Like an ideal gas, homebrewing expands to fill the space allotted to it. A previously unused corner of the garage becomes a homebrew station, or the spare guest room transforms into a fermentation cellar. And each homebrewing expansion is accompanied by a corresponding shrinking of the bank account.
If you’d like to homebrew within a budget and still enjoy great beer, here are five ideas to get you there.
Reuse your yeast
This is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to save money. Liquid yeast costs anywhere from $6 to $10 per packet, but if you plan your homebrewing schedule in such a way that you can reuse yeast, the savings add up quickly. This is an especially good idea for those who tend to work with just one or two yeast strains.