Anyone else not buy retail beer?

[MapleGroveAleworks]

I've done it! I started brewing in 2011 and took a year off in 2015. Got started again this past December and now have a full 5 tap keezer that fits 8 kegs. I told my wife when I first started I wouldn't need commercial beer anymore but still bought it all the time. Now that I feel I make pretty good beer, I haven't bought a retail beer since early January, and it feels great! My $100 a month or so I spend on my brewery doesn't look nearly as bad now that I'm not spending $10+ on six packs and $7+ on overpriced bombers.

I will always accept a beer from friends who bring beer over to the house, but I'm very proud to say that I feel that I've completely removed myself from the desire to buy retail beer. I imagine this is how people feel who mostly eat their own food they grow, etc. Becoming completely independent!

It does make me feel a bit alienated at times when my friends talk about an upcoming beer release and I just shrug my shoulders.

Anyone else gotten to this point? Hopefully I can sustain it, but it's been almost 3 months and I have no desire to buy anything off the shelves. Too much good stuff at home!

 

[meatcleaver]

I think I've bought only two 12 packs since I started brewing about 15 months ago.
I too was tired of paying $10-12/ 6 of something decent to drink.

 

[wallybangbang]

Definitely cut way down. We still by commercial brews for "inspiration" or to try different styles to drink on brew days. Can proudly say I have not drank a Coors light or Bud product in years. PBR, now that's a different story. Its my lake beer and I love it.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

I think I've bought only two 12 packs since I started brewing about 15 months ago.
I too was tired of paying $10-12/ 6 of something decent to drink.

Agreed, the prices really added up. For me the money and just the feeling of independence are about 50/50 for me on importance.

 

[bbohanon]

I only buy from the store if the pipeline is low due to time constraints or if I see something new that I want to try.

Most days all I am seeing is a sh*t ton of new IPAs or bastardized blonde "Hoppy" ales filling the shelves which is very discouraging..I am so over the IPA craze...

 

[grizzly2378]

I've gone the opposite way...since I started homebrewing a couple of years ago I've also started buying MORE commercial beer. As I've become more informed on the brewing process and the different styles out there, I've also become more interested in seeking out new/different beers that I've never tried before. So, yeah, no cost savings for me (don't tell my wife).

 

[beergolf]

I call it research. You have to try other beers to get ideas for homebrews.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

I only buy from the store if the pipeline is low due to time constraints or if I see something new that I want to try.

Most days all I am seeing is a sh*t ton of new IPAs or bastardized blonde "Hoppy" ales filling the shelves which is very discouraging..I am so over the IPA craze...

That could be another entire discussion altogether. Couldn't agree more on the IPA thing.

 

[Sailingeric]

I've gone the opposite way...since I started homebrewing a couple of years ago I've also started buying MORE commercial beer. As I've become more informed on the brewing process and the different styles out there, I've also become more interested in seeking out new/different beers that I've never tried before. So, yeah, no cost savings for me (don't tell my wife).

Same here, I usually get a bottle of something when we go grocery shopping for R&D purposes

 

[Homercidal]

I still buy special beers. Beers I want to try, and sometimes a few regulars to have on the shelf. Since I only have 2 taps I find that although I drink my own regularly I sometimes want something different from what's in the keg. I'm not always good about having homebrew in bottles.

That said, I could probably satisfy about 90% of my beer requirements with my own homebrew. There will still be a desire to go to the brewery/pub and also pick up a bottle of something now and again.

 

[Firewalker11]

I have been fortunate with being a member of a home brew club, several people bring the highly desired beers to the tastings (every month) where we get to try them all together. I have almost stopped buying beer altogether but have given in from time to time when we (wife and I) go to a seminar and taste the brewery/winery/distillers wares.

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

I have cut down on buying retail beer by about 50% since I started brewing 15 months ago. I went from buying a 6 pack or two a week, to about two 6 packs a month.

Personally, I know that I will always buy commercial beer because I love variety and due to space/time limitations, I can't always have a bourbon aged RIS, a Saison, 3 different DIPAs and a bomber of Flander's Red on hand.

 

[Firewalker11]

I have cut down on buying retail beer by about 50% since I started brewing 15 months ago. I went from buying a 6 pack or two a week, to about two 6 packs a month.

Personally, I know that I will always buy commercial beer because I love variety and due to space/time limitations, I can't always have a bourbon aged RIS, a Saison, 3 different DIPAs and a bomber of Flander's Red on hand.

Stack a couple refrigerators?

 

[cegan09]

Don't think i'll ever stop buying retail beer. There's just too many really good ones. But I do see myself backing off on how much or what i buy. I'll buy less average bulk, and focus more on the specialty interesting stuff.

 

[atom]

Don't think i'll ever stop buying retail beer. There's just too many really good ones. But I do see myself backing off on how much or what i buy. I'll buy less average bulk, and focus more on the specialty interesting stuff.

this. plus i camp a lot...much easy to pick up a few cases of cans than deal with growlers/bottles or trying to keep a keg cool.

 

[ncsuwerewolf]

Im pretty self reliant, 5 taps, one of which is a stout faucet on nitro in a keezer that hold 8 really comfortably but sometimes you just need a Budweiser. 5 days straight of honeydo projects, today is one of those days.

 

[PADave]

I have cut way back, I'd say I buy less than half of the amount of commercial beer that I use to. My goal is to not have to buy beer anymore. But for now I pick up a 6 or 12 pack every now and then, mainly for the bottles. Need to build up a nice stash of empties to fill.

 

[A2HB]

I only buy special release beers or beers that I'm really interested in trying. There's nothing wrong with picking up a sixer or a bomber of a new or limited release from your favorite mersh breweries from time to time, but it's nice to always have a variety of fresh and aged beers that I've brewed myself to drink now. As a matter of fact my fridge is filled up with a bunch of mixed six packs from the various beers I've bought over the past 15 months since I've been brewing. That bomber of Enjoy By 2/14/16 does need to get drank soon though lol

 

[NatureOfTheYeast]

I haven't bought commercial beer for pure enjoyment in probably 8 months or so.

I like to buy singles for R&D and inspiration, and I'll buy really fresh 6 packs of beers that I'm trying to clone. Otherwise, the 28 cases stacked in my beer room would never get drunk.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I only buy beer if i'm out and thats rare but it happens sometimes or if I want to compare a clone recipe

 

[Toejam792]

Our supermarket sells individual 12oz craft beers for 1.79. So I usually pick up one bottle for something different every week. Other than that its all home brew for me.

 

[alexacuna]

I do buy them for styles sometimes. I still bottle, and have a hundred 22oz bottles now so keeping my inventory from exploding any more.

 

[chisena]

I buy tons of retail beer. I like beer. I enjoy drinking different beers, draw inspiration from other beers, and need stuff to judge my brews against 🤓

 

[madscientist451]

I'll buy variety 12 packs now and then. Here in PA we have to get beer at the "distributor" usually a 12 pack or a case. One place I go to puts things on sale now and then and I'll get something I like. The 6 pack price of $10-12+ is pretty irritating, especially knowing what the cost is to produce 5 gallons of IPA homebrew, buying the ingredients at retail prices.
Compared to fresh homebrew, many commercial beers just seem kind of mediocre. So I'll buy some to change things up now and then, but now that we're in the spring brewing season (for me) I probably won't buy much until next winter.

 

[worlddivides]

I have pretty much the exact opposite experience. I buy way more beer now than I did before I brewed. I know there are some people who brew a batch every week or more often, but I usually brew once a month, so I might have two batches available. So, yeah, I buy commercial beers a lot more now.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

It was actually one of my home brewing goals this year to not buy any commercial beer for home consumption. The only exception is that I'm in the beer club for one of my local breweries (Sante Adarius), so I still buy their beer. Other than that I've been able to keep up with my goal so far.

When we go our for dinner etc. this rule does not apply, so I still have plenty of chances to R&D

 

[filthyastronaut]

+1 on the research approach. I learn a lot from commercial breweries and get some good ideas off of them, or times where I think I can improve on their concepts. Seeing as I would like to get into the industry, it serves me well to keep up with the times and trends. Also, it can be cumbersome to bring bottle-conditioned homebrew camping and stuff, so canned microbrews are nice in that situation.

 

[aprichman]

The only beer I've bought so far this year has been directly from Block 15. Can't pass up their bourbon barrel releases, Sticky Hands IPA, and The Incredible IIPA.

 

[WesM63]

I still buy retail, not near as much as I used to though.

R&D, trying to pick out different flavors (hops, grains, etc) As with others, my goal has always been to reduce my monthly beer budget.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I don't buy much comercial beer, but when I do I choose one that has bottles I can refill.

 

[hotwatermusic]

I have drifted towards strictly tap room stuff at local breweries and my own. Tasting the best examples of perfectly presented fresh beer gives me all the motivation I need and it feels good seeing where my money is going and tasting the results of past "investments". I still will buy special bottles or good examples of styles I don't have going at the moment, but it's true that a $7 bomber feels silly.

 

[Paps]

Before i got into homebrewing i'd casually kill a 6-12 pack of Guinness in a sitting. Would do this sometimes 3 days a week. It was $7 a sixer at the time/place but that indeed can add up. Now that i homebrew i actually consume much less in total quantity of beer. I almost never buy carry-out beer and will only do if it's a style i haven't tried yet or something i find to be very good.(Boulevards "Harvest Dance" for example) I do try to support local so i will buy beers if i am eating somewhere and i will also buy some of the beers that the Bentonville Brewery makes as they allow us to hold our monthly homebrew meetings at their tap-room. Beyond that....it's a rarity that i purchase commercial beers anymore and i refuse to buy anything from In-Bev including any of the craft brewery it buys out.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I'm the same way, OP. For me, it's mostly a money thing. Once I started brewing, I didn't have much left to spend on commercial beer, and most of the time I don't need any extra beer lying around. I do love variety, which is why it's great to trade brews with other brewers or brew lots of small and split batches (as I do in the link in my sig). When I think about the cost of a six-pack and the fact that I can brew a case of beer for that much money, it just doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[mattdee1]

My mix is probably 75% homebrew and 25% from the store. Just enough to mix things up a bit.

 

[Peleus74]

I've been brewing 5+ years. For the first several years I did buy more various craft beers. But I find now that I make beer equal or better than good craft beer, and usually much better than the the stale old stuff found in convenience or groc stores. I'm now at the point where I just drink mine and avoid the expense and disappointment.

 

[C-Rider]

We have a local store that often sells dated S.N. beer for $5 a 12 pack. I can't brew that cheep and S.N. makes good beer.

 

[bobeer]

I have my must buys from my days of drinking 100% commercial beer. Mostly SN like Celebration and Big Foot but other than that I try to strictly drink homebrew. With having a 2 year old and a son on the way, due in Aug, I can't justify spending money on homebrewing AND commercial beer. It really just doesn't make any sense. I'd rather spend the 30-50 bucks a week i'd spend on commercial beer on homebrewing stuff. Plus you can't beat the freshness of homebrew. Ever since my beer has been turning out great I'm finding it really difficult to find something in the store that would be as enjoyable and just pulling a pint from my basement.

Plus homebrewing gives me something to do and something personally to look forward to. It's a great hobby and it's fun to share my beer with family and friends. You just don't get that with buying beer. Sure, it's fun to buy a bomber and share it with a buddy but it doesn't have the same lure to me. Guy 1 "where you buy this beer?" Guy 2 "At the local market. It was new so I figured I'd give it a go." Guy 1 "Oh cool, Thanks for sharing!" Guy 1 drinking homebrew. "Oh you brewed this? Wow, it's great. How did you come up with this?" Guy 2 who made homebrew goes on a long rant about what went into the beer, how the brew day was, why he brewed said beer, etc, etc, etc... It's a much more intimate experience and one both parties are more likely to remember down the road.

Yea, I'm a little bias since I homebrew but I will say it still feels a little weird to go into a store and not wander through the beer isle as much as I used to. Keeping the pipeline full pretty much deters me from buying beer at the store. I can't look my wife in the eye and put a 6er in the cart knowing I have 10+ gallons of beer in carboys and 2 full kegs in the fridge hahaha.

 

[Bruinsfan]

Proud to say that I have not bought beer from the store in 2 years

 

[cubalz]

I only drink beer that I brew and have for quite a long time. My beer tastes the best to me.

 

[BrewMan13]

Still mix it up quite a bit, since I like variety and only have space for one homebrew on at a time. Like to frequent local breweries/taprooms as much as possible.