I dislike my LHBS

They do not carry any Safale products, NOR have they EVER head of Simpsons Golden Promise Malt... looks like mail order it is!

Brewpilot

Did you ask them if they could order it for you? I actually do a split of LHBS and mail order primarily because it costs me at least as much to drive to the LHBS as it does for shipping. However, I really like having those guys around, so I do probably 85/15 LHBS/mail order.

mail order the stuff they don't carry but don't give up on them for other stuff. My LHBS doesn't carry any Wyeast stuff which bothers me but I make due. I would rather buy most/all of my stuff there than have to mail order EVERYTHING.

Well, they dont seem to carry anything that I want... honestly, I have crafted recipes around what they carry. No more I tell you... mail order, here I come! They not only dont carry it, they have never HEARD of Golden Promise.... and this is thier specialty, brewing...

Brewpilot

Confesssion time.....







Neither have I.

(where's the "shame" smiley?)

I hear you. Pickings are very slim around here. The closest place, it's Briess in a baggie or out the door (mainly a winery shop). The next closest, it's 2-row or 6-row. To get any selection I looking at 3 hours round trip. I had ten times the options in the SF Bay area. So, it's much easier, cheaper and less frustrating to use mail order.

At least you have an LHBS---my closest is about 90 mins away. Mightn't be the best HBS in the world, but hell---nothing is worse than needing something in a pinch, at the last minute, and being 5 shipping days out from getting it. Your LHBS might suck, but in a pinch, you'll be glad it's there. I needed a belgian abbey yeast once because the one I pitched was lagging something awful...but I had no real options. I'll bet your LHBS carries some form of belgian yeast, eh?

So, don't complain, just be grateful, order online, and wait for the day when you need something last-minute. You'll be happy that it's there, even if you don't get the EXACT product you're looking for.

You guys should talk to Chairman Cheyco. He can get like two grains, a hop (sometimes), and occasionally yeast up in Canadia. I heard he had to make his brewrig out of a moose smokehouse.

Baron von BeeGee said:

You guys should talk to Chairman Cheyco. He can get like two grains, a hop (sometimes), and occasionally yeast up in Canadia. I heard he had to make his brewrig out of a moose smokehouse.

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We used to DREAM of living in a corridor! :cross:

That's not far-off, we have a dismal selection around Calgary. Mail order for me if I want anything more fancy than crystal 80.

I love my HBS, except for the hour and change drive over the mountain to get there. Very respectable selection, there's only been once that I can think of when they didn't have what I needed (some American Crystal hops). Always seem to be in a good mood, helpful, they always load stuff up for me on a hand truck and bring it out to the car if I'm buying a decent amount of stuff (like a carboy or bottles or whatever). A little pricey, but well worth the drive.

I dislike mine. They never have what I need, their prices are a bit high, and they store grain in a 135 degree warehouse in bins that are falling apart. They always PROMISE they can order what I want, but so can I...cheaper.

I would venture that 90% of LHBS are hit or miss on what you want/need. Lets face facts, they are small and local and just cant afford to carry all the stuff we would like. The online stores are able to draw from an infitely larger pool of homebrewers then the average LHBS and there for are able to afford carry many more items.

I'm not real wild about the 3 LHBS I go to but if I cant find what I want I order it. (there is a 4th up by Sause but I havent checked it out yet and a 5th about 20 minutes from me but the guy is a flat out drunk a$$hole) I can always find what I need (the basics).

You just need to plan your brewing a bit better.

I buy all my grains, hops, and yeast at the local shop, but their hardware prices are a bit high. I tend to make most of it, but the big stuff I need/want to buy I will mail order. It's a problem, they're not a bad shop, and I like to support the local guys, but we're talking like a difference of $100 or so on some big ticket items. (conical, for example) I know the reason for the price difference is mainly the cost they can get it for when ordering small quantities from the supplier, but to me, savings is savings on my end.

I feel very lucky to live a few miles south of Austin, Tx ( I hear there is another Austin in Minnesota?) and within a 30 minute drive of Austin Homebrew Supply. I could probably get some items cheaper online and infact I know that I can but I try to patronage their store and keep the dollars local when I can. I hear you Ruy Lopez, sometimes keeping it local just doesn't add up but those of us in and around Austin are lucky because AHS seems to be very competitive on most items. Just re-read my post and wow it sounds like I work for them but really I don't. Jeffrey runhard, trainhard, raceEZ

I like my LHBS. Home Brew Headquarters - http://www.homebrewhq.com/

They stock a broad variety of yeasts and hops and all the normal adjuncts and modifiers that people on these forums talk about. They have a giant shelf full of different kinds of DME and canned LME. They sell so much self-serve bulk LME out of their big tapped plastic barrels (probably in the 35 to 50 gallon range, I'm guessing) that it is always very fresh. They seem to have a large selection of specialty and import grains, although I don't know enough about the various kinds to know how varied it is. They have a good selection of hardware, albeit at a markup compared to mail order for most items. They keep their book section well-stocked with lots of brewing books. They have a large supply of glass carboys and Better Bottles, and even a Fermenator Conical on display. They have cases of all kinds of bottles on hand. They sell bulk grain in giant sacks too. I bought my keggle from them.

They do a brisk business. They are busy every time I go in there. I've been there numerous times now, and I've never seen a time when there wasn't a constant parade of patrons coming in an out. Saturdays are a mad-house. They sell wine-making stuff too.

All of the guys who work there seem knowledgeble, one of them in particular. They'll help you convert a recipe from all grain to extract with or without steeping grains or vice versa, and they'll even help you craft a recipe on the spot based on the characteristics you describe for them. And they're very friendly.

They are open 7 days a week!

They could really use a bigger store. That's my only real complaint. It gets kind of crowded in there when they are busy.

I didn't know how good I have it.
My LHBS, http://www.thebrewhut.com/ is about a mile and a half down the road from me. They almost always have everything I need and their ingredients are always fresh.
My only beef is that like most other LHBS, they are closed Sunday and Monday. I have to be sure I've got everything I need before I brew on those days. I certainly can't blame them for being closed. I'm sure they can't afford the additional employees needed to keep it open.

the_bird said:

Confesssion time.....

Neither have I.

(where's the "shame" smiley?)

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(clearing throat).... ummm....... hmm... (chuckle) yeah me either Is it a grain... a kit....?

I am VERY lucky. I have two places in a short drive... one place that I love to go to in a but of a longer drive but under an hour. Got another place that ROCKS, but it is a very long drive (been there once).

Like I said... I'm very lucky. When I could not lift a lot I mail ordered from Austin, but when they got rid of free shipping I stopped using them.

Beer Snob said:

(clearing throat).... ummm....... hmm... (chuckle) yeah me either Is it a grain... a kit....?

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Golden Promise is a cultivar of two-row barley like Maris Otter. It's grown in a certain region of Scotland I think.

Aha! From here:

Simpsons Golden Promise
Golden Promise, an early-maturing spring barley, is the Scottish equivalent of Maris Otter. Though brewers north of the English border claim that its sweet, clean flavor is superior to Maris Otter. Golden Promise malt has a depth of flavor that makes it the ideal base malt for both UK and USA-style IPAs. Golden Promise is also used extensively by premium whisky distilleries such as The Macallan.

Chairman Cheyco said:

Golden Promise is a cultivar of two-row barley like Maris Otter. It's grown in a certain region of Scotland I think.

Aha! From here:

Simpsons Golden Promise
Golden Promise, an early-maturing spring barley, is the Scottish equivalent of Maris Otter. Though brewers north of the English border claim that its sweet, clean flavor is superior to Maris Otter. Golden Promise malt has a depth of flavor that makes it the ideal base malt for both UK and USA-style IPAs. Golden Promise is also used extensively by premium whisky distilleries such as The Macallan.

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Intereresting. I know this is completely , but this is what I love about learning how to mash. When I made Walker's IPA (which I still love), it was just with generic DME, not even sure which brand I used. Now, I get to play around with malts more directly, have even more control over the end product. It's just more and more and more to have to learn...

the_bird said:

Intereresting. I know this is completely , but this is what I love about learning how to mash. When I made Walker's IPA (which I still love), it was just with generic DME, not even sure which brand I used. Now, I get to play around with malts more directly, have even more control over the end product. It's just more and more and more to have to learn...

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Yeah, it's like when Neo ate the red pill...



Edit: A nice part about it is that you can go as far as you want with it once you have the basics down.

As long as I have kind gents like my buddy "Crabmeat" leading the way!

Pumbaa said:

I'm not real wild about the 3 LHBS I go to but if I cant find what I want I order it. (there is a 4th up by Sause but I havent checked it out yet and a 5th about 20 minutes from me but the guy is a flat out drunk a$$hole) I can always find what I need (the basics).

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It's funny the one that is about 20 min away is the one I like the best. Once you talk to the guy he is a great resource. That place is what I think of when I think of my LHBS. I have yet to try to get something that any of the LHBS don't have. When I get a larger mash tun and boil kettle I might start doing some decontation mashing and then I will look for some specific base malts.

Brewpilot said:

They do not carry any Safale products, NOR have they EVER head of Simpsons Golden Promise Malt... looks like mail order it is!

Brewpilot

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the brewers art on wells st? i used to shop there when i lived in the fort, and they rarely had what i needed. i'd just go in with an idea of a recipe and mix and match...

francie is one hell of a nice gal though!

heh... within 40 miles my LHBSes are:

Williams Brewing: seems pretty good, excellent selection

Fermentation Frenzy: Really nice guy but I think things move pretty slowly

San Francisco Brewcraft: Seems pretty busy usually, they do things one way and the owner will happily tell you it's the only way. They refuse to carry Star-San because it isn't worth the money and they only carry candi sugar because "That guy wrote that stupid book about Belgian beers" It's an experience!

3B: well.... it's 3B what more can you say.

DanTodd,

If you ever get to Santa Rosa, be sure to check out The Beverage People

I love going there.

Knowledgeable, helpful and genuinely enthusiastic people.

Unlike my current HBS, which seems to specialize in Moody behavior, surly attitudes and a genuine desire to maintain their superiority to you, the great unwashed.

I only go there because it is the only game in town.

Unless I go to Santa Rosa !

Cheers,

knewshound

sause said:

It's funny the one that is about 20 min away is the one I like the best. Once you talk to the guy he is a great resource. That place is what I think of when I think of my LHBS. I have yet to try to get something that any of the LHBS don't have. When I get a larger mash tun and boil kettle I might start doing some decontation mashing and then I will look for some specific base malts.

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Sent ya a PM to find out which one you are talking about, curious if your 20 minute away one is the same one I mean. If it is I dunno . . . maybe I caught him on a bad day or something but he was such a @$$ when I was in there I'll never go back unless I absolutely have to.

Thanks Knews,

I don't make it up there often but I think there may be a brewery or two up that way I could visit if I wanted to make it a field trip.