Poll: Which type of a brewer are you?

[aidan]

I've noticed an apparent pattern with home brewers and I think most fall into one of 2 camps:

1. The gear enthusiast home brewer for whom the hobby is as much about the beer making equipment as the beer making itself
2. The frugal home brewer who tries to scrape by with a minimum amount of equipment

If you read my latest blog post it will be pretty obvious which camp I fall into, but what about you, which camp do you fall into?

If you think you are somewhere in the middle, ask yourself do you envy other brewer's fancy setups.

 

[tonyc318]

I'm in the second camp of frugal, but that's only because I don't have enough money to buy all the cool gear. I'm lucky enough to brew once a month right now.

 

[Subsailor]

Definitely frugal brewing.

 

[Channel66]

I am the guy that has a hard time walking out of my LHBS with just ingredients. I inevitably end up with another keggle, burner, stir plate, keg, etc. SWMBO has taken to joining me on said trips to try to talk me off the ledge so to speak, usually doesn't work.

 

[mr_bell]

Frugal like Charlie Papazian (there is a basic brewing video podcast interview where he showed his brewing set up/equipment--very low tech), though I do have my fair share of equipment. Nothing incredibly high tech. My refractometer (recent purchase), stirplate, and cheap digital thermometer is about as high tech as I get--for now.

 

[bernerbrau]

This analysis is pretty shallow - it tries to pigeonhole an entire spectrum into 2 extremes.

I certainly don't have an automated 20 gallon single tier RIMS system, but I'm anything but frugal when it comes to brewing purchases.

 

[LuxAeterna]

Gear enthusiast. Always thinking about how I can improve my setup and make things better. A lot of fun to look at brewing in this fashion, but my wallet sure does feel lighter.

 

[Horseballs]

Yes.

 

[kh54s10]

I have to be frugal. I have had no luck with POWERBALL!

But I have all necessary equipment now and am buying in bulk so the cost is coming down.

 

[david_42]

None of the above.

 

[mb82]

I am right now the frugal kind of brewer. But it is not for a lack of trying. I will be a gear nut soon.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Frugal by necessity. I have a hard time affording ingredients, let alone gear. If I ever have the funding, I'd definitely throw down on some fancy equipment.

 

[Stauffbier]

I'm a little of both. I'm a gearhead on a budget!

 

[thetragichero]

well i just upgraded my equipment, but it was a walmart turkey fryer and watercooler mash tun so.... frugal

 

[40watt]

I will spend money were it counts. Rebel Mill, 15 gallon boil pot, and the biggest cooler MLT I could build. Ferm chamber...it gets expensive, so I can't call myself frugal.

 

[aidan]

This analysis is pretty shallow - it tries to pigeonhole an entire spectrum into 2 extremes.

I certainly don't have an automated 20 gallon single tier RIMS system, but I'm anything but frugal when it comes to brewing purchases.

It might be and there are certainly a lot of people who will fall somewhere in the middle. I did consider a 3rd option but figured it would make it too easy for those people in the middle. You can go ahead and pick option 1.

 

[amandabab]

frugal brewer but not cheap.
good equipment over lots of equipment or every type of equipment.

My Ohaus mechanical scales are 15 years old and needed calibration once in that time
My test jars, hydrometers, yeast flasks are all borosilicate/pyrex lab glass

I'd rather buy an good thermometer once than 4 cheap ones.
Over the years as I replaced stuff I've found less and less of my equipment came from homebrew suppliers because they're expensive.

 

[VladOfTrub]

Those that die with the most equipment, win.

 

[Special Hops]

Neither really. Very narrow poll.

 

[thepartsmancometh]

Very much in the middle, but trending towards frugal. I'd prefer to have more equipment but can't afford (or have room to store) more

 

[Zuljin]

I tend to kludge, so, frugal.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Cheap is funner!

 

[Yooper]

I couldn't answer, as I tend to be very frugal (washing yeast, buying in bulk) but as I've upgraded my system over the last 6 years, I've got an awesome all-electric brewrig. I probably have $2500 into it.

 

[mr_bell]

Maybe the question should be high vs. low tech? Certainly one could be frugal, but build their own RIMS or HERMS system, build a kegerator, etc. I am low tech, for now anyway.

 

[A4J]

My hobby is collecting gear. Making beer is a just a wonderful byproduct of that.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

I probably lean to the frugal side but I generally buy something when I need it. I try to acquire the necessary things that might help me but since I'm still trying to perfect my beer, having tons of new equipment won't make it any better. So I just try to get by.
I've made my own chiller and mash tun. Found two nice propane burners at garage sales for a total of $13 and picked up a superb stir plate from fellow HBT'er bigbeavk for $16. So I buy what I have to but I try to find good deals.
Where I've gone in head first is the 47 hops plants I've got growing. I don't know what I've gotten myself into but it seems I've spent the most money on 4"x4"s, sisal rope, cable, wire........... and a 16' step ladder.

 

[Rbeckett]

I'm a cheap enthusiest. I dont have a problem parting with the cash, but I do look around and try to accomplish my goal as inexpensively as possible. For instance I added a March pump to my rig. Not two or three, just one and compatable fittings on the rest of the system. I built a 10 Gallon Igloo mash tun instead of buying the 300+ dolar Blichman. So I save where I can and try to get the biggest bang I can for my buck while still accomplishing the mission at hand. So I guess I am a little of both.
Bob

 

[fpweeks]

I have a hard time brewing a batch without coming up with some needed improvement to my gear.......

 

[Billybrewer09]

I'm in the middle i guess..i have all the toys i think are nessasary they are just DIY.

 

[Spintab]

I go in and out of gear munching. I added a bunch of stainless to my setup a few batches ago so I'm fairly good on gear right now. Being a programmer by day and controlling my ferm temps with an Arduino always leaves some tweaking to be done. Having just moved to new area and in the process of assimilating a few brewers into the hobby, a 10 gallon system may be in my future. That will start the gear obsession cycle over for sure.

 

[DJP00829]

Definitely a little of both - I'm a beer-gear-head at heart, but my budget forces me to be frugal more often than I'd like.

 

[MichaelBrock]

I buy the gear necessary to make better beer. Stir plate, freezer w/ temperature control, o2 setup, etc. But I don't mind the process so don't spend money to make things "faster" or easier. So...not frugal, but not a gear head.

 

[Dan]

I'm a little of both. I'm a gearhead on a budget!

This!

 

[CidCitrus]

I try to brew a few batches in between any gear purchases so I don't feel like I'm spending any more than I would on store bought beer, but I definitely shop around a lot for the cheapest equipment. Just recently went all grain for about $250 total (IC, cooler MLT, burner, 11 gallon pot, spigot for pot). And my dad's, who recently started helping me, is more of a gearhead than me and bought me a 15 gallon pot. Ten gallon batches are in the works.

 

[passedpawn]

I'm a gear guy. But I build a lot of my bling (by necessity, electric brewery). So I think I'm a bit of both too. I voted gear guy though. Have fun with the poll.

 

[Tinga]

I find myself often going in different directions with what I want so I am always acquiring gear for everything. But I am always looking for the cheapest way to do it. So I have a lot of cheap gear and even more DIY stuff.

 

[Vernacular]

Those that die with the most equipment, win.

frugal...

Frosted my cookies to pay for that starter equipt. kit at the HBS. I have bought a few used glass carboys and a WalMart turkey fryer. No I don't have LOT OF EQUIPT. ahhh back in the day we brewed in an open wooden barrel, Friar Tuck taught me how. No one that has tasted my work has spit it out... so it must work for me.

and.... as for winning with the most.... toys... Lifes a ***** then you die... then SWMBO sells all your stuff in a yard sale.

 

[jonmohno]

Fruggals. Although im not frugal with ingredients. I think for the most part its technique more than what you have,athough i havent compared like say pure 02 compared to straining,shaking or aerating-mixing the carboy(im finding periodically shaking every few hours before yeast start working and yeast nutrient to be working nicely though) along with other things i havent spent money on.So i cant say having good equipement is better or not also.

Im a slowly develping gear enthusiast,maybe a dreamer that procrastinates for sake of buying more ingredients instead to make more varieties of beer.I guess i put more $ and effort into "research" when i could be budgeting it for more equipement instead. Thats probably what birthdays and Christmas could be good for.Ha ha. See how i am. They shure would make the perfect gifts,though.

 

[zacjack]

I do love gadgets, but I try to be be frugal (which is much different than "cheap"). I tend to spend money on things that matter.

 

[bmbigda]

most of us, including myself, are frugal gear heads. i buy in bulk, i stalk craigslist for cheap deals, i fabricate my own equipment whenever possible, i sell equipment i no longer use,

that being said, i have a keggle, a 20 gal pot, 2 mash tun coolers, 2 propane burners, 2 chest freezers, a march pump, 4 perlick SS faucets, 2 CO2 tanks, 2 dual body regulators, a plate chiller, a counter pressure filler, a stir plate, many kegs, many flasks, many carboys...and on and on and on.

but its not like i'm impulse buying and swiping my Visa, this is all collected over time, and obsessively finding the best deals possible...thats the norm around this hobby