Bought beer..

[Clint]

Hello all
Just wondering as well as brewing how much,if any,beer do you buy and why? For a homebrew forum there seems to be a lot of bought beer swilling about. I too buy stuff...in rare instances of running out of home made but usually if something catches my eye in the supermarket or something gets a mention on the forum. The past few weeks have seen a fair amount of non homebrew as I had pressies!
Cheers!

 

[aamcle]

Non over the Christmas period, I'll buy something interesting that I've not tried.


Aamcle

 

[uDicko]

My aim is to not buy any beer, I spend way too much as I go for niche crafty stuff from the local bottle shop. A good few bottles every weekend.

I'm not yet competent to make any style I want due to learning the ropes on water treatment or recipe design and I have not had the means or time to produce the volume and variety I seek when drinking.

Planning on fixing that this year.

I still think I will purchase as its always good to do some comparisons.

 

[Horners]

Not bought owt since starting brewing last January with the following caveats:

1. There was an Adnams voucher offer last Jan whereby you got a tenner off your order. Wife always has a big house party for her birthday so I used it 4 times to get 48 bottles (4 selection cases) for 32 quid. They delivered it twice so I got 96 bottles which I then had to drink to free up bottles for HB.

2. Did buy a case of Fischer lager to bring back from France in summer but this was for the swing tops.

3. This doesn't count pub consumption,

 

[Stephenj]

I treated myself on new years as was at a party so went to the massive Tesco near us and picked 10 beers I never had before including a few 3.50 cans (I felt a bit dizzy at the price). Other than that i stick to me homebrew

 

[MickDundee]

I’ll buy beer in 5 scenarios:

1. I’ve run out of homebrew
2. There’s a new/special beer I want to try
3. If I fancy a beer style I don’t have in my stocks
4. If I’m “researching” a style for brewing
5. I’m in the pub

 

[pvt_ak]

Last year - I bought very little beer other than for research.

I’ve bougbt quite a bit during January as I battered my stocks over Xmas . But as of next week I’ll be back to having in house beer .

 

[Headlands]

Not bought any commercial beer for 3 years (other than in pubs). Occasionally I might be tempted by the beer aisle, but I can't really justify to myself buying any when i have so much homebrew of different styles sitting around the house!

 

[Sadfield]

Homebrewing for me is never about being thrifty, more about learning what makes good beer, so I purposely brew to a volume that facilitates buying beer. It's all about the beer, enjoying beer regardless of who brewed it, not having to drink a narrow range of styles or one beer until the keg empties. I see every beer as research. "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions" - Oliver Wendell Homes.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I buy quite a bit now i've got into proper beer having been a lager only drinker.
.

 

[Bigd2657]

I reckon that I buy 2 crates of 18 cans of lager probably twice a month, and also drink my homebrew as well. and if family come round I buy beer then as well

 

[Graz]

Not much these days.

I'll sometimes treat myself to some "craft" stuff though luckily the local bottle shop is in the middle of town so puts me off going there as it's a pain to park etc., could bring about financial ruin otherwise with the Cloudwater and other stuff they stock.

I don't drink lager much but do enjoy a pint of two of it sometimes especially in the summer so will buy that. Used to buy a bit of cider for similar reasons but since doing a few small batch turbo ciders and being suitably impressed I'll probably stick five gallons of it on come the summer time.

 

[Mr Fro]

Pretty much the only thing I buy is Riggwelter as I really like it.

Now I've started AG I'll be trying to emulate it at some point...

 

[Horners]

Pretty much the only thing I buy is Riggwelter as I really like it.

Now I've started AG I'll be trying to emulate it at some point...

Not got it in front of me but from memory there is a rigwelter recipe in Wheelers book.

 

[aj65]

I didn’t have any brew ready for xmas so treated myself to a perfect draft machine, had 5 kegs Karmeliet triplex2 , Kwak and a couple of leffe.
I was quite impressed with it, just have to work out how I can get some of my own brew in there kegs now

 

[Slid]

Not got it in front of me but from memory there is a rigwelter recipe in Wheelers book.

I have done this recipe, but only once. Would definitely recommend it. Maybe when the shoulder gets better, it can go on the "To Brew" list again.

 

[beertrap]

I have not bought beer for 8 years. Strictly drink my own tho I have been gifted many over that period.

 

[IainM]

I buy from time to time. Pretty much whenever I come across see something unusual, or something I haven't tried from a brewery I rate, like Verdant or Northern Monk, or a style I like, a sour or RIS or black IPA for instance. Occasionally splash out on Omnipollo, De Molen or Cloudwater.

 

[phildo79]

I buy beer all the time. I kid myself that some day I will be able to replicate a Buxton and Omnipollo collaboration imp, DIPA or ice cream beer. My HB has drastically improved over the years but I am not at that level yet.

 

[Sadfield]

Without buying good commercial beer, how do brewers judge their own brews? Track their progress as a brewer? Especially if attempting new styles or cloning recipes.