And now we know...the magic number is 261

[AHarper]

Brewing my own beer keeps me out of the pub - which I'm not allowed to go to at the moment anyway. My friend, who owns a pub, is facing ruin because of this plandemic. I give him my beer to cheer him up. He gives me the beer from his pub he's not allowed to sell. It's my hobby but his business...

 

[ttsalo]

Not that this subject was ever written about much..

Budgets Are Sexy: Is Brewing Your Own Beer Cheaper Than Buying? Yes, After 261 Beers!.
https://www.budgetsaresexy.com/is-brewing-your-own-beer-cheaper-than-buying-yes-after-261-beers/

His ingredient costs are silly high. $45 for a 5g batch?

Anyways, I live in Finland and over here, good imported German beer (Franziskaner, Paulaner etc.) costs about 3.5€ per bottle (7 €/l) . I can make a comparable beer for 0.5€/l in ingredients. I'm making batches to fill two corny kegs in one go, but in terms of article's 5g batches the savings would be 117€ per batch compared to buying the beer. In 261 (5g) batches I will have saved 30537€

 

[SabreSteve]

His ingredient costs are silly high. $45 for a 5g batch?

Anyways, I live in Finland and over here, good imported German beer (Franziskaner, Paulaner etc.) costs about 3.5€ per bottle (7 €/l) . I can make a comparable beer for 0.5€/l in ingredients. I'm making batches to fill two corny kegs in one go, but in terms of article's 5g batches the savings would be 117€ per batch compared to buying the beer. In 261 (5g) batches I will have saved 30537€

I didn't read the whole article but $45 for 5 gallons might not be that insane if you're doing extract. That's roughly what my average cost was which is why I switched to BIAB after only 2 extract batches.

 

[Mark Farrall]

You can also live in one of the top alcohol taxing nations and end up breaking even far more quickly. All the prices you quote for retail beer are 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the equivalent beer here.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

You can also live in one of the top alcohol taxing nations and end up breaking even far more quickly. All the prices you quote for retail beer are 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the equivalent beer here.

Definitely can't hit the like button on that!

 

[west1m]

Pretty sure I'll never even get close to breaking even. Stuff has a way of showing up at my doorstep now and then that will postpone breaking even indefinitely. But I enjoy brewing and the beer I have made so Brew On!!

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Ever since about 1980 I had always presumed that the answer (or magic number) is 42. But we do exist in an inflationary universe.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Brewing my own beer keeps me out of the pub - which I'm not allowed to go to at the moment anyway. My friend, who owns a pub, is facing ruin because of this plandemic. I give him my beer to cheer him up. He gives me the beer from his pub he's not allowed to sell. It's my hobby but his business...

You, good sir, are a humanitarian! I hope your buddy can hang in there, I know the south there is really getting walloped

His ingredient costs are silly high. $45 for a 5g batch?

Anyways, I live in Finland and over here, good imported German beer (Franziskaner, Paulaner etc.) costs about 3.5€ per bottle (7 €/l) . I can make a comparable beer for 0.5€/l in ingredients. I'm making batches to fill two corny kegs in one go, but in terms of article's 5g batches the savings would be 117€ per batch compared to buying the beer. In 261 (5g) batches I will have saved 30537€

Oh yeah...and we in our analysis can be equally high or conversely low for instance, the per bottle cost of Old Milwaukee in a low taxed state versus some pricy craft beer in a highly taxed state. The comparisons are relative and riddled with exceptions rather than rules. It kinda reminds me of that joke where the CEO asked his Accountant what 2 plus 2 was.....after the Accountant closed the door and dropped the window blinds, he asked the CEO "What do you want it to be?"