[ynotbrusum]

In terms of saving money with this hobby, I always point out to my wife the costs of my other two hobbies - Golf (greens fees, new equipment, huge time commitment away from home) and Fishing (gas for driving to lake, gas for boat, huge time commitment away from home).  Both of those cost way more to do than my homebrewing, so when she sees me homebrewing, she figures that I'm saving the household money compared to what I would otherwise be doing and at least I'm at home where she can ask me to help with something when the mash is set or the boil is reached!

Just sayin'

[HoosierBrew]

You just hit that point skillfully!  That of keeping the wife happy.  Never a bad thing for homebrewers!

[mmitchem]

And let us not forget that brewing is a hobby that will be shared by all without even leaving the house!

[hopfenundmalz]

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

Not saying that I am worthless.

[Joe Sr.]

Except: You aren't factoring in your labor let alone your equipment. Homebrew is some of the most expensive beer in the world.

I know we've argued this in other threads, but on a per beer basis I really do think it's economical.  I could go buy 5 gallons of Chimay (approx 25 750ml bottles) at $8 each (plus tax).  Or I could brew 5 gallons at +/- $50.  I'll take the homebrew, as to me that's a bargain.

You have to do something with your time.  You can't bank it up.  So rather than the cost of your time this should be opportunity cost.  If you have something better to do, go do it.  If not, why not spend it brewing.  It also takes time to go to the store and buy beer.  No one factors that into the cost of bottled beer.

Equipment can be as expensive or cheap as you desire.  From an overall hobby perspective, it can make the hobby expensive.  On a per beer basis, I don't think equipment cost is applicable.  The money is already spent, so it doesn't impact what it costs you to make that next beer.  If you insist on including it, you should amortize it over every beer you've ever made which makes the per beer cost approach zero, eventually.  Obviously, if you don't yet have the equipment that changes the analysis.

I can agree that I would never recommend that someone get into the hobby to save money on beer.  But since I already have everything I need to make beer, the marginal cost of the next beer is pretty low.  Which makes it economical for me.

[weithman5]

i understand. but i don't consider how expensive my time is when i am out for a bike ride, growing tomatoes etc.  infact, i have installed my own hardwood floors, resided my house, built my own shed, when i could have probably been working and made more than what i would have paid someone to do it for me, but i need a change of scenery from the normal work i do, the labor is theraputic for me, and there is always the "ha, i can do that" factor.

I know what you are saying but if you have a friend come over and drink 12 big pints of your czech lager that you have been hanging onto for 3 months and he blows the keg or you have a leak in your poppet and you leak an entire keg of Belgian Quad into your keggerator what is it that hurts the most? Is it the cost of ingredients or the time you put into it?

my foot in his ass.

[Jimmy K]

i understand. but i don't consider how expensive my time is when i am out for a bike ride, growing tomatoes etc.  infact, i have installed my own hardwood floors, resided my house, built my own shed, when i could have probably been working and made more than what i would have paid someone to do it for me, but i need a change of scenery from the normal work i do, the labor is theraputic for me, and there is always the "ha, i can do that" factor.

I know what you are saying but if you have a friend come over and drink 12 big pints of your czech lager that you have been hanging onto for 3 months and he blows the keg or you have a leak in your poppet and you leak an entire keg of Belgian Quad into your keggerator what is it that hurts the most? Is it the cost of ingredients or the time you put into it?

my foot in his ass.

Ask Euge

[narvin]

I don't know if any of these are really myths, or at least common ones.  This seems more like debatable topics of interest, with a few terminology errors thrown in.  Using a hop back while recirc chilling is defeating the purpose of it, though this just sounds like a mistake.

What about:

1-2-3 week primary-secondary-bottle schedule should be followed
Smacking the smack pack = making a starter
Lag time is an important indicator of fermentation quality
Cleaning = sanitizing, sanitizer should be rinsed, etc.
Chalk works
etc...

EDIT: I guess the author doesn't bill these as being "top 10" myths.

[majorvices]

Except: You aren't factoring in your labor let alone your equipment. Homebrew is some of the most expensive beer in the world.

I know we've argued this in other threads, but on a per beer basis I really do think it's economical.  I could go buy 5 gallons of Chimay (approx 25 750ml bottles) at $8 each (plus tax).  Or I could brew 5 gallons at +/- $50.  I'll take the homebrew, as to me that's a bargain.

You have to do something with your time.  You can't bank it up.  So rather than the cost of your time this should be opportunity cost.  If you have something better to do, go do it.  If not, why not spend it brewing.  It also takes time to go to the store and buy beer.  No one factors that into the cost of bottled beer.

Equipment can be as expensive or cheap as you desire.  From an overall hobby perspective, it can make the hobby expensive.  On a per beer basis, I don't think equipment cost is applicable.  The money is already spent, so it doesn't impact what it costs you to make that next beer.  If you insist on including it, you should amortize it over every beer you've ever made which makes the per beer cost approach zero, eventually.  Obviously, if you don't yet have the equipment that changes the analysis.

I can agree that I would never recommend that someone get into the hobby to save money on beer.  But since I already have everything I need to make beer, the marginal cost of the next beer is pretty low.  Which makes it economical for me.

But that's just it. If you think you are starting a hobby to save money on beer you are wrong. People who spend hours  on brewday and weeks cellaring and hours packaging do it for the love. It's not really saving money.

Homebrewing to me is very special and I to me that beer doesn't have  aprice tag. That is something I made with my skill and you are lucky if I share it with you. But I don't look at it as cheap by any means. Not anymore than I look at the hand knitted mittens, scarf and toboggan than my wife made me as "cheap".

[weithman5]

But that's just it. If you think you are starting a hobby to save money on beer you are wrong. People who spend hours  on brewday and weeks cellaring and hours packaging do it for the love. It's not really saving money.

Homebrewing to me is very special and I to me that beer doesn't have  aprice tag. That is something I made with my skill and you are lucky if I share it with you. But I don't look at it as cheap by any means. Not anymore than I look at the hand knitted mittens, scarf and toboggan than my wife made me as "cheap".

that may sum it up the best, and primarily puts us on the same page.  fundamentally, to really save money on beer,  drink water.

[Joe Sr.]

But that's just it. If you think you are starting a hobby to save money on beer you are wrong. People who spend hours  on brewday and weeks cellaring and hours packaging do it for the love. It's not really saving money.

Homebrewing to me is very special and I to me that beer doesn't have  aprice tag. That is something I made with my skill and you are lucky if I share it with you. But I don't look at it as cheap by any means. Not anymore than I look at the hand knitted mittens, scarf and toboggan than my wife made me as "cheap".

I don't think anyone ever said "cheap." 

If your only goal is to save money on beer, probably best to just drink PBR.

I would probably never buy the quantity of Belgian beer, old ales, imperial stouts, etc. that I brew.  At the price they cost, I certainly wouldn't give them away as freely as I do my homebrew.

[majorvices]

But that's just it. If you think you are starting a hobby to save money on beer you are wrong. People who spend hours  on brewday and weeks cellaring and hours packaging do it for the love. It's not really saving money.

Homebrewing to me is very special and I to me that beer doesn't have  aprice tag. That is something I made with my skill and you are lucky if I share it with you. But I don't look at it as cheap by any means. Not anymore than I look at the hand knitted mittens, scarf and toboggan than my wife made me as "cheap".

I don't think anyone ever said "cheap." 

If your only goal is to save money on beer, probably best to just drink PBR.

I would probably never buy the quantity of Belgian beer, old ales, imperial stouts, etc. that I brew.  At the price they cost, I certainly wouldn't give them away as freely as I do my homebrew.

Semantics aside, cheaper than craft beer is all I meant. Point being that you aren't really saving money IF you count for your time. If you don
t count your time then it maybe cheaper assuming you aren't a brewer gadget head who is spending 100's of bucks every year on a new toy.

But I feel like if you aren't counting your time you aren't really being honest to yourself. Saturday and Sunday mornings are hard to put a monetary value on.

[a10t2]

But I feel like if you aren't counting your time you aren't really being honest to yourself. Saturday and Sunday mornings are hard to put a monetary value on.

Especially if you're already brewing five days a week. Brewing again at home starts to feel like a chore after a while. I know, there are people who would kill to have that problem...

[weithman5]

But I feel like if you aren't counting your time you aren't really being honest to yourself. Saturday and Sunday mornings are hard to put a monetary value on.

Especially if you're already brewing five days a week. Brewing again at home starts to feel like a chore after a while. I know, there are people who would kill to have that problem...

exactly, what i meant though about doing something else. i could work every saturday and sunday, and make more than enough to pay people to do the s*** around my house that i do on saturday and sunday.  to me brewing is a leisure sport. 

[majorvices]

But I feel like if you aren't counting your time you aren't really being honest to yourself. Saturday and Sunday mornings are hard to put a monetary value on.

Especially if you're already brewing five days a week. Brewing again at home starts to feel like a chore after a while. I know, there are people who would kill to have that problem...

I don't brew at the house anymore but I do have my homebrew setup down at the brewery and I brew a couple of batches for me on it two or three times a year.

Though lately I have been doing my "test batches" 7 bbl batches on the brew rig. Takes a little less time, actually!