dallasdb
Well-Known Member
KoedBrew said:
I was lucky enough to find a local on here that is giving me 2 hop rhizomes next week!
Anyone notice LHBS prices steadily rising?
- Thread starter dallasdb
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I was lucky enough to find a local on here that is giving me 2 hop rhizomes next week!
Wayne1
Well-Known Member
You might also want to consider joining a homebrew club. With many members, splitting pounds of hops or pallets of grain gets easier.
I recently joined Foam on the Range. The meeting place isn't far from you. Great people that a lot can be learned from their collective experience.
I recently joined Foam on the Range. The meeting place isn't far from you. Great people that a lot can be learned from their collective experience.
coryforsenate
Well-Known Member
I forget the company, but there's one that our local club makes an annual buy from. They only sell in pound quantities and it works out to ~$1/oz.
Just sort 'em into baggies, vacuum seal 'em, and freeze 'em. I got a pound of citra hops for like $15 and used 'em to make an imperial IPA.
Just sort 'em into baggies, vacuum seal 'em, and freeze 'em. I got a pound of citra hops for like $15 and used 'em to make an imperial IPA.
Tizzomes
Well-Known Member
KoedBrew said:
Thanks again for the link, I got around to checking prices and it those sites WILL save people money.I was getting a 3.3lb can of extract for 16 bucks from my LHBS.More Beer sold a 6.6lb for 14 dollars!!!!
Save, brew, cheers!!
ArcaneXor
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Hops Direct or Freshops, probably.
Bob
Well-Known Member
+1,000,000 to the fuel surcharges.
Some other notes:
You save on bulk because it costs time to repackage stuff. When a 55 pound sack of grain has to be separated into 1 pound baggies, it takes packaging supplies and equipment as well as time. And as we all know, time is money. If you buy a pound of hops, the seller saves on packaging equipment, supplies and labor costs to make all those 1-oz packages.
LHBSs often buy things like hops pre-packaged from a big LHBS supplier like Crosby & Baker or L D Carlson. I think you'd be shocked to see what your LHBS pays for those nitrogen-flushed 1-oz packages; add in shipping (with fuel surcharges) and store overhead (facility, labor, utilities, etc), and the price is no longer a big shock.
Your LHBS is at the mercy of the LHBS wholesalers. If you want to *****, ***** about and to them.
Pre-packaged kits can be less expensive than what appear to be raw materials for several reasons: a., because they sit around; b., because things get cheaper the more of them you do. It's called 'economy of scale', and it's the reason Bud can make a 30-pack for $15 retail.
Shop your LHBS, but don't make all your purchases based on price alone. Get the Wal*Mart mentality out of your makeup.
Cheers,
Bob
Some other notes:
You save on bulk because it costs time to repackage stuff. When a 55 pound sack of grain has to be separated into 1 pound baggies, it takes packaging supplies and equipment as well as time. And as we all know, time is money. If you buy a pound of hops, the seller saves on packaging equipment, supplies and labor costs to make all those 1-oz packages.
LHBSs often buy things like hops pre-packaged from a big LHBS supplier like Crosby & Baker or L D Carlson. I think you'd be shocked to see what your LHBS pays for those nitrogen-flushed 1-oz packages; add in shipping (with fuel surcharges) and store overhead (facility, labor, utilities, etc), and the price is no longer a big shock.
Your LHBS is at the mercy of the LHBS wholesalers. If you want to *****, ***** about and to them.
Pre-packaged kits can be less expensive than what appear to be raw materials for several reasons: a., because they sit around; b., because things get cheaper the more of them you do. It's called 'economy of scale', and it's the reason Bud can make a 30-pack for $15 retail.
Shop your LHBS, but don't make all your purchases based on price alone. Get the Wal*Mart mentality out of your makeup.
Cheers,
Bob
Shop your LHBS, but don't make all your purchases based on price alone. Get the Wal*Mart mentality out of your makeup.
I'm not allowed to shop at Walmart. The NYC Council says they are bad for us
I like my LHBS, and think their prices are very fair. I will always shop by quality first, but then price is king.
My goal is to keep as much money as possible in my bank account, not my LHBS'.
rico567
Well-Known Member
We don't really have an LHBS in this area, but lots of good advice in this thread on how to save.
As for the more general issue of rising prices- check out the gas station and the grocery store. Why should brewing supplies be exempt?
As for the more general issue of rising prices- check out the gas station and the grocery store. Why should brewing supplies be exempt?
dallasdb
Well-Known Member
rico567 said:
BECAUSE I SAY SO!!!
Haha but seriously I now know my LHBS is gouging hop prices and I won't be purchasing hops from there unless I'm in a dire situation.
Moral of the story... plan ahead and buy in bulk and/or wash your yeast and grow your hops!
Bob
Well-Known Member
How do you know they're gouging?
dallasdb
Well-Known Member
Bob said:
Know for a fact... I don't Bob. I'm making an educated guess based on their recent doubling of retail space and comparing their prices to other shops.
The thread started off me whining as an annoyed consumer but now I can say I've placed a bulk order, planted two strains of rhizomes (about 16 total plants), and have started washing my yeast.
I still like my LHBS and the brewery attached produces amazing brews. I just won't be buying hops from them unless I have to.
