You must really like beer to spend that much on brewing.

[SnakeRidge]

I used to hear that all the time and also in regards to the quantity (usually 5 gallons) made at a time. and I'd usually drop down on their hobbies. where we used to live in WY, Campbell/Crook counties, there was a lot of oil/coal/methane money. far too many people were payment poor from all the toys and such. jet-skis, quads, big red Fords, guns (at least 3 in every cal.), cowboy hat & boot collections, boats, snowmobiles, etc. and not just the moderately priced range either, but the most expensive stuff they could find. and then the "man cave" garage built next to their run down '72 single wide trailer with all the fancy beer signs and bar stools. standing there in their $1,000 boots (jeans tucked into the top), $200 belt buckle they didn't win, and the $1,500 cowboy hat slurping down their BMC Light of choice saying crap like, "I just don't see how you can spend EIGHT DOLLARS on a six pack of beer." to which I liked to reply, "I just don't see how you can spend $2,500 just to look like a floccin' moron."

If you're not wearing a $200 belt buckle you may as well use an old fan belt to keep yer britches up, really.

 

[Roadie]

I stopped adding to my cost spreadsheet when I hit $10k on our e-brewery but probably close to $15k at this point and I'm not even what you'd consider a beer drinker. I got into the hobby because it was something I could do with my boys as they are into craft beer and I couldn't put a price on the value of spending time brewing with them. Of course I absolutely love brewing so it's a win/win. As far as toys go this is not even close to the money I spent on my '67 Chevelle.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

You must really love cake. Are you sure you're not Jim Gaffigan?

What a coincidence, Jim is one of my favorite comedians! See him live if you get a chance.

 

[Wolfbayte]

I had a very dear friend who passed away -- young; in her forties -- who passed away before they resolved a couple of her favorite shows' story lines. Just sayin'.



On the flip side of your statement -- George R. R. Martin is not in the greatest of health; they've been expecting his death for a while now. I know a lot of people who wish he makes more TV shows before he dies.

Valar Morghulis

 

[philipCT]

I do often think about what size of a sailboat I could have in a slip if I had invested those dollars over the years instead of drinking them. But what good would a sailboat be without beer to drink on it?

As for the first part of your thought, I'm guessing you may have been able to afford one as large as 36". Maybe 40". The kind with a cool remote control? The whole boat thing is several orders of magnitude difference in cost.

Speaking as someone who's owned boats and airplanes...

OTOH, no one who knows me has ever thought to mention anything about how much money I spend on brewing

 

[Photopilot]

Its usually part of my personal introduction.

"Hi I'm Jordan and I really like beer"

After that when I show up with a variety of my own beers or crates cartons or totes I have also hand crafted to carry my own beer, no further questions are needed.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Compare to the money I've spent on cars and bikes and gear and tools and more donor cars for engine swaps and part outs trying to recapture some of the amount of money I've spent on the afore mentioned items- brewing is almost a drop in the bucket... I worked on my swap car a bit yesterday. In 2.5 years I've driven it 200 miles. And if I sell it, even finished, I won't ever recapture half of what I've put into it. At least with brewing the kegs I own have appreciated!

 

[Hello]

I don't feel like the statement is anything more than stupid. Of course I like beer to invest in the hobby. Duh. But I do get questioned a lot and especially since I'm investing a lot more now. It's a hobby and it is unlikely I will ever profit from it, so I understand the questions. If anyone who truly matters to me is worried, they know to come talk to me.

what reputable hobby is not cheap?

Many. I think. But what's a reputable hobby?

 

[myelo]

"I'm building a Brew Pub in my garage and when I talk to friends, acquaintances, people at work, eventually I get the "wow you must really like beer to spend that much on brewing".

Really? Because when I hear you say you are building a brew pub in your garage my first thought is "Holy Crap! That sounds like a fantastic idea! ... Then I start measuring my garage."

 

[ChuckO]

Why would anyone spend upwards of $20k on a kitchen remodel when a fast food "value meal" is so cheap?

 

[vincentAlpha]

Not heard that particular line myself (yet) but people do shoot me the odd look here and there when they hear the size of the batches (5 Imp. Gal.) and how long it takes. Thing is I enjoy brewing and I really do quite like beer as well so it plays into two of my big interests: experimenting (and I'm a professional scientist, go figure huh) and cooking (the day I actually started trying beer and wine was the day I realised how much of the cooking world was shut off from me if I didn't at least try stuff out). Of course homebrewing followed soon after when I saw how expensive beer was here and how bland and similar most of the beer was. Read up on Palmer's book, brewed a 12-pack of nasty a$$ DME beer where I made more mistakes then I care to even think about(hence being nasty) and I was hooked! I try to get that sort of thing across but usually people are just dismissive, we'll see what they think once they try a bottle or two

 

[soccerdad]

I DO love beer. But I spend more money on fishing than I do on brewing. And I fish from an under $1000 kayak

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

I DO love beer. But I spend more money on fishing than I do on brewing. And I fish from an under $1000 kayak

Kayaking is so far and away more expensive of a hobby than home brewing. Just searching for a good PFD (life vest, SWMBO corrects me) you are gonna start at 100$, good carbon fiber paddle (God I want one of those gorgeous Werner all carbon fiber models) 300$, decent 12-14' recreation boat start at 1,000$(second hand you can get good deals). Never mind the 14 dozen other sundry items you need, I think this is why SWMBO doesn't scoff when I start talking about a new burner or converting a fridge to a kegerator, of my beer making equipment it's maybe 1/10th of what we spend on kayaking/camping gear.

(Don't even get me started on SWMBO's obsession for buying all antiques she finds that are just the right shade of turquoise)

 

[xfjfyuj]

For most, beer is a cheap way to get drunk. One must always remember that.

 

[Photopilot]

Kayaking is so far and away more expensive of a hobby than home brewing. Just searching for a good PFD (life vest, SWMBO corrects me) you are gonna start at 100$, good carbon fiber paddle (God I want one of those gorgeous Werner all carbon fiber models) 300$, decent 12-14' recreation boat start at 1,000$(second hand you can get good deals).

I picked up a second hand kayak, the Perception Carolina for $600. It came with a 2 piece bent shaft Warner Kaliste. I could never rationalize spending that kind of money on a paddle, but i am glad I own it now.

 

[Smeth]

I don't just "really like" beer, I love beer. But I know that someone who would make such a comment has a much different concept of what beer is than I do. I have friends that spend thousands of dollars and untold time either hunting or fishing. I don't fault them a bit for that but just roll my eyes when they say "I wish I had time for that" in reference to making beer.

 

[ZenFitness]

Seriously, an average ale is way cheaper homebrewed than bought at a store. Unless you count corn-made mass-produced watery alcohol "beer". At that point it's apples and oranges.

 

[pdxal]

I pay (very little) for the "science experiment" aspect of making beer. I try to minimize on my equipment and make everything as "ghetto" as possible.
I just enjoy making good beer cheaply. I can make beers that aren't readily available as well. Others might spend a ton on making homebrewed beer, and that's cool.
BMC drinkers will never understand home brewers, so don't even bother trying to explain it to them.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

BMC drinkers will never understand home brewers, so don't even bother trying to explain it to them.

I have some good neighbors/friends who are BMC drinkers. But I have broken their home brew virginity - they think the whole process is cool, and really like the beers I make. I think maybe seeing the process in action makes people understand why this is a cool hobby.

 

[Photopilot]

I work with a guy that loves beer also. He has a full time job that pays well but I work with him as a contractor, which he does on the side. First time I worked with him he was complaining how hung over he was. First time I was on a trip with him, he was swilling Coor Light, like it was water, well it is but this was in Mexico where he was paying a premium for the swill.

So I figure this guy really likes beer, and needs to work a second job to pay for all the Coors Light he drinks each year. Except for the fact that making a beer as boring as Coors Light would very difficult to make, he could benefit from brewing his own.