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

[Doc Robinson]

Doc, you have a problem. Quit buying feces. Next time you feel like buying something, pick up one of your 2 books and get to studying. Repeat after me ... buy ingredients not equipment...buy ingredients not equipment.

Yes. It is now time to get brewing. However, 50 gallons in a little over 2 months is a bit insane. Especially since I'm the only one drinking.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Well some agricultural hobbies do but this is a legal one

Gardening is legal. It's what you plant that may not be.

As for the "haters", I'm not one of them. I keep meticulous records of my income and expenses, just not my brewing ones. I shouldn't say this out loud, but I work in a cash business. My bills are paid with the income I declare, but there could be some undeclared purchases related to brewing. But you didn't hear that from me.

 

[mordantly]

Gardening is legal. It's what you plant that may not be.

As for the "haters", I'm not one of them. I keep meticulous records of my income and expenses, just not my brewing ones. I shouldn't say this out loud, but I work in a cash business. My bills are paid with the income I declare, but there could be some undeclared purchases related to brewing. But you didn't hear that from me.

oh my lord in a skirt! you did not just say that. it's anti-american to NOT cheat on your taxes.

i tallied my equipment costs as best as i can: $2700

 

[Lunarpancake]

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.

giving me those two 40$ gift certs for christmas? HOW THOUGHTFUL!!!!

 

[homebeerbrewer]

oh my lord in a skirt! you did not just say that. it's anti-american to NOT cheat on your taxes.

Who said I was cheating? I just trade some green paper for stuff that I can brew some non taxable beverages with. That's not cheating on taxes. Is it?

 

[mordantly]

according the the revenue code, those monies must be reported and taxes paid.

 

[bull8042]

Hey Doc, if it makes you feel any better I have spent a little more than twice what you have. I just calculated my costs and I am at $6.70 per pint now. The key is stepping up to 10 gal batches. Or stop thinking about it and just enjoy brewing.

 

[Doc Robinson]

Hey Doc, if it makes you feel any better I have spent a little more than twice what you have. I just calculated my costs and I am at $6.70 per pint now. The key is stepping up to 10 gal batches. Or stop thinking about it and just enjoy brewing.

I just bought a 15 gallon kettle, a march pump, and built a CF chiller to do just that...10 gallon batches. I don't see how it makes a difference in cost though...it's twice the ingredients. What am I missing?

 

[arturo7]

Man, I'm feeling skiddish about paying 15 bucks for a used 15 gallon HDPE drum to use as a mash tun.

 

[mordantly]

increased batch sizes mainly saves time.

 

[Doc Robinson]

increased batch sizes mainly saves time.

That's why I'm doing it. Come January, I'll be burning 80 hour weeks until April and really only have Sundays off. I need lots of beer, but won't have much time to brew.

 

[AnonyBrew]

That's why I'm doing it. Come January, I'll be burning 80 hour weeks until April and really only have Sundays off. I need lots of beer, but won't have much time to brew.

80 hour weeks? Holy crap, what business are you in? and who plans their work schedule so far in advance?

 

[Doc Robinson]

80 hour weeks? Holy crap, what business are you in? and who plans their work schedule so far in advance?

Tax attorneys and CPAs...I'm in prison as a civilian until April 15th.

 

[wilserbrewer]

"$11.21 T-square for measuring volume"

How the hell have I been brewing all these years w/out a T-square???

 

[Doc Robinson]

"$11.21 T-square for measuring volume"

How the hell have I been brewing all these years w/out a T-square???

Haha...it's awesome actually. On my 5 gallon kettle, 2 inches is a gallon. On my 7.5 gallon, 1.5 inches is a gallon. Those both had graduation marks but they didn't seem to be accurate. My new 15 gallon kettle has no marks, so I am going to need the T-square to measure on fills.

 

[mitch171]

Increased batch size may save some on hops cost as utilization goes up with higher boil volumes I think.

 

[ClarnoBrewer]

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.

I started buying local raw barley and malting it myself. I'm also freezing yeast. My last batch was an Irish Red. I paid about $4 for 2 ounces of Fuggles and $4 for the grain. So 5 gallons for $8, or 20 cents a pint. Buying hops by the pound would drop that even more. Brewing for cheap is a goal of mine. Granted, I never factor in time or equipment. That would be silly!

 

[Doc Robinson]

Granted, I never factor in time or equipment. That would be silly!

I want to punch you in the teeth through my ****ing monitor.

 

[RDWHAHB]

Whoa. Easy does it.

 

[ClarnoBrewer]

I want to punch you in the teeth through my ****ing monitor.

I was being mostly sarcastic. Obviously we all do this because we love it, not to actually save money on beer. I do like to try to keep my batch cost down, but I just don't really worry about the rest of it. I like being able to say that my beer (Ingredients) costs only $X amount per pint or gallon. That's my out of pocket for what actually went into the beer. If I figured out all the other stuff, I'd probably just quit brewing and drink more Hamm's!

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I want to punch you in the teeth through my ****ing monitor.

Awesome

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Whoa. Easy does it.

That's funny, RDWHAHB didn't say RDWHAHB...

 

[beerocd]

That's funny, RDWHAHB didn't say RDWHAHB...

Yeah, his name should be WEDI.

 

[ReeseAllen]

Yes. It is now time to get brewing. However, 50 gallons in a little over 2 months is a bit insane. Especially since I'm the only one drinking.

I've done almost 80 gallons since I started in late August. So I'm averaging about 20 gallons a month too.

 

[beerocd]

I've done almost 80 gallons since I started in late August. So I'm averaging about 20 gallons a month too.

So which two months are you gonna sit out

 

[samc]

OP's originally calculations are missing one major item. Resale or salvage value of the equipment. If you spend $3,000 on a brewing setup there is a good chance that you could turn around and sell it for (pick a number), let's say $1500. All of a sudden you are looking at pints costing a much more reasonable $4.00 or so. LOL


I no longer keep track of anything related to equipment costs as it is way too painful.

 

[Doc Robinson]

I no longer keep track of anything related to equipment costs as it is way too painful.

Painful? I look at it as a conquest? Sell stuff? Never. I make the money & I spend the money. When I bought my chest freezer & Ranco, I successfully hid it in my home office closet for 3 weeks...then one day my wife came in while I was dicking around on the computer...

Wife: What's that humming noise?
Me: What humming noise?
Wife: There's a humming noise...I hear it.
Me: I don't hear a humming noise.
Wife: There's a humming noise...it sounds like it's coming from your closet.
Me: Oh, that's probably my chest freezer.

 

[dontman]

As long as my wife isn't here when the UPS guy comes I didn't buy anything. Everything I own I've had for years.

 

[mordantly]

Wife: What's that humming noise?
Me: What humming noise?
Wife: There's a humming noise...I hear it.
Me: I don't hear a humming noise.
Wife: There's a humming noise...it sounds like it's coming from your closet.
Me: Oh, that's probably my chest freezer.

well played! did she get midevel on yo ass over it?

 

[Doc Robinson]

well played! did she get midevel on yo ass over it?

Of course not. My pimp hand is strong.