project.As well, a wiring harness costs between 12-30 bucks. I would rather work a couple hours at my day job making the money to buy one than build a wiring harness for my stereo. Two benefits of this: I would already be at work and I have free time not at work not building a wiring harness to do whatever I want.

 

[Athos56]

My DIY always ends up being more expensive then off the shelf. I usually over engineer and have to buy some new tools to boot. I was going to build this counterflow chiller that was the bomb. The final cost would have been $120 easy... I bought a $50 buck immersion chiller, it works great.... I didn't have nearly as much fun though.

 

[snccoulter]

I love to do stuff myself and it usually ends up costing me more than i could have bought it for

 

[Golddiggie]

More often than not, I do a DIY when I cannot get what I want, but can make it. IF I don't count how long it takes me to make the item, it usually comes out cheaper than trying to buy something that's close to the same. Such as the sight tube I'm putting together. I've not seen any, other than those from Blichmann, that dump back into the kettle/keggle. I also see almost all of them using polycarbonate/plastic for the tube. Not something I trust for the long term. So, I'm building one using borosilicate glass, stainless fittings, and set to dump back into the kettle/keggle. I did a dry fit tonight and expect to have the keggle built within another months (or two). Basically, before I need to boil more than will fit in my 10 gallon Blichmann kettle.

 

[mccumath]

More often than not, I do a DIY when I cannot get what I want, but can make it. IF I don't count how long it takes me to make the item, it usually comes out cheaper than trying to buy something that's close to the same. Such as the sight tube I'm putting together. I've not seen any, other than those from Blichmann, that dump back into the kettle/keggle. I also see almost all of them using polycarbonate/plastic for the tube. Not something I trust for the long term. So, I'm building one using borosilicate glass, stainless fittings, and set to dump back into the kettle/keggle. I did a dry fit tonight and expect to have the keggle built within another months (or two). Basically, before I need to boil more than will fit in my 10 gallon Blichmann kettle.

Just reading your post. What do you mean by "dumps back in"? At the top or the bottom? I ordered mine from brewhardware.com, and it drains from the bottom back into the keg when draining due to the T-fitting.

This also applies to the thread. I could not buy the sight-glass fittings, tubing, thermometer, etc for any cheaper than the kit I ordered, so this was one of those things I could not DIY for cheap. I have built pretty much everything else though (i.e. stir-plate, e-bay temp controller for kegerator, keggle, brew room, mash tun, I.C., etc).

 

[Golddiggie]

I'm talking about it dumping during the boil. On my Blichmann kettle, during a good boil, wort flows up the site tube, and dumps back in at the top.

I've not seen any site tube/glass designs that I've been happy with. I have my initial design made, just need to tweak it a little before installing it into a keggle. The only thing that I might change is the actual site glass/tube length.

Part of my setup will also include a shield. I'll be using the tubes from sanke keg spears there. I'll just need to cut a groove in it (might put two in it) so that you can see the wort going through the tube. I plan on marking the stainless tube with the gallon levels.

 

[mccumath]

I'm talking about it dumping during the boil. On my Blichmann kettle, during a good boil, wort flows up the site tube, and dumps back in at the top.

I've not seen any site tube/glass designs that I've been happy with. I have my initial design made, just need to tweak it a little before installing it into a keggle. The only thing that I might change is the actual site glass/tube length.

Part of my setup will also include a shield. I'll be using the tubes from sanke keg spears there. I'll just need to cut a groove in it (might put two in it) so that you can see the wort going through the tube. I plan on marking the stainless tube with the gallon levels.

Gotcha. That is what I was wondering. Sounds pretty cool! I would like to see how you cut the grooves in the dip tubes, as I think it would be awesome to do the same over the tube I have now. I used my dip tube to make a hop-sock. Simple, easy, life is good.

I would like to see how you get it all set-up when it is finished also!

 

[Golddiggie]

Shoot me a PM with your contact info and I'll send you images when it's at that stage.

Of all the things I've wanted to make, for myself and other home brewers, this is the most likely to be of use to more people.

For the grooves, I'm planning (initially) on using my right angle grinder to make a pass between two drilled holes.

 

[Bobby_M]

Every DIY project is a hands on lab class in engineering that you can't really buy anywhere else. If I never DIY'd, Brewhardware wouldn't exist. If I have to give up a few sales to have someone learn how to use a new tool, so be it. Put down your credit card and go screw around with metal in the garage.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Hey Bobby, put down the tools and have a beer
didn't know the site was down... guess I've been too busy screwing around with metal