BeerBorg

Last night I decided to get an idea of what I save by buying in bulk. So, I took 1 recipe from Northern Brewer and one from Midwest and figured out what it would cost with shipping and compared it to what I pay for buying in bulk both locally and online.
For NB's Dead Ringer, with shipping, US-05 yeast and unmilled grain the cost came to $36.73.
I buy grain in bulk but do pay sales tax but my grain and hops came out $5.74 less (even paying sales tax). I'm less sure how to figure yeast because I harvest it and pay $6.99 for a vial locally but then I usually get 6 jars out of that $6.99 so let's just assume I add a $1 to each batch for yeast. That's $8.03 savings. Admittedly, not as big as I expected.

Next I tried Midwest and their Hop Head Double IPA. There was a bigger savings if you don't spend over $59 and get free shipping.....it totaled $12.94 in savings.
Bottom line, I actually thought I was saving a lot more. If I assume I brew 15 batches a year, which I pretty much have, and even though I use lots and lots of hops, I am only likely saving $150 a year. But, I want more! I do have some consolation that that savings will likely get me 6 batches or 30 plus gallons of beer each year so that's not too shabby but I was actually expecting more like $300 saved each year.
I'm not sure what else I could do but I do know that if I did extract brewing, it would cost me much more. So, I'll take what I can get and learn to be happy.

To me, if the savings of money outweighs the savings of time, labor, trouble, and whatever figures in, you're saving.

What about growing your own hops? May take a couple of years to get the yield you need, but then it starts adding up.

I just went to the LHBS to buy 5 gal batch of AG porter. $29.00 with no yeast. I'm OK with that. I know buying bulk could save me time, but then I would have to buy a mill, storage of grains etc... AND, I could buy my grains cheaper online, as I pay a flat rate of $2 per lb.at my LHBS. Then figure in shipping, timing, and not supporting my local source of info and all things good.

I also buy onsie-twosie at the LHBS. It safes the time of having to crush and the cost of the crusher itself. They have a large turnover so I know things are always fresh especially with the bits here and there with the specialties. They sell in whatever increments I want so I dont end up with dibs and dabs of this and that down the road.

I also trade off time vs money by brewing both extracts and AG. I have a few recipes in extract that are perfected to the point that everyone is happy with them so I can crank them out to fill a keg quickly, especially in the busy months of summer (which also cuts down on sitting in front of a boiling cauldron for hours).

Now, washing yeast is a huge money saver for the time involved. I recently came across a whole stash of glass baby food jars my parents had so see myself putting together a vast library in the near future.

I am also lucky in that I get several varieties of hops for free. But, I still find myself buying lots more since I like to dabble, although the core houses beers are built around the free stuff.

Hops just don't grow well here and the few people that my LHBS tells me have grown them, tell me that the quality greatly suffers. We're good for Creole Tomatoes and sugar cane but not hops.
I don't mind the time as to me, that's part of my hobby-therapy. I just thought I was saving more by buying in bulk. Perhaps after I join the local club, group buying can save me a few more dollars. Otherwise, I can certainly live with it.

Oh , this hobby is supposed to save me money?

Inkleg wrote:Oh , this hobby is supposed to save me money?

Shhh, I have my wife convinced it does, and know how to schedule my UPS deliveries on her work days so she doesn't realize when the amortizables are delivered....

yep just like hunting & fishing saves on food costs

Nice try, but did you know that UPS has a service now where every package that is coming to your address trips an email? Wonder if she's using it...

I guess I'm surprised at those costs. I'm doing extract brewing with grain steeps, 5 gallon batches, and buying locally. Blue Moon cost $29.69, Oatmeal Stout cost $33.94. I thought all grain was cheaper than extract?

OK BeerLord, you, like many on here, have just inspired me...
I always loose at least 1/2 a gallon, sometimes more, to the hops and break material when I'm transfering out of kettle to fermenter. I always tried to think of it as a cost of doing business. At the beer tasting part of the farmers market I attended Sunday, I was talking to a friend who was participating. He directed me to their website for some DIY projects. One of them being a Hop Taco. Since I have more time on my hands than I do money in them, I decided to make one. using a splatter screen from the dollar store, old leftover plumbing pieces, and some stripped-untwisted strand wire, I think I made one. I'll be testing out tomorrow... I heated the copper tube, and bent without kinking, so I can pick up wort right to the bottom. (please don't ask about cleaning yet, I will figure out after I use)

if it works, I will either be getting more beer for my money, or I will adjust my volumes, and loose less. Either way, I think I'm saving money, and as long as I think it, it must be happening... all this for $1.06...

There are also the advantages for which you can't really calculate a price. Just about every time I go to my LHBS, I have a conversation (or overhear a conversation) with someone there, whether the owner, of the employees, or another homebrewer.

There's a feeling of community there, and I've learned a lot of stuff. I'm pretty sure I'm saving money on my ingredients, but the other stuff I've gained can't be bought at any price.

I've used a very good, double strainer when going from my kettle to my fermenter and remove a ton of hop and grain material. I have a device I bought for $19 that got clogged way too much and took too much time so the strainer works for me.
Rickbeer, extract kits are more expensive, usually about $8 more on average. I've no doubt I save money buying in bulk and going all grain but I thought there was a bigger difference. Bulk doesn't help me as much though I like not having to go to the LHBS more than about once a month.

BL, another thing I forgot about...

After I reach my preboil volume, I add another 3 gals of hot water to mash tun. After "mashing" I collect the "wort" and boil down. Last time I did my porter i got about 12 fl. oz. of some thick, almost sickeningly sweet "extract" that I usd to boost up today's porter. I don't know the gravity, I will check when I do the same today. Did it add much? maybe, maybe not even measurable in taste or alcohol, but it was available from leftover mash, free and it was something I didn't throw away...

A more scientific approach follows todays brew...

Has anyone figured out what the entire cost of brewing their home brew is ?
It's going to be a different figure for everyone.
Just off the top of my head the total would have to include:
1. Ingredients
2. Propane or electricity
3. Shipping or gas to drive to the LHBS
4. Equipment
5.Tax
6. Storage bins and other misc. items
7. Energy to run mini fridge for temp control.
8. Beer storage cost .
9. Bottles and cost of cleaning.

When you add it all up and divide I'll bet the 10.00 that you have to spend for a 6 pack of good craft beer is about the same as homebrew.

Even I'm not OCD enough to try to figure out all the costs but, I like my beer as much or more than many of the craft beers I've tried. I'm not saying mine is better, but there's that special feeling about drinking a beer that you've made that you can't put a price on.
Now, I'm not saying I have a problem with making that same great beer for less!

Beer-lord wrote:Even I'm not OCD enough to try to figure out all the costs but, I like my beer as much or more than many of the craft beers I've tried. I'm not saying mine is better, but there's that special feeling about drinking a beer that you've made that you can't put a price on.
Now, I'm not saying I have a problem with making that same great beer for less!

Plus 1 to that!