How much do you spend on homebrewing?

[justinmcdevitt]

I'm afraid to add up what I am spending, I know I spent close to $200 last month, and tomorrow I am spending another $60 (but I am getting 2 glass carboys, a grain mill, a converted 10 gal water cooler, and two boxes full of junk the guy just wants gone (I think it is a good deal, just wish I knew everything that was in the boxes, he said it was his friends so he doesn't know what it is, oh well I think its a good deal )

so $60 tomorrow, $30 to convert my brew pot last week, and I have yet to brew this month

 

[rdwj]

Some months I've spent a bunch and some not so much. Now that I have a working AG set up, I've been on the low end of the spectrum. I never spend more than I can afford.

I need to eventually build a sculpture, which should be fairly big-ticket

 

[Ryanh1801]

I think I the minority here, I have spent maybe 200 total on all my brewing equipment, probably less. Im a poor college student so have to keep all the fancy stuff in my dreams for now. I do 10-15 gallons a month one of which my roommate pays for so around 50 in ingredients a month. Its nice to have lots of good beer around for not much money.

 

[rgcant]

I picked up almost all of my equipment at a moving sale for only $100 Canadian (now at par with our American friends!! ) I managed to pick up a propane burner a huge aluminum brew pot( 10 gallons+) , a primary , two glass carboys, a mash tun ....ok it's a big plastic bucket similar to the ones at Northern Brewer but hey it'll work fine and even a wort chiller and a few airlocks!! I stopped by my local home brew shop and bought the rest of my supplies... thermometer, hydrometer, racking cane , tubing etc.. and ingredients for my first all grain batch for a little over $50 bucks!!! This is a great hobby and I figure I can brew a keg of beer for about $15-20 plus time of course!

 

[Alamo_Beer]

Not too much. Especially bc most of my check goes to saving for an engagment ring (only $200 left!)

But like others, I'm a "poor hungry college kid" so anything I spend is probubly too much.

I've been pretty lucky though. About a month ago I found a restraunt that was bought and being turned into a coffee shop on craigslist and I scored a 60qt pot for $20. I also found a lady who sells me 6oz baby food jars for $0.10 each...so plenty for saving yeast.

That and every party I go to I ask for the bottles...

 

[Jekster]

Honestly, I had a big investment to get started and become AG capable. After that, my batches are $20 or less and I probably do 1-2 batches a month. I don't really count in the initial investment because that skews things, but now I think it's a relatively cheap hobby. Especially considering you get a nice product at the end. I do want to get into kegging and things soon, but I'm saving those items for Birthday s and Christmas. That way, it doesn't have to hit into my budget.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Honestly, I had a big investment to get started and become AG capable. After that, my batches are $20 or less and I probably do 1-2 batches a month. I don't really count in the initial investment because that skews things, but now I think it's a relatively cheap hobby. Especially considering you get a nice product at the end. I do want to get into kegging and things soon, but I'm saving those items for Birthday s and Christmas. That way, it doesn't have to hit into my budget.

I agree....everyone who knows that I brew automatically think that I'm spending all kinds of cash (SWMBO rolling her eyes about my hobby doesn't help). The truth is, you could probably spend $150 and get what you need to brew for years to come. There's a LOT of hobbies that cost a LOT more than that....

 

[FlyingHorse]

There's a LOT of hobbies that cost a LOT more than that....

As a recovering golfer, part-time skiier, aspiring sailor, occasional world traveler, and devotee of good restaurants and wine, and I can tell you that HB is far and away the most affordable of my "hobbies".