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jdd120

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So SWMBO came uo with the idea last night of a Christmas beer that we could hand out as gifts.

Great idea, I am a lucky man.

So I just started and don't have enough equipment. With a batch just bottled, and new batch in the primary.

I need another fermenter, and bottles which we can send off never to be seen again.

I live in a small town, miles and miles away from my LHBS. I went to all the major online guys and can't find anything for less then 60 bucks shipping!

Does anyone know anywhere that I can order a couple of cases of 12 oz. bottles an ale pail, and a carboy and not pay an arm and a frickin leg?
 
60 bucks is about right. I just priced it out on Austin Homebrew and it looks like:


  • 5 Gallon Carboy 24$
  • 6.7 Gallon Bucket fermenter w lid 16$
  • 1 Case 12oz Bottles 14$
  • 5.99 flat rate shipping
right about 60$
 
olllllo said:
You should post where you live in your profile. There might be someone in your area willing to help.

Sorry!!

Should have done that already.

There is a good store in Flagstaff I think, but that's a good six hour hike.

Talley, is there a LHBS in Vegas? I tried to look one up last time I was there. I spend quite a bit of time there for work.

I found something online that said the only store switched to Hydroponics or somethign cause he couldn't make any money.
 
jdd120 said:
Sorry!!

Should have done that already.

There is a good store in Flagstaff I think, but that's a good six hour hike.

Talley, is there a LHBS in Vegas? I tried to look one up last time I was there. I spend quite a bit of time there for work.

I found something online that said the only store switched to Hydroponics or somethign cause he couldn't make any money.


The guys who run the "HBS" here are a bunch of ass fags. They had some plastic bottles the last time I was there, no glass. No Carboys. I think they had buckets. I'm afraid that they will be unable to answer ANY questions you may have about brewing beer.

But if you want to grow weed in your closet they can help!:cross:



My sister lives in Flasgstaff and she tells me they have a store there, although I have never been there. They have to be better than the Vegas store. I actually have boycotted them!:D
 
1 case Sam Adams = $24.
Shipping = free
Total = $24

1 case empty bottles = $14
Shipping $5.99
Total = $19.99

Get great bottles and then pay $4.01 for 288oz of pretty good beer.
 
Austin Homebrew Supply offers flat $5.99 shipping.

Northern Brewer is doing flat $5.99 shipping through the middle of October. Probably take 2-3 days.

MoreBeer does free shipping on orders over $59. I know all that stuff probably won't come out to more than $59 but you could always buy some stuff you are going to need down the road.

Was it shipping cost that was the problem? Or cost of the stuff to begin with?
 
neckbone said:
Get great bottles and then pay $4.01 for 288oz of pretty good beer.
I second that. Paying any significant amount of money for bottles seems like a total waste of money when for not much more you could be getting lots of beer with them.
Around here, I can drop by my local bottle redemption place and they'll sell me returned bottles for 8 cents apiece, and I can pick and choose to make sure I get all "normal" bottles (standard size/shape/no twistoffs/no impossible-to-remove labels/etc). Haven't needed to yet, because like many, I buy enough commercial beer from time to time to build up a bottle stock anyway. Sure, removing labels isn't all that fun, but it's not all that bad either.

I'm not a giant fan of the sam adams bottles in particular, since they have their logo on the glass, but I still don't hesitate to use them if that's what I have on hand.
 
Funkenjäger said:
I second that. Paying any significant amount of money for bottles seems like a total waste of money when for not much more you could be getting lots of beer with them.
Around here, I can drop by my local bottle redemption place and they'll sell me returned bottles for 8 cents apiece, and I can pick and choose to make sure I get all "normal" bottles (standard size/shape/no twistoffs/no impossible-to-remove labels/etc). Haven't needed to yet, because like many, I buy enough commercial beer from time to time to build up a bottle stock anyway. Sure, removing labels isn't all that fun, but it's not all that bad either.

I'm not a giant fan of the sam adams bottles in particular, since they have their logo on the glass, but I still don't hesitate to use them if that's what I have on hand.

I personally do not return any non-twist cap bottles, except for heinekin (my capper wont do a good cap) or Warsteiner and like 2 other brands. I probably have 3 5 gallon batches worth of bottles by now :)
 
neckbone said:
Get great bottles and then pay $4.01 for 288oz of pretty good beer.

+1 on that suggestion.

It doesn't have to be Sam Adams necessarily (as there are several varieties I don't like), but there are plenty of good beers out there screaming to have their bottles reused by you. My first two batches of beer are comprised of Bass, Smithwicks, and Sam Adams bottles.

On a side note...don't use Bass bottles. Capping them is a PITA.
 
The best idea I've had yet - throw a bottle party.

Have a party at your house, request your guests BYOB a 6 pack of non-twist Micro/regional brew and be prepared to swap and share with friends.

In the end, you end up with a 6er of empties per person. Also, check with a friend who is a recylce nut. I've got a friend here who recycles his Sammy Adams and gave me almost 5 cases to get me started that he was going to recylce at the end of the month.
 
Shipping charges are really expensive now. And it goes up every year. If a homebrew store is charging a lot for shipping, it is because it costs them that much. Don't think that because a few stores discount their shipping, the other stores that charge shipping are gouging. The stores that discount shipping do not have a super deal with UPS. The store does not receive free shipping from UPS and they pass it on to the customer. And they don't "make it up" on the products.

We have a insanely cheap flat rate shipping charge so that there are not any surprises when you finally get to the shopping cart. I recall a customer ordering 6 cases of heavy glass bottles to be shipped across country. We charged the customer $5.99 for shipping even though UPS charged us close to $100. It all averages out to approximately a 20% discount per order.
 
Yeah the 5.99 shipping option is awesome. I don't think you can ship anything for 5.99 anymore factoring in the box and packaging to.
 
Another one for making your own empties! Seek out local or regional brews sold in your area. Spanish Peaks, Anderson Valley and some other brands might be sold at a larger liquor store in your area. The beer is good, the labels soak off easily, the bottles are not embossed and they'll last a long time (10+ years for some of mine)!
 

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