Recession Brewing Show

[pbts]

Then start buying hops by the pound (for half what LHBS charges per oz) and malt by the sack (for like 30% less than LHBS) and you have some savings.

Yeah, I put together a quick spreadsheet to calculate the ROI on buying a grain mill. Using Maris Otter as the base malt for pale-ale average batches, I figured I'd recoup the cost of the mill in about 10 brews.

[crupp]

Cool thread. I enjoyed the show, too. It's always good to think about how you can save money. It's kind of funny, though...homebrewers a tight group!

A fellow homebrewer and I were talking about this the other day. Our local breweries have been buying grain for the club (around $35 a bag) because we don’t have a local shop. A new shop has popped up so I’m trying to get everyone to support the shop (about $50 a sack). A bunch of members started bitching about the price and said they would still get their grain from the Brewers. Unbeknownst to them the brewers have been convinced to raise the price of their grain to $55 a sack (maybe a dick move but let’s face it, it’s a pain in the ass for them to take a bunch of special orders).

Anyway, my friend and I were talking about this and commenting that we’re not rich and also need to watch what we spend, but we’re talking an extra 27 cents a pound to support someone that can provide you with everything else you need to brew. It made us laugh when we started realizing how inexpensive this hobby actually is. If you think it costs too much, buy some snowmobiles or four wheelers. Maybe a boat? A nice gun or bow costs you a pretty penny.

It’s all a matter of priorities. I’ve got a pretty nice system, but until a few weeks ago I watched a 13 inch TV. If it wasn’t for the fact that everything went digital, I would probably still be watching it.

Brew because you like brewing. Drink because you like drinking.

[cad]

You can save a lot of money homebrewing by simply buying bulk grains and hops, planning your brews so you can repitch your yeast (at least for a few batches) checking out yard sales/craigs list and building your own equipment.

My brother and I built a brew sculpture out of spare parts for a fraction of the cost of a morebeer or blichmann sculpture. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a professionally built system but I just don't have the money right now.