Tax refund brewery expansions!

[Suminorudder]

Well here we are at February 2nd, and taxes are starting to slowly drop into peoples accounts or get sent to mailboxes near you, so what are your plans to expand your home brewing operation?

With my decided upon portion of the tax return, I purchased a brewers best wort chiller, a 6 gallon better bottle, another fermenting bucket, an Arrogant Bastard clone kit, a Bavarian Hefeweizen kit, and some other assorted small things like airlocks, fittings, hydrometer to replace my broken one, ETC.

Now, I should be able to get a decent pipeline going and never have to worry about running out of beer again, YAY.

 

[h4mmy86]

I plan to get ball valves for all my kettles, get my keggle and 15 gallon co0oer up and running, and hopefully get everything I need to start kegging.

Yes, this is a very exciting tax return indeed!

 

[MoPhunk]

I own my own business. I'll just waddle in my own misery, read this thread, and pretend like I get a refund.

 

[Varmintman]

I own my own business. I'll just waddle in my own misery, read this thread, and pretend like I get a refund.

And pay yet again. I am in the same boat

 

[h4mmy86]

Yeah, this is one of the few times I can be happy that I didn't break the poverty line.

 

[the_trout]

I had planned on a few more corney kegs, a chest freezer with temp controller and maybe a grain mill.

Instead I payed off some credit card debt.

The joy is underwhelming.

 

[unionrdr]

I haven't even gotten all my tax statements yet. Gunna fix up the kitchen,maybe a new stove. Need a new water heater too,& the car needs a lil work. Might get a bottle washer & some ingredients for a few beers. Got just about everything I need for brewing.

 

[Patro]

There are a million things I'd like you get, and my wife wants a piece of the check too. Sadly most of its probably going into savings, and I'll probably get 100$ to finish of my keezer.

 

[swackattack]

Ill owe. Hopefully not so big i have to sell equipment. Haha

 

[RM-MN]

It sure is nice of you all to have extra taken out of your paycheck as an interest free loan to the government so you can get it back to buy something. I'd rather save that in my own account and buy things when I want, not just in "tax season".

 

[Nightshade]

It sure is nice of you all to have extra taken out of your paycheck as an interest free loan to the government so you can get it back to buy something. I'd rather save that in my own account and buy things when I want, not just in "tax season".

This

 

[christopherrburns]

Chugger pump and a thermapen for me.

 

[kryolla]

marriage tax so we have to pay yet again. Oh well we got an interest free loan from the gov

 

[shoreman]

Ill owe as a small business - it's about 1/3 of every cent I make - tax season blows

 

[beergolf]

What's a tax refund?

 

[Hopper77]

I'm getting two more kegs and a few ball valves and a wort chiller to step up to 10 gallon batches. Also paying to have a still made at the LHBS and maybe buying a couple hundred pounds in grains and hops. Going to buy everything I need to start washing yeast so I can try to keep my costs down. Also need a few more fermenters and I'm going to make at least one batch of wine

 

[wilsojos]

My wife is self employed so I always try to cover that and end up getting a refund. I always give her half to keep the peace. But, I want a stir plate and ingredients to try out my Irish bottle bomb recipe (Irish car bomb in a bottle).

 

[BrewingPrepper]

I am anxiously awaiting my tax return, for sure. I think I am getting a few things.

-Couple fermenters
-Yeast starter kit
-Maybe a couple coolers
-Wort chiller
- Alchemy Lab

 

[Suminorudder]

It sure is nice of you all to have extra taken out of your paycheck as an interest free loan to the government so you can get it back to buy something. I'd rather save that in my own account and buy things when I want, not just in "tax season".

It's called "Intaxication." The overwhelming feeling of joy at getting your refund until you realize it was your money in the first place

I was close to getting a bayou burner and a 10 gallon kettle, but it would have pushed the expense a bit to much. Also, its still really cold, and my landlord pays the heat

Tried my wort chiller last night on one of the extract kits I got, it knocked it down to 60 in 4 minutes. Really happy with my purchase there!

 

[Crockus]

I picked up a chest freezer and a dual tap corny setup.

 

[bscott1011]

Both of the kids go to private school as the public district we live in is horrible. Tax refunds are marked for tuition, new brew stuff will have to wait.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

I try my hardest to not get tax refunds. If I can find a way to limit the amount of money the government can withhold from me, it's better for me. My money today is worth more than it is in a year from now.

 

[Hopper77]

I try my hardest to not get tax refunds. If I can find a way to limit the amount of money the government can withhold from me, it's better for me. My money today is worth more than it is in a year from now.

I like that idea. But I also know what it's like to have to pay those SOB's. in 2008 I forgot to mention the amount of unemployment I drew. So they sent me a 2 year old bill that amounted to $800. Then in 2010 I drew ALOT of unemployment and I can't afford to have taxes taken out of my unemployment checks or I can't make my bills. So I got another bill from them for $1000. It sucks having to pay them especially when you can barely afford to give them $25 a month. I had to wait till my 2011 tax return to pay them off. I wish I could set it up so at the end of the year we break even and have to pay nothing but also get nothing but I'm horrified about owing

 

[unionrdr]

Come tax time,the average family seems to need that windfall for one thing or another.

 

[MagooBrew]

It sure is nice of you all to have extra taken out of your paycheck as an interest free loan to the government so you can get it back to buy something. I'd rather save that in my own account and buy things when I want, not just in "tax season".

I agree with you. I have offered coworkers to give me the extra from every paycheck that they loan to the goverment interest free and I will gladley return it on Feb 1. Even if I put it in a simple savings acount I should clear a few hundred over the year. Walmart and pawnshops love this time of year. People rush to buy junk they dont need and then take it to the pawnshops in about May when they are broke.

 

[jpc]

I try my hardest to not get tax refunds. If I can find a way to limit the amount of money the government can withhold from me, it's better for me. My money today is worth more than it is in a year from now.

I'm with you on that one... I typically try to work it so I pay a bit each year. Last year, I was pretty much break-even with the Fed, owing $50. This year, though, I screwed up, and will be getting $650 back from them.

 

[MagooBrew]

I'm with you on that one... I typically try to work it so I pay a bit each year. Last year, I was pretty much break-even with the Fed, owing $50. This year, though, I screwed up, and will be getting $650 back from them.

I have lucked out two years in a row. Last year I owed 9 dollars. This year I am getting 16 dollars back.

 

[aubiecat]

Hmmmm, I thought this thread was about what and how people were going to spend their tax return on brewing.
I guess I accidentally clicked on the financial advice thread.

 

[DougK]

It's called "Intaxication." The overwhelming feeling of joy at getting your refund until you realize it was your money in the first place

I was close to getting a bayou burner and a 10 gallon kettle, but it would have pushed the expense a bit to much. Also, its still really cold, and my landlord pays the heat

Tried my wort chiller last night on one of the extract kits I got, it knocked it down to 60 in 4 minutes. Really happy with my purchase there!

Kind of like when you find a $20 bill or something in your winter jacket when you get it out in the fall. You get all excited until you realize it was your money to start with.

I'm guilty of this myself. I'm going to get the equipment to go to all grain. I'm thinking just a single cooler that I will turn into a diy mlt and do batch sparging. May look into a set up that will allow for fly sparging. Haven't really decided yet. Most will go to bills.

 

[BamaBrewer]

unfortunately i couldn't afford to do the complete build this year, so I am going to start with the foundation. I am setting aside enough to set the forms and pour the slab. next year i will order my pre fab 20x30 "Garage". At least that is what it is being called around SWMBO. so in the meantime i will be tinkering with the keezer and brewing on my neighbors stove.

 

[hoppyale99]

refund? .... oh those were the days... i haven't even printed my w2 yet....

 

[daksin]

Haha, this went from what was supposed to be a cool thread showing off the neat stuff we got into a melancholy discussion of our own misery. Also, tax policy. If this isn't in the debate forum in a couple hours, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Anyway- I'm in the hole $1100 to Fed, but the way I figure it, it's either me having that money throughout the year when I need it, or Uncle Sam holding on to it for the whole year, so I don't feel to bad when I owe at the end of the year.

 

[MagooBrew]

Haha, this went from what was supposed to be a cool thread showing off the neat stuff we got into a melancholy discussion of our own misery. Also, tax policy. If this isn't in the debate forum in a couple hours, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Anyway- I'm in the hole $1100 to Fed, but the way I figure it, it's either me having that money throughout the year when I need it, or Uncle Sam holding on to it for the whole year, so I don't feel to bad when I owe at the end of the year.

Sorry about getting side tracked. Someone sparked one of my pet peeves and everyone lost what the op wanted.

 

[hoppyale99]

no not really... "using tax refund to expand equiptment." great idea i guess if 1- you recieve a refund and 2- a windfall check has no other need it has to be directed toward. i hope to see some pics of new brew gear. happiness is an active fermenter....

 

[patthebrewer]

Yes I am actually expanding my brewery, with a new fermenter, temp controlled up right freezer, and brew sculpture, with my our return. Unfortunately, it'll have to wait until next late summer, because were waiting for our 4th tax deduction to be born in may

 

[sloose]

I have my deductions set high so I don't really get much of a refund. I'm doing my best not to give Uncle Sam a 12 month interest free loan by letting him take the money in the first place. Alas no upgrades for me.

 

[Butchv12]

I'm buying a new magnet for my stir plate --- some refunds are smaller than others!

ButchV12

 

[Suminorudder]

I'm buying a new magnet for my stir plate --- some refunds are smaller than others!

ButchV12

I was pretty close to getting a stir plate and an oxygenation kit, but I really didn't need it as much as what I ended up buying instead.

 

[adamjackson]

Keezer or Blichmann Top Tier...and YES more more more kegs. I have 5 kegs and 6 carboys and it's NOT ENOUGH!

Might use what's left over to get a few 50 pound bags of my most used grain. Tired of ordering 2 row every other week.

 

[GoCrew]

I am planning on a new bucket fermenter and enough stuff for two batches (exciting I know). The vast majority of it will go into savings.