Cats, open grain bags, Mice, dust and my LHBS

Just got back from my local shop. As I was leaving with my ingredients and wondering how the heck I spent almost three times what I could have online for this batch, I saw it.. A dam cat wandering inside the store. Then I started noticing other things I thought were indicative of a business that just doesn't care. Where the grain is stored, they had at least 4 50lb bags open, there was spilled grain all over the place and dust on everything in the store. No containers to store things, nothing but big bags some with wet bottoms sitting on the floor. I asked about the cat, Im not a big cat fan myself, and the response was if it wasn't for the cat he would have mouse problems. Im kinda thinking if stuff was stored properly and cleaned once in a blue moon there would be no problems either.

Crud, Im just venting, the sticker shock then the filth put me in a bad mood.
Ill be buying everything online from this point forward. What a shame.

Wow. I get grumpy when my LHBS charges me 2-4x what I can get from a reputable online dealer (or more for hops, at $4.25/oz or $68/lb!), but at least it's clean and everything is well stored. I'd be buying online if I were you, too.

That sounds like an anonymous tip to the health dept to me...cats to ward off mice because of lack of cleaning...I don't think that is legal anywhere...

Zamial said:

That sounds like an anonymous tip to the health dept to me...cats to ward off mice because of lack of cleaning...I don't think that is legal anywhere...

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Wrong. Perfectly legal on pirate ships.

Edit... attempted to make a joke above but after googling to satisfy a little curiosity, apparently it's common on naval and trading ships today. Wow. Learn something new everyday.

The OPs situation sounds like one my local brew stores.

gregger said:

The OPs situation sounds like one my local brew stores.

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HAHA - I think I know the one you're talking about.
That store is aight, but very - dingy?

Which store do yo go to?

I thought I'd found great prices on grain about an hour from in my old college town where I like going anyway. I thought perfect! Then I stopped in there. Di-freaking-scusting!

Zamial said:

That sounds like an anonymous tip to the health dept to me...cats to ward off mice because of lack of cleaning...I don't think that is legal anywhere...

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+1 on this. I know for a fact they have to at least store the grain up off the floor. And if they have mice, I guarantee they have feces in the grain if it's just sitting out in bags.

Bishop916 said:

HAHA - I think I know the one you're talking about.
That store is aight, but very - dingy?

Which store do yo go to?

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I think I know the one too... there aren't many options around Sac though are there? I only know of the OHBO in the immediate Sac area. The folsom one is clean, and $38 for 50 lbs GW which seems pretty good in my book.

Yeah I go to OHBO - it is ok for my level of expertise and they always seem to be more than helpful. They sell by the ounce which is nice if I want to do a smaller batch, and I haven't been spoiled by any 'nicer' places just yet. I went to the place on Broadway and I remember it being a bit pricey.

I haven't been to the Folsom one yet...

I work at a food warehouse and we have mouse traps every five feet along everywall and a professional company comes in and checks every trap every so often with a barcode scanner to prove they checked every trap and its the law that we maintain that. I never imagined that hb stores were not under the same guidelines.
Im guessing they are under the same guidelines as the local feedstore than?
If thats the case then i might as well open a HBS in my shed outback!

JeffB said:

Ill be buying everything online from this point forward.

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How do you know that the online store does not have a dozen cats and scrape your grain off of the floor?

My LHBS also has similar sanitation, and also has a cat or two running around when I go in.

vortexla said:

My LHBS also has similar sanitation, and also has a cat or two running around when I go in.

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Culver City?

I've been to all the others and didn't really notice any sanitation issues anywhere else. I have been to Culver City a few times and have sort of given up on them. Twice when I have been there the guy ignored me and instead played Farmville on the computer, then got an annoyed look when I asked him about stuff I was planning to buy.

cfonnes said:

How do you know that the online store does not have a dozen cats and scrape your grain off of the floor?

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Unfortunately I dont, but I can see many posts here about people walking thru some of the big name internet shops that advertise and post here, I have to go with whats posted and reviewed.

Bishop916 said:

HAHA - I think I know the one you're talking about.
That store is aight, but very - dingy?

Which store do yo go to?

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Hmmmm.... I'd say the correct word is "dingy". Folsom store is friendlier and cleaner.

weirdboy said:

Culver City?

I've been to all the others and didn't really notice any sanitation issues anywhere else. I have been to Culver City a few times and have sort of given up on them. Twice when I have been there the guy ignored me and instead played Farmville on the computer, then got an annoyed look when I asked him about stuff I was planning to buy.

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I gave up on Culver City as well, they were not very helpful or friendly. The one I mentioned with the cat running around is the Woodland Hills one, however they are pretty helpful and quite friendly.

gregger said:

Wrong. Perfectly legal on pirate ships.

Edit... attempted to make a joke above but after googling to satisfy a little curiosity, apparently it's common on naval and trading ships today. Wow. Learn something new everyday.

The OPs situation sounds like one my local brew stores.

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Actually, if you take a tour of the Cantillon brewery in Brussels, you'll meet their brewery cats. One of them likes to perch on top of the grain chute. I also met one of them in the barrel storage area.

vortexla said:

I gave up on Culver City as well, they were not very helpful or friendly. The one I mentioned with the cat running around is the Woodland Hills one, however they are pretty helpful and quite friendly.

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where are the others located aside from Woodland Hills?

I've only been to Culver City (I'm new and live in Santa Monica so it's convenient) I've had the same experience where it seemed like i was bothering the guy asking for help and asking questions, esp since I was the only customer in the store!

i've dealt with 2 other associates there who were more helpul but didn't seem as knowledgeable when i was asking about some grain substitutions

terrapinj said:

where are the others located aside from Woodland Hills?

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There is also a store in Long Beach.

Edit: I have no comment on this store as I have never been there.

jpc said:

Actually, if you take a tour of the Cantillon brewery in Brussels, you'll meet their brewery cats. One of them likes to perch on top of the grain chute. I also met one of them in the barrel storage area.

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Those cats must love life. Pic found:

gregger said:

Those cats must love life. Pic found:

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Wow, lucky cats.

terrapinj said:

where are the others located aside from Woodland Hills?

I've only been to Culver City (I'm new and live in Santa Monica so it's convenient) I've had the same experience where it seemed like i was bothering the guy asking for help and asking questions, esp since I was the only customer in the store!

i've dealt with 2 other associates there who were more helpul but didn't seem as knowledgeable when i was asking about some grain substitutions

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Here are the others that I'm aware of:

1. South Bay Homebrew Supply in Torrance is pretty new, just opened at the end of last year.
2. Stein Fillers in Long Beach
3. O'Shea Brewing in Laguna Niguel
4. Bruery Provisions in Placentia (now closed)

thanks for the info

was hoping there was some place else that was close to the west side

I visit the Woodland hills one frequently and feel they are priced competitively with the internet stores (which is to say, they area a little higher, but also they are LOCAL and have to pay for store front, friendly employee, etc.)

If my LHBS was price gouging, I'd certainly feel a little different. For instance, I know I can get hops under $1/oz by buying in bulk, but I can go to my LHBS anytime and get exactly what I want for $2/oz. For those of you hitting $4+/oz at your LHBS, I feel your pain.

As far as cats go; seriously, if you have grain, your gonna have mice--or at least there is always a risk. Yes, you can store grain in those resealable pet food containers, but most LHBS have to carry more grain than that and there is some in-between point where the grain is sitting in bags on pallets. I don't think I'd even consider having an LHBS without having a cat (or three).

Pricey: bad. Dirty: bad. Cats: good.