I really want to support my lhbs, but they're making it hard.

The homebrew store were im at is not realy one it a wine, beer, spirits mall. But the have some stuff (extract kits mostly) i just got into AG and i need lots of grain and they only order so much to have on hand. If two AG brewers go in there the out. So ive been ordering stuff from then to hold for me. It takes a month to get anything in and this last time two month. Should stick with them? Northern brewer and other online store are looking very tempting, with there 2-6 day shiping.

I couldnt even read past 1 1/2 lines. Do you even try to make it readable?

uncommonsense said:

The homebrew store were im at is not realy one it a wine, beer, spirits mall. But the have some stuff (extract kits mostly) i just got into AG and i need lots of grain and they only order so much to have on hand. If two AG brewers go in there the out. So ive been ordering stuff from then to hold for me. It takes a month to get anything in and this last time two month. Should stick with them? Northern brewer and other online store are looking very tempting, with there 2-6 day shiping.

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I would just use

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/?gclid=CJShm9ms5p8CFegL5QodFGqkHA

And call it a day!

thezepster said:

I couldnt even read past 1 1/2 lines. Do you even try to make it readable?

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I said the same thing, then saw he said there instead of they're, but we are not the grammar police.

I would support the local guy as long as they support you. If you are not getting your stuff in a timely manner, look elsewhere. NB will get it to you in three days in central IL.

go local for what u can. yeast hops etc(if they have what u need). was in similar perdicament so i orderes #55 of pils malt from fiftypoundsack.com and #1 of crystal hops as well. now i have a good stock of base grain i only need the lhbs for adjuncts and such

Maybe your LHBS received the items on time, but it took them a month to decipher the address and home phone number you wrote down for them.

thezepster said:

i couldnt even read past 1 1/2 lines. Do you even try to make it readable?

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+1

If I were you, I'd go with an online shop. You'll likely get fresher ingredients, and I'll bet you're overpaying for your supplies at the lhbs.

thezepster said:

I couldnt even read past 1 1/2 lines. Do you even try to make it readable?

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+2, Grammar wasn't a strong suit

I would suggest just ordering your stuff online (Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies, MoreBeer, Rebel Brewing, etc). At least ordering online you can buy what you want instead of settling with what the LHBS might have on hand. However, I would still support the LHBS on the items they do regularly carry.

Order online, if it takes a month to receive shipment then it's not worth it unless it is cheaper/free.

If it was me, I probably wouldn't bother with them if it was that difficult to get supplies. I am new to the hobby and haven't run into a problem with the local shop not having something. The online shops definately have much more selection of ingrediants and if my local shop didn't have something then I would go online. I've seen several comments here from people saying that the local shops tend to have higher prices than online stores. I personally can't agree with that. From what I've seen, the lhbs prices are comparable if not a little better than the big online stores, and I don't have to pay shipping. If it wasn't for shipping I might buy online just for the ease of it but for now I will just stick with the LHBS.

thezepster said:

I couldnt even read past 1 1/2 lines. Do you even try to make it readable?

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Sorry i have dislexia, the hands dont always do what the brain tells them to. Ive been dealing with it for a long time so i dont need your 2 cents ive got a change jar full of it, so piss off. I usually have to go back and reread a post 2 or 3 time to check it, this time i didnt have time. Trust me this is more of an inconvenience for me this it is for you.

OP,

what I would suggest is talking to the store owner and finding out who their wholesalers are. Tell him/her that you brew all grain frequently, that you would like to support them, and if you can add whatever you need to their orders at a fair price. That way, you can check out what the wholesalers have available, plan your brews accordingly, and then submit what you want to order to the local shop just before they place their next order, which means you should have it within a week or so.

If they don't want to work with you, then move online. But you'll find that many local shops care about their customers greatly and are as upset as you are that they can't compete with places like MoreBeer or Northern Brewer. Sticking with the local shop and spreading the word of mouth helps them to stock more inventory and offer better service. On the other hand, if they are trying to rip you off, or they don't want to deal with you, then it's not worth supporting them.

Here are the questions I ask myself when shopping at any small business.

1. Do I want this business to stay open in the future?

2. Do I like the owner enough to support them?


If it is yes to both I would voice my concerns to the owner. If it is no then go online. There is no use supporting bad business. If you want more supplies get them new customers so they have high turnover. That said there is no reason they can't have grain on hand. Whether it is at the distributor or the LHBS it is going to last just as long. Grain is only harvested once a year or so.

Do both. I totally see the convenience and price discrepancy vs inconvenience and expense (!) but IMHO it is worth supporting local businesses, saving the world bit by bit from the ever growing mail trucks that suck up gas and mess up my air. Depending on where you are of course.

Frankly though I don't really get why these sorts of questions are asked in anonymous beer geek forums... since it is not at all about beer.

Supporting a business has to be a two way street. They are obviously not very interested in your grain business so don't give it to them. And all you jerks who just want to make smart ass comments have way too much time on your hands. If you have a problem with the post then skip over it. Otherwise just answer the question. There is no reason to try and make someone feel bad.

Daybis said:

I would suggest just ordering your stuff online (Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies, MoreBeer, Rebel Brewing, etc). At least ordering online you can buy what you want instead of settling with what the LHBS might have on hand. However, I would still support the LHBS on the items they do regularly carry.

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+1. At least for me, it's hard to find the time time to brew. If the local guys can't get your ingredients when you need it, that'll just make it impossible to brew when you actually DO have the time. Get what you need online and then support the local guys for stuff that you know they'll have.

Farmhousebrewingsupply.com- he's a good guy with unbelievable prices and a member here... (steelers77)

uncommonsense said:

Sorry i have dislexia, the hands dont always do what the brain tells them to. Ive been dealing with it for a long time so i dont need your 2 cents ive got a change jar full of it, so piss off. I usually have to go back and reread a post 2 or 3 time to check it, this time i didnt have time. Trust me this is more of an inconvenience for me this it is for you.

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To be fair it's not a dyslexia thing, just break it up into paragraphs

Vance71975 said:

I would just use

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/?gclid=CJShm9ms5p8CFegL5QodFGqkHA

And call it a day!

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I've ordered from Mid=West and have been happy w/my orders. They have arrived all the way to Hawai`i in about a week using USPS for the small orders. What I've been doing is make a list and see how much I can get into one of the USPS Priorty Mail envelops, boxes before the shipping price changes and then back off. I try to plan a few brews in advance.

That store would not be getting my support.

uncommonsense said:

Sorry i have dislexia, the hands dont always do what the brain tells them to. Ive been dealing with it for a long time so i dont need your 2 cents ive got a change jar full of it, so piss off. I usually have to go back and reread a post 2 or 3 time to check it, this time i didnt have time. Trust me this is more of an inconvenience for me this it is for you.

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+1 on the piss off part. Seems there are more and more A holes roaming the boards every day. (did everyone understand that?). Anyway... That being said I don't think you need a forum really to make this call for you. If the business doesn't do it for you... And the 7 bucks or whatever shipping cost is worth the added convenience of only waiting a few days than do that.

+ 1 on farmhouse brewing supply. I order regularly from them for base grains and hops. They don't always have all the specialty grains I need but they're the cheapest for hops short of buying a whole pound. I try to support the local guys as well but for half the price even with shipping I just can't always do it. If your local guy carries the specialty stuff go to him for the smaller amounts or just go to another online supplier. It's a one hand washes the other kind of thing and there are some things that are great about going to the local guy, like the personal service, but if yours isn't giving you what you need it's time to look elsewhere...

I really wouldn't bother with an LHBS that isn't able to provide the level of service you expect/deserve. I buy locally if a local business can earn my business, but it's business, not charity.

OP, my guess is you are using Friar Tucks in Springfield. It proably is not your best option for bulk orders of grain. Unless you call in to the store and talk to the person that orders the homebrew stuff. I know the store in Champaign will order a sack a grain for you if you ask, and they probably would also in Springfield. But like you said they probably don't order too often. Like someone said earlier its not a bad place to get some hops and yeast from and specialty grains and I've found also even small things like caps and muslin bags. Your best bet for bulk grain orders is more than likey online. You should at least ask at Friar Tuck. Another place kind of local is SomethingsBrewn in Galesburg, IL and they are a true hombrew shop. Google it and give them a call they are a great shop and they will ship your order to you also, if you've got a day to go up there it would probably only take about and 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours to get there but is well worth it.

I think I have some pretty good lhbs around but for what ever reason it seems like i can always find a better price online, specifically through northern brewers. I still buy my yeast locally and find some great advice at the lhbs's nearby but for some strange reason everything from ingredients to equipment always seems to be much more expensive. I wish it wasn't so as I love supporting the local market but money is tight....

dmelt11 said:

OP, my guess is you are using Friar Tucks in Springfield. It proably is not your best option for bulk orders of grain. Unless you call in to the store and talk to the person that orders the homebrew stuff. I know the store in Champaign will order a sack a grain for you if you ask, and they probably would also in Springfield. But like you said they probably don't order too often. Like someone said earlier its not a bad place to get some hops and yeast from and specialty grains and I've found also even small things like caps and muslin bags. Your best bet for bulk grain orders is more than likey online. You should at least ask at Friar Tuck. Another place kind of local is SomethingsBrewn in Galesburg, IL and they are a true hombrew shop. Google it and give them a call they are a great shop and they will ship your order to you also, if you've got a day to go up there it would probably only take about and 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours to get there but is well worth it.

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I go to the tucks in bloomington. They seem to have more then springpatch store but only if your luck enough to get there when their shipment comes in.
Il have to check out the one in galesburg ive been there before but i didnt know about the brew store.

I'm fortunate in that I am mostly brewing all grain these days, and my local shop is a working microbrewery. Their grain prices are better than anywhere I have found online. I can email my grain bill and hops order the day before and they will have it ground in a bag and my hops weighted out in individual zip lock's ready for me to pick up. My only 2 complaints are that they are very light on extract supplies and kits, (makes it hard to send a newby to get everything they need), and that if you go in there other than at lunch time or 4:00 - 6:00 it can be hard to find anyone to help you, as they are all working in the brewery itself. This I can completely understand given that they have a full operation to run, and that home-brew supply is an add on for them.

We recently had a new dedicated home brew/wine making shop open in town. The owner is a long time brewer who has started it up while also working another full time job. He is set up to do on site lessons, and is starting to get a decent inventory going, and will also be stocking White Labs, which my other local supplier does not have.

All of that said....I shop local when it makes sense. I don't bail on a store due to bad service or selection once, but if it becomes consistent, I shop elsewhere. On pricing, my general rule of thumb is that if there overall price is within 5% of what it would cost me to get my product online including shipping costs, I shop local. If I do get tired or dealing with a store, I will occasionally give them a "cooling off period" and try them again later.

I really want to help my LBHS out (one of 6 in the county) and when i factored in the shipping costs the local guys beat the online guys hands down. I'm extremely picky about my hardware so they don't always get my business, but i want to "pay" for the knowledge and experience they're sharing with me every time i go in.

Here's hoping your experience with your LBHS improves, or another one moves in : )

Brandonovich said:

Supporting a business has to be a two way street. They are obviously not very interested in your grain business so don't give it to them. And all you jerks who just want to make smart ass comments have way too much time on your hands. If you have a problem with the post then skip over it. Otherwise just answer the question. There is no reason to try and make someone feel bad.

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Someone got picked on a lot in school.

Well it been 2 months sence i placed my order, so i called them last night to see the status. And they havent even ordered it yet. I think 7.99 is worth the 3 day wait. Ill go back to them i think, im just alittle pissed right know.

Kill them. Kill them with fire.


BTW, would a lysdexic joke be out of line here?

dfc said:

Someone got picked on a lot in school.

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O hai der I hate quiet in other people's houses

uncommonsense said:

Well it been 2 months sence i placed my order, so i called them last night to see the status. And they havent even ordered it yet. I think 7.99 is worth the 3 day wait. Ill go back to them i think, im just alittle pissed right know.

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Find a new place. Check out Midwest supplies, Northern brewer, Austin, brewmasters. Farmhouse has some great hop sets.

uncommonsense said:

Well it been 2 months sence i placed my order, so i called them last night to see the status. And they havent even ordered it yet. I think 7.99 is worth the 3 day wait. Ill go back to them i think, im just alittle pissed right know.

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If you really want to help your LHBS out, let them know that their service level is unacceptable, why you don't want to shop there anymore, and see if they're willing to do anything about it. I don't expect a local store to be able to compete price-wise with an internet store because they have higher overhead, but I do expect them to provide a certain amount of helpfulness and speedy (i.e. same day) delivery. If they don't provide those things it's going to be cheaper, faster, and easier for you to order online. I like Austin Homebrew and Brewmaster's Warehouse.

BTW, that 7.99 shipping is going to be even more worth it if you order ingredients for multiple batches at the same time. Usually when I order I get ingredients for 3-4 batches at a time, but the shipping is flat rate so I don't pay any more money.

thezepster said:

I couldnt even read past 1 1/2 lines. Do you even try to make it readable?

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I hate to beat a dead horse. While speaking in the past tense "Did" would be the proper word to use, not "Do". Just saying.

uncommonsense said:

Well it been 2 months sence i placed my order, so i called them last night to see the status. And they havent even ordered it yet. I think 7.99 is worth the 3 day wait. Ill go back to them i think, im just alittle pissed right know.

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Wow - 2 months. If they had gotten your stuff when you needed it, you could probably be DRINKING that batch right now. I'd find it hard to put up with that kind of service.

JonM said:

Wow - 2 months. If they had gotten your stuff when you needed it, you could probably be DRINKING that batch right now. I'd find it hard to put up with that kind of service.

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+1

I would not be giving them my buisness. Id be pissed if I had to wait 2 weeks let alone 2 months.

Phuck this *****enozzle LHBS the OP is dealing with. I place an order with BMW on Monday, it comes on Thursday and I'm ready to pitch my yeast into the starter wort that night, and I'm brewing Saturday AM. There is no way in hell I'm waiting a month. Screw them. Move on. Brew stronger and faster without them holding you back.

It would be faster for you to drive to NB in Milwaukee and pick it up yourself.