Adding up the costs of brewing

[philmud]

I have a lot of brews at home. I'd like to share more with friends but it would also be nice for them to help contribute to the cost. But to do that I'd need to know in more detail the costs of my brewing. I'll work it out some time.

There's a long thread in this sub-forum discussing the ettiquette involved when friends drink your beer. From memory there were a few common approaches - some brewers didn't bother, either the amounts being drunk were negligible, or they felt strongly that guests shouldn't contribute to the cost if the beer they served. Others had an un-verbalised expectation that if mates came over for a beer, they'd bring some beer to share, or perhaps some food. A few guys had a coin box in their bar and their friends made a small contribution for each beer they drank (circa $0.50 - $1.00).

 

[TimT]

Oh yeah. Mostly I don't bother. But still - costs do add up, and if I were to, say, have a regular arrangement with friends where I gave them a few bottles every few weeks I'd want to consider some system like this. When I get friends to do stuff for my zines or perform with me on stage I sometimes give them a few bottles of brew, too, as a payment.

A mate who used to make wine fairly regularly but has now stopped mentioned that people often just expected free wine and didn't help him out with the costs, which he found disheartening. It's something worth thinking about, I reckon - I'm never going to become a professional brewer but brewing is a skill and it's worth acknowledging that.

 

[fletcher]

I once heard homebrewing is the most expensive way to make cheap beer.

Think the situation in Australia is pretty much the reverse. The cheapest way to make expensive beer.

I have a lot of brews at home. I'd like to share more with friends but it would also be nice for them to help contribute to the cost. But to do that I'd need to know in more detail the costs of my brewing. I'll work it out some time.

i'm exactly the opposite. i love giving my beer to friends and family just because they enjoy it. life a gift almost. if they took advantage of that though then it might be a different story.

i love the feedback and the sense of pride (for want of a better term) when they genuinely enjoy it

EDIT: yes, as prince has said. another thread has this haha

 

[beermeupscotty]

Haven't done detailed calcs yet but my kit brews generally come to around $1/stubby (ignoring capital costs). In the next few weeks as I establish my new brewing system, I'll start logging and calculating more seriously (I like the maths side of it ).

Regarding sharing brews with friends... My general system is:

If I'm in company (and the group isn't too large), I'm happy to provide brews free of charge (given I have decent stock) - it's nice to be able to share something you've made with friends, and also good to get feedback. That said, if this depletes the reserves too drastically or simply became a habit without much appreciation or reciprocation from recipients then I'd put the brakes on it a bit. Most of my friends are pretty good with this though.

If I'm not in company, then I have a small coin box with a charge of $1.50 (ONO) in the case that they'd like to have a few beers from the fridge (this is generally only for housemates at this point). $1.50 is kind of high but it's still cheaper (and better IMO) than what they'd otherwise buy, plus I want to keep some for myself so I don't really want to promote my beer all being drunk just yet! Once I increase capacity and stock, and eventually lower costs with AG, I'll drop the costs accordingly. However, it's all pretty trivial as I think I've only made $3 so far, haha.

 

[sb944]

I actually had a semi fight with the mrs about this subject on the weekend. After only 6 weeks of brewing, I've made quite a lot of little purchases, not hiding any of it from her. She finally confronted me about how much this hobby has cost us so far, why not just buy beer? I said it's probably cost less than just buying beer, and she said it's not possible.

Well, now I've done the numbers, and the only beer you could have bought cheaper at the same volume is 30 can slabs when they are on their best special at Dan Murphys with a 5% discount. In the mean time, I have brewed 5 different types of beer, including an all grain, and have all I need (but still want a lot more) to make K+K, AG, ferment with temperature control, and bottle my beer properly.

Ongoing from here, without buying in bulk, I'd estimate $25 for a coopers kit and all accessories for a 5% ABV will make $85 @ slab prices, and $45 AG will make around $120 @ nice beer prices. Can't easily be argued with.

For now, I will continue to spend on things as I see fit. We'll see how long it takes her to question the costs again, at which point, I will at least have the answers she won't like.

 

[fletcher]

i'll say it. per beer, your home brew beer is cheaper. the hobby isn't.

 

[lukiferj]

i'll say it. per beer, your home brew beer is cheaper. the hobby isn't.

This. Could not have said it better.

 

[Greg.L]

If you keep at it and maintain your equipment the capital cost is very low over the years, especially if you are creative with how you source equipment.
In Italy and france they have been doing homebrew for generations (wine rather than beer). People in a village share equipment, cellars were excavated hundreds of years ago, no-one ever has to start from scratch, everyone helps out. The cost falls to almost zero. In Australia people think you are a bit odd if you make your own booze (they do even if they don't say it), in a french village people think you are odd if you don't.

 

[mr_wibble]

If you keep at it and maintain your equipment the capital cost is very low over the years, especially if you are creative with how you source equipment.
In Italy and france they have been doing homebrew for generations (wine rather than beer). People in a village share equipment, cellars were excavated hundreds of years ago, no-one ever has to start from scratch, everyone helps out. The cost falls to almost zero. In Australia people think you are a bit odd if you make your own booze (they do even if they don't say it), in a french village people think you are odd if you don't.

Yeah, we lived over there for work for a couple of years.
The local hardware store sold a wide range of plastic and glass demijohns, air locks, etc. They were just stocked next to all the other semi-agicultural gear.
Unfortunately I wasn't brewing anything at the time except kids ginger beer. Wish I'd picked up some of those huge-arse (that's a techincal term) glass wine demijohns.

A couple of the local orchards sold "süssmost" from honesty boxes. In this case, unprocessed apple juice. If you left it out for a couple of days it turned into a light cider. Mmmm.

 

[syl]

I have done my costs previously too.

After bulk orders, yeast washing, my costs for my house APA are as follows:

$32 per 65L batch (after loss) including electricity and water.

$0.49 per L
$0.16 per 330ml stubby
$3.90 per slab

In terms outlay of equipment, I am around the $10,000 mark (not trying to kid myself). Most of my batches come in around $40-50 mark, I do record this in BeerSmith too.

So each 65L batch I get down I count it as a $200 win. Due to me giving beer away to friends/colleagues and also due to drinking a lot!


Then 10K outlay includes everything I've bought as I moved from extract/mini/biab/mini/ag over the years.

I see my breakeven as 50 brews on the latest system (Braumeister/Bulk hops/Bulk grain/re-used yeast) then I will know well and truly I am winning!

 

[Tahoose]

I don't really count what I spend on my equipment, I mean I have it all written down but I don't really look at it from a cost per brew perspective or anything. I mean you wouldn't think so much of it if you bought a new shirt or say something to go it the house.

I just look at as things such as my ingredients, so I know the 10l batch I did on Friday cost $12.55 for example.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

So around 330 slabs of beer to amortise out the cost of beer (assuming that a carton of beer costs $34 commercially).

Given you're in 65L batches (which is over 3 slabs), that's 100 brew days of your house APA to break even on the equipment.

If you were paying more per carton for a similar beer (which you would have, that's megaswill costs), then the number of slabs/brew days starts to decrease.

I have done my costs previously too.

After bulk orders, yeast washing, my costs for my house APA are as follows:

$32 per 65L batch (after loss) including electricity and water.

$0.49 per L
$0.16 per 330ml stubby
$3.90 per slab

In terms outlay of equipment, I am around the $10,000 mark (not trying to kid myself). Most of my batches come in around $40-50 mark, I do record this in BeerSmith too.

So each 65L batch I get down I count it as a $200 win. Due to me giving beer away to friends/colleagues and also due to drinking a lot!


Then 10K outlay includes everything I've bought as I moved from extract/mini/biab/mini/ag over the years.

I see my breakeven as 50 brews on the latest system (Braumeister/Bulk hops/Bulk grain/re-used yeast) then I will know well and truly I am winning!

 

[itmechanic]

Yep Correct for over 3.5% Alcohol and for those who want to know more:
http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?Docid=PAC%2FBL030002%2F1&PiT=99991231235958

The screwed part is that cider is taxed way more:
"Other excisable beverages not exceeding 10% by volume of alcohol @ $76.98 per litre of alcohol"

Totally different system for cider, WET not excise.

 

[syl]

So around 330 slabs of beer to amortise out the cost of beer (assuming that a carton of beer costs $34 commercially).

Given you're in 65L batches (which is over 3 slabs), that's 100 brew days of your house APA to break even on the equipment.

If you were paying more per carton for a similar beer (which you would have, that's megaswill costs), then the number of slabs/brew days starts to decrease.

A 65L brew is 8 slabs. And I don't drink megaswill, so let's say $50 to be generous. It is around a $370 saving per brew, I call it $200 due to the amount of free beer I give away!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

A 65L brew is 8 slabs. And I don't drink megaswill, so let's say $50 to be generous. It is around a $370 saving per brew, I call it $200 due to the amount of free beer I give away!

It is too - I was being conservative with the figures. Accountants are like that, it factors in "worst case" scenarios. And my brain did it in 22L lots, and did "batch" rather than "carton" - doped up on painkillers will do that.

So we're looking at 50 batches at $200 "profit" per brew to pay off the equipment.

I reckon if you were brewing monk quality belgians, the profit could be way higher, as, even from Dan's, you're looking at around $80 per slab of 20 belgians - minimum.

 

[syl]

Definitely making a bigger profit than $200, but being a manager, I know to set expectation low and then exceed!