Booze! How much do you spend a month?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 Interesting. I suspect this is the kind of survey that people are more likely to lie about, not wanting to admit how much of a boozer they are they spend on something like alcohol.

Also, don't forget that people like me who don't drink at all are included. The average amount for a woman in my age category would be $19/month, but if half of them don't drink then really it is $38/month for the drinkers.

A lot of guys in your age category probably brew their own beer, and a lot of those expenses might fit in the "hobby" category rather than "booze".

[Kronk]

Maybe $2-3/month. DW buys a couple of bottles of wine per year. I don't drink and she doesn't either at home. Periodically she'll get wine when we eat out. So let's call it $5/month.

Never really thought about how much people spend on the stuff. A couple hundred per month really does add up.

[Fireup2020]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger I think Ill have another one. Study: Regular drinkers get more exercise - Fitness- msnbc.com

I was once asked why my FB photos involve so many pictures of people with drinks in hand. Well, after skiing, walking, softbal, volleyball, etc...it's time to go celebrate our success (or losses) Most of my non-drinking friends do not participate in these sporty activities...me thinks they are afraid we will make them drink! LOL

[bosco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 I prolly spend about $600 annually on brewing supplies and incidentals. On top of that I generally pick up a case of wine for $100 every other month and the occasional bottle of decent booze, so call it $150/month. But I get a huge subsidy from my brewhouse time, since I pay something like $3.50 a six pack equivalent for homebrew.

what he said!! When you add up the cost of the stainless kettles, grain mill, wort chillers, ss conical fermenter, and my bins of various malted and roasted barleys, I have a fair amount of money tied up in my obsession hobby. Don't know what it adds up to a month, but now that I have it all, beer is $3-$4 per six pack, and better than I can buy (if I do say so). It used to be cheaper but hops, yeast, and barley have all gone up.

[kcowan]

Did I mention that a liter of vodka only costs 41p in Puerto Vallarta and imported Chilean wine (cab sav) is 50p a bottle at Costco? Keeps the budget impact down.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosco Quote: Originally Posted by brewer12345 I prolly spend about $600 annually on brewing supplies and incidentals. ... But I get a huge subsidy from my brewhouse time, since I pay something like $3.50 a six pack equivalent for homebrew. what he said!! When you add up the cost of the stainless kettles, grain mill, wort chillers, ss conical fermenter, and my bins of various malted and roasted barleys, I have a fair amount of money tied up in my obsession hobby. Don't know what it adds up to a month, but now that I have it all, beer is $3-$4 per six pack, and better than I can buy (if I do say so). It used to be cheaper but hops, yeast, and barley have all gone up.

After stacking up lots of gadgets from past hobbies (and never wanting to get rid of them), I approached my brewing hobby differently. I'm a bit unconventional, but my beers are turning out very good (I usually prefer them to most commercial that I would $10/sixer for).

I do a "mini-mash" of about 4-5# grains and and collect ~ 3 gallons of wort from that, which I can boil on the kitchen stove split between two big pots we already owned. Almost zero investment, no brew pots, no special burners, no grain mill (at those quantities of grain, I get it pre-milled). I add dry extract (~4-5#) at flame-out to make up the remaining fermentables. It's cheap when bought in bulk, and keeps well. I can chill by adding ice and chilled water. No chiller investment.

Cheap plastic "Ale Pail" for primary, I've got a couple carboys if I want to do extended secondary, but I rarely do anymore (I've developed a taste for fresh ales for my main consumption). Then into the bottles to condition. DW gave me a nice bench capper, but those are only ~ $30. So a pretty minimal investment to do it that way. Misc, hydrometer, tubing, thermometers - nothing much. We get some good deals on hops and grain through our club, so I can usually keep that batch cost ~ $25-$30 for 5.25 G, so in that $3-$4/sixer price range.

Some friends have the computer controlled recirculating systems, multiple SS temperature controlled Conicals, etc. I think all that is pretty cool too, I just don't have the desire for it at this stage of my life. I get a kick out of making my beer with the very basics. Some of it turns out better than what they are brewing, but they do have more options available, and make some killer stuff also.

And while they keep raising taxes on liquor/beer - homebrew ingredients are taxed at the lower "food" rates, so that helps. And it's fun for me. Been too busy to brew lately and have had to buy some commercial brew to carry me through, and I miss my daily homebrew.

-ERD50

[brewer12345]

Yeah, I used to have a more basic set of equipment. Aside from wanting a toy to play with, I invested in a fancy system in part because that way I could feasibly do 10 gal. batches. For the past several years I would have regularly run out of beer if I could only do 5 at a time. Not enough time to keep the kegs filled unless I can do 10 gal a a time.

[CuppaJoe]

I may have found a new LBYM technique for myself. Picked up two bottles of "Two Buck Chuck" from Trader Joe's for 1.99 each = 2.18 with tax. Haven't had any interest in opening a bottle of wine since.

Still have some 4.25 Fetzer Reds which I know we like. We sometimes have $6.00 glasses of wine with dinner out, buy cheap canned beer for hot weather, Bailey's on sale, so grand total may be $30.00 a month on "booze."

[Stevewc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Yeah, I used to have a more basic set of equipment. Aside from wanting a toy to play with, I invested in a fancy system in part because that way I could feasibly do 10 gal. batches. For the past several years I would have regularly run out of beer if I could only do 5 at a time. Not enough time to keep the kegs filled unless I can do 10 gal a a time.

Hey Brewer,
My son is a chemistry major. He tells me nearly ever professor he has taken classes under brews their on beer. Seems we have good water for it in our local district. What is a good kit or way to get started? I think my son will enjoy the chemistry and I know (think-hope) I'll enjoy being the guinea pig. By the way I like a lot of the dark brews. How does one control the alcohol content? Can you beef it up to the 9/10% levels?
Thanks for info,
Steve

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevewc Hey Brewer, My son is a chemistry major. He tells me nearly ever professor he has taken classes under brews their on beer. Seems we have good water for it in our local district. What is a good kit or way to get started? I think my son will enjoy the chemistry and I know (think-hope) I'll enjoy being the guinea pig. By the way I like a lot of the dark brews. How does one control the alcohol content? Can you beef it up to the 9/10% levels? Thanks for info, Steve

Just about every homebrew supply shop can sell you a starter kit and give you advice. I have dealt with these folks for over a decade: Welcome To The Grape and Granary
But there are lots of other supply shps so look in the yellow pages. A good book is a real help, so pick up a copy of "The joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian or "Homebrewing Vol. 1" by Al Korzonas.

Another excellent way to learn isto see if there is a homebrew club in your area. These range from dinking clubs to dns of serious, competitive brewers but are all a lot of fun.

Its pretty easy to control the alc. content, but the stronger the beer the more challenging it is to make it palatable (generally speaking).

Frankly, the basics of brewing are pretty easy. If ancient Mesopotopians could do it, we certainly can. But you can aso get as complicated as you want to.

If you have questions or need help, feel free to PM me.

[Bluerose]

I find BJ's (in Florida) sells alcohol cheaper than most liquor stores around and you don't need to be a member.