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Hi Verroa - I'm doing some festa''s as well, just bottled the pale ale. How is the double oatmeal stout? How do you find them generally?

The double oatmeal stout is quite good. I overcarbed mine a touch, but I just leave it in the open for 10 minutes or so, then it's deliciously creamy. It's a bit harsher than many Oatmeal Stouts though: it's roasty and toasty, altough there's almost no hop bitterness. I wouldn't hesitate picking it up again: you get almost a full 23L out of the box since there's almost no trub at all in the wort. For the quality, it's a lot better than whatever extract kit you can buy on the market and once you factor in that you get a true 23L out of it with a good dry yeast you can use (and not crap taped on a can), it's almost a no brainer.

My all grain batches cost me less, but I also get less beer out of them due to trub and hop matter. With Festa Brew, there's really not much hassle and you can be sure it'll turn out good if you are careful about sanitation and temperature control/yeast health.
 
Well, looks like Canadian Homebrew Supplies is now doing mailorder only, no pickups. Guess I'm now a loyal customer of Spencer at homebrewgearcanada, for his STELLAR customer service and fast shipping.
 
Spencer has treated me VERY well, including making some custom orders that are not listed on his site.
 
Well, looks like Canadian Homebrew Supplies is now doing mailorder only, no pickups. Guess I'm now a loyal customer of Spencer at homebrewgearcanada, for his STELLAR customer service and fast shipping.

Only the customers are to blame for that - too many no-shows :mad:. Really disappointing as it was pretty convenient for me. You can still arrange a pick up but you need to pay with pay-pal in advance. Oh well.
 
Shipping was quick with canadian home brew supplies (CHBS) prices were good and everything arrived as described. homebrewgear canada (HBCC) has a substantially smaller selection of both consumables and equipment. I had a good experience with CHBS but I will say that their website is frustrating. the cart kept emptying on me and I would have to go and fill it again. also paypal are total a$%holes and I won't deal with them ever again if I don't have to. does that really impact my experience? no. I would rather deal with a less than optimal website and the paypall D*&s than drive to Toronto any day.
 
I have to give a major plus one to www.hopdawgs.ca . Chris has exceptional customer service, is very helpful and gets orders out really really quickly. His selection is pretty good on everything as well and he adds to it all the time. Check it out guys!

Clark
 
You guys are ****ign kiding me. they are not doing local pick up anymore?/

Nope, check out the "Events/News" section on his page. You can arrange local pickup but you have to pay in advance using pay-pal. Too many customers were not showing up to pickup and pay for their orders. I can't really blame him for the decision; I would do the same. Only takes a couple of a$#holes to ruin a good thing :mad:.
 
OK, just had a FANTASTIC customer experience with Chris at www.hopdawgs.ca. Great communication, and really fast and reasonable shipping.

I ordered a Barley Crusher and some grains, and it was sent out about an hour later.

Please people.. support these Canadian HBS, let our friends south of the border deal with theirs.
 
OK, just had a FANTASTIC customer experience with Chris at www.hopdawgs.ca. Great communication, and really fast and reasonable shipping.

I ordered a Barley Crusher and some grains, and it was sent out about an hour later.

Please people.. support these Canadian HBS, let our friends south of the border deal with theirs.

yeah, I`m done with shopping south of the border. Shipping charges kill all nice deals and if you throw custom duties on a top, its not even worth it. I found local RAHR malting plant just 15 min drive from me and will be getting 2-row canadian malt at $20 for 55 lbs sack! Speciality grains can be ordered online from either one mentioned here online vendors. I`m a happy brewer now :D
 
One of the above-mentioned Cdn suppliers just gave me excellent service last week - he was concerned that CanPost's tracking was not showing my package. On one of the other mentioned Cdn websites I read something about no more pick-ups or something or other... in what seemed to be interesting words... something along the lines of "go somewhere else if you don't like it". I understand the frustration due to some recurring issues, but hmmmm.

B
 
I am getting some malt from United Canadian Malt in Peterborough tomorrow morning. They only deal generally with orders over $150. They sell in 50lb bags only (milled, or intact). I am getting a single bag of 2-row for $56 milled. I will try Gilbertson and Page when I am back up in Guelph area. Seems promising. It looks like I need to brew a lot more beer though in order to use these large bags... :D
 
I really wish Canada had supplier that was on par with the big US homebrew sites! If the LHBS doesn't have it I probably won't get it.

P.S. birvine: Air your drity laundy. Who gave you good service? Who didn't? Anyone on the fence about making an order in Canada NEEDS to know.
 
Cellarbrau...

Spencer at HomeBrewGearCanada has been very helpful and is very knowledgeable. I called this week after my order was sent to ask a few questions about my recipe and brewing in general - he knows his stuff and wants to help.

HomeBrewSupplies gave me good service and has a lot of stock but in my experience has not been too quick at sending e-mail replies to questions when I was preparing an order. And that comment on the website about going somewhere else...

B
 
It's not online...but Andrew at Winning Wines Plus in Lendrum in Edmonton, just put in a very large order for Blichmann equipment! Should be here in mid-March or so!
 
This is obviously a late reply, but I use Chris at hopdawgs.ca for pretty much everything except base malt and hops (unless I am going to use hops within a week of delivery). If he shipped his hops vaccum sealed, I'd buy more from him. Until then, I buy hops out of the states at freshhops.

He originally sold me on a Barley Crusher which he sold to me at pretty much the exact same price as the manufacturer only with less shipping and no duty. Since then, he's been my go to guy.

I still use my LHBS for the last minute stuff.
 
First off if you need equipment I would keep an eye on craigslist and kajiji(your local area or largest area around you) sometimes you can get screaming deals or even free stuff.Many carboys, wine equip always for sale..... I scored 6.5 dozen swing top 500ml bottles for free!! off craigs list! If your looking for grains/and cleaners ect.

Heres a list, make sure just to look at the canadian ones though

+1 hopdawgs, hes a nice guy I bought my starsan off him, and he personally delivered it to my door, free of charge. (he was driving through my town anyways)
 
Chris at Hopdawgs has been great for me too.I own a business and he just ships to me on Greyhound.3 days max!
 
I sell hops and I will gladly ship to canada.

Contact me [email protected]

Trolls and Zombie threads run!

There is a section for legit retailers. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/vendors/

On that note now that this is resurrected. +100 to hopdawgs.ca. All I can get in town is malt extracts, select hops, coopers and mr beer cans, and coopers yeast. All my sanitizer, grains, half my hops, and most of my yeast come from there. Quick shipping too, normally less then 48 hours to my door.
 
Another huge +1 for Chris at hopdawgs good selection decent price and really fast shipping also his customer service is top notch
 
I have to give a major plus one to www.hopdawgs.ca . Chris has exceptional customer service, is very helpful and gets orders out really really quickly. His selection is pretty good on everything as well and he adds to it all the time. Check it out guys!

Clark

+1 to this. I ordered from Hopdawgs a month or so ago. Ordered 12oz Centennial and 4oz Amarillo, got 13.5oz Centennial and 5 oz Amarillo. Shipping was fast and the service was great. Most of the time I can get stuff cheaper at my LHBS, but when I need something they don't have in stock, I would use Hopdawgs again
 
+1 again for Hopdawgs. One of the best in Canada. It is pretty sad that I can order something from BC and have it delivered to Quebec and it is cheaper than buying local!
 
Matthew: Thanks for the tip. Their site looks good with some malts I can't get at Hopdawgs.
 
matthewrozon said:
I've been using torontobrewing.ca with good results. Shipping to Quebec seems cheaper than hopdawgs


Yep, I've just ordered some stuff from torontobrewing.ca. I really recommend. Good price, many sort of ingredients and equipments and the web site is nice.
 
Ontariobeerkegs just started selling pots and are going to be selling stainless hardware soon. Their pots are a excellent price and come with 1/2 welded fittings for adding your stuff.
 
Only talking about equipment, I'd also like to give another +1 to hopdawgs ! (I only need biereetvin.com for grain/hop/yeast, since it's local for me in Montreal)

Super service really, very prompt. Prices are very good, a lot better than those god awful prices at homebrew-supplies.ca (often 50% higher than hopdawgs!!! ex: female camlocks at 15$/10$ jesus...)... The only place I could find with better prices was ihomebrewing.ca but the equipment selection isn't as great as hopdawgs... (ihomebrewing does have a super cheap selection of SS ball valves)...

Anyone know a CHEAP place IN CANADA that I could order online for Stainless Steel fittings? Some kind of bargainfittings.com based in Canada ;-)
 
I just received an order from Beer Grains and couldn't be happier with product, service, shipping and packaging. Pricing was good, particularly after free shipping based on total order.
 
Only talking about equipment, I'd also like to give another +1 to hopdawgs ! (I only need biereetvin.com for grain/hop/yeast, since it's local for me in Montreal)

Super service really, very prompt. Prices are very good, a lot better than those god awful prices at homebrew-supplies.ca (often 50% higher than hopdawgs!!! ex: female camlocks at 15$/10$ jesus...)... The only place I could find with better prices was ihomebrewing.ca but the equipment selection isn't as great as hopdawgs... (ihomebrewing does have a super cheap selection of SS ball valves)...

Anyone know a CHEAP place IN CANADA that I could order online for Stainless Steel fittings? Some kind of bargainfittings.com based in Canada ;-)


We added some of the basic stainless fittings (no camlocks yet) and plan to have another 15-20 items in the category soon. We also expanded our list of Canadian HomeBrew Supplies here:
http://canadianhomebrewsupplies.com/
 
TorontoBrewing.ca is a good site to purchase online, done a few orders with them, good selection and the prices are about as cheap as I've seen, although on a typical order we're only talking a couple of bucks difference.
 
I used to wonder how I could get the prices and variety available south of the border but over the last year or two Canada has become home to new, more enthusiastic suppliers whose success enables them to stock ample product.

Ontario Beer Kegs does a great job and can have well-priced product picked from a wide selection on your Canadian doorstep very quickly without the border mystery. I haven't tried them for ingredients as I have been very happy with Beer Grains but being associated with OBK is a good sign.

Fromagex in Quebec has a remarkable assortment of cheese related products, reasonable shipping and respond quickly to inquires. I am waiting on my first order from them.

Speerville Flour in New Brunswick, while local is very well stocked and the product is top notch. I wonder if there aren't others like them across the country.

My point is things have changed - actually have been changed very much for the better by an illustrious group of merchants. Before placing an order elsewhere, run it through one of these Canadian suppliers as well and then guess the cost of importing everything, add the exchange rate and then compare. (If you don't actually know anyone using a particular supplier you may want to check the shipping date before ordering.) I find prices are consistently better in Canada and knowing the final cost from the get go may lack mystery but more than makes up for it with pleasant results.
 
my local brew shop sell Coopers extract for $18 so i buy that, but most of my supplies come from Toronto Brew supply. reasonable price and cheap shipping with Canada Post. talk to Zack or order online.
 
18 for coopers is a little steep. The grocery stores sell them here for 15 sometimes they go on sale for 12.

Try your local large box grocery or dept. Even super store sells a brand of pour and stir kits for about 12.
 
http://www.torontobrewing.ca/servlet/StoreFront

These are the guys I've been dealing with. As expected the prices are a bit higher than NB and companies like that. But, there selection is excellent and they are awesome to deal with. Anything you order shouldn't take more than fives days to get to you. Probably less if you're just in Peterborough
 
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