A discussion on cost...and savings on beer

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by mnstorm99, Aug 20, 2013.

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  1. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    Like any worthwhile hobby, cost is irrelevant, provided your budget can handle it, of course. Brewing beer to save money is like learning to play the guitar because it's cheaper than buying music.
     
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  2. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    I don't get to choose my gas company either...we have exactly one supplier of piped NG and the costs are still a lot less than propane (with many suppliers)...just say'in...sounds more like a "King of the Hill propane lobby" in your state.
     
  3. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    Politicians know what's best for their constituents. I'm sure they have a very good reason for screwing you. :wink:

    FWIW, while the price varies from time to time, it's a pretty narrow range. The total, delivered price of NG is typically 80-90% cheaper than propane per BTU, in my neck of the woods (the NG 'equivalent' of a 20# tank of propane costs me about $1.60). When I use numbers in my posts, I usually ballpark it at 85%. The convenience factor is priceless!
     
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  4. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Guitar as a hobby is far more expensive than beer as a hobby*.

    *At least if you're like me and play bass (and guitar) in a metal band, and need MOAR POWER, insisting on a full stack with aluminized cone speakers, 1000 watts of power, a pre-amp, plus you can't stop buying instruments, gadgets, toys, amplifiers, etc etc etc**. :grimacing:

    **I'll die fairly broke, but happy, and possibly deaf.
     
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  5. mnstorm99

    mnstorm99 Initiate (0) May 11, 2007 Minnesota

    Fill or exchange? My problem is I need to quit exchanging.
     
  6. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
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    Exchange, $15.98. I need to fill too, but there isn't any place close enough to make it worth the extra gas I'd spend to get the savings.
     
  7. sjverla

    sjverla Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2008 Massachusetts


    My generation doesn't buy music, though as a teen I spent prodigiously.

    Equipment aside (and I'd say at least half of it I've gotten as gifts), now that I'm moving to all grain, I'm finding ingredients costs significantly cheaper. My next batch is going to be a clone of Avery's New World Porter, and all told, supplies should cost ~$45. But that's for 5 gallons of a really good beer (as long as I don't screw it up) that I enjoy (and my wife loves, more importantly). Two cases of that where I live could easily approach, if not cross, the $80 mark.

    As a renter, I don't pay for water (well I do, but it doesn't fluctuate based on usage). Gas/Electric are pretty cheap (relatively), so on a per-batch basis, those costs wouldn't add more than $5 or so.
     
  8. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society


    D'oh! Just bought two more guitars (a short-scale bass and an ovation acoustic) plus a baritone ukulele (like I really needed that). :rolling_eyes:

    If you want to save money, brew beer, don't take up guitar!
     
  9. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    I recently added a Deering Goodtime Banjo to my stable. I... just... can't... stop!

    FYI, I know it's a little late for this advice, but the Applause Celebrity (Ovation's Epiphone, if you will) I bought a few years ago for around $150 (+ $10 for the Tusq saddle) is the sweetest guitar I've ever had the pleasure of playing! Even nicer than the Ovation Celebrity I played at Sam Ash (lunch time during the week on school days is heaven at a guitar store!)

    Of course, I drink homebrew while I'm playing (trying to keep with the theme of the forum)
     
  10. sjverla

    sjverla Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2008 Massachusetts


    You guys bring up a good point. That brewing is a relatively cheap hobby to get in to and do well. All together, myself and others have probably spent ~$400 dollars on my equipment, and so far I've made some pretty good beer. I spent nearly $500 on my bike (then there's shoes, pedals, brake pads, wheels, derailleur and spandex :confused:), and I friggen hate my bike! I love riding in general though, and a better bike wouldn't make me a better rider necessarily, but a $5000 carbon frame/wheels would probably get be from A--->B faster by virtue of cutting the weight by 50%...I can't really comprehend what spending $5000 dollars on brewing would buy me, but it wouldn't make me a dramatically better brewer. It would just save me some steps. And yes, homebrew after (haven't tried during...something for Saturday maybe...) a ride.
     
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  11. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
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    LOL, what I actually bought IS an applause! The box says ovation, the label on the inside says ovation, but the headstock says applause! Truthfully I could have bought whatever guitar I wanted, but I picked this one because it played the best, and because it was a cut-away and had electronics too. It's a beaut too, almost candy-apple red but also wood tone, I love it already!

    And... get ready for this............... I got it at Sam Ash.

    I've got two banjos, a 5 and a 4 string, trying to get the 4 string going, the 5 string works pretty good (I just don't really know how to play banjo, or perhaps I just play banjo like I play guitar).

    The baritone uek is pretty fun!

    I'm on my second beer. I really need to go bottle a batch of homebrew, but that might have to wait till tomorrow or saturday because I've got a jam to go to around 6................... :sunglasses:
     
  12. drperry11

    drperry11 Initiate (0) Jan 8, 2012 South Carolina

    guitaradvocate.com
     
  13. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
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    You may hate your bike, but we* hate the idea of bikers in spandex! :grimacing:

    But yeah, super expensive brewing equipment doesn't automatically translate to super great brews. If you can't make good beer on a simple five gallon system, you will be wasting money if you buy something real expensive and fancy.

    Truthfully, same applies to super-expensive guitars, which is why I don't have any. My guitars are not super cheep, but if you can't make a $300 electric guitar sound great, a $3000 electric guitar will sound no better. Same with most instruments, once a certain minimal level of quality is reached, a good musician can make them all sound great, while a lousy musician won't make any of them sound great.

    *well, we meaning me, at least in this case
     
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  14. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
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    Might have to. Derailadvocate.com was already at capacity. :rolling_eyes:
     
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  15. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    If not for Bluegrass, why bother with a banjo? (IOW, ditch the 4-string :wink:)
    I've got Church practice at 7. But I plan to down plenty of homebrew before then! :slight_smile:
     
  16. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society


    Well actually, I do play in a bluegrass jam, despite also being in a heavy metal band. :grimacing:

    Downing homebrew before church... sounds like something I'd do! :rolling_eyes:

    I desperately need to add another gram scale to my brewing collection... I'm in need of bottling at my home location, but can't do it without a gram scale! <heads to amazon...>
     
  17. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,326) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Society


    Despite brewing being far cheeper than being a musician, these little "moments" never seem to go away, you'll always "need" something. And don't even think of going into the homebrew store, just to get "one thing." You're only fooling yourself, pal. :rolling_eyes:

    p.s. scale ordered, along with a bunch of guitar strings, LOL. bottling will have to wait till the scale arrives, as I can't weigh out bottling sugar with a scale that only goes to OUNCES!
     
  18. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,528) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
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    I did a smoked wet hop brown last year. Used the malt base from SN Tumbler and hopped it with fresh wet Chinook (12oz) and Cascade (4oz). Great beer, unfortunately I have no harvest this year and cannot make it again. I had the last bottle on 4th of July this year, still tasted great.
     
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  19. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    Your beer sounds sweet!

    I am planning on making a Harvest Ale next week (hop harvest dependent) but it will be an APA.

    Cheers!
     
  20. Viking_Bob

    Viking_Bob Initiate (0) Aug 21, 2013 Alabama


    Yep, you guys have got it right. When I lived in Atlanta, we had 5+ companies servicing our area and you could lock in rates for 6,12, or 18 months at extremely low rates per therm. God Bless Bama, but they are always last in line to get with the program..For heaven's sake, we just legalized homebrewing beer a few months ago...Only 80 years after Prohibition ended! I should be thankful I have electricity and cable TV living here, let alone natural gas.
     
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