Who doesn't have a LOCAL HBS

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DrugCoder

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Chattanooga, TN
The local beer store that used to carry ingredients, equipment, etc. quit carrying it all last year. Now, there is one place in town that doesn't keep any ingredients in stock except for a few White Labs vials and no equipment except for a few used glass carboys. Other than that, the closest HBS is at least 1-1.5 hours away.

How many people are like me and do not have a true LOCAL HBS? Where do you usually shop for everything? If you do not have a LHBS, do you have a club that you order in bulk with?

I'm just trying to get some idea as to how many people are in the same boat I'm in. BTW I live in Chattanooga, TN.
 
I just went to my first brew store about 2 weeks ago. My LHBS is the interweb, and all Ive learned has been from this site.
 
Chimone said:
I just went to my first brew store about 2 weeks ago. My LHBS is the interweb, and all Ive learned has been from this site.

Similar for me. The nearest LHBS is an hour away, and they don't have an extensive selection. I get almost all of my supplies online. I'm pretty independant about recipe design, etc, so I don't miss the customer service aspect too much.
 
Mine is about 45 minutes. Good for when I make a big grain bill (I buy 50 lb base malt and the shipping kills you) I just head out there. It takes a little time, but the gas isn't nearly as bad as the shipping. Plus it is a nice drive. For smaller orders, I just have him ship it. I have been trying to be loyal and help the small business thrive.
 
Define "local." I have a shop I consider to be local, but it's a bit more than an hour away. I try to buy as much there as I can, but it's a haul. I know some others are MANY hours away from supplies.

There's also a place about forty minutes away that sells extract and specialty grains, but not much else - don't really consider than an HBS, it's a sideline to a (damn good) beer store.
 
That sucks. Mine is right behind my house. I mean literally right behind. Almost touching. If I didn't have a local, I'm sure I would just use the internet.
 
Yeah, it kinda sucks. As soon as you get the email saying your order has been shipped, you think of that one thing that you really need and forgot to include in the order. Oh well, more $$$ on shipping...
 
A different route home from work gets me to a nice local place. I like the fact that I can be spontanious. I'd miss that for sure if no LHBS although I'd probably have a better stock of supplies if I purchased online.
 
DrugCoder said:
Yeah, it kinda sucks. As soon as you get the email saying your order has been shipped, you think of that one thing that you really need and forgot to include in the order. Oh well, more $$$ on shipping...

It's a LOT better than getting hom after two hours+ in the car and regretting not having picked up a different yeast strain...
 
We have 3 in the Phoenix Metro area, but bear in mind this encompasses 515 Sq Mi if you're talking City of Phoenix (larger than city of LA) and 9000 Sq Mi if you include the entire "Valley of the Sun"
 
olllllo said:
We have 3 in the Phoenix Metro area, but bear in mind this encompasses 515 Sq Mi if you're talking City of Phoenix (larger than city of LA) and 9000 Sq Mi if you include the entire "Valley of the Sun"


Make sure you leave your house at 5:15 pm too
 
It's about 26 miles or so for me to drive to the local store. Being as the whole trip is on the interstate it isn't too bad, but I usually head out after work and have to go through Richmond first (ugh, traffic).
 
I don't any any "local" anythings where I live. There is a HBS in Appleton, WI that's pretty good. That's the closest. That's about 170 miles or so from here. I order most things from AHS, but no more liquid yeast from them. It either gets too hot, or freezes. I ordered my MLT from morebeer.com and some things from Northern Brewer.

Lorena
 
The three closest to me are all about 45-75 minutes. I do much of my shopping in the net. I figure S&H vs. diesel fuel is a wash and the net hours are better. I'll buy from the "locals" if I'm in the area & they are open.
 
lorenae said:
I ordered my MLT from morebeer.com and some things from Northern Brewer.

Lorena

Yep, most of my grains are from Tucson, but I order from northern brewer or B3 whenever I need equipment.
 
Mine is about 10 minutes away. The only probelm is they do not always have what I need so I end up changing items once there with something similar and then changing the recipe once home.
 
I got spoiled in San Diego, CA we had 3 great shops within 15 minutes. The best being HomeBrewMart. It's a hybrid HBS. It has a full size brewery in the back (Ballist Point Brewing Co.). The front shop is homebrew stuff. Talk about fresh grains! It was the homebrew birth place of Whitelabs yeast.

Anyway, now I have zero (4 hours round trip doesn't count as local). Yes it is a sore spot with me you will only read my complaining 10 more times before the pain goes away. I am lucky enough to get 1 day shipping from my new internet shop.
 
trinitone said:
That sucks. Mine is right behind my house. I mean literally right behind. Almost touching. If I didn't have a local, I'm sure I would just use the internet.

I thought I was the closest to my LHBS on this site but you got me beat. I can drive to the store in about three minutes, or if absolutely necesary, I could walk to the store (albeit a long walk).

If it wasn't for the fact that I live so close to the LHBS I might never have started homebrewing in the first place. :tank:
 
Flyin' Lion said:
I thought I was the closest to my LHBS on this site but you got me beat. I can drive to the store in about three minutes, or if absolutely necesary, I could walk to the store (albeit a long walk).

If it wasn't for the fact that I live so close to the LHBS I might never have started homebrewing in the first place. :tank:

Same here. That shop is what really "pushed" me into starting up homebrewing. Not that I really needed much of a shove. :D
 
the nearest one to me is 45 min. away, and it's a small business run out of a storage building (it seems). So, I have to call ahead and have the proprietor meet me there in order to make a purchase. Needless to say, I haven't used my LHBS since I got my startup equipment. Since then, it's been much more convenient and faster purchasing online and having it delivered to my door. :)
 
I actually have three within about 30-35 minutes away. The one I go to thats closest also does brew on site as well.
 
Wow, I guess I'm spoiled: My regular LHBS is less than 10 mins away, another 3 stores within 20 mins drive, Williams Brewing warehouse also in 10 minutes, and worst case, Beer Beer and More Beer is 1 hour away. :D
 
I too jumped in when I found out there was a LHBS in my town (10 minutes from home). I know there are others not too far away, but I love being able to make 2-3 trips there is needed on brew day.
 
My wife works in Kalamazoo, the home of Bell's Brewery. If I talk nice to her, she can stop during lunch or on the way home and pick stuff up for me.

They've got a great selection and pretty good prices, plus whatever I want from the LD Carlson website is available on a maximum of 2 week delivery time.

Kazoo is 30 miles away, so once in a great while, I drive up on Sunday. The real brewing experts don't work on Sunday, though.
 
Mine is basically an LME based business. 3 barrels of various extract, some specialty grains, and a few odds and ends for supplies. All in a room about 8x14 The upside is that they are decent people running the place. I don't think there are many of us homebrewers out here to justify much more of a store, but it would be nice.
 
Mine is about 30 minutes away. Only problem is he closes at 6 so it's a little tough to get there during the week. He's closed on Sunday so most of my visits are on Saturday. The good thing is he is usually brewing at the store on Saturday and has some of his beers on tap for you to sample.:drunk:
 
trinitone said:
That sucks. Mine is right behind my house. I mean literally right behind. Almost touching. If I didn't have a local, I'm sure I would just use the internet.

Mine isn't that close, but if I were to throw a rock as far as I could and then threw it again 2 more times I could pass it through the front window, lol.
The onlt thing is that there is a lot they don't and won't carry due to the lack of interest in anything except canned kits, and they cater to a wine crowd for the most of their business.
So i am forced to order from the net the same as a lot of you guys.
 
The closest HBS for me is 60+mins away but their hours make it had for me to get there while their open. I do most of my order online, but try to buy locally if I can. I have to travel 45+mins just to buy good beer.
 
Used to be two LHBS in my town. One was decent; hours got to be by appointment only near the end. He's closed now. The other HBS is in a corner of an upscale liquor store...catering to mostly to the wine crowd. The inventory is all LME and some specialty grains. Hop selection sucks. Choice of 4 dry yeasts...an ale, a lager, a wine or a champaign strain. Last time I was there (early December) I got the last bottle of Irish moss...and they are still probably out.
I try to support it as much as I can, But I have to us ethe 'Net for the bulk of my hops, yeast an grains.
 
IMO, homebrewing requires a lot of preplanning. That said, it isn't really necessary to have a LHBS. If you order what you need online and plan ahead, you should be fine. Like I said, I don't have a LHBS store within 30 miles, and I haven't needed one. I have a couple extra packets of dry yeast, but haven't had to use those even. Just my opinion, though.
 
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