The reason its hard to save money homebrewing

[onipar]

I *have* read (can't remember if it was a book or on this forum) of people dumping plastic gear that has been host to infection. It's just a guess, but I'm betting the OP read some of these same threads and figured he had to toss the equipment.

I'd agree with the above; give the equipment a really good cleaning and sanitizing. Should be fine.

 

[Steelers77]

The reason it's hard to save money on homebrewing.


HBT


And all the frigging projects everyone else builds making the idea of building yourself seem normal instead of excessive

Keepin' up with the Jones!

But you have to admit a 6 tap keezer is awesome!

 

[Dondlelinger]

Well let me do some math

120$ for coopers brew kit
35$ shipped starsan
100$ on other gear (DME, cornsugar, extra bung/airlocks ect./honey/more PET bottles/scale ect./ph papers/messruing stuff ect.)
100$ on extract(4 cans)
-------
355$ spent

I have made a total of 4 batches.(20-23liters each...approx 5 cases per(12 bottles = 1 case in canada))

20cases I made
In canada 1 case of beer is about 25$

= 500$ on store bought vs the 355$.

Is it saving much? I wouldn't say a pile but saving is for sure. Is there more stuff I want to buy for sure... but I'm just taking it 1 batch at a time.(ill slowly acquire what i want)but you can save money as long as you dont go purchase all the big fancy gear.

As for replacing equipment ..well u just need to santize better... get starsan, (make sure the ph is below 3) Im pretty sure your going a bit overboard if your planing to replace it all.

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

I'm not sure if this thread has gotten way off the original poster's topic or not! I do second those folks advising you to just sanitize your equipment, as I seriously doubt that there is anything inherently wrong with it. I'm curious how you know it is infected? Is it the smell or a thief sample taste or what? i don't touch my beers much when they are fermenting/conditioning so i'm just curious.

i've put a ton of money into homebrewing....but i've cut down my beer bill at the grocery store by 90%. and i LOVE brewing. totally worth it.

 

[blokeyhighlander]

Well let me do some math

120$ for coopers brew kit
35$ shipped starsan
100$ on other gear (DME, cornsugar, extra bung/airlocks ect./honey/more PET bottles/scale ect./ph papers/messruing stuff ect.)
100$ on extract(4 cans)
-------
355$ spent

I have made a total of 4 batches.(20-23liters each...approx 5 cases per(12 bottles = 1 case in canada))

20cases I made
In canada 1 case of beer is about 25$

= 500$ on store bought vs the 355$.

Is it saving much? I wouldn't say a pile but saving is for sure. Is there more stuff I want to buy for sure... but I'm just taking it 1 batch at a time.(ill slowly acquire what i want)but you can save money as long as you dont go purchase all the big fancy gear.

As for replacing equipment ..well u just need to santize better... get starsan, (make sure the ph is below 3)

Don't forget to quantify your overhead: water, electricity (boiling, fermentation, serving), CO2, etc.

 

[Dondlelinger]

Don't forget to quantify your overhead: water, electricity (boiling, fermentation, serving), CO2, etc.

I don't boil the kits as you not supposed to....(it destroys the hop flavors).... so no electricity..water is flat rate so that dont' cost me a thing either. rest of it sorry not sure what you mean.(fermentation/co2?). I just use tap water.Fermentation is in my brew bucket which is included in my original post "coopers brew kit"..which comes with 30 750ml pet bottles + caps, hydrometer + tube, 30 liter fermentor, brew sugar, a coopers kit, carb drops,stir stick, airlock, spigot, and a bottle filler, and a coopers lauger kit. So again my total cost is what i stated above.

its roughly what i stated, no more.

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

i think he was kidding....but i think most folks on here are boiling their wort, cooling their wort, trying to control their fermentation temperatures, and co2 is used to carbonate beer in kegs. i guess coopers kits are no-boil kind deals?

 

[Dondlelinger]

Correct> well i never said nothing about a keg I dont have that yet lol

There is 2 things that I probably will buy really soon though a bottle washer and a vinator. so +50$

 

[cyclonite]

You can brew beer on the cheap, but most of us find that it is a hobby we love, so we continually dump more money into it (just like any other hobby). It becomes more about progressing in the art of making beer - experimenting, creating, and enjoying the fruits of your labor, than about saving money on something we consume. I liken it to baking, which I also love to do - there is something inherently amazing and rewarding about creating something from scratch that is so delicious. And then, of course, once you make something great, you experiment, tweak it, improve upon it, and change it into something completely new and just as great, only different. It's a wonderful cycle!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

 

[Dondlelinger]

You can brew beer on the cheap, but most of us find that it is a hobby we love, so we continually dump more money into it (just like any other hobby). It becomes more about progressing in the art of making beer - experimenting, creating, and enjoying the fruits of your labor, than about saving money on something we consume. I liken it to baking, which I also love to do - there is something inherently amazing and rewarding about creating something from scratch that is so delicious. And then, of course, once you make something great, you experiment, tweak it, improve upon it, and change it into something completely new and just as great, only different. It's a wonderful cycle!

/agree

Some save money and some are like yuri lol..right now I'm saving coin but later I will have a nice set up...but for now this works for me.

 

[tvtoms]

I would also soak and scrub (with a soft sponge only) the fermenter and tools. Fill up the primary with water and a scoop of oxi clean free, mix it up so it's all dissolved well and get all the tools in there too. Soak it overnight or something and sponge every inch of the surface. Then empty and fill with rinse water a couple of times, spray with star san and store as normal until next use.

 

[Pappers_]

I would also soak and scrub (with a soft sponge only) the fermenter and tools. Fill up the primary with water and a scoop of oxi clean free, mix it up so it's all dissolved well and get all the tools in there too. Soak it overnight or something and sponge every inch of the surface. Then empty and fill with rinse water a couple of times, spray with star san and store as normal until next use.

Yes, agreed with an additional suggestion. After the thorough cleaning with oxyclean, I would sanitize twice, once by soaking everything in a strong bleach solution (and rinsing) and then by using the normal sanitizer (either star san or iodophor).

It still may be necessary to replace equipment, but figuratively nuking the bugs is worth a shot.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

You can brew beer on the cheap, but most of us find that it is a hobby we love, so we continually dump more money into it (just like any other hobby). It becomes more about progressing in the art of making beer - experimenting, creating, and enjoying the fruits of your labor, than about saving money on something we consume. I liken it to baking, which I also love to do - there is something inherently amazing and rewarding about creating something from scratch that is so delicious. And then, of course, once you make something great, you experiment, tweak it, improve upon it, and change it into something completely new and just as great, only different. It's a wonderful cycle!

Couldn't agree more.
I've had many different hobbies in my life, and I've never been able to find a hobby that, once I started really liking it, wasn't downright expensive. The whole "cheap hobby" BS is just a lie we tell ourselves to get the courage to start something new. The way I see it, any hobby is cheaper than the shrink it replaces...

In the late '90s, taking advantage of the fact that it was a "cheap" hobby, I decided to take the plunge, and spend about $400 on a R/C car. Much cheaper than the R/C airplanes I've always loved.
To make a long story short, in little more than a year I had the car, I spent more than $6000 on it. I even bought a metal lathe, and titanium at $550/kilo, to make parts for the damn thing!!! And that's getting paid about $10000 a year...
So, now, I don't expect homebrewing to be cheap. I know it won't be, especially for me, being that I love building equipment even more than coming up with some new swill only I can drink...

 

[zachary80]

To me it just matters how well my beer turns out. I regularly purchase beer that would cost up to $30 a sixer and those are beers I would love to be able to make.

So take my most recent batch for example, clone of Gulden Draak. $60 on ingredients for extract, but two cases would cost around $250 from a store. Just two of those batches would cover all my equipment costs

 

[Dr_Gordon_Freeman]

I have definitely saved money on the beer, but I've probably drank a lot more beer than I would have if I hadn't been brewing.

I still like it

 

[Wakadaka]

So you guys really think I should just clean the heck out of it, and potentially risk throwing a new batch of ingredients in there?

I think its infected because it smells absolutely awful. it might be the recipe, and I have never brewed with corn or rice. The smell and taste are very pungent, sour and somewhat corn like.

I still have the beer sitting in the bucket, so maybe it will clear up, but I don't really think it will.

 

[dancness]

I've saved a ton of money by taking up this hobby.

Now that I homebrew I've been going to the bar a lot less. And I can tell you this, going to the bar is a FAR FAR bigger money pit than making your own beer. Paying $4-6 per bottle for a sucky beer? Nah I'll just make my own good stuff, thanks.

 

[JohnTheBrewist]

So you guys really think I should just clean the heck out of it, and potentially risk throwing a new batch of ingredients in there?

I think its infected because it smells absolutely awful. it might be the recipe, and I have never brewed with corn or rice. The smell and taste are very pungent, sour and somewhat corn like.

I still have the beer sitting in the bucket, so maybe it will clear up, but I don't really think it will.

Unless you have some visible deep scratches, I'd just clean and sanitize and use again. Personally, I think infections are much less common than many people think they are. In all my years of brewing, I have yet to have an infected batch. If you don't have another bucket to get your next batch going in, then by all means, buy another (or buy another anyway, because one can never have enough fermentors). But I wouldn't throw that current batch out until you're sure fermentation is complete and you've given it every chance to get better. My last Koelsch tasted a bit sour until it was about 6 weeks in the bottle. Then was perfect.

 

[malkore]

But when I went to rack my last batch to a secondary I realized it was infected. (or at least i am pretty sure, something is definitely wrong with it). So now I am out 2 cases of beer, a primary fermenter (it was in a plastic bucket), and potentially some tubing and an auto-siphon, because that might be where the infection came from.

Just because you got an infection, doesn't mean all your gear is toast.

I had an infection too. I did a strong-ish bleach solution soak on all suspect gear, and a thorough rinsing (pretty sure my auto-siphon or racking tubing did it).
I only replaced the cheap tubing, and have had no issues since.

Granted, my bucket's been in use 3 years, has picked up a strong hop smell and staining from dark malts...time for a new bucket just on principal.

Nothing wrong with being extra cautious and replacing stuff, but its not mandatory.

 

[NWMOBrewer]

Since I've started brewing my beer total at the store has gone up (I'm buying MUCH better craft beers, and have a pricetag to boot.) I am also buying equipment every chance I can. Keezer with 2 kegs so far, room for 7 more, glass carboy (I know the horror stories) and many other things of equipment. For me, there is no money saving, but I am trying not to think of that until I get my 8-9 Keg tap system up, a pipeline going, a complete AG system, bulk grain stored and yeast being reused. Try not to think this will save you money (I'm an out of work college kid too) but as something fun. If anyone wants to help me get my AG setup, or pipeline going, feel free to send stuff, lol

 

[CollinLeon]

(12 bottles = 1 case in canada))

Around here, 12 bottles/cans equals a 12-pack... 24 bottles/cans equals a case... I have heard of people calling the sizes between a 12-pack and a case a "suitcase", but I don't buy beer in those sizes since I figure it is just a way for the breweries to cheat you by letting you think that it is a case that you are buying.

20cases I made
In canada 1 case of beer is about 25$

That's way too expensive considering you're talking about 12-packs instead of what we call 'cases'. Around here, even a premium beer like Guinness is only around $7-8 per 6-pack at the very most and I can remember buying it for $6 per 6-pack and that doesn't seem like too long ago...

I've visited Canada before and I did notice that the beer prices sure did seem a lot higher than in the US. Even beers that were brewed in Canada were more expensive than the same beer that was exported to the US (even if you don't count the GST/VAT that ya'll also have). Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

 

[Beezy]

In PA 12 packs are pretty high too. Its because of our stupid rules. From a distributer you cant buy less than a case so 12 packs have to come from a deli or bar but Bars don't like to sell 12s. There you pay the inflated 6 pack price or even more inflated by the bottle. At the grocery store its about 20 bucks for a 12. Or around 10 for a six and thats on the low end. I hate PAs rules but at least we get a wide selection.

 

[unionrdr]

I noticed that on a trip to London,Ontario that Molson beer was $3.18 a bottle. The brewery was 1 1/4 miles up the street! We were getting it for less than 1/2 that here at the time. WTF?? I had to laugh,though,About where we bought it. We were looking for a place to eat,& stopped at this kinda red neck lookin joint called the "beef baron II"...cool,they specialize in beef! Roflmao,I was half right. They did have a bbq'd hind leg kept warm for slicing. But as we were walking up to get some,this cute blond walks in front of us wearing nothing but white lace garters! no bra or panties! HEEELLO! It was a burlesque joint! OOPSIE!:rockin:

 

[mnstorm99]

I haven't purchased new equipment in almost two years. I am easily saving money with homebrew. We had a two month stretch were I was unable to brew and my kegs all emptied, we saw the difference in our pocketbook having to buy more commercial beer. I do want a grain mill though, the one at LHBS sucks, but I will make that back when I buy my base malt in bulk.

 

[mnstorm99]

I've visited Canada before and I did notice that the beer prices sure did seem a lot higher than in the US. Even beers that were brewed in Canada were more expensive than the same beer that was exported to the US (even if you don't count the GST/VAT that ya'll also have). Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't alot of Canada's healthcare system get their money from taxes on things like liquor?

 

[OriginalIrishman]

That appears to be all electric and nice and clean that is what I am looking to build we need to talk!!

 

[Beezy]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't alot of Canada's healthcare system get their money from taxes on things like liquor?

Must be the case. I thought the value of the dollars where evening out but however they figure that out, US dollar seems to stretch much further.

I guess its economies of scale but it is interesting that I end up paying the same or more for the beer from the local nano breweries to craft breweries from the other side of the country. The should be some type of discount considering there is no delivery fees or even packaging when we are talking growler. IDK

 

[CollinLeon]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't alot of Canada's healthcare system get their money from taxes on things like liquor?

I wouldn't be surprised if they also had a high tax on alcohol... We have our own "six taxes" in the US. They have a higher income tax plus a GST/VAT. Just doesn't seem right that a Canadian would need to come to the US in order to be able to buy Canadian beer cheaper than he could buy it at home though. I'm not comparing dissimilar types of stores either. I'm comparing the prices that are at large grocery store chains, not some little convenience store vs a volume retailer.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

We have our own "six taxes" in the US.

What do you mean "we...in the US"?
Aren't you from the "Republic of Texas"???