Why are homebrew people SO cheap??

[NewJersey]

I see it EVERYWHERE on hbt and it's driving me insane. I love craft beer and the homebrew hobby, but I can't help but notice it everywhere. I imagine some of it is just related to having a low income, but that can't account for all of it.
From complaining about the price of beer in a bar to bragging about how cheap you brew a beer per ounce. I assume if you're into beer then the priority would be to make good beer, but for many on here it seems to be how cheap you can be about it. The most annoying is when people seek to find ways around well known longtime good vendors to save $10. That kills me honestly. I'm not gonna act like I've never bought something on amazon, but I always try to support good vendors and my lhbs.
I am also into cars as a hobby and naturally see the same type of people. It's like a cancer to hobbies in general.
Am I insane?
Anybody agree?

 

[SanPancho]

Getting something and saving money on it means you get rewarded for your action (the product) as well as reinforcing self esteem (you’re clever for finding a deal). Its the way our brains are wired. Never gonna go away. Even cold hard logic cant dissuade some folks to avoid a questionable “deal”.

And some folks are just broke.

 

[NewJersey]

I get the "why" on people liking a deal, but I don't get why many seem to enjoy it more than the hobby itself.
People on here seem happy to buy junk as long as they get a "deal"

 

[bracconiere]

LOL, seriously? anybody that even mentions trying to save money, 'homebrewing', here get cussed out!

as far as i know i'm the only cheap brewer here...and i brew cheap because i make 14k a year....and drink about a gallon a day, brewing 'on the cheap' costs me about $500 a year, buying it at the store would cost me $7k.....!!

 

[NewJersey]

LOL, seriously? anybody that even mentions trying to save money, 'homebrewing', here get cussed out!

as far as i know i'm the only cheap brewer here...and i brew cheap because i make 14k a year....and drink about a gallon a day, brewing 'on the cheap' costs me about $500 a year, buying it at the store would cost me $7k.....!!

Ok, so you do it out of necessity, that makes sense. I'm more curious about people that have means yet obsess over being the cheapest anyways.

 

[bracconiere]

Ok, so you do it out of necessity, that makes sense. I'm more curious about people that have means yet obsess over being the cheapest anyways.

well i've actually been hooked on meth for, thank god, only a few months....and i appreciate thinking for myself more now too....

 

[z-bob]

From complaining about the price of beer in a bar to bragging about how cheap you brew a beer per ounce. I assume if you're into beer then the priority would be to make good beer, but for many on here it seems to be how cheap you can be about it. The most annoying is when people seek to find ways around well known longtime good vendors to save $10. That kills me honestly. I'm not gonna act like I've never bought something on amazon, but I always try to support good vendors and my lhbs.

Good rant! Well, almost good; I can't tell if you're pissed about people buying online instead of from their LHBS, or brewing their own instead of paying $6 a pint at a taproom or restaurant, or using inferior ingredients and brewing "Pißwasser" for about 50 cents per gallon instead of making quality beer than anyone could be proud of regardless of the price. (BTW, I do all six of the above on occasion, usually not at the same time)

 

[treacheroustexan]

You don't need to spend a lot of money to make good beer.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

well i've actually been hooked on meth for, thank god, only a few months....and i appreciate thinking for myself more now too....

You make 14K a year drink a gallon of beer a day are hooked on meth and brew to support your habit out of necessity? Might be time to rethink your life plan...Not saying that to be negative but reaching out for help might be a good idea...nobody ever looks down on people trying to better there life..Good luck to you

 

[NeverDie]

I think it's because some of us are engineers who enjoy the technical aspects of homebrewing, and finding ways to reduce cost, while still getting "optimal" results, is just part of the mindset. I'd say getting "optimal" results still ranks as first priority though, even if it means greater cost.

 

[Homergah]

well i've actually been hooked on meth for, thank god, only a few months....and i appreciate thinking for myself more now too....

You would probably be better off making the meth yourself too.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

It has nothing to do with homebrew. People as a whole are inherently cheap. Why do you think Walmart is so huge. They're also getting lazier by the day. Why do think Amazon and Grubhub is so huge. "You can deliver it to me without getting my fat as off the couch..done"

Add them together and people are cheap lazy bastards.

You can also say homebrew in general is for cheap people. "Your too cheap to go out and support your local bar, Or buy your beer by the 12 pack" You must be cheap if you have to make your own.

I like making beer as cheap as possible. I buy by the 50 pound sack and buy hops by the pound...I get off on saying I made this awesome beer for dirt cheap.

I also have no problem dropping thousands on vacations and my Harley.

Just because you dont spend money the same as someone else doesnt make you cheap....My homebrew rig consists of one pot on a chair in my kitchen..Its all I need to make great beer and thats fine by me

I also grow 30 tomato plants from $2 in seed and make my own sauce and split 2 cords of wood for free heat each year....its not thats its cheap and certainly not lazy...its what I like to do....to each there own

 

[bracconiere]

You make 14K a year drink a gallon of beer a day are hooked on meth and brew to support your habit out of necessity? Might be time to rethink your life plan...Not saying that to be negative but reaching out for help might be a good idea...nobody ever looks down on people trying to better there life..Good luck to you

lol, and yet with the help of cron-o-meter...the doctors rave about how good of health i'm in!

You would probably be better off making the meth yourself too.

damn right! which is why, i quit that **** on the spot, when i was basically told 'your not allowed to save money making your own, you gotta be my *****'...lol

and breif jail sentence, looking at the poor kids getting 'abused' by these people....i said right then and there, when i get out, i'm going back to homebrew....and i'm gonna make me the cheapest homebrew i can! to hell with gangsters!

 

[GoeHaarden]

The most annoying is when people seek to find ways around well known longtime good vendors to save $10

Hey moneybags, I don't see a forum supporter badge next to your username...

 

[Staticsouls]

Lol

 

[Smellyglove]

If you can buy the same product for $5 instead of $10, why not. I bet that if you'd ask a stock broker on wall street, he'd be more proud of a good deal/steal than something which gave less on the bottom line for him.

Other than buying same products for different prices, I guess it's about financial situation, or just the person. People have hobbies, and other stuff to tend to financially too. So if you really like the hobby, but can't afford the thing you really really want to buy, then why not, is it that shameful to want to say you'd want it cheaper? A dollar here and a dollar there. I'd rather say that it's nice that people know their where they stand financially, but would rather save a few bucks here and there to still be able to brew the way they like, than just giving up the hobby because they can't afford it. It just makes people happy that they got what they wanted at a good price.

 

[rodwha]

I get the "why" on people liking a deal, but I don't get why many seem to enjoy it more than the hobby itself.
People on here seem happy to buy junk as long as they get a "deal"

Hmmm... I’m fairly frugal. I don’t have a lot of disposable cash and I have several hobbies that demand it such as cigars, the bulk of which are <$7, and black powder shooting, where I purchase strips of cloth for patches to cut myself, rolls of hard felt to punch my own wads, molds to cast my various projectiles, which are often Lee molds which are cheap, though I’ve also created custom designs which are not, and make my own Gatofeo’s #1 bullet lube. Sort of like brewing it takes some cash investments to get started, but in the end nets me a hobby I enjoy and reduces the costs, though when you look at what it cost to get started and divide that out I may or may not have broken even yet after years.

For myself I typically will look for the cheaper ways to keep my hobbies going. It’s not for the sake of saving money per se as you put it, but because I can do more with it. Why would people want to spend more on the same thing then they need to???

We certainly like to support local/small businesses but there comes a point in which it’s not my responsibility to ensure they do well. I’ve looked at local coffee, but they are charging twice as much as the Starbucks we buy. And Starbucks gives rewards which further sweeten the deal. Why would I pay twice as much for coffee that isn’t better?

And beer prices, I often forgo spending money on craft beers that cost $14/4 pack or a bomber. Why? Because it’s a higher than normal price. And I’ve tried a lot of pricier beers and found them not worth the added expense, that they weren’t better than the average beer that sells for $10/6 pack, and even a few that were seriously the nastiest beers I’ve had (Southern Tier Pumpking and Creme Brûlée). So unless it’s an epic type of beer I’m not willing to spend that kind of money, especially when I can brew something like that myself at a reasonable price. And I still buy a lot of craft beers, and don’t look at my brewing from an, “it’s cheaper” perspective, but because I enjoy it.

My average beers do tend to run less than commercial. I feel I about break even on IPAs, and the Barleywine I’ll be brewing up soon enough will certainly cost a lot less than what I could otherwise purchase it for, especially when it’s typically only found in bombers.

I save my yeast, I crush my own grains, I use commercial bottles that I cleaned and removed the labels from, I use buckets over carboys, and I’ll buy hops sometimes by price such as Centennial. I see no need to do otherwise. And the great thing is we can all go about this as we have the funding and see the desire to do as we choose.

 

[ccous]

Troll post. Ignore. Just go on IG and see people’s set ups to see how much they spend. Many, many homebrewers always need next, most shiniest piece of equipment. Some don’t. To each their own. This is clearly just trolling the community. Done.

 

[NewJersey]

I'm not trolling at all. I am commenting on a trend I see on here and trying to have a discussion about it. I'm not saying everybody "needs" to buy $5k turnkey breweries, not at all.
I see guys on here calculating how many CENTS they're spending for electricity on a brewday. Guys losing their minds trying to find out where a vendor sources their pump/kettle/whatever so they can save a few dollars.
All this nickel and diming seems pointless and headache inducing and I don't understand it. Also sucks for those who innovate.
It's akin to people who steal music/movies/tv shows because they're too cheap to pay for it.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Troll post. Ignore. Just go on IG and see people’s set ups to see how much they spend. Many, many homebrewers always need next, most shiniest piece of equipment. Some don’t. To each their own. This is clearly just trolling the community. Done.

I'm not trolling at all. I am commenting on a trend I see on here and trying to have a discussion about it. I'm not saying everybody "needs" to buy $5k turnkey breweries, not at all.
I see guys on here calculating how many CENTS they're spending for electricity on a brewday. Guys losing their minds trying to find out where a vendor sources their pump/kettle/whatever so they can save a few dollars.
All this nickel and diming seems pointless and headache inducing and I don't understand it. Also sucks for those who innovate.
It's akin to people who steal music/movies/tv shows because they're too cheap to pay for it.

Your stirring the pot....and I like that

 

[bracconiere]

i got lost on post #17, but it's nice to see this! someone says "i hate cheap homebrewers!" and a new thread about cheap homebrewing! i love it! (why i come to homkebrewtown!) if i can help a minimum wage employee save half their income, and still enjoy life...i'm all for it! i ain't soda tax person or tobacco for that matter...i expect people to go to work, i gotta want them to enjoy it!

 

[NewJersey]

Hey moneybags, I don't see a forum supporter badge next to your username...

fair point. i need to do that

 

[bracconiere]

fair point. i need to do that

lol, go for 'lifetime' i'm thinking about it myself, that way...google will remember my drunkenness with respect!

edit: and i can afford it, because my homebrew is so cheap!

edit #2: i want to know why homebrewers are worried about consistency....and i never want to brew the same thing twice....

 

[z-bob]

All this nickel and diming seems pointless and headache inducing and I don't understand it. Also sucks for those who innovate.
It's akin to people who steal music/movies/tv shows because they're too cheap to pay for it.

From whom are they stealing?

 

[imasickboy]

@NewJersey

Married? Kids? Homeowner? Charity? How about retirement? Some folks have greater priorities than brewing beer with no regard to cost control.

 

[SmokeyRydr]

It has nothing to do with homebrew. People as a whole are inherently cheap. Why do you think Walmart is so huge. They're also getting lazier by the day. Why do think Amazon and Grubhub is so huge. "You can deliver it to me without getting my fat as off the couch..done"

Add them together and people are cheap lazy bastards.

You can also say homebrew in general is for cheap people. "Your too cheap to go out and support your local bar, Or buy your beer by the 12 pack" You must be cheap if you have to make your own.

I like making beer as cheap as possible. I buy by the 50 pound sack and buy hops by the pound...I get off on saying I made this awesome beer for dirt cheap.

I also have no problem dropping thousands on vacations and my Harley.

Just because you dont spend money the same as someone else doesnt make you cheap....My homebrew rig consists of one pot on a chair in my kitchen..Its all I need to make great beer and thats fine by me

Right on brotha. Save where you can, so you can spend where want!

Many will say that I'm a cheap bastard. And their right, but it this cheap bastard is escaping the Seattle winter in sunny Costa Rica for a couple of weeks! [emoji41] [emoji111]

 

[6Tap]

I see it EVERYWHERE on hbt and it's driving me insane. I love craft beer and the homebrew hobby, but I can't help but notice it everywhere. I imagine some of it is just related to having a low income, but that can't account for all of it.
From complaining about the price of beer in a bar to bragging about how cheap you brew a beer per ounce. I assume if you're into beer then the priority would be to make good beer, but for many on here it seems to be how cheap you can be about it. The most annoying is when people seek to find ways around well known longtime good vendors to save $10. That kills me honestly. I'm not gonna act like I've never bought something on amazon, but I always try to support good vendors and my lhbs.
I am also into cars as a hobby and naturally see the same type of people. It's like a cancer to hobbies in general.
Am I insane?
Anybody agree?

I don’t think it’s always about being cheap.

Most people work hard for their income and tend to enjoy the hunt for a good deal and sharing their find with others.

I guess I could understand your point if money was just handed to me, then I would perceive it as having less value and would tend to just buy in a compulsive manner and not look for deals.

One mans junk is another mans treasure, no mater what the monetary value of the item is.

 

[bracconiere]

@NewJersey

Married? Kids? Homeowner? Charity? How about retirement? Some folks have greater priorities than brewing beer with no regard to cost control.

as far as charity, expect to see my cheap ass brewing butt...lifetime supporter, as soon as the weekends over and i can spend money on it....if i can give just one tweaker, self respect with saving money, a 25 year sub is worth it! i donate as much to collage scholarship funds!

edit: and, yes homeowner...meaning NO...rent, love it!

edit #2: that's what america is about, or supposed to be....rent free, and a free market, making your own drugs!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

One mans junk is another mans treasure, no mater what the monetary value of the item is.

I heard a radio cli

....rent free, and a free market, making your own drugs!

Curious how your a homeowner rent/mortgage free at 14K a year without somebody handing it to you...I need that

 

[schematix]

I can honestly say that i cared a lot more about saving money when i first started because i didn't have a lot of disposable income. These days i have a house collection, a car collection and more income than i can spend (+1 great financial decisions earlier in life). I don't piss away money but i will spend it where there is value.

 

[Calder]

Today I brew because I can make a decent beer to rival some of the best craft beer out there for the price of Busch. If I could not make it significantly cheaper, then I would just buy it from the store.

I am from the UK in the days when CAMRA started. I came to the US and the only beer available was the standard tasteless American Bub/Miller/Coors lager. I started brewing so I could have beers with some flavor, and have been brewing ever since. Back then there was no craft beer industry here, Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada were just starting, but they only sold their beer locally, so were not in my stores; occasionally you cold get some UK beers, but it was a 50/50 chance the beer was skunked.

One of the products of brewing beer is understanding a lot more about the product, how it is made, how you get different flavors, and even understanding the differences between different beers, and it is fun to brew and create something original. However, if it was costing me over $1 a bottle, I would see no reason to be brewing, and save myself a lot of time.

I freely admit that I brew because I can make good beer for a lot less than it costs me to buy. I can pretend there are reasons, but if the cost were higher, they would not be enough to keep me brewing.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Everyone that I know personally myself included that have homebrewed started off with the goal being to make the cheapest beer possible. 80% of them gave up after tasting the cheapest beer possible lol and the other 20% changed there goal to the best beer possible regardless of cost. Cheers

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

. These days i have a house collection, a car collection and more income than i can spend.

Thats so F'n awesome...PM me and we'll talk about how you could spend it

 

[Homergah]

Speaking of cheap. AIH has pin lock kegs two for $59.

 

[skyhawk50]

Right on brotha. Save where you can, so you can spend where want!

Many will say that I'm a cheap bastard. And their right, but it this cheap bastard is escaping the Seattle winter in sunny Costa Rica for a couple of weeks! [emoji41] [emoji111] View attachment 612936

Right on. We’ll be there in April
[emoji924][emoji924][emoji924][emoji924]

 

[Blazinlow86]

I can honestly say that i cared a lot more about saving money when i first started because i didn't have a lot of disposable income. These days i have a house collection, a car collection and more income than i can spend (+1 great financial decisions earlier in life). I don't piss away money but i will spend it where there is value.

Same thing happened to me. I was fortunate to own my home and had a rental property as well. About 5 years ago Vancouver got a huge influx of dirty money from China and the real estate market went out of control. Long story short I cashed out by fluke at the perfect time and walked away with just under a 2.5millon profit from those sales. I'm now renting temporarily as there predicting the market will crash and possibly back to were it was. Cheers

 

[Yooper]

Right on brotha. Save where you can, so you can spend where want!

Many will say that I'm a cheap bastard. And their right, but it this cheap bastard is escaping the Seattle winter in sunny Costa Rica for a couple of weeks! [emoji41] [emoji111] View attachment 612936

And this cheap old lady spends every winter in the south. Today I got sunburnt a little because of the bright sun rays and working at a festival with some friends. I have to go home in a month though. Next winter, we'll be here about four montsh.

But I can make an 11 gallon batch of cream ale for $18!!!!!!!!

Edit- and I happen to have 3 houses, two decent cars, a trip to Italy when I get back north, followed by least two more domestic trips.

the reason I have a lot of "stuff" is because I'm thrifty, retired mostly at age 46 because of that. I don't spent much money on clothes, food out, entertainment, etc- I spend on what's important to me like travel and good beer.

 

[6Tap]

And this cheap old lady spends every winter in the south. Today I got sunburnt a little because of the bright sun rays and working at a festival with some friends. I have to go home in a month though. Next winter, we'll be here about four montsh.

But I can make an 11 gallon batch of cream ale for $18!!!!!!!!

Ale Yea!!

 

[shetc]

Last time I checked, making homebrew is a hobby. My version happens to pretty good (or so I am told) and I'm a cheap bastard EXCEPT for yeast.

C'mon down to Ft. Lauderdale, Ms. Yooper [emoji3]

 

[Bilsch]

....and drink about a gallon a day,

Thanks for making me feel just a little bit less guilty about the liter of beer I drink a day.