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HopSong

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Went to WF today to look over their supplies. Before I did any buying, I stopped in the bar and had a glass of North Coast Old Rasputin. Wow, was that yummy. They also got in an hour before I arrived the Stone 11.11.11. I'll reserve that for another day real soon.

Picked up a Brewers Best IPA kit along with an automatic siphon, package of Whirlfloc tabs and a floating brewing thermometer. Not a bad day.. prices were better than I expected :ban:

Oh yah.. I finally received one of those chinese digital thermometers with a nice flex probe in the mail today. Less than $2 shipped from China. Heck, I couldn't buy the replacement batteries for that.
 
We're going to Whole Foods tomorrow... for some veggies!

The veggies at our local supermarket aren't that good so we're making a special trip to WF.

Congrats on the new thermometer. :mug:
 
I flew today; thought people were animals at the airport. Then I stopped at whole foods for coffee etc. some lay almost took out some toddlers getting to the cheese display.
 
Got to love the Santa Rosa Whole Foods, Brew tasteing room and brewing supplies. Does that get any better. And it is cheeper that the other LHBS.
 
Got to love the Santa Rosa Whole Foods, Brew tasteing room and brewing supplies. Does that get any better. And it is cheeper that the other LHBS.

That's what surprised me.. I'll still do the LHBS.. but, my first venture into WF was a very pleasant surprise.
 
HbgBill said:
They also got in an hour before I arrived the Stone 11.11.11. I'll reserve that for another day real soon.

Only a week later? Thought it would be longer than that.
 
I'll report back tomorrow on the Whole Foods experience here in the south-east. Haven't been there for about 6-months.
 
No beer bar at the Whole Foods here in Jacksonville, Florida. They did have a pretty decent selection of bottled craft beers though.
 
There are only 3 WF that have a tap room. New York Chi Town and Santa Rosa. I think that is it. I do not know how many of them carry brewing supplies but I thing only a handful.
 
Their site says we have one in Cleveland,on Cedar Rd in University heights. They have 6 beers on tap daily,& growlers to fill. Guess I'll have to get over their when my car gets done.
 
The North avenue/Kingsbury (close to Goose Island Clybourn) is the one chicago store with a bar. I think there are plans to put one in South Loop (Roosevelt and Canal), where I work. Last I looked Kingsbury had star san, a bottler, some caps, and some mini grain kits. Small selection, I bet it's just for the holidays.
 
The WF in Plymouth Meeting, PA has a wine and beer bar, which is extra strange, because PA has all kinds of crazy rules about selling alcohol. They sell growers of their beers on tap. IIRC, half of them are usually from the Manayunk Brewery. I have never seen brewing supplies in a WF though...
 
There are only 3 WF that have a tap room. New York Chi Town and Santa Rosa. I think that is it. I do not know how many of them carry brewing supplies but I thing only a handful.

all the nyc locations have growlers refills, which is what the bowery location has (it's just the fanciest looking). the columbus circle location has a bar now.
 
The bowery location carries homebrew supplies. I went there over a year ago and bought 30 pounds of grains. Then got dopey drunk and left it all on the bus. At the time they didn't carry yeast, and only had pre measured bags of grain. They now have measurable grain, yeast, and a better supply of ingredients, from what i've read. They also have a great inventory if beer. They do tastings about once a week and some good breweries. Their facebook page usually has some good info, when they update it
 
the other name for whole foods is whole paycheck. they do have an excellent selection of goods but it is pretty costly.
 
the other name for whole foods is whole paycheck. they do have an excellent selection of goods but it is pretty costly.

We do all our shopping at WF and find that if you are buying organic it is cheeper to shop WF and as for brewing supplies they are cheeper than LHBS. If I want to buy a six pack than Safeway is better but as for produce I find that I toss more spoiled produce from Safeway that WF. It is a better quaility and lasts longer. If you compare prices on most items you will be surprised.
 
I live in Santa Rosa and did not know the WF carried homebrew supplies. I assume the Coddingtown store since it has the bar. I will have to go visit!!!
 
We do all our shopping at WF and find that if you are buying organic it is cheeper to shop WF and as for brewing supplies they are cheeper than LHBS. If I want to buy a six pack than Safeway is better but as for produce I find that I toss more spoiled produce from Safeway that WF. It is a better quaility and lasts longer. If you compare prices on most items you will be surprised.

Tyler is cool as well. My wife can't figure out why our grocery bill there suddenly skyrocketed
 
HB, talked to the guy behind the bar and he said he just helped set it up.. I think he did a great job.. especially for a start. Lot of different grains for a good price.. Ya need a miller for them.. but the price is not bad. The BB kits seem pretty well priced compared to some I've seen on line. Also, I bought an Autosiphon and floating thermometer cheaper than I've seen elsewhere.

I wish the LHBS was more competitive.. I'd rather support them.
 
We do all our shopping at WF and find that if you are buying organic it is cheeper to shop WF and as for brewing supplies they are cheeper than LHBS. If I want to buy a six pack than Safeway is better but as for produce I find that I toss more spoiled produce from Safeway that WF. It is a better quaility and lasts longer. If you compare prices on most items you will be surprised.

whole foods is hands down the most expensive grocery store in my area and maybe the country, even they don't deny it. my wife shops there because she likes to buy organic and they do have beautiful produce, meats and fish. i don't care where she shops or that they are expensive i was just stating the obvious.
 
Just got back from WF is Folsom, CA... All 27 gains sell for $1.25/lb and there is a mill to use. White Labs vials in the cooler with hop union packs. And there is a beer garden out front with gas heaters.

I never thought I would say "honey, can I please go with you to the grocery store"!.
 
I just snagged 3 gross of bottle caps that were mis-priced. 2.89/gross for Oxygen Absorbing Caps.. Wow.. they would still have been cheap at the regular price of 3.99.
 
:O Any Texans care to report on brewing supplies at our Whole Foods? I would think the one on Lamar in Austin would be the vanguard of such things. I know they have the taps and growler fills but brew supplies???

Then again AHS probably beats them out and it wouldn't make much sense to try and compete. Or would it? I suppose with the right pricing at WF it might just make a little sense.
 
The Whole Foods in NYC on Bowery is very solidly priced. Carry about 20-25 grains base and specialty. Very large hop selection pellet and Whole leaf. The pellet is $1.50 an oz. Nice yeast selection and some fairly hard to locate strains. Not a huge selection of equipment but they have everything you need to make a solid beer and they have a mill as well.

I've been looking all over online but for basic supplies its far cheaper especaly considering shipping.

Thy also carry bottles 12 and 22s for about 50c-$1 a piece
 
Ohio's a little slow on the uptake of...well about everything. Our WF on the north side of Cincinnati just got the Brooklyn Brew Shop kits and wing style cappers. That's all so far. Well we do have a bar and growler station.
 
We have a WF in OKC now. No High point beer, no wine, no brewing supplies that I have heard of.

It's little more than a "hippy" grocery store.
 
This explains wholefoods for people who have never been there

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU]Whole Foods Parking Lot - Music Video [HD] - YouTube[/ame]
 
I picked up some Irish Moss at the Paramus, NJ one yesterday. Had to explain to the cashier what it was when I checked out.

They had packages of dry ale yeast, I don't remember which one, but neither them nor Corrado's had the London ESB yeast I wanted. I think i'm not brewing this Saturday..
 
Out here, WF is an overpriced store with no brewing supplies that looks like disneyland inside.
 
The one in Arlington I seem to remember carries homebrew supplies but there is definitely not a bar. I live very close to a Central Market so anything organic I need I go to CM for and they have a very good beer selection. The local WF, not so much.

I did not realize that one in Austin did growler fills. I might have to peruse the selection next time I'm down.
 
Just got back from WF is Folsom, CA... All 27 gains sell for $1.25/lb and there is a mill to use. White Labs vials in the cooler with hop union packs. And there is a beer garden out front with gas heaters.

I never thought I would say "honey, can I please go with you to the grocery store"!.

Wow! I have been there twice just to buy beer and never knew they sold supplies. I saw a bag that looked like a sack of grain. I thought that it was rice or something else. I have to go check this out! I need to restock my grain supply!
 
I considered making this post a new thread but since I think the issue was with the grain or crush at Whole Foods.... So, I am going to tack this post on here.

I have done 3 all grain batches with grain from WF (crushed myself in the store the night before brew day). The hops and yeast I had from William's and Northern Brewer.

First two all grain batches from WF went exactly as my last 10 before had (with my usual acceptable efficiency). I use a copper manifold in rectangular cooler.

But this time.... when I invited 7 guys from work for a brewing demo (wouldn't you know it), I managed to make 6 gallons of American Stout with a starting gravity of around 1.040 using 30 pounds of grain! I thought my refractometer might be broken when I took my first reading. It was my usual 60 minute infusion mash at 154F.

Last night I had first taste of the Stout and it is small and super roasty because of the lack of sweetness and alcohol. I drank 40oz of it no problem... it is a session strength stout.

I know it's hard to tell at this point what went wrong. Was the crush that bad this time? What base malt did I even buy? (I wanted Pale Ale malt and they were sold out, I got the one that looked like 2 row but the label was missing.)

The only good part about that experience is that I was charged $7.22 for the 30 pounds of grain. (they charged me $1.25 for each bag of grain not $1.25/pound!)

Here is the actual recipe for 6 gallons of finished beer. (I often make 8 gallons with 30 pounds of grain, if the efficiency is better.)

(And, I know that is a lot of crystal malt but it comes out of coffee bean type dispensers at WF and I have overshot the amount I want on two occasions.)

I think I need to return to the real LHBS next time.

Amt Name %
16 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) 53.3 %
4 lbs 15.0 oz Caramel Malt - 40L (Briess) (40.0 SRM) 16.5 %
4 lbs 5.1 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) 14.4 %
3 lbs Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) 10.0 %
1 lbs Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM) 3.3 %
12.0 oz Wheat, Roasted (550.0 SRM) 2.5 %

(Beer Smith2 says that at 65% efficiency that should have been 1.100 OG)

Thanks for any ideas on this.
 
30 lbs, 6 gallons and 1.040? you've got some kind of major malfunction. the grains at whole foods are not pre-crushed... it sounds like you thought they were. this could account for your extremely low efficiency.
 
I put them through the crusher.

I think it was channeling from my lautering system. I only stirred the mash before the 60 min stand.

I have switched to a stainless steel braid and plan to batch sparge and maybe recirculate with the pump if needed.
 
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