homebrew give away or sell?

[petep1980]

I'll share to first timers. If someone thinks their coming back for more free beer has another thing coming.

 

[Matrix4b]

Let's put this in diffrent terms to put it in more perspective.

You cook dinner for yourself every day. Everyday a friend comes over and has the meal with you. You end up cooking extra expecting it. So the question in these terms is:

Can you or should you request that the friend pitch in for groceries?

The answer is Hell Yes.

Also, you need not worry about legality here as you may not have a restraunt liscence you are not running a restraunt. You are just asking someone to that enjoys your cooking to pitch in for groceries. If you bring chips and dip to a party would you expect the host to pay you back for them? No.

Now just swap out the situation for beer instead of food. In a small operation it doesn't matter, now if you go supplying frat parties and asking them to pay money for it or even the better part of your supplies then the government would take an interest. It is all about volume and what you are taking away from other businesses when the govenment truely cares. The point where it becomes a "Business Transaction" is where the Law comes in. When it is just friends helping friends or some simple bartering where no money changes hands then it is all "under the table" and therefore not a govenment interst, Unless that bartering is something BIG and you exceed your state's limits for home brewing. In Colorado that is 250 gallons a year. Not easy to reach that level. Unless you have a very large family and all drink. That would be consuming about 5 gallons every week of the year, all but one. Quite a lot of Brew.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

So far I only have 20 gallons of home brew done.. I have given a fair amount away already as I am not much of a drinker but really like making it. My complaint is BRING MY BOTTLES BACK!!! I have a bunch of old long necks and want them back when they are empty. So far MOST have made it back home but not all.

 

[zman]

I do not charge or ask for $$ and always try to bring at least a sixer when going to a friends house. SWMBO and I live together so she gets to drink for free and she shares her stuff with me. Homebrewing is my hobby and I am happy to share. I do not have people sucking them down like it is their job and not everyone likes every style that I make at a particular time, except SWMBO that is.

I also like showing off my skillz!!! It is really cool when a craft beer or BMC drinker really likes your beer.Some of my friends love IPA and IIPA and Stouts but do not like Wheats, Belgians or Porters. I do AG and get all my supplies in bulk so the cost is negligible. I get all my bottles from essentially two friends of mine that drink good beer (they get beer every time I go to visit) Now if I were to have bought the Avery Maharaja Close at the LHBS for $110 you know I would be guarding that with my life...lol

 

[remilard]

You cook dinner for yourself every day. Everyday a friend comes over and has the meal with you. You end up cooking extra expecting it. So the question in these terms is:

Can you or should you request that the friend pitch in for groceries?

The answer is Hell Yes.

This attitude is odd to me, but seems prevalent every time this topic comes up.

When I invite people to my home I invite them as guests, not part time cooperative members of the household.

 

[Synovia]

When I invite people to my home I invite them as guests, not part time cooperative members of the household.

We're not talking about someone who is over occasionally. We're talking about people who are "eating at your house" 3 or 4 times a week.

 

[remilard]

We're not talking about someone who is over occasionally. We're talking about people who are "eating at your house" 3 or 4 times a week.

I understand. I wouldn't invite them over 3 to 4 times a week if it was a hardship.

 

[permo]

I let my guests drink unlimited beer at my place, I currently have right around 300 bottles of homebrew sitting around, so I am happy to share it and free up those bottles for new brew!

That being said, I would really like it if some of my "consumers" would in fact start buying me some grain and especially hops. A pound of hops would be such a nice gift.

 

[olllllo]

This attitude is odd to me, but seems prevalent every time this topic comes up.

When I invite people to my home I invite them as guests, not part time cooperative members of the household.

Yea, I'm with you on that.

To the others:
Conceivably these people (that somehow have unfettered reign to all of your worldly possessions) also use your bathroom a disproportionate amount of time. Perhaps you should also look into an impact fee.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

My room mates consume a good portion of my beer. One of them pitches in where he can - for example he bought yeast and bottles for me. I also think I got out of paying utilities this past month.

Right now, I'm not keeping too much track of it since I've only made a few batches, but as I get more into it I'll be a bit more careful about how much I give away to individuals without having them chip in somehow.

 

[TheMan]

My friends are pretty good about this type of thing. They usually bring a six pack and I let them drink unlimited at my place. The six pack usually gets left at my place when they leave. If I go to a party I'll bring a six pack and not expect payment.

The biggest drinker of my homebrew other than myself is my parents...I usually bring them an assorted 12 pack when I visit and obviously don't ask for anything from them.

If someone were coming over regularly and drinking several beers every time I would hint at some type of payment though. I don't understand how someone would just drink another persons beer regularly and not even offer to pay at some point.

 

[Walker]

When I was younger and had no kids, me and my friends would come and go to each others house WITHOUT invitation. It doesn't happen now because I'm older, have more responsibilities, and (frankly) more responsible friends.

When I was in college, I had a friend that came to my house every day, ate my food every day, drank my beer every day. I absolutely asked him to start chipping in because he did not fit the traditional role of a "guest" in my eyes.

Over time, he started crashing on my couch pretty frequently. I actually made him start paying RENT at that point.

Occasional guests drinking an occasional beer or having an occasional meal are no big deal, but of someone is routinely consuming as much of something in my house as I myself am consuming, then I would not have any issue at all asking them to chip in.

HAVING SAID THAT

I think the underlying problem here is that is has not occurred to your friend that they are consuming as much as they are. If I were the friend in this situation, I'm sure I would have already offered to chip in.

 

[shadowmage36]

There's an...interesting setup at my house.

Because we (my roommates and I) have one of the more centrally-located houses among our group of friends, many of the social gatherings and parties happen at our place. This means that we have a lot of people over on a fairly regular basis. The downside to this is that a lot of our alcohol (I'm the only one who brews, but another roommate buys cases of Victory and/or Dogfish on a fairly regular basis) gets consumed reasonably quickly. The UPside to this is that people almost always bring over something to drink and don't finish it, be it a sixer of something or a bottle of liquor that gets left on the bar downstairs. If I didn't want to drink good beer, and was okay with MPS (or Yuengling, it's fairly close but tolerable) I would never have to buy anything. However, because I DO like good beer, I have to buy my own now and again, or brew it (more and more it's that second one). But I really don't ask people to contribute unless I'm brewing the batch for them specifically, and even then I usually just eat the cost and take a few beers for myself to keep.

On the other hand, there's NEVER a shortage of hard liquor in the house, unless it's been more than 3 months since the last party. Since Halloween was barely over a month ago, we're still set (and still have about 3 cases worth of Yards, Dogfish, and Victory stuff lying around the basement).

 

[Homercidal]

I just can't drink my own fast enough. I'd love for more of my friends to enjoy good beer, but they just aren't much into it. Most of them don't drink beer at all.

I'd be perfectly happy giving away half my beer. But at some point I'd start thinking about asking them to help brew, or at least buy a kit or two. I'm not trying to say they coudl be lechers, but if they pitch in for half, then you both can share in the lower cost of good beer.

Let's face it, except for some of the equipment, homebrew is usually cheaper then craft beer.

 

[SFBEER]

All my friends like a good beer and none of them are big drinkers so when they come over they usually bring their favourites and we all help ourselves to whatever we feel like. Last time more of my homebrew was consumed than anything else which 1. makes me one happy guy 2. means my friends have good taste in beer 3. leaves me with a lot of good beers left over.

My BIL brews and he drinks as much as he wants at my house and I drink as much as I want at his. Works out pretty equal. I think I would look for donations if people started to take advantage but I just like sharing my brews so much I always offer another if they are finished their pint before they can ask.

 

[ecojack]

I'm brewing for my benefit and enjoyment. It never hurts to share. Who knows, maybe you just inspired another to start up the hobby.

 

[SteveM]

If someone comes to my house, they are welcome to drink however much of my beer that they wish to have. But they are not free to take any home with them, and I would not ask for money for the next batch.

However, I do have a friend who appreciates good beers and from time to time he will offer to pay for ingredients and in return get half the yield. This seems reasonable to me (I value my time and effort more than the money).

But I don't sell my beer or ask for donations.

 

[BA_from_GA]

i love to share.

with friends who appreciate good beer, for their critique and opinions. With friends who dont know good beer to try to educate them.

but, if you don't care for my beer, i'll give you a coors or yeunling or something...

 

[frolickingmonkey]

I have great friends. I also have a kegerator, a nice patio to sit on during the summer, and a warm woodstove to sit around during the winter. Friends always stop by for beers. I have never once asked anyone to contribute money or goods to my homebrewing cause, but many of my friends have and continue to do so. Sometimes, especially after a lengthy session, friends will leave me some cash, and on other occassions, different friends have given me carboys, corny kegs, antique cappers, etc that they scored at garage sales.

I've also brewed and kegged batches for birthday parties and family reunions, and my friends and family have paid for the ingredients and then some. The cool thing is, all of the money and gifts have gone directly back into ingredients and equipment, which then leads to more sharing with friends, and so on and so on... It's a very non-vicious circle!

 

[Chello]

I just tell the people who drink my beer often to bring a 6 pack every now and then. Then when we go drink at someone else's place i have beer to take with me rather than having to bottle up some of mine from the keg.

 

[Matrix4b]

My example was meant for a situation that the person is ALWAYS coming over. Don't get me wrong. I offer to guests and take my brew to parties, occasionally give a bottle or two to a repairman fixing my house and the like.

BUT in a situation that you have someone drinking 1/2 of your produce or being abusive of your hopitality then yes, it would be polite to request some compensation in the form of supplies or get them involved in helping you make the product. Unless you are well off and can afford to make as much as you want then is it OK to ask. It is also OK to have them drink something other than your prized home brew if they don't help out. But for someone that comes over and drinks at your place nearly every day with no thought of kicking in is simply abusing your hospitality. A proper guest would know that supplies to make your brew cost money, sometimes a lot of money, and drinking cause it's free is great and all but don't drain your budget dry in the process of feeding your friends. Especially if they are deadbeats and just expect it to be free all the time with as much as they can drink.

But in a normal guest situation? No charge. Just enjoy and accept the praise of brewing better than comercial brews.

 

[IrregularPulse]

...a situation that the person is ALWAYS coming over.

...I offer to guests and take my brew to parties, occasionally give a bottle or two to a repairman fixing my house and the like.

...Unless you are well off and can afford to make as much as you want then is it OK to ask.

I think these are the 3 main points to the thread.
1) Always coming over mooching needs to pony up
2) Occasional brews are more than acceptable. I happily open my kegerator for my friends for as much as they want whenever they're there, but It's not often because we all have kids. If it was a daily thing yes you need to help out.
3) If you're in a financial position where it doesn't affect your budget, disregard #1. I'd love to be able to supply beer for all my friends flowing freely at my house. But the reality is, my budget and free time allows for 1 Batch (10G) per month. Once that's gone it's gone.