Brewers Equipment Review

Hello all. Well I ordered a Brew Stand From Brewers Equipment and I thought I would share my experience thus far. First of all I ordered the two tier stand, a pump and a propane holder. I ordered the stand without burners since I already have the large 10inch banjo burners. I ordered and sent the money on May 26th of 2011 and i was told I should receive the stand in 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately i have not received everything I need to brew and it is Aug. 17th. The stand came in last week without the pump, propane holder and gas fittings. I called Marcus (the owner) and he told me the parts were shipped right after the brew stand. As for the stand itself the burners do not fit in the bottom tier of the stand, but the stand is HIGH QUALITY. Man it looks great! Marcus has been super polite and when I can get ahold of him he seems to be very understanding. However, Marcus has been hard to get ahold of and my issues have not been resolved. So bottom line...Buy the stand if you have the time to wait. Also I would have him provide the burners but thats just me. I will keep everyone updated on the stand...



Update: I talked to Marcus the builder and it sounds like he has had a rough week. He is working through a strenuous few weeks of phone outages and health related issues. My stand parts were legitimately miss-placed by UPS and should be here by the end of this week. Like I said the stand is definitely worth the wait...


Service: Average
Quality: Good
Timeline: Terrible

Crud. I just ordered a stand from him early August and was told 3 wks. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Im sure it will work out

I can completely understand your frustrations. I ordered my single tier system with simple modifications, a RIMS tube, and pump from Brewers Equipment Nov of last year and finally got my stand at the end of march. This did not include the RIMS tube or pump. After another 2 months and no pump or rims cause the pump was always back ordered or whatever I finally canceled the pump on my order and just ask him to ship the RIMS tube what he finally did.

I love my stand but I too was told that the wait time would be much shorter than the actual wait time. For the price I dont think you can get a nicer stand, but like you said you have to have a lot of patience. So you are not alone.

Chromados

hard a similiar situation. forgot the burners and the control panel arm. in the end i got it all, just way past the quoted timeline. Looks liek the OP got the V1 2-tier stand without the extra wheels on the bottom tier.

Whoa! I am super lucky then. I ordered the electric stand with 2 optional pump mounts on 6/20/2011 and I received it on July 29, 2011 although with some slight shipping damage to one of the stand legs.

The 4 casters are mounted on an approx 18" long square tubes which slides into the 4 vertical corner square tubes. One of stand corner vertical tubes had been bent out of square just at the opening during shipping and the leg tube would not slide in. I felt I had 2 options, return the stand from IL to TX for repair or repair it myself. I chose #2 and with a crowbar, hammer and patience I was able to get the vertical tube square enough to accept the leg piece (along with a little Vaseline).

Then problem #2 appeared. The stand rocked corner to far corner on level ground. The leg seemed to slide into the previously bent corner vertical a little too far compared the rest of the stand legs. I contacted Marcus via email and he said he would send me spacers to fix the issue. After an additional prompt for the spacers 2 weeks after my initial request I received them yesterday. He sent me 4 spacers which appear to be round washers he fabricated into square shapes that fit into the stand vertical tubes. It took 2 spacers and all is well now.

I sent him a thank you email and got an "on vacation" automated response. He is "closed" until 8/22.

In comparison to others I did really good.

Terrible website too

I don't know Marcus and I've never done business with them but I will chime in as a startup business owner. Based on the limited info I've been reading here, I'm guessing he still has a day job because his margins on these stands are way too low to live off of. Odds are he's personally welding everything, painting, etc. It always takes longer than you think it should. I run into this stuff all the time. I'll be fabricating sight glass kits and packing orders for hours after dinner and finally get to bed at 2am and the damn alarm clock is ringing at 7am to get to my real job.

However, the small business owner's sob story aside, the one thing I strive to do is be completely honest about turn around times and make sure potential customers know when they can expect things to show up. The best bet is to estimate long and send it early for a pleasant surprise. If you lose a couple customers using that practice, at least the ones you do win are 100% happy. Raising prices is probably a better way to control volume if you have more volume than you can handle.

Bobby_M said:

I don't know Marcus and I've never done business with them but I will chime in as a startup business owner. Based on the limited info I've been reading here, I'm guessing he still has a day job because his margins on these stands are way too low to live off of. Odds are he's personally welding everything, painting, etc. It always takes longer than you think it should. I run into this stuff all the time. I'll be fabricating sight glass kits and packing orders for hours after dinner and finally get to bed at 2am and the damn alarm clock is ringing at 7am to get to my real job.

However, the small business owner's sob story aside, the one thing I strive to do is be completely honest about turn around times and make sure potential customers know when they can expect things to show up. The best bet is to estimate long and send it early for a pleasant surprise. If you lose a couple customers using that practice, at least the ones you do win are 100% happy. Raising prices is probably a better way to control volume if you have more volume than you can handle.

Click to expand...

Being one Marcus' customers I will say the product really is of good quality. I think his focus should be on communication with his clients. I told him as long as I was kept informed I would be patient. If he improves communication, he would improve overall customer satisfaction.

ahhh, Placed and paid Feb 9th. Lot's of upgrades and some modification ($$$). He's also done work to my brand new kettles sent straight to him from Blichmann. This puppy better hum and need nothing when it finally does get here. There were UPS labels made for Stand and two kettles on Aug 12th, but they still have not arrived to UPS facitlity!! This was suppossed to be enroute by now. Everything has been well documented to this point. That's all I'm saying for now.

I will be sure to let eveyone know how things turn out, when it gets to NC.

I must say that the stands he makes are a great value. I got in on the stand + RIMS tube deal last Christmas season. It does take quite a while for him to fabricate, but I'm sure it's his side job/hobby. He can't be making much money on these, so the wait time was fine for me.

I'm electric and got the stand + RIMS tube for $275. To DIY the same setup by welding it myself, I was looking at $150 for the steel and $75 for the SS pipe RIMS tube. $225 vs $275 was a no-brainer for me. It saved me time and frustration. I never DIY anything for what I plan to spend... Considering his prices include shipping to your door, I really can't justify complaining about time tables. I ordered mine in late November and received it the first week of February. I received the RIMS tube a month later.

While the communication could be a little better, really I'd rather he be fabricating than spending his time sending out update emails every day.

Like i said the stand is high quality... its just a matter of getting it in. I wish he would just tell you it is going to be 3 months?

My insane journey continues. Two more weeks will be 7 months.

I ordered mine in February and it took about 3-4 months. It was just a basic electric stand with pump mounts. I turned it into a propane stand and saved $$ and wait time.

I ordered the single tier stainless stand from brewersequipment.com on Jun 21st with natural gas, pump, pump shield, control panel mount.
After reading some reviews on this forum, I had expected to receive my stand in roughly 1 month. I was very patient waiting over 2 months for my stand. Even though he probably has a day job and thin margins, his customer service skills are poor beyond belief.
I never received a communication from him until after I started it a month past my order date.
As of this writing the mentioned tracking number still says its just a shipping label.
Here is our entire email conversation, names and faces edited to protect the innocent, please consider before you do business.
Thanks - Russ


Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:15:30 -0700
From: me
Subject: Order #00000114
To: Brewers Equipment

Hi Brewers Equipment,
I placed Order #00000114 on June 21st. Please take a moment to provide me a status on the order, and if possible an estimated arrival date.
Thank you and I can't wait to get it.
- Russ


From: Brewers Equipment
To: me
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 8:36 AM
Subject: RE: Order #00000114

I will have it finished lat this week


Marcus


From: me
To: Brewers Equipment
Sent: Friday, August 5, 2011 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: Order #00000114

Hi Marcus,
Any update on my order?
Thanks - Russ


Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:13:22 -0700
From: me
Subject: Re: Order #00000114
To: Brewers Equipment

Hi Marcus,
I hope everything is well over there.
Please get back to me as soon as you can.
Thanks - Russ


From: Brewers Equipment
To: me
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 12:11 PM
Subject: RE: Order #00000114

UPS tracking*** 1Z6488W20397xxxxxx

sorry for the long delay

Marcus


From: me
To: Brewers Equipment
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 9:44 PM
Subject: Re: Order #00000114

Marcus,
It has now been over 2 months since I first placed my order and you received my money.
A tracking number doesn't help me if UPS has not been given anything to deliver.
I have been very patient, despite receiving minimal communication.
I feel that I have waited longer than is reasonable and find you in breach of our contract.
You have until Thursday to either ship the item or provide a full refund.
Thanks - Russ


From: me
To: Brewers Equipment
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 7:41 PM
Subject: Re: Order #00000114

I have disputed the charge with American Express.
- Russ


From: Brewers Equipment
To: me
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 6:00 PM
Subject: RE: Order #00000114

Not sure what to do UPS picked it up today I guess when gets there you can check it and report to AM you have it

Marcus*

Sent from my iPhone

I had a similar experience. I finally got my stand and it's not bad but I wouldn't do business with Marcus again as his communication is poor at best. It was a very frustrating transaction to say the least.

He eventually provided the product I ordered so I wouldn't say I was "ripped off". Just very frustrating to deal with.

I was considering getting one of his brewstands but you just changed my mind.

The stands are as described and he does have a very good price but...you just have to be ready for a frustrating few weeks (months in my case) with poor communication and poor customer service.

It's crazy how some of these guys are having trouble getting these stands some after 6+ months.

I was just checking his sight out and saw this:

The waiting time is just packing up and Shipping?? Sumptin ain't right.


Full system in stock and ready to go. Only waiting time is packing it up and shipping.
Specifications: All stainless steel frame
March pumps
BCS control ignition system
Banjo Burners
3" castors
3 Polar Ware Brew Pots (includes 1 10 gallon and 2 15 gallon pots)
All stainless camlock connectors with silicon hose
Blinchmann Rocket
3 Phase Water Filter
$2995 *****SOLD*****

I would really like to order one of these, but I'm gonna wait and see what happens with some of these other guys. Please keep us informed of how you guys waiting make out.

I am in the middle of a very similiar experience. Order took a little over two months to come in and when it did arrive no burners! I was told the burners were being drop shipped and should have been delivered at same time, then I was told they would be here by this weekend, we will see when I get home. I guess this also means that when the burners get here I will have to install them which I imagine means purchasing some gas pipes and fittings. Not a big deal but I though I was ordering a ready to system. The stand itself looks well done and I never would have complained if I had just been told from the beginning how long it would take.

After I placed my order, I had reviewed the forums again to see what kind of experiences people are having.

Looks like a few untested and incomplete setups. Hopefully he was able to provide you a tracking number than can prove these claims.

Marcus just told me the UPS data is delayed by 48 hours due to his rural address, however according to UPS they have a hub 15 miles away. I guess the tubes are slower in Texas. I'll believe it when I see it.

My guess is he tries to rush job it this weekend and drop it in the mail on Monday. No thanks. :/

Man most of your wait times are a lot shorter than mine was. I ordered a stand in Dec. of last year and it took around 6 months for me to get everything I ordered. The only reason that I finally got my RIMS tube was that I canceled my pump order because they were backordered for months.

I love my stand and do not regret getting it at all, I just had no idea the wait time I was getting into. The workmanship is amazing and it works like a charm. I just didnt think I would have to go through all the work I did finally getting the stuff that I paid for.

Chromados

Update: I talked to Marcus the builder and it sounds like he has had a rough week. He is working through a strenuous few weeks of phone outages and health related issues. My stand parts were legitimately miss-placed by UPS and should be here by the end of this week. Like I said the stand is definitely worth the wait...

I'll say it again, any small part time business is going to run into cases when the key "guy" is out of commission. It happens to me at least a few days out of every month and the first thing I do is put a notice on the website to expect delays. It's just part of running an honest business and making customers feel like they can trust you. I don't mean to berate brewersequipment over it but you're just selling a metal sculpture. Customer service is part of the package.

It's really a shame that their communication is so horrible. He's got a decent product at a good price. If he'd just be honest and upfront with his customers and provide timely, accurate communication he would probably be receiving glowing reviews. I tried to point this out to him when I was struggling to figure out what was going on with my order but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

So, as stated, if you choose to do business with Marcus, pack plenty of patience.

I ordered a stand from Marcus over 3 months ago. Same experience as some of the reviewers - when I was negotiating the product/price with him, he would call me back within a few hours of me leaving a message. But as soon as I paid him, I have heard from him once, and here is the email I got:

I think I will have it ready in about 10 days

Marcus

Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:07:32 -0500

As you can see, that was almost a month ago, and I still cannot get him to contact me through email or the phone. Wish this thread had been around before I ordered!

Just got shipping info for my single tier. 4 weeks and a day from the original order, one week later than quoted, but to be fair he lives in the zip affected by tx wildfires, and ups acknowledges service interruption.
Communication has been fair, he replied to all of my emails within 24 hrs.
I will post updates when it arrives.

I got a stand from him 3 months ago. Similar story, love the stand but had the bent leg slots and missing parts. Communication has been awful usually takes 3 emails to get a response though sometimes it's quick. I've been waiting for the missing parts for three months. He's told me he shipped them three times but I've never received anything and my requests for tracking numbers have gone unanswered. Not saying he didn't send them, but I'd like to see the tracking numbers.

I received my stainless Brewers Equipment stand a couple weeks ago. I ordered it about a month prior and had a lot of stainless options added and had it widened. Marcus was fantastic through the entire process and gave me updates whenever I asked for them. He was also very flexible on my requirements throughout the entire call. I have since fitted my stand for a brewtroller and even when I have had countless questions about automating it and switching it to natural gas, he has been extremely informative and pleasant to spend time talking to me. I have nothing but good news to say about him and his company and his products.

If you are considering ordering a stand from him, I would recommend the following:

1.) Unless you plan to store and use this on a smooth concrete floor, purchase the upgrade option for your wheels. I brew on a brick patio and the stock wheels were too small (it's now on smooth concrete, but it was annoying for a while).
2.) Forget the propane holder. Convert to natural gas if you can. If you have to use propane, buy one of those giant ones from the gas company. I brew 20 gallon batches (27 gallon kettle) and I could only squeeze about three/four brews from each propane tank.
3.) I would have only purchased two burners, as I recirculate wort through 100ft of stainless tubing ($129 USD, ebay, NIB, various vendors) inside my HLT, which I highly recommend. No more fiddling with the rims tube and cleaning it and whatnot.
4.) If you can afford it, upgrade to the BCS automation. I have a brewtroller and the labor involved in just wiring and plumbing well exceeds someone who is practiced and guaranteeing their work, I did a lot of research and I still made a lot of mistakes; let alone the insanely high additional costs of fittings and connectors. I will not manually build the brewery controls on my next brewery unless it's tri-clamp fittings, and I have a generous brewhouse budget.
5.) Plan your build before you talk to Marcus. Get some fellow HBT folks to review it. Then place your order. You will not be disappointed, just be patient, you are getting a custom brewery sculpture, think of the quadrillions of gallons of beer you will get to make and drink.

I will be ordering the 1BBL from Marcus sometime next year.

My stainless single tier arrived today. No shipping damage, its very nice. Burner box wasn't delivered so I can't test yet. Overall, I feel like this was a bargain and it only took 5 weeks.

Bobby_M said:

I'll say it again...It's just part of running an honest business and making customers feel like they can trust you.

Click to expand...

Well, I'm going to check in on this thread and also keep checking in and posting (on this and other threads) until my situation is resolved. I think that people should know my experience when they are considering buying a stand from Brewer's Equipment. To be fair, when my issue is resolved, I'll let everyone know (I'll also send pics, or let folks know I got a refund; either way). Bobby_M, I have tons of respect for you, follow your threads, appreciate the You Tube feeds, etc., but I'll have to disagree with your quote on the small business angle:

I've worked at a small shop; I know what it's like to run a business with a huge footprint with just two people, and many days, just me. I get that there are hiccups, and I allow for it. I support local, US made, and small businesses whenever possible. But the reality is, with Brewer's Equipment, I've now been waiting for a stand for **months** on end. What was it, seven months ago? There was lots of communication on the front end, up to when I placed the order, but after that, now I'm the one that has to check in and ask for updates. Good customer service means regular communication when there are issues.

I get that there have been problems. I get that everyone has crisis and disasters. However, at this point, I don't think that the excuses I'm getting are on the level. I don't believe that the tracking number I got three weeks ago is legit; UPS seems to have confirmed that suspicion. It just doesn't take three weeks to ship anything from Texas to California. Period.

The bottom line is, if he needs six months or more to custom build something, or if it could possibly take that long, then simply say so. If that was the case, I still probably would have done it, in all honesty. I would have just been a better informed customer making that choice. Now, I'm just feeling left in the lurch.

Well, I'll update as I go...we'll see what happens. My recommendation to those considering a stand for now, however, is: proceed with caution.

I hope that helps others. I wish someone had said the same to me.

Best,

MMJ

MadMan,
If you decide to sell it, BrewSteel is located and Concord and customer satisfaction is our top priority.

Still waiting on the burners a week after the stand arrived, and the excuses are not credible.

bnmir said:

Still waiting on the burners a week after the stand arrived, and the excuses are not credible.

Click to expand...

What style did you order? The multi-jet (10 jet) style propane ones are made of unobtainium right now

The basic high pressure ones. When I called him Wed to say it arrived without them he told me they were on order and drop shipping from agrisupply would arrive Fri.
Monday - still not here. Finally today he fowards an order confirmation (he ordered them yesterday).
Clearly he gave me bad info last Wednesday, and didnt fix his mistake until I complained again.

Agrisupply is pretty fast (I use them too) and excellent customer service. I had a 'banjo' burner arrive without an orifice and they sent a whole new burner.

I have a suspicion... his prices are so low he might not have the money to buy the parts. I know I could never build and ship at those prices. I can barely cover material costs at his prices.

Madman_Joe said:

Bobby_M, I have tons of respect for you, follow your threads, appreciate the You Tube feeds, etc., but I'll have to disagree with your quote on the small business angle:

MMJ

Click to expand...

Maybe I didn't phrase it correctly but I'm in complete agreement with you. My point was that any small business is going to get in over its head if its successful. HOWEVER the worst thing you can do is disappear and cut off communication with the customer. When I'm keeping up with orders on a good week, I don't ever email the customer. If I know I'm coming into a few days of delay or something goes out of stock, I immediately email the customer, inform them of the delay and start giving them options. Being willing to give up the sale is the right thing to do when the customer's expectation isn't going to be met.

Maybe he needs to pad the price by $100 to slow the orders down.

Bobby_M said:

Maybe I didn't phrase it correctly but I'm in complete agreement with you. My point was that any small business is going to get in over its head if its successful.

Click to expand...

Bring it on!!!!!

**UPDATE**

I finally received most of the parts for the stand. I WOULD NEVER EVER DO BUSINESS with marcus again. For the record he has been telling everyone UPS is loosing packages. I caught him in a lie. I asked marcus to send me another part almost a month after he "shipped my parts," and what do you know!? The parts all came in the same box! Marcus is a con artist and I would NEVER NEVER!!! do business with him again! After all is said and done I am still missing parts. I give up!

**also if Admin could post this in red on the original post so no one else gets ripped off!**

OneHoppyGuy said:

MadMan,
If you decide to sell it, BrewSteel is located and Concord and customer satisfaction is our top priority.

Click to expand...

Hey OneHoppyGuy,

Well, I have nothing to sell; I ordered my brew sculpture from Brewer's Equipment many months ago, and have nothing to show for it yet. But if I don't get the stand and I get a refund instead, I'm back in the market.

I surfed around and saw your stuff online--nice looking setups! I can't believe you're so close--I'm a short drive away. I'd like to check it out when I get this resolved.

Thanks,

MMJ