HOMEBREW COST - The Addiction: My $$$ Per Pint

[Doc Robinson]

Before October 9th, I wasn't a brewer. On October 9th, I was stumbling on StumbleUpon to kill some time before the weekend. I hit a homebrew site. Since then, I have spent...and spent...and spent.

Hi, my name is Doc, and I'm an addict.

 

[Chello]

That seams reasonable to me. Since you'v gone this far, you may as well keep track over the next 6/12 months and post back with updated numbers. I'd imagine that it will drop drastically, assuming your satisfied with your equipment purchases of course...

 

[annasdadhockey]

Nothing like jumping into a hobby headfirst. good for you, though thatt you found a hobby you enjoy. Seems like you should be just about finished with equipment purchases and can work on getting that per pint number down to a respectable number.

 

[Stagnasty]

Man that seems a bit extreme,,,, quit buying stuff and git to brewing !!!!!!!!

 

[BA_from_GA]

thank you.

i can now show my wife with empirical proof that i am not obsessed with brewing.

 

[lazarith]

I hear you on that. Had I not been out of town for a month, I might be right with you. I got a simple kit from my wife on 9/11 and its been downhill for her ever since. She just happened to pass a local homebrew shop and thought it would be a nice cheap hobby for me.

I am on #6 and have completed many DYI projects (My favorite part of the forum) and the beginnings of brutus type sculpture being fabricated at my dads shop.

I got the dreaded "Infection" all right. But it wasn't in my beer.

 

[Fingers]

Silly Doc, you don't count the cost of the equipment in your cost per brew. Only ingredients are counted. I mean, if you think about it, you'd have bought all that other stuff anyway, right?

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I have no idea what I spent on equipment. Heck, I don't even know how much I spend on ingredients. This is a hobby, and I treat it as such. If I have the money to spend, I do. If not, well, it's just gonna have to wait.

 

[annasdadhockey]

Silly Doc, you don't count the cost of the equipment in your cost per brew. Only ingredients are counted. I mean, if you think about it, you'd have bought all that other stuff anyway, right?

Hey , Fingers has a point. I mean, you don't count your car as an expense, yet you needed it to drive to these places to buy things. You don't count your house, but you need a place to brew. I say forget all the other stuff and only count ingredients(and maybe sanitizer). That should get you down around the $.50 mark.

 

[alexdagrate]

Silly Doc, you don't count the cost of the equipment in your cost per brew. Only ingredients are counted. I mean, if you think about it, you'd have bought all that other stuff anyway, right?

I agree, run the numbers based on ingredients.

You seem pretty good with number crunching anyways, so why not do the math and plot the graphs on how many batches you'll need to brew before your cost per pint (including equipment) dips below $4, $3, $2, etc.

You'll probably be surprised at how few batches it will take.

 

[Fingers]

Well, sure. You don't factor in the cost of your car when you're calculating MPG, do you?

 

[Doc Robinson]

That seams reasonable to me. Since you'v gone this far, you may as well keep track over the next 6/12 months and post back with updated numbers. I'd imagine that it will drop drastically, assuming your satisfied with your equipment purchases of course...

That's the plan. I'm a CPA and an Attorney. I keep meticulous records. This post will be revived every few months. At this point, I really have everything I need for easy brew days.

Nothing like jumping into a hobby headfirst. good for you, though thatt you found a hobby you enjoy. Seems like you should be just about finished with equipment purchases and can work on getting that per pint number down to a respectable number.

You know, I have never really had a hobby that I was passionate about. I have gotten into many things, but they were more or less fads. My friends have jabbed me saying, "I notice a trend with you...you get WAY into something and then it kinda fizzles." To this I respond, "you know what will never fizzle...my love of drinking beer." There is nothing cooler than making the beer you love and designing your own setup to do it. This is a hobby that I can do until I need a walker, and hopefully by then, I can hire helpers to move the carboys about.

 

[pickles]

First off, destroy that spreadsheet before it destroys you! Over time the cost will lessen when your only buying ingredients and the occasional new toy. Secondly, what are the bricks for?

 

[pickles]

looks like a dozen beat me to my point

 

[Runyanka]

I can't help but notice that you bought a lot of the same things twice, like a 20 qt pot, then two days later, bought another. Then you bought a fridge off craigslist, then a while later, bought a chest freezer from lowes. The only thing I can say to keep your cost down would be to do an extensive amount of research before purchasing products. Also, I would appear that you got ripped off with the price of your kegging system. I got my fridge and CO2 tank for free of craigslist, and a kegging system with faucets for 160 off kegconnections. Oh well, all I can say is..... Good for you man!!! now make that price per pint go down by brewing more!

 

[Doc Robinson]

You seem pretty good with number crunching anyways, so why not do the math and plot the graphs on how many batches you'll need to brew before your cost per pint (including equipment) dips below $4, $3, $2, etc.

Assuming no more equipment purchases and $30 per batch:

20 batches: $4.40 per pint
30 batches: $3.18 per pint
40 batches: $2.58 per pint
50 batches: $2.21 per pint
60 batches: $1.97 per pint
70 batches: $1.79 per pint
80 batches: $1.66 per pint
90 batches: $1.56 per pint

At 300 batches, I will be at $0.99 per pint.

 

[Doc Robinson]

I can't help but notice that you bought a lot of the same things twice, like a 20 qt pot, then two days later, bought another. Then you bought a fridge off craigslist, then a while later, bought a chest freezer from lowes. The only thing I can say to keep your cost down would be to do an extensive amount of research before purchasing products. Also, I would appear that you got ripped off with the price of your kegging system. I got my fridge and CO2 tank for free of craigslist, and a kegging system with faucets for 160 off kegconnections. Oh well, all I can say is..... Good for you man!!! now make that price per pint go down by brewing more!

I completely agree. That is why I tell my friends who want to get into brewing to consult me before buying "little" and then realizing you want to be "bigger". There are many things, such as my kettles, that I wish I would have just started big with. As far as the kegging system, those numbers include a ton of corneys. I tend to buy my stuff new (not the corneys) but everything else...It is just the way I operate, but I know if I put in the due diligence, I could find better deals.

 

[Fingers]

At 300 batches, I will be at $0.99 per pint.

So by this time next year you'll be good.

 

[Doc Robinson]

So by this time next year you'll be good.

Haha...at 5 per month, it would be about 5 years. I never got into this hobby to save money, and I am positive I'm not done buying equipment...but for the next year or so, I am. I have my first child on the way.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Assuming no more equipment purchases and $30 per batch:

20 batches: $4.40 per pint
30 batches: $3.18 per pint
40 batches: $2.58 per pint
50 batches: $2.21 per pint
60 batches: $1.97 per pint
70 batches: $1.79 per pint
80 batches: $1.66 per pint
90 batches: $1.56 per pint

At 300 batches, I will be at $0.99 per pint.

You need to get off this site and brew. If you brewed every week, it'll be almost 6 years before you reach the $0.99/pint level. By then, you'll have built a bigger, more expensive rig, and be that much further behind.


edit: Damn, I'm slow...

 

[Whut]

I am positive I'm not done buying equipment.

You are wise beyond your years.

 

[Doc Robinson]

You need to get off this site and brew. If you brewed every week, it'll be almost 6 years before you reach the $0.99/pint level. By then, you'll have built a bigger, more expensive rig, and be that much further behind.

Clearly, I don't care about the cost. Believe me, if I didn't work 60 hour weeks and 80 hour weeks January through April, I would be brewing donkey kong.

 

[alcibiades]

maybe he should also take into consideration the increase in "pint drinkage" since homebrewing.

Don't know about OP, but I definitely drink more beer now(but less wine and vodka...)

 

[Doc Robinson]

maybe he should also take into consideration the increase in "pint drinkage" since homebrewing.

Don't know about OP, but I definitely drink more beer now(but less wine and vodka...)

I think the increase in flatulence in a cost benefit analysis probably outweighs the pint drinkage component, so I'm going to call that a wash factor.

 

[Noleafclover]

Hah... sounds about like the journey I've have over the last 8 months or so...

 

[jspence1]

$30 per batch...time to start buying in bulk. Grain costs next to nothing when you buy in bulk and hops are a great buy now too we just picked up 11# at an average of $.068/oz including shipping. My last batch, lil sparky's nut brown cost $18.11 for an 11G batch and $3.50 was for the nottingham yeast.

 

[Picobrew]

$30 per batch...time to start buying in bulk. Grain costs next to nothing when you buy in bulk and hops are a great buy now too we just picked up 11# at an average of $.068/oz including shipping. My last batch, lil sparky's nut brown cost $18.11 for an 11G batch and $3.50 was for the nottingham yeast.

Yes! Much cheaper than $30 per batch. All you need is a barley crusher. With yeast washing my Alt today was like $11 for 6 gallons. Thats $0.275 a pint and I didn't use bulk hops.

I'm still eyeing a sump pump...and I just bought 2 better bottles, I guess I am still addicted to equipment upgrades.

 

[Doc Robinson]

Yeah...buying in bulk must be gangster.

 

[jspence1]

LOL equipment doesn't count, you'd spend 10x that playing golf. I now NEED a conical and a pump O yeah and a fermentation chamber.

 

[Fingers]

All you need is a barley crusher.

Yeah...buying in bulk must be gangster.

Yeah, but it takes money to save money so you'd better get on with the purchase. You'll also need a refractometer, scale, stir plate, etc, etc.

Welcome to the meeting, Doc. Come in and sit down.