Good beer prices on the rise ?

[jib]

What was on sale for $5.99-6.49 is now $7.49-7.99 Owwwch.

I am going to pass on my favorite ales now, in hope that others will do the same.

I am a contractor and I charge what the market will bare, TAXES aside I think they should do the same.

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[19 Adam]

Don't pass on your favorite ales, BREW your own!

One of the members here showed me how easy it is to brew your own micro brew ale. It is not very expensive after a small initial equipment purchase and you can build some of the stuff from scrap. Gallons of your favorite pale ale, stout or seasonal for pennies a pint!

 

[jib]

Don't pass on your favorite ales, BREW your own!

Thanks Adam,
That's good advise. I reload most of my ammo, why not brew my own beer
But how does this begin ? space, climate, start up cost ?
I am interested but work leads me away from home for days to weeks

 

[olydemon]

I noticed this tonight as well seeing the Seasonal ales at almost 20 bucks for a 12 pack. They were on sale for 15 the price they were last year. I then looked around and noticed everything seemed alot more than normal.

I tried home brewing years ago and just made nasty cider tasting crap. Im just starting reloading, hope that hobby goes better... lol.

 

[RVTECH]

I tried home brewing years ago and just made nasty cider tasting crap.

You probably contaminated your wort during the bottling process - a common mistake. Making your own beer is a lot of fun but you have to approach it somewhat scientifically and cleanliness is a priority. It also takes time and during the fermentation process this needs to be monitored so if you are away for days at a time that will be a problem. I think we still have a brewshop in Bend, Silver Moon. It used to be off Division. Start with them and pick up a copy of George Papazian's book The Joy Of Homebrewing - considered by many the best book on the subject. Avoid the 'toy' brewing kits sold in department stores.

 

[FarmerTed1971]

So bad beer pricing is staying the same?

 

[jib]

So bad beer pricing is staying the same?

I don't know, I'd rather not consider that option...yet.

I did find Deschutes Brewery 1/2 cases at Safe Way for 11.99 (club price)

 

[Sun195]

Last year, my local market had a great "Oktoberfest" sale on beer (like they've had in years past) - not this year. So, yeah, it does seem like "good" beer prices are higher this year. I've heard that hop prices/availability are a problem, but not sure if that's what's driving this.

Home brewing is a great way to go. Haven't done it in years, but had some good success with it.

 

[GeorgeJetson]

Thanks Adam,
That's good advise. I reload most of my ammo, why not brew my own beer
But how does this begin ? space, climate, start up cost ?
I am interested but work leads me away from home for days to weeks

Perfect. Fermentation time is anywhere from two to six weeks - depending on what you are brewing. .

I brew 40-60 gallons per year (10 gallon batches that ferment in a slightly-cooler-than-room-temperature closet). Beyond the ability to tweak recipes to create a beer that you personally like, or have fun playing god to yeast cells, the econonomics are pretty good. It is not free, as some folks mistakenly think, but it is pretty reasonable.

Here are some average numbers based on my batches:

• Assume a 10 gallon batch
• This works out to about 106.66 12oz bottles
• Which works out to about 9 12-packs
• Ingredients/supplies for a typical batch (e.g. - hops, malt, yeast, wash, sanitizer, filtered water, etc.) cost about $50.00

Given these numbers, this works out to ~ $5.60/12-pack (not factoring in equipment cost).

Obviously, the fancier the recipe, or the fancier the ingredients, the more expensive the brew will be (like the triple-fermented Winter Warmer I'm starting next weekend ).

About equipment costs: Your up-front equipment costs range from a low end of $60 (plastic bucket, boil in a kitchen pot) to several hundred dollars for fancier conical fermenters, inline chillers, and more. If you are interested in simply producing (any type of) beer, the low end works just fine. The rest is high art.

With a 12-pack averaging about $14.00 retail, and a brew-your-own 12-pack cost of $5.60, that's an $8.40 savings per 12-pack. Since you are brewing 10 gallons, or ~9 12-packs, the savings would be $75.60 - or roughly the cost of the brewing equipment.

So, your first batch will cost roughly the same as retail beer (maybe a bit more depending on the ingredients you choose). However, you also will have broken even on your equipment investment. Subsequent batches should yeild about $50-75 off of retail.

Note: most starter brew kits are 5 gallons. So, the break-even point will creep out to ~1.5-1.75 batches (assuming you will not need to purchase everything included in the kit for the second batch).

I would recommend connecting with one of the brew supply stores in your area to learn more.

I hope you find this information useful. Beyond the economics, craft brewing is a blast, and your friends will think you are magic. ;-) Give it a shot.

Take care,
Steve Jackson

 

[jib]

Thanks Steve,

I will look forward to looking into this

john