Cost of propane

[Gymrat]

Beersmith tells me exactly how much I spend on my ingredients for each beer I brew. I was wondering how much to add for propane so I kept track. I have a dedicated brewing propane bottle. I brewed 3 times took it in and had it filled, costed right at $11. Today, I took it in again after my next 3 brews and it costed $10.05. I figure I can add about $3.50 per batch to get an accurate cost of materials.

The last Red Ale I brewed costed $18.19 in ingredients, add $3.50 for the propane used and I get $21.69 for 5 gallons (a little over 2 cases) of incredible tailored just for me, craft beer. There is no doubt in my mind that over time my equipment will pay for itself. Then I will come out ahead. I just keep extending that time with new toys that I really don't need

[BigPapaG]

Interesting...

I wonder if the cost per batch for propane varies by type of burner, ambient temp of the day, ambient windspeed, etc...

I have not tracked propane but I do track my CO2 usage...

For example, I pay $15 to fill my 5 lb tank...

Since it was last filled, I have run 13 batches with it...

Still going but I'm pretty sure it's time for a fill...

So for me, it's been about $1.15 a batch...

Mind you, I'm not a stickler about purging the corney first...

Nor do I shoot CO2 around in the bottling process (ie: No BeerGun...)

Now, if I can just get two more kegs out of it... A buck a keg for CO2 would be nice...

[RickBeer]

I had to smile at the comment regarding extending the time that the equipment pays for itself.

I do try to track nearly everything, and take great pride in the fact that my run rate for a 12 pack of beer (comparing to the standard purchase we used to make at the store) is $6.58, but that excludes equipment costs, it's just ingredients. I've been pretty good at tracking equipment and consumables, just haven't added them in. Of course have no way to track natural gas usage on the stove. And I don't track gas cost to drive the 29 miles roundtrip to the homebrew store, but I do try to pickup 2 or 3 recipes each time, and only go every 6 - 8 weeks, and try to make the trip a multi-stop (of course that backfires when I spend a lot of money on the other stops...). My approximate equipment cost is $200, I suspect that's probably at most 10% low. Under $100 in consumables (caps, muslin bags, etc.), so if I assume $300 in equipment and consumables, and spread that over 200 gallons (I'm 0.64 gallons below that), that's $1.50 per gallon or $3 per 12 pack, putting the real total at $9.50ish per 12 pack, still below the cost to buy it. The key is to make even more beer dropping that cost.

I am actually about 1/2 way through the 2,000 bottle caps purchased on Ebay about 18 months ago along with some others on the forum, never thought they would go so fast.

Then of course SWMBO would point out that our beer consumption is up quite a lot over the old days of buying a 12 pack of Killian's every now and then...

[Gymrat]

I hate to think how much I have in equipment. With an $800 kegerator and a $400 conical. I suppose by the time I add in my mash tun, barley crusher, and 8 gallon kettle, then all the little incidentals, I am probably still under $2000.

When I first thought about going all grain I had a friend over and told him about my issues with dumping $400 into my hobby. He laughed and told me how much he paid for his golf clubs, golf course membership, etc. When he got all done he said and he STILL pays full price for his beer.

My drinking has not increased since I started brewing. I used to pay $15 for a 12 pack twice a month. I still drink about that amount.

Interesting...

I wonder if the cost per batch for propane varies by type of burner, ambient temp of the day, ambient windspeed, etc...

I have not tracked propane but I do track my CO2 usage...

For example, I pay $15 to fill my 5 lb tank...

Since it was last filled, I have run 13 batches with it...

Still going but I'm pretty sure it's time for a fill...

So for me, it's been about $1.15 a batch...

Mind you, I'm not a stickler about purging the corney first...

Nor do I shoot CO2 around in the bottling process (ie: No BeerGun...)

Now, if I can just get two more kegs out of it... A buck a keg for CO2 would be nice...

Absolutely propane usage changes with environmental conditions. I have to really pump that stuff out on a windy day even though I brew in my spare garage. I quite brewing on windy days for that reason. But this is why I based it on two bottles and will continue to track it through a few more of them. I have gotten to where I don't brew on windy days and I brew like crazy in the spring and fall to stock up for summer and winter. This way I don't have to brew in extreme weather. I own 6 kegs now and want to go into the winter with beer in all of them.

[Kealia]

I haven't really tracked my costs, other than very early on.

At this point I just take any cost associated with brewing and consider it therapy

I haven't bought much, really. I brew either on my stove (3G batches) or on a turkey fryer using a pot that I already had so no purchases there. I did buy a 2-tap kegerator and have 4 kegs but they were bought over time and the kegerator was a Craigslist find for $200. I somewhat recently bought the STC-1000 and a new carboy but those are minor purchases IMO.

I think it's cool that some of you can say to the penny what a beer costs you to make. For me, I just don't have an interest (or need) to track things at that level. My investment is minor as far as I'm concerned. And if it's not, that's OK as well. It's something for me and I deserve it, whatever the cost.

[RickBeer]

My "interest" in doing that started long ago. I've always tracked my costs - going back to BC (before computers) when I did it on ledger paper in college (see paper, see accounting). I then transitioned to Managing Your Money (see antiquated DOS software created by a book author) and then Quicken. I take joy in knowing exactly where I stand on everything. Yes, we're talking even the pocket change. I "balance" every Saturday morning, takes me about 30 minutes to do it for us, then my in-laws, then my mother (in-laws and mother are bank accounts, credit cards, paying bills - major for mother, ALL for in-laws). If I don't do that on Saturday morning I'm not a happy camper.

Anyway, doing it for beer isn't a chore, it's part of my ritual, just like the crazy rituals that others post . Whatever floats our boats, right?

Oh - on the subject of BEER and MONEY, I learned yesterday that American Express Small Business Saturday is NOT providing rebates to consumers this year for frequenting small businesses as they've done to some degree every year the Saturday after Thanksgiving for a number of years. Last year we went to the local grocery store, that happens to be a chain of around 10 stores, considered a "small business" by Amex, and bought 6 packs of craft beer (they refunded $10 per card, and each six pack was like $10.50ish). This year, Marketing for the event will be done (yea, Marketing), but no consumer rebates (boo).

[berryman]

I would have a hard time tracking my propane use as I use the same tanks for other things. Like on my gas grill and we do a lot of canning and use my burner for that too. I do know I can make quite a few 5 gal. batches on a 20 lb tank. Where I get my tanks filled they charge $18 to fill no mater how much is left in them so I run them down to nothing even if I have to change one out during a boil. I have 3 20 lb'ers. They have a special going on to the end of this week for $9.00, going after work tomorrow to fill 2 of them.