Vancouver Island HBS?

Greetings,

I'm brand new to homebrewing and about to bottle my first Brewhouse kit (Wort-in-a-bag). I'd like to try some extract brews but I'm having trouble locating ingredients. I live in the Comox Valley, mid Vancouver Island.

I wondering if folks can recommend a decent supply shop somewhere between Nanaimo and Campbell River. Any shops I've been able to locate have limited selection and/or fairly high prices for ingredients.

I'm aware of the Victoria shops, but that's a 6 hour drive, round trip. I know about Dan's in Vancouver, but not only is that at least 5 hours round trip, but it'll cost well over $100 just for the ferry fare. I also know about Hop Dawgs, but shipping is steep (50% more on the price of DME for shipping).

Once I decide to step up to all grain (more of a lack of funds for equipment than lack of desire) it seems like there are plenty of sources of ingredients, it's just this middle ground of extract that seems problematic.

Any recommendations?

Cheers!

You could always grab some cans of unhopped Cooper's LME at Save-On-Foods and use those to replace the DME until you step up to all grain.

try online at Mainbrew.com. They're in portland, and ship fairly cheaply to the west coast. and although youre north of the border, it might be worth a telephone call.

i can usually have them ship stuff up to me for cheaper than the LHBS anyways, and Kevin there is a good dude. (they'd missed an order while switching over their website, and he had it overnighted to me when i emailed him about it, which is spendy when you're shipping 50+ lbs of grain!).

Hey Doc,

I am mid island also, and have the same problem acquiring supplies. I am going to the mainland in a couple weeks and was going to Dans while i was there. PM me, and we can maybe work something out.

Barney

I'm also Valley located.
I've found that through a few of the shops around here will sell you bulk LME for cheap. You just have to bring your own container. They also sell hops if they have them.

If you have or are planning on moving up to Full Grain let me know, I'm just moving in that direction and two people drinking beer is better than one!
Do you know of any malt mills in the valley? I might resort to building one anyhow.

I make occasional trips down to Vic as well and can bring back supplies.

Hey Celebran

PM me and maybe we could help each other out when either of us heads to the Mainland or down island

i live in ukee so its even farther for me! I think theres a drugstore in nanaimo near the landlubber pub that sells extract, search man with beers on facebook, hes in campbell river and he sells hops, and all grain kits and bulk grains. Do brew in a bag and your set.

There is/was a hop farm in P Alberni that homebrewers could buy from. However I have heard possibility that they might be gone now

We can get extract up in the valley but no grains.

I've got some friends in ukee, maybe ill bring some brews this summer we could compare beers and chill on the beach.

yeah, the farm is done now, im buyin some rhyzomes off them this week. Im always up for tryin some beers, stop by ukeedogs and say hi!

I know this thread is kind of old, but I was wondering if anyone knew where I could get some all-grain ingredients in the area? I'm pretty new to Courtenay, and haven't had any luck.

man with beers on facebook, he has good prices too. He is in campbell river

I was able to buy supplies from the Longwood Pub in Nanaimo. They'll sell grain and hops to you, as long as it's not a brew day.

I'm in Courtenay / comox and I have a couple big bags of marris otter and gambrinius base malt if you're interested.

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