Bummed out about Austin Homebrew's practices

[DavidJP]

Just like food products from the grocery store, grains, yeast etc should not be taxes. At least I don't get taxed on those. If I buy equipment (carboys, hoses, etc) then I pay the 8% for this area.

I thought that was the law, sometimes it seems a bit hit or miss though. The local hydroponics homebrew store seems to charge sales tax but Morebeer never does. Haven't brought it up as they are a lot cheaper than morebeer and by the time you take there loyalty discount its basically wipes out any tax.

 

[dfc]

"A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part"

The core issue with all of these posts seems to be that people are ordering on the Monday/Tuesday for a weekend brewday. Most online brew-shops are able to turn around orders in that time-frame, but they don't guarantee of it. So there you are: You really, really need it/want it? Buy local and walk out the door with it. You don't want to miss a brew day? Order earlier. Simple stuff. Be prepared.

In no other situation would I expect a custom order to be processed, shipped and on my doorstep within a week. I'm not sure why we expect the online guys to do this. This isn't an Amazon pick-n-ship factory.

I definitely agree on this. I don't plan a brew day until I know I have all of my ingredients. However, I am bummed AHS no longer ships bulk grains.

 

[dp2001]

I have run into online shops having issues inventory also. I haven't experienced this from Austin Homebrew, but have from other businesses and it drives me nuts not being able to brew on a scheduled brew date! I stopped buying from one company because I got tired looking on their site only to find stock outs. Sometimes I wonder if business know how many customers they lose by stock outs.

Here's something that may help business plan their on hand levels:

How to calculate reorder point (ROP)

ROP=DDLT + SS

Where DDLT = Days During Lead Time. This is the days of demand needed to account for the SKU demand from order time to order is received.

SS = Safety Stock. This is additional days of inventory to buffer for variances in demand. Safety Stock should be adjusted to the desired customer service level needed.

So if I were selling 15 gallon brew kettles. When do I reorder?

If I sell 2 kettles a day on average and it take 14 days get them from my supplier and I want to keep 3 additional days of Safety Stock Then:

ROP= 28 + 3

So I would need to reorder at 31 days of inventory or 62 units.

This should be looked at for each SKU and may change based on seasonality, promotions etc.

Dan

 

[ncbrewer]

I order from Williams Brewing a lot. Their website shows whether the item is in stock or not. Then I can find a substitute or go elsewhere.

 

[APendejo]

To the OP,
You said your brew day is Feb. 8, whats the big deal about driving up to San Luis Obispo and getting what you need. Or place an order with Morebeer and get it in 2-3 days with free shipping if it's over 55 bucks. Just sayin.....

 

[Demaskee]

To the OP,
You said your brew day is Feb. 8, whats the big deal about driving up to San Luis Obispo and getting what you need. Or place an order with Morebeer and get it in 2-3 days with free shipping if it's over 55 bucks. Just sayin.....

The big deal is an additional 15 bucks in gas, plus 2.5 hours of a day spent, or 40 bucks in finding products I don't really need right now in order to qualify for free shipping online.

Perhaps you don't value your time, or don't mind when someone makes you spend more than you were originally planning. I obviously get a little miffed by it, and plan to shop with vendors who don't cause me to waste my time or money.

 

[CA_Mouse]

I thought that was the law, sometimes it seems a bit hit or miss though. The local hydroponics homebrew store seems to charge sales tax but Morebeer never does. Haven't brought it up as they are a lot cheaper than morebeer and by the time you take there loyalty discount its basically wipes out any tax.

Are you talking about CalWest? If so, they are getting out of the homebrew market. What they have on hand is what they have. When it's gone there won't be replacements. Fortunately More Beer isn't that far.

 

[DavidJP]

Are you talking about CalWest? If so, they are getting out of the homebrew market. What they have on hand is what they have. When it's gone there won't be replacements. Fortunately More Beer isn't that far.

Yeah I sort of assumed that is what might be going on there. They did have some good prices though $1/lb for 2 row and $1.30/lb for Maris Otter and thats before their 10% discount program. Also will miss their $9 fermenting buckets.
Still always felt a bit guilty as Morebeer is pretty reasonable and super friendly people as they are too at Calwest. Got a grain mill for Xmas so buying bulk bags should bring the prices down to about the same. I did ring Calwest up a couple of weeks ago and they said they would order grain bags for me so they might still do that and the prices were reasonable, I think $34 for 2 row and $56 for Maris Otter which is a bit cheaper than Morebeer (For MO at least) although different maltster so perhaps not directly comparable.
We are very lucky to have Morebeer what a great store and I'll be happy to shop there exclusively from now on.

 

[brewbama]

This is why I'm glad to have a local shop (actually 2, but one is most likely closing down their homebrew supplies)! Having More Beer as my LHBS is a blessing... Having it 8 miles from home is a godsend.... Driving by it on my way home is HEAVENLY!

I could only wish. My closest HBS is a wine shop with a small selection of brew supply over 35 miles away. We have one local store that has some old dusty inventory which is fine for hardware but ingredients not so much.

All mail order for me.

Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[broadbill]

The big deal is an additional 15 bucks in gas, plus 2.5 hours of a day spent, or 40 bucks in finding products I don't really need right now in order to qualify for free shipping online.

Perhaps you don't value your time, or don't mind when someone makes you spend more than you were originally planning. I obviously get a little miffed by it, and plan to shop with vendors who don't cause me to waste my time or money.

Hobbies are a productive way of pissing away time. Be careful with the time argument; think about it too much as you'll wonder why you are spending 8+ hours to brew/bottle 5 gallons, when you can drive down and buy 2 cases for beer for half the price.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Got a grain mill for Xmas so buying bulk bags should bring the prices down to about the same. I did ring Calwest up a couple of weeks ago and they said they would order grain bags for me so they might still do that and the prices were reasonable, I think $34 for 2 row and $56 for Maris Otter which is a bit cheaper than Morebeer (For MO at least) although different maltster so perhaps not directly comparable.
We are very lucky to have Morebeer what a great store and I'll be happy to shop there exclusively from now on.

I try to wait until MB has their semi-annual sale (July and December) when everything is 15% off. I got my mill last year and have bought 4 50# bags since (1 2-Row and 3 American Pale) can't beat the prices that way. I think the American Pale is $36.99 normally, so getting it for $31.44 is great ($0.63 a pound). I usually swing by on Friday to take samples of my latest brews... Hopefully I'll see you there when I do!

 

[highgravitybacon]

Pick somewhere closer to you. That's a big carbon footprint to ship all the way from Austin to California. Besides, you get your stuff faster if the shop is close.

It didn't grow on a bush in Austin. It was shipped to Austin. Just as it was shipped from the malt house to a warehouse to another warehouse to the retailer.

UPS taking 250 orders across country is a lot more efficient than 250 cars driving to a homebrew store to buy something that was shipped across country anyway.

 

[KVANTAN]

It's tough to run a business that has to fulfill tons of mail orders and physical stocks. Managing inventory from multiple suppliers who may be small time business's themselves with simple systems. You should be pretty happy you can order stuff that easy with a few mouse clicks. I have to order stuff well in advance to people who can hold onto it for a few weeks till I can connect them with a friend I might run into in the next couple months. Then when I get it I have to smuggle it all past customs into a Muslim country and brew it without getting caught and shaken down by the Muhammad police, normal crooked police and then immigration.

I wish I had your problems. I am about to brew a double ipa from a few different leftovers hops, some yeast I got last year and some DME a friend mailed to me in a Bisquick box that spent two weeks in customs. Couldn't be happier about it either. My last four brews have all turned out great.


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[broadbill]

Good thing you like to hear yourself. At some point can you stop?

Well, I don't want to interrupt the anonymous-pile-on/sh*t-on AHS party you guys are having.

Too bad none of you are man enough to sack-up and contact them directly with all the MAJOR problems you have with them.

Guess it is much easier to sit back and take pot shots from the peanut gallery.

I'm out...your welcome.

 

[Grinder12000]

Without reading all the posts I had that same problem with their Amber Extract which comes from Wisconsin. Seems to be a shortage.

When I got my email I called them because they were holding my order.

I've been a long long time customer of their and called them and they did right be me. Sent my ingredients and refunded what they did not have and I got the DME at a local store (15 miles away and more expensive). Forrest (sp) was very kind and no problems.

 

[RmikeVT]

unsubscribe

 

[humpadilo]

I live in Austin and use AHS all the time. For the past 3 months or so, they have been out of a lot of supplies. I love this place and I love going in to talk to them, but I am going to have to go somewhere else so i can get my supplies. I recently made my first recipe and was excited to try it. They were out of so many grains I had to settle on a kit. i have a hard time getting PBW and Star San there. I just wish someone from AHS would address the issue of why they are out of so much stuff. I am afraid they are getting ready to close down. I have been searching forums and google to see if I could find out why this is.

 

[zach976]

I have experienced the same thing lately too. It's sad because it's been such a great store and the employees are always ready to help you with anything you need. I heard that the owner has another business venture( besides the store and brewery),that the money is being funneled into, therefore leaving the store how it is now. Like I said, I heard. It could just be a rumor. Last couple of times I have been in the store, a bunch of stuff I wanted to buy were out of stock.


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[humpadilo]

Edited. Deleted a silly question.

 

[Pappers_]

Didn't see this or the other thread on Austin in the General Beer Discussion subforum until now. There is a subforum called Company Reviews in the homebrewing community forum, and a thread on Austin in that subforum, which is the appropriate place to post reviews. The postings, though, must be reviews of your own experience as a customer. No conjecture, no responding to other people's reviews, no editorial comments non-customers. Please post your reviews there.