Bernie Brewer
Grouchy Old Fart
OK here's the deal: I had to be in Sheboygan today (that's in Eastern WI for you non Cheeseheads) on unrelated business, and I also would like to brew tomorrow if possible. So I do a search to find the nearest LHBS to Sheboygan so I can pick up some ingredients for brewing. My search yields a hit: Grapes, Grains, and Beans in Manitowoc, about 1/2 hour north of where I was. Sounds good, I'm in business, right? Well I get there, and I ask the proprietor if they have any 50# sacks of two-row that they can sell me.
Answer: "No, but we can get it." Well, I'm from out of town, I won't be coming back, so I'll just get enough for this couple of batches and call it good. So I need, for starters, 30# of 2-row.
"Oh, my goodness no, we don't have that much on hand! we only order 20# at a time!" She opens the little barrel and there's maybe 5 pounds of 2-row in there.
That's all you have, I say? "Well, yes", she says " Most homebrewers only brew 5 gallons at a time, so we don't go through that much."
I told her that since most 5- gallon batches use close to 10 pounds of 2-row that she is only able to keep two customers happy at a time at that rate.
Honestly, what self-respecting LHBS only has 20# of BASE MALT on hand at one time???? That's ridiculous!!!! Grrrrrrrr! I told her not to expect to be in business much longer if they keep that up........
The irony of it all is, this LHBS is only two blocks from one of Budweiser's biggest malting plants!!!!! And they only carry 20# at a time! Sheesh! Ok, rant over..........
Answer: "No, but we can get it." Well, I'm from out of town, I won't be coming back, so I'll just get enough for this couple of batches and call it good. So I need, for starters, 30# of 2-row.
"Oh, my goodness no, we don't have that much on hand! we only order 20# at a time!" She opens the little barrel and there's maybe 5 pounds of 2-row in there.
That's all you have, I say? "Well, yes", she says " Most homebrewers only brew 5 gallons at a time, so we don't go through that much."
I told her that since most 5- gallon batches use close to 10 pounds of 2-row that she is only able to keep two customers happy at a time at that rate.
Honestly, what self-respecting LHBS only has 20# of BASE MALT on hand at one time???? That's ridiculous!!!! Grrrrrrrr! I told her not to expect to be in business much longer if they keep that up........
The irony of it all is, this LHBS is only two blocks from one of Budweiser's biggest malting plants!!!!! And they only carry 20# at a time! Sheesh! Ok, rant over..........