What do you look for, want, in a LHBS?

What things do you think you local HBS sould have? What do you like about your current LHBS? What do you think would make a local HBS a great store?

The reason I ask is because i may be purchasing one and would like to know what you guys think. So hit me with your info.

Thanks
AHammer16

1. A half dozen extracts
2. 20-30 specialty grains
3. 2-3 base malts
4. Crusher for malt.
5. 10-15 hop varieties
6. Liquid and dry yeasts
7. Basic fermentation gear: buckets & carboys
8. Air locks
9. Recipe book for reference
10. A few basic books
11. Local Brewsletter & club info
12. HB on tap (if local laws allow)
13. Kegs, CO2 bottles & regulators
14. Bottles, caps and cappers
15. Hose and keg connectors
16. Room for annual BBQ & brew party
17. Hydrometers, thermometers
18. Wine thiefs & siphons
19. Corks, stoppers
20. Parts for keggerators (a few taps, etc.)
21. pH 5.2
22. Sanitizer
23. Scales (both for use in the store and small ones for sale)
24. Good extract kits
25. A few basic kettles
26. Wort chiller or two
27. No-weld spigots
28. Burners

And don't forget, wine makers have bigger wallets!

99. Friendly employees who all homebrew themselves. <<<< They're all members of the Heart of the Valley club

AHammer16 said:

What things do you think you local HBS sould have? What do you like about your current LHBS? What do you think would make a local HBS a great store?

The reason I ask is because i may be purchasing one and would like to know what you guys think. So hit me with you info.

Thanks
AHammer16

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People who know what there talking about.

in no particular order:

1. fresh grain/hops/yeast
2. good variety of ingredients
3. quality equipment and supplies
4. experienced, knowledgable, and friendly staff
5. clean
6. competitive pricing
7. HOMEBREW ON TAP!

I think DeRoux hit everything dead on. A really good user-friendly website would be nice if you plan to do mail order. My only addition would be the discount given to members of the HBT board for knowing you way back when...

gaelone said:

A really good user-friendly website would be nice if you plan to do mail order.

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not only for mail order. I like to be able to see what grains/hops/yeast are actually available in my LHBS so I can formulate the receipes accordingly.

Kai

david_42 said:

4. Crusher for malt.

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which should be motorized !!!

DeRoux's Broux said:

in no particular order:

1. fresh grain/hops/yeast

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This is the biggest thing for me. Although I have a HBS within 30 minutes of my house the most frequent reason for me to order from an internet vendor is when I need some ingredients that they won't have. Even when I go there now I have 2-3 recipes in mind and hope for some confluence of grains/hops/yeast that will fill one of the bills.

I agree with all said above. I have two or three LHBS within 30 min of my house but all seem to be lacking on key part. All three do not have a good supply or assortment of stainless steel equipement ie. Ball valves, hose nipples, faucets, weldless fittings, ect. Most have a good supply of malts and other ingredients along with fermenting equipement. I have also found that neither have a very detailed websight. I am always looking up different places and comparing prices. I would say that not even half have decent pictures of the product. Just makes it more difficult.

I read your thread the other day. I knew I wanted to reply, but I had to wait when I had more time and my frame of mind was in a better place so I could give you a more intelligent reply.

I have never been to a HBS that had EVERYTHING I wanted when I was there (even a particular strain of yeast that I just HAD TO HAVE TODAY because of a planned brewing session), and I don't expect you to either.

At my house I have a better selection of yeast, more air locks, bungs, primary buckets, and books than some HBS I've been in.

There is no way you will ever have everything that everyone of us want. That's totally understood.

I have worked within the Army's retail and wholesale supply system for over 30 years so I know how supply pipelines work. I am also a college graduate so I know some general business (enough to know that I have no interest in running one, but I can maintain an intelligent conversation on the subject). It's just bad business (and common sense) to tie up your inventory dollars up for an obscure item that you sell one of in 3 years. That's a "special order", 2-4 weeks waiting time. It's all the little stuff that's going to blow you out of the water.

Other than a passion and desire to own a HBS be sure you take some business classes.

Nowadays, I just lower my expectations and don't get my hope up whenever I walk into a HBS. This way, if I come out with something I wanted I prefer to be pleasant for the rest of the day.

Other than that I do mail order.

In all sincerity, good luck on your endeavor.

What I've noticed about my LHBS is that I just don't live in an area where a whole lot of people are interested in homebrewing. For these reasons they don't keep a lot of perishables, like liquid yeast. Furthermore, no one there seems to really be interested in homebrewing (my LHBS is also a hippie store where they sell beads and incense), and no one knows anything about it. When I go there to buy something I need they all ask me questions. There's something very backwards about that (I've been thinking of asking them to create a job for a homebrew specialist for me, since I'm not too fond of my job, but like I said, there isn't a lot of interest in it in my town). If you have a location where you can flourish, I would go for it based on your expertise. It would be great for me to go into a place where people can answer my questions and help me improve my product.

I have never been to my LHS. There is one, I know where it is, I have even tried to go. Their major problem is that they only open Monday-Friday 10-5:30. At least have decent hours. Other than that:
-good recipe kits for all levels
-helpful advice for improving brew
-space for brew club meetings
-beer

Have a fridge full of budwieser, night train, mad dog 20 20 etc....

usmcruz said:

Have a fridge full of budwieser, night train, mad dog 20 20 etc....

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Thanks for that one. You forgot the Ripple.



Thanks for your input, all. will keep you updated about the purchase. Accountant and banker are looking over the financials currently.

And a cute microbiology studend to help me with the yeast

Kai

AHammer16 said:

Thanks for that one. You forgot the Ripple.

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Nope, I'm pretty sure he never forgets the Ripple.

Kai said:

cute microbiology studend

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I guess I've been out of school too long...I didn't think this was possible.

I have 3 LHBS around me.

My main store is nice, has most everything I am looking for BUT looks more like it's someone's storage shed then a buisiness. The guy who owns it is ok enuff and very knowledgeable BUT if I can find out when "my guy" is working I'll go in to buy my stuff from him and shoot the **** b4 I'll buy it from the owner.

The other store I like is very nice but it's a bit further from home and I dont like going to that side of town. It's not in a bad side of town but it is getting close to the not so nice areas. It has a great selection but almost too much of a selection. They also sell a lot of fu fu kitchen products, which kinda turns me off but they know their ****. I just dont like going through all the fu fu kitchen crap to get to what I want to get at . . .they are also a bit more pricey and dont carry much for the tinkering side of homebrewing.

The third store turned me off at the bat. They have the biggest selection of brewing stuff in the area, all the tinkering supplys and any info ya might need, and probably the best prices. . . BUT the owner is a Jack and the place is dirty enuff I dunno if I would want to take a dump in it much less buy anything.

add that 2cents worth to the rest of the posts and ya probably get me to drive down to Chi-town just to check ya out (well if you're on the north side)

I have to say the same situation is here too. We have a few stores in the area. I had typically gone to one for other supplies (they have two specialties.. one being brewing), but started looking at other places. The people there seem very clickish. Umm.... don't know... they just seem to have this attitude that makes you feel kinda stupid at times. I went in there a few times to buy a few things and did not have cash (charge)... well he gave me a big fuss because it costs him money to charge. Both times I told him that I could go out and get cash instead(not that I would return, but just go to another store.... there is another one just 4 miles farther), but he broke down and ran it through.

I did find another store in my area though and when I saw them inicially I did not think much would be inside. You know the scene... a liquir store with brewing supplies. I've seen a bunch of these stores. They usually have a few things. Anyways I was not in the best of moods and could just see this other store pissing me off so I decided to take a shot and see what they had.

Well the first thing you see when you walk in the store is a frigd filled with yeast! Now make no mistake. This is a liquir store, but wow. It had A LOT of brewing supplies. Both wine and beer as well as many things I had not seen in the other liquir stores who sell brewing stuff... like brewing pots to mash in with the spiggots... all kinds of stuff that I realy dont know what they are for... well I was impressed.

When I was buying everything I told him that I was glad I found him. He asked me how....I found him on the Internet. I told him that I had usually gone to this other place.... but kinda fumbled with the words to use and he went... well the owner can be a jerk at times huh. I was like.... YEAH.....

So. What a LHBS should have..... with the supplies.. they should have a person there who doesn't mind answering the same question over and over again. For the customer the question is new and very valid. Its kinda like here. How many times have you answered an airlock question?