Is It Cheaper to Brew Your Own Beer?

Is it cheaper to brew your own beer? What will be the costs per pint? Yes, you can brew your beer, and it might be less expensive than buying from stores. Many of us do not know that the ingredients used in brewing are less expensive, and you can buy ingredients in bulk to save even more. Moreover, you might find brewing fun and save a lot.

Before planning to brew your beer, you will have to know the total cost of brewing. The first cost considerations are ingredients and equipment, and there will be some hidden costs. In addition to the expenses, you will have to know about the time and effort you need to spend on brewing. Keep reading if you want to know about all the related factors.

Understanding the Brewing Process

Many people want to brew their beers at home, but they cannot do it without being familiar with the process. If you are a beginner, first, you will have to know how it works. You need to understand how to mix batches. You can try different mixes to find your beer recipe. Know about the spices, herbs, and grains that can go well together.

You will have to understand the kits or tools you need for brewing. There will be different brewing kits, and you can find one based on your budget. You can use a starter kit since it will come with ingredients, equipment, and instructions. You can follow all the instructions and get perfection without any additional effort. But if you want variations, you can get a kit that will enable you to mix your herbs and grains the way you want. You can consider advanced brewing kits when you have basic knowledge of beer making.

Things That Determine the Costs of Brewing

Many things will determine the cost of brewing, including ingredients and equipment. The type of beer will decide the brewing ingredients you need for your beer. However, you will find them cost-effective regardless of the beer type you consider. Here are more details for your help.

Beer Type & Quality

All the beers will have different ingredients, and you might need to spend more on the brewing ingredients of expensive beers. However, if you buy those beers from the market, you will have to pay much more than the ingredients. You can save on ingredients by buying in bulk, and you can brew more. The end cost will be less if you brew low-quality beers. There might not be much difference in the taste of low-quality and quality beer, and you can consider affordable options if you want to save more.

Equipment

You will need some equipment for brewing, and you will have to consider the cost of all the tools while estimating the overall cost. The benefit of brewing tools is that you can use them for many batches, and some of them might not cost you more. If you do not want to buy different types of equipment for brewing, it is better to go with a brewing kit. The kit will have everything to support your brewing, and you will not have to spend more on it. In addition to these, there will be some hidden costs. We will cover all the related costs in the following.

Home Brewing Costs

While brewing for the first time, you can use a brewing kit. A brewing kit will cost you around £70, but you can use it to make 23L. It will have all the tools, including an airlock, fermenting bucket, a siphon, thermometer, hydrometer, plastic bottles, and sanitizer. Once you have a kit, you will not have to bother about the equipment to make your first batch of beer. It will have everything to brew your beer, and you will need the ingredients based on the beer type, and you might need to spend around $1.46 per pint. But you can use the equipment for another batch. Therefore, you can avoid the equipment cost since most are reusable.

Is It Cheaper?

Yes, it will be cheaper, and the exact difference will depend on the type of beer and equipment you have for brewing. If you invest in advanced equipment, you might need to spend more. However, ingredients and tools are not the only costs. You will have to spend on the electricity and water. Apart from all these, you will have to put in your effort and time.

You will need heat management systems, including immersion heaters and heat mats. They will not require a lot of energy, and you might need to spend as same as a bulb. However, an electric mashing bucket might require more power. Another consideration is water, and your beer will have 95% water. Hence, you will have to consider water costs while estimating the overall costs.

What Will Be the End Cost?

We can make a rough estimation and have an idea about the total cost. You will have to spend $18.90 on ingredients, and water and electricity will cost you $1.89. You can add your labor and time costs, and it might be around $37.80. Now, we can calculate all the expenses and the total costs will be $58.59. The price will include utilities, ingredients, and labor. If you estimate this way, the costs per pint will be £1.16, and you will find it cheaper than a pub.

The cost of brewing will vary based on the beer type, ingredients, and time to brew. You will find it cheaper if you brew more at a time. Brewing will require patience since the process might take around a month to get the result. With regular practice, you can master the art and achieve perfection.

Final Thoughts

Is it cheaper to brew your own beer? Yes, brewing your own beer is less expensive, but you will have to be familiar with the process and buy a kit based on your skill levels. In addition to cost benefits, you will know what you are drinking, and you can try variations based on your preferences.