Will brewing my own beer save me money?

No.  I started brewing beer with friends from church a couple of years ago.  In that time we’ve brewed maybe a dozen batches of beer.  Different friends of ours have joined us for some of these brewing sessions.  We had a church kitchen we used for awhile.  But now we brew in one of our apartments.  Our brewing nights involve anywhere between two and twenty people.  

We brew 5 gallons at a time.  I’d say approximately half the beer we’ve brewed has been drinkable.  I’d guess two or three of the twelve batches have approached the quality and taste of a commercially brewed craft beer.  Given that it costs about as much to brew 48 bottles of beer as to just buy them, we’re certainly not motivated by saving money.  When you buy ingredients and make 5 gallons of bitter, watery swill, well, you’re out that money.  Not to mention the time it took to brew it.  And the bottles.  And the equipment.  And the accessories you end up buying to solve practical little problems in your own little kitchen.  And the beer you buy to drink while you’re brewing your own beer . . . you get the picture.

There are lots of good reasons to brew beer.  Saving money isn’t one of them.