Home-brewed beer?

[ImprobableJoe]

Yeah... because I'm poor now. Not real poor, but like "not buying food from farmer's markets and fish mongers" poor. I still totally have faster Internet than you.

One of the ways I'm trying to save money is on beer. I like my beer dark and rich and it costs anywhere from $9-15 a six pack. I hear that brewing my own beer will cost me somewhere closer to $5-6 for sixers. The question is whether anyone can give me some advice on how to do this. If this is going to cost me $1000 or something, then the money saving won't do me much good. :lol:

If I can order from Amazon, even better because I get free shipping.

 

[Master_Ghost_Knight]

Do you live in a farm?

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Do you live in a farm?

No, I live in the ghetto (in the ghettooooooo).

 

[Prolescum]

Fuck Elvis.

Besides that, I have no idea about how to brew beer. I believe it involves yeast.

 

[Master_Ghost_Knight]

If you don't have your own crops I don't see how could it payof to brew your own beer.

 

[nasher168]

If you bought barley at wholesale prices, perhaps it could pay off? Especially in the long-term.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

If you bought barley at wholesale prices, perhaps it could pay off? Especially in the long-term.

Yeah... seems like you brew beer 4-5 gallons at a time. 4 gallons is about 42 beers worth, or 7 six packs. The average six pack I buy costs around $10. As long as the ingredients cost less than $70 I'll at least break even.

 

[Duvelthehobbit666]

I have some friends who brewed beer. Not sure about the costs though. You're probably looking at a starter kit at 30-50 dollars and you need to buy malt and hop extract. Not sure about how the costs are. I think the costs are different here in Europe.

 

[DepricatedZero]

I had a long talk with a couple friends of mine about this very thing a while back. They're part of a homebrewing club. It was comforting to me that they're also police.

It costs about $80 to start, but that's starting out, getting all the equipment - you can pick up a kit in that price range. I haven't done it yet (I have been meaning to) so I'm not sure what all that comes with and if it's possible/cheaper to peacemeal. It probably is, so see what you can do there. Then the actual ingredients run about $5-8/gallon, and typically you would use a 5-gallon container to brew in, which means $25-40 and leaves you with about 50 bottles of beer.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

I had a long talk with a couple friends of mine about this very thing a while back. They're part of a homebrewing club. It was comforting to me that they're also police.

It costs about $80 to start, but that's starting out, getting all the equipment - you can pick up a kit in that price range. I haven't done it yet (I have been meaning to) so I'm not sure what all that comes with and if it's possible/cheaper to peacemeal. It probably is, so see what you can do there. Then the actual ingredients run about $5-8/gallon, and typically you would use a 5-gallon container to brew in, which means $25-40 and leaves you with about 50 bottles of beer.

Right... and that's well under my $70 break-even point. Since I moved into a larger house, I have a whole room that can be more or less devoted to beer making.

 

[Netheralian]

We used to do it at Uni all the time (and if you can do it as a uni student, it must be cheap!) - and you can make some great beers. If you want to do it really cheap and easy (and you like the stuff) you can always start with Ginger beer. I believe it's a lot easier (can't stand the stuff myself).

I recall about $100 AUD to get started (should be a little cheaper in the US). Just make absolutely sure you clean you bottles properly (well, everything that will be handling beer). We always brewed in Tallies in AUS (750ml bottles - about double normal beer bottle size for non SI people). It always seemed to brew better in larger amounts (and less bottling work). Hope you have been saving all the bottles you have been drinking recently!

You will also probably have some losses from exploding bottles. Don't be surprised by the odd pop in the night, and don't store them anywhere that you don't want to be covered in beer.

Also - use non screw top bottles if you can get them. (In Aus, its difficult these days). Also, If you have any friends that drink Grolsh, get them to collect the bottles - they also make great brewing bottles because they are easily resealed.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

We used to do it at Uni all the time (and if you can do it as a uni student, it must be cheap!) - and you can make some great beers. If you want to do it really cheap and easy (and you like the stuff) you can always start with Ginger beer. I believe it's a lot easier (can't stand the stuff myself).

I recall about $100 AUD to get started (should be a little cheaper in the US). Just make absolutely sure you clean you bottles properly (well, everything that will be handling beer). We always brewed in Tallies in AUS (750ml bottles - about double normal beer bottle size for non SI people). It always seemed to brew better in larger amounts (and less bottling work). Hope you have been saving all the bottles you have been drinking recently!

You will also probably have some losses from exploding bottles. Don't be surprised by the odd pop in the night, and don't store them anywhere that you don't want to be covered in beer.

Also - use non screw top bottles if you can get them. (In Aus, its difficult these days). Also, If you have any friends that drink Grolsh, get them to collect the bottles - they also make great brewing bottles because they are easily resealed.

Yeah... I've seen some kits that run about $140 and include enough ingredients for 144 12-ounce beers. And I'm definitely saving my bottles. I've got 24 so far, which by my calculations means I need another... ummmm... 500?

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

In America, you need a license to sell alcoholic things like Beer and Vodka for-profit.

That noted - Popular Mechanics is how my LPO learned to do it, and he makes damned fine beer.

 

[DepricatedZero]

If you want to do it really cheap and easy (and you like the stuff) you can always start with Ginger beer. I believe it's a lot easier (can't stand the stuff myself).

Ya, it's hard to like, it doesn't have any soul like real beer.