LHBS will NOT sell ME hops

well......

I have to be honest here. If I actually had a LHBS close by, I would rather him not sell to anyone new and keep the hops for us regulars. There is a shortage, and the hops will get sold. It's a dickhead move yes, but regular customers should have priority in times like this.


But, since my LHBS is the internet.....

I would be a regular customer, BUT I just moved to Indy... I will shop there for eternity, but I have to start sometime. I never shopped there when I lived hours away, obviously. lol

I live about an hour away from great fermentations... where I pick up all my ingredients. Hell, I'm headed down there this weekend for my first partial mash (Kolsch!). There are only three people who work there... an old man, the lady, and a younger guy.

None the less, all of this seems really really odd. I've never had any trouble with them at all. In fact they have been more than helpful with just about everything.

I guess I'll have to ask about it when I go down this weekend...

The Pol said:

I would be a regular customer, BUT I just moved to Indy... I will shop there for eternity, but I have to start sometime. I never shopped there when I lived hours away, obviously. lol

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Bring them some homebrew and convince them you're going to be a good customer for some time.

One fact that an LHBS has to deal with...like any "hobby shop", is that people come and go from hobbies and there is only a small core of people who get into the hobby and stay.

Those are the folks he's trying to protect. I doubt he woke up one morning and decided he wanted to p!$$ off strangers, but he's probably going with the odds that you're "in" the hobby now, but like so many, will be "out" of the hobby soon.

He has less risk in pissing you off than one of his cultivated regulars. I think you're a victim of circumstance.

I say bring him a sixer, share a beer...bring some pics of your rigs and convince him you're worth the innvestment.

I am also from Indy and have been to Great Fermentations. There have been several times that I have gone in there and a younger gentlemen by the name of Jason(I am pretty sure that is his name) was working and he was completely rude and acted like it was a pain for me to be there. But I have also been there several times and Anita the store owner was there and she is one of the nicest and most helpful individuals I have met. Don't give up on the shop because of him. Go in there and ask for Anita and talk to her about. I am sure she will help you out. She was on page 5 of last months issue of BYO on the right side so you know what she looks like.

Indy Brewer

BierMuncher said:

Bring them some homebrew and convince them you're going to be a good customer for some time.

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+1
thats one of the best ideas I could think of right there

I am glad that a couple of you have had good luck there, sounds like I got a jerk is all. Trust me, I am not making this up, my wife was right by my side and was flabbergasted! Anitas answer and email sounds sincere, so I will print it and take it with me, in case there is any other issue. I have been AG brewing for 2 years now, I am on my third AG rig and spend a great deal of time and money in this hobby... It would be beneficial for all of us to "just get along".

I can take them a 6-er of my Feb 2007 Oaty Chocolate Stout, it is aged perfectly!

Out of curiosity what was the price of hops before this shortage and also 2 years ago? I came into brewing after the higher prices were in effect.

I've seen "old" prices on the web of sub-$10/lb for domestic hops.... I think one place even listed $7/lb for common American stuff.