I drink a lot....is it cheaper to brew?

[Odin's_FJ40]

I like beer. Mainly amber lagers and wheat beers....yeah I'm a "Boomer" with a palate ruined by 30 years of Miller Lite. I am intrigued by the brewing hobby but am not convinced that I can drink 5 gallons of 3-4 different beers before it goes bad. A friend is gifting me a kegerator. Not sure how many taps. I thought I would start by seeing how long it takes me to drink a couple kegs. Current favorites. Yeunglng Trditional Lager, Michelob Amberbock, Tucher Helles Lager, and Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier. I don't care for sucking on grapefruit or pine needles.....So the whole IPA craze is beyond me. Change my mind. I am willing to drink one of almost anything.

 

[MaxStout]

It can be quite a bit cheaper. Buy grain in bulk, hops by the pound, reuse yeast, etc., and you can make good beer really cheap.

 

[bracconiere]

i can brew a $8 10 gallon batch of 8% ABV....so it can be as cheap as you want it to be....

as far as your taste, beauty of DIY, make what you like!

and as far as your alcoholism, my 10 gallon 8% batches last me about 8-10 days.....so once again

 

[pvpeacock]

If you just add up the cost of water, grains, hops and yeast and divide that by the number of gallons brewed, the answer is yes.

If, however, you include time and equipment costs (including the fact that you will inevitably graduate from plastic buckets to temperature controlled, glycol chiller cooled, stainless steel conical fermenters with tri-clamp butterfly valves, etc., etc., etc. ) the answer is HELL NO!

But it is still worth it? Yes!!!!!

 

[ITV]

If you factor in the obession to upgrade your equipment, then no it's not cheaper.

 

[Dgallo]

I make double IPAs hopped at 4lbs per barrel for less las $1.25 for a 16oz pour. This would cost me $18-$28 depending on the brewery if I bought it. Home brewing is far cheaper than buying beer

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

It can be quite a bit cheaper. Buy grain in bulk, hops by the pound, reuse yeast, etc., and you can make good beer really cheap.

"reuse yeast" I didn't know you could do that

 

[Dgallo]

If you just add up the cost of water, grains, hops and yeast and divide that by the number of gallons brewed, the answer is yes.

If, however, you include time and equipment costs (including the fact that you will inevitably graduate from plastic buckets to temperature controlled, glycol chiller cooled, stainless steel conical fermenters with tri-clamp butterfly valves, etc., etc., etc. ) the answer is HELL NO!

But it is still worth it? Yes!!!!!

Or you can use large mouth carboy with modified caps for closed transfer and a old dorm room fridge with an ink bird for temp control for under $250 bucks. Some people need shiny and some just need functional

 

[bracconiere]

"reuse yeast" I didn't know you could do that

not only can you reuse yeast..insanley overpriced yeast, i've take to buying 500g bricks of wine yeast...

and as far as equiment fetishes go, i'm still brewing with the same 15 gallon simple pot, on my stove with a 10 gallon round cooler with a bazooka tube, i've been the same stuff for almost 20 years now....

edit: i see no reason to upgrade, i pull 90% effec with store bought malt, and 80% with homemalt with this stuff....

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I like beer. Mainly amber lagers and wheat beers...

Welcome to Homebrew Talk.

There are people here who brew "smaller" (2.5 / 3.0 gal) batches as well as people who prefer beers styles that you also enjoy.

I am willing to drink one of almost anything.

... and the "good ones" twice!

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

If you just add up the cost of water, grains, hops and yeast and divide that by the number of gallons brewed, the answer is yes.

If, however, you include time and equipment costs (including the fact that you will inevitably graduate from plastic buckets to temperature controlled, glycol chiller cooled, stainless steel conical fermenters with tri-clamp butterfly valves, etc., etc., etc. ) the answer is HELL NO!

But it is still worth it? Yes!!!!!

See that's just it. I go whole hog, both feet, WAO, All In. Damn a bunch of plastic buckets. I envision a DR. Frankenstein's lab of S.S. equipment, valves and hoses, and coils, and beakers of mysterious fluids ,and blinking lights. Creating blissful nectar in various shades of effervescent gold and amber.

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

Welcome to Homebrew Talk.

There are people here who brew "smaller" (2.5 / 3.0 gal) batches as well as people who prefer beers styles that you also enjoy.


... and the "good ones" twice!

AMEN!

 

[kmarkstevens]

If you buy in bulk, it's really cheap.

If you "like" beer like I "like" beer, a 5 gallon keg rarely lasts a week.

Brew what you like to drink. For example, I'm 99% sure you can brew something in the spirit of Michelob Amberbock, that you will like a LOT better and impress your friends. OR you can figure out the type of hops you really like and brew with those. You got the power.

 

[bracconiere]

See that's just it. I go whole hog, both feet, WAO, All In. Damn a bunch of plastic buckets. I envision a DR. Frankenstein's lab of S.S. equipment, valves and hoses, and coils, and beakers of mysterious fluids ,and blinking lights. Creating blissful nectar in various shades of effervescent gold and amber.

....then no

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

Or you can use large mouth carboy with modified caps for closed transfer and a old dorm room fridge with an ink bird for temp control for under $250 bucks. Some people need shiny and some just need functional

I want good beer.....If cheap and ugly produces that I can deal with it.

 

[bracconiere]

I want good beer.....If cheap and ugly produces that I can deal with it.

we are just talking about barley tea? cheap and ugly works fine....labor is the only thing that increases...not actually cost...

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

So....what am I missing with the whole IPA and Juicey Fruit thing? Bad examples or is it all bitter or my grand babies juice boxes ? See I think hops is used to disguise bad beer and a rush to market.

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

Did you guys start with clone recipes? How long before you produced a "thump your chest, "I made that" beer?

 

[bracconiere]

So....what am I missing with the whole IPA and Juicey Fruit thing? Bad examples or is it all bitter or my grand babies juice boxes ? See I think hops is used to disguise bad beer and a rush to market.

IPA is a marketing gimick to set to little guy apart from the big boys....

and when it come to SS conicals, i just got a tip from a fellow HBTer, 50lb vittles vault fermenter for my 10 gallon batches, did my first batch works great!

(price looks like it went up, was $30)

 

[Dgallo]

IPA is a marketing gimick to set to little guy apart from the big boys....

You hurt me, why do you have to cut so deep lol

 

[bracconiere]

"thump your chest, "I made that" beer?

back when i was 18 and first starting, fermented some tree top apple juice, said "Damn, it's this easy!"

 

[bracconiere]

You hurt me, why do you have to cut so deep lol

 

[Dgallo]

View attachment 731276

Us hop guys.....We go straight for 3rd base

 

[renstyle]

So....what am I missing with the whole IPA and Juicey Fruit thing? Bad examples or is it all bitter or my grand babies juice boxes ? See I think hops is used to disguise bad beer and a rush to market.

You're not missing anything. You aren't a fan of super-high IBUs or drinking a beer that reminds me of a jug of orange juice that sat in the back of grandma's fridge and was forgotten for a month (or two). I'm also a non-NEIPA fan, never liked it... but I'll try a good IPA cuz I like the taste of hop character.

Many folks like that tho, it would appear. Folks also like pastry stouts, while I scratch my head... To each their own eh?

Loading up on hops (to me) can make for a very satisfying brew, if done with nuance. Like everything in life, balance it out with some lovely dark, malty brews regularly. That's where I'm at now.

My favorite lagers are brewed in the original Pilsner spirit: light color malts but still more than enough hops to provide a bite, and thus balance. Pilz Urquell, Paulaner Pils, things like that. That bitterness needs to be there for the whole enterprise to work. Clean tasting. These brews show how a strong hop character can accentuate the overall experience of the beer, rather than detract from it.

 

[renstyle]

Did you guys start with clone recipes? How long before you produced a "thump your chest, "I made that" beer?

I perused BYO's big book of clone recipes, and used those as a template to make something I liked. I've tweaked almost every recipe slightly.

Still a ways away from being able to whip up a recipe based on style, unless it's a SMaSH clone of Stella Artrois that has literally just one type of grain and single hop variety... it's not that important to me.

I work toward consistency, which is somewhat of a contradiction with my endless tweaking LOL....

 

[bracconiere]

Us hop guys.....We go straight for 3rd base

3rd base? isn't the right term, "back nine"?

 

[Dgallo]

3rd base? isn't the right term, "back nine"?

 

[renstyle]

3rd base? isn't the right term, "back nine"?

I don't golf... I merely drive the cart around with the beer cooler and let the other guys lose their balls! LOL

 

[renstyle]

I like beer. Mainly amber lagers and wheat beers....yeah I'm a "Boomer" with a palate ruined by 30 years of Miller Lite. I am intrigued by the brewing hobby but am not convinced that I can drink 5 gallons of 3-4 different beers before it goes bad.

Can you drink 20 gal of beer in a year? Once they are kegged and stay on gas and in the cold the brews you like will easily stay good for months.

A friend is gifting me a kegerator. Not sure how many taps.

Best.
Friend.
EVAR!

Yeunglng Trditional Lager, Michelob Amberbock, Tucher Helles Lager, and Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier.

All of these can be replicated "in spirit" at home. Lagers needing mid-50s fermentation temps is about the only part of the brewing process that would be in the "moderate difficulty" realm. Everything else is squarely in the "fairly easy" section.

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

You're not missing anything. You aren't a fan of super-high IBUs or drinking a beer that reminds me of a jug of orange juice that sat in the back of grandma's fridge and was forgotten for a month (or two). I'm also a non-NEIPA fan, never liked it... but I'll try a good IPA cuz I like the taste of hop character.

Many folks like that tho, it would appear. Folks also like pastry stouts, while I scratch my head... To each their own eh?

Loading up on hops (to me) can make for a very satisfying brew, if done with nuance. Like everything in life, balance it out with some lovely dark, malty brews regularly. That's where I'm at now.

My favorite lagers are brewed in the original Pilsner spirit: light color malts but still more than enough hops to provide a bite, and thus balance. Pilz Urquell, Paulaner Pils, things like that. That bitterness needs to be there for the whole enterprise to work. Clean tasting. These brews show how a strong hop character can accentuate the overall experience of the beer, rather than detract from it.

I am just beginning to notice reference to NEIPA (New England ?) and WCIPA (West Coast). What is the difference? Are the other IPAs? And yes I am not a fan of beers with high IBUs, I had to look IBU up).

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

Can you drink 20 gal of beer in a year? Once they are kegged and stay on gas and in the cold the brews you like will easily stay good for months.



Best.
Friend.
EVAR!



All of these can be replicated "in spirit" at home. Lagers needing mid-50s fermentation temps is about the only part of the brewing process that would be in the "moderate difficulty" realm. Everything else is squarely in the "fairly easy" section.

With all that wisdom I need you as a "brewing friend"

 

[renstyle]

I am just beginning to notice reference to NEIPA (New England ?) and WCIPA (West Coast). What is the difference? Are the other IPAs? And yes I am not a fan of beers with high IBUs, I had to look IBU up).

NEIPA is the juicy stuff that I swear is just slightly fermented orange juice. They are cloudy, fruity and have alot of hop aroma. They also taste somewhat like beer.

WCIPA are the traditional hop bombs, with scads of Pine/Needles/Grapefruit notes. Often dry hopped after the brews are in the fermenter for a few days.

 

[bracconiere]

I am just beginning to notice reference to NEIPA (New England ?) and WCIPA (West Coast). What is the difference? Are the other IPAs? And yes I am not a fan of beers with high IBUs, I had to look IBU up).

as far as i've read NEIPA is a IPA that has hop trub homogenzied, and mixed through it so it's so hoppy it's cloudy with hops? not 100% on that though...

 

[renstyle]

With all that wisdom I need you aa "brewing friend"

When you were listing off your current faves, it reminded me of my own brew list, tho ales not lagers...

English Porter, English Dark Mild, Northern Brown... going to try a Scotch ale soon also.

Then I do a Bohemian/Czech Pilsner to balance out the light side of the force, as it were.

This is the best part about homebrewing, you can literally make anything you like, limited only by your time and to some extent, your finances (but not too much).

 

[renstyle]

as far as i've read NEIPA is a IPA that has hop trub homogenzied, and mixed through it so it's so hoppy it's cloudy with hops? not 100% on that though...

You had me curious, so I looked it up... Per BJCP (provisional style) a NEIPA is defined as:

"An American IPA with intense fruit flavors and aromas, a soft body, and smooth mouthfeel, and often opaque with substantial haze. Less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always massively hop forward. This emphasis on late hopping, especially dry hopping, with hops with tropical fruit qualities lends the specific ‘juicy’ character for which this style is known."

I too am unsure exactly what keeps them so hazy. I do know they are notorious for going purple when oxidized, prolly why I always see these in cans, not in bottles...

 

[day_trippr]

^lol^ You wouldn't care either way as long as your liver continues to pickle

And - fwiw - for sure this has become the most deranged thread I've seen this year.
But carry on! A week ago I was in an ER for an afternoon so the entertainment value is appreciated more than usual

Cheers! (undiagnosed event. Feeling excellent now though, thanks!)

[edit] That was aimed at our favorite drunk @bracconiere

 

[renstyle]

^lol^ You wouldn't care either way as long as your liver continues to pickle

And - fwiw - for sure this has become the most deranged thread I've seen this year.
But carry on! A week ago I was in an ER for an afternoon so the entertainment value is appreciated more than usual

Cheers! (undiagnosed event. Feeling excellent now though, thanks!)

Good to hear your excellent-ness has returned to full, just in time for the weekend!

 

[day_trippr]

Seriously! Especially with Youngest Son opening his pool for real just in time for an epic wave of heat here!

 

[Odin's_FJ40]

You had me curious, so I looked it up... Per BJCP (provisional style) a NEIPA is defined as:

"An American IPA with intense fruit flavors and aromas, a soft body, and smooth mouthfeel, and often opaque with substantial haze. Less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always massively hop forward. This emphasis on late hopping, especially dry hopping, with hops with tropical fruit qualities lends the specific ‘juicy’ character for which this style is known."

I too am unsure exactly what keeps them so hazy. I do know they are notorious for going purple when oxidized, prolly why I always see these in cans, not in bottles...

Maybe it's a texture or visual thing when it comes to the "hazy" juice bombs. But God help me I enjoy an ice cold Strongbow or Angry Orchard "Peach/Mango cider when its hot outside.

 

[renstyle]

Maybe it's a texture or visual thing when it comes to the "hazy" juice bombs. But God help me I enjoy an ice cold Strongbow or Angry Orchard "Peach/Mango cider when its hot outside.

Oh it's definitely texture, the fuller mouthfeel of a NEIPA, however it is accomplished, is a trademark of the style. It's part of the reason I'm not much of a fan, cuz when I want HOPS the WCIPAs do the trick.

Lumber Weasel (Woodchuck) has been my go-to cider since college (90s), especially the Pear! A very clean taste, and look.