[majorvices]

Dinner doesn't take me 8!hours of constant monitoring followed by several week of babysitting. Items at the grocery store are also competitively priced and not marked up at a hobby shop scale.

In fact, I can make dinner at home in less than the amount of time it takes me to drive to a restaurant , get seated, and drive home!

[weithman5]

Similarly it takes me time to go to the store and buy beer. And I have lots of down time during my brew day. And doubt I spend more than a minute checking fermentation temps 

I am actually starting to forget what we were discussing here and I don't have enough time to re read the thread so off to have some fruit of my labor

[tschmidlin]

I get where you're coming from Keith, but if you are going to include the time spent brewing in the cost of the product, then you are going to have to include the reward you get from drinking your hand made product and (for me) more importantly the pleasure of sharing it with friends.  Nobody ever asks any of my neighbors to bring their boat, fancy car, or expensive bicycle to parties.  And no one is really impressed if you bring a 6 pack of craft beer to a party.  But if you make it yourself . . . it's hard to put a price on that, but it is certainly worth more than my time.

[majorvices]

How much would you sell it for then, and feel comfortable parting with it? That's what it really boils down to. FTW!

[weithman5]

well since i tend to give it away already....

however, i never seem to be taken advantage of.  if that were the case then i would probably feel more like you do.  also i don't have a business of brewing as you do.  so i guess that means my beer either sucks or i don't have enough friends. 

[Slowbrew]

If you like cheap beer, it's not cheaper 

But, if you have a salaried job with no overtime, enjoy brewing, and like $20 bottles of Belgian beer, you bet your sweet ass it's cheaper.  As long as you disregard equipment costs, which would totally go to some other hobby anyway if you had more time (artisinal mustard?).

I just bottled about $1000 worth of Gueze and Kriek according to market prices.  Considering how cheap pils malt, raw wheat berries, and old hops are, that paid for my pump/chiller/fermentation freezer!

I agree with you completely.  You picked a bad example though.

I make my own mustard.  All you need is ingredients, something to store it in (like a Tupperware bowl) and a blender.  Probably my least costly hobby.

Paul

http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-on-internet-almost-falls-into-world-of-diy-mus,17013/

Sounds a lot like some brewing forums we might become part of.   

[euge]

As far as my time investment, anything times 0 is zero. I do like retirement.

Not saying that I am worthless.

You are not worthless but worthmore!

I'm embracing retirement as soon as feasible. Maybe in my 50's? Then the fun begins!

[stealthbrewer]

I have only bottled so far but recently bought a keg and need to get all the other things necessary to keg my batch.
The real obstacle is getting a fridge to fit my keg AND fit into my apartment. 
One of the things I do like about bottling is that I get my daughters involved helping me with the process making it a Family effort! 
Dan

[Joe Sr.]

In fact, I can make dinner at home in less than the amount of time it takes me to drive to a restaurant , get seated, and drive home!

But you're not factoring in the cost of the house you cook it in, the cost of your stove, the cost of the gas you use to cook, the time it took you to go to the store and shop, the time it takes you to clean up, etc. etc.

I said it earlier in the thread, but what you are really arguing is opportunity cost.  So if the cost of brewing is that you don't wash your car, go ahead and factor that in.  But you can't assume that you're going to be paid a salary for all of your waking hours.

We will not agree, so I'll stop now.

One of the things I do like about bottling is that I get my daughters involved helping me with the process making it a Family effort! 
Dan

One of my daughters helps me keg.  The other is not interested.  They have also labelled bottles for me, but I would be concerned about loss if I let them actually bottle.

[beersk]

In fact, I can make dinner at home in less than the amount of time it takes me to drive to a restaurant , get seated, and drive home!

But you're not factoring in the cost of the house you cook it in, the cost of your stove, the cost of the gas you use to cook, the time it took you to go to the store and shop, the time it takes you to clean up, etc. etc.

I said it earlier in the thread, but what you are really arguing is opportunity cost.  So if the cost of brewing is that you don't wash your car, go ahead and factor that in.  But you can't assume that you're going to be paid a salary for all of your waking hours.

We will not agree, so I'll stop now.

But this is a constant, it's already there anyway.  I don't think it's to be factored in, especially if you are renting or those things were there when you moved in in the first place. I'm also with Keith on cooking, but I think he is just f*cking with you guys. Time is a constant too.  Anything worth doing takes effort but if brewing is a chore for you, you maybe shouldn't be doing it. 
I mean, yes, it's easier to just go to a restaurant and have someone cook for you, but there's so much more satisfaction in cooking a meal the way you like it, knowing what goes into your food, and having cooked it yourself.  And also improving at it, learning what makes what do what, etc.  It's a lifetime skill.  Time spent doing it really isn't a factor if it's worth it to you to be doing it, whether it be cooking, brewing, practicing an instrument, etc.
Otherwise, just give up and off yourself now because life isn't worth your time.

[majorvices]

Too bad guys. I already called FTW!

[euge]

Actually, I've cut eating out to once a month or less. I'm saving a fortune and am eating and drinking like a King and still saving money.

It's really easy to whip up meals if certain things are kept in stock.

I still find myself buying mayonnaise. My mustard doesn't go bad but am scared to make and keep mayonnaise for fear of it going off. But, there doesn't seem to be any preservatives in my Duke's mayo and it keeps as good as my mustard.

I figure my time is worth at least $1 per year of my age.

[narvin]

Dinner doesn't take me 8!hours of constant monitoring followed by several week of babysitting. Items at the grocery store are also competitively priced and not marked up at a hobby shop scale.

In fact, I can make dinner at home in less than the amount of time it takes me to drive to a restaurant , get seated, and drive home!

Sorry, don't buy it.  Don't you have delivery down in the bayou?  That takes no time at all.

8 hours is for 10 gallons, not one dinner.  Beer ingredients don't go bad in a week, either.  On the other hand, going to the grocery store or farmers market bi-weekly to keep fresh food around takes time.  And the prices for bulk grain and hops are comparable to Costco food prices.

[weithman5]

Too bad guys. I already called FTW!

Crap

[majorvices]

Dinner doesn't take me 8!hours of constant monitoring followed by several week of babysitting. Items at the grocery store are also competitively priced and not marked up at a hobby shop scale.

In fact, I can make dinner at home in less than the amount of time it takes me to drive to a restaurant , get seated, and drive home!

Sorry, don't buy it.  Don't you have delivery down in the bayou?  That takes no time at all.

8 hours is for 10 gallons, not one dinner.  Beer ingredients don't go bad in a week, either.  On the other hand, going to the grocery store or farmers market bi-weekly to keep fresh food around takes time.  And the prices for bulk grain and hops are comparable to Costco food prices.

 I don't even have cell phone service or cable let alone delivery. Dont live in the bayou, live on the Cumberland plateau.

I sure hope you are coming to NHC this year. We need to arm wrestle!