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Tony_nc

Tony_nc

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2015
Messages
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Location
Denver
Let me start by saying I've been brewing for about 22 years now. I got the brewing fever in 1997 after making a Mexican lager from a DME kit. It was and still is, the best beer Ive ever tasted. Ok, thats not entirely true but I was so excited because I made it. As I sat in my little apartment laughing like a mad scientist. I swore from that day on, I would never buy beer again! The next morning I came to my senses and after stopping by the local beer store. I realized I was going to be a life long brewer.

I say all of that because I would like to ask a question to a group of people Ive followed for a long time. I have been blessed with the opportunity to open my own LHBS in my area. I would like to ask a question:

What would you like to see at your LHBS in stock all the time. I don't mean 2row or Wyeast 1056. What I mean is what is an ingredient or piece of equipment that you love that you have to search for or order online.

Thanks for your time.
 
My LHBS only stocks White Labs yeast, and I'm frequently looking for wyeast. A good selection of hops and malts. A selection of spigots, silicone washers, bulkhead fittings, thermometers, etc. Buckets, lids, airlocks, stoppers, bottles, caps corks, kegs and keg hardware. Fermenters and temp controllers. Water treatment chemicals. Sanitizers.
Lots more, but you get the idea.
 
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Two things that I wish my local shops carried are:
  • 8 oz and/or 16 oz bags of hops...it is really hard for me to justify buying 6 oz of a hop at the 1 oz bag prices when I can get the same amount online for maybe 1/3 the price.
  • 10 lb bags of grain...my shops sell grain by the lb and 50/55 lb bags. It would be nice to have something in the middle (where an online vendor like Morebeer has good prices on 10 lb bags of grain).
I am blessed to have 2.5 homebrew shops near me. One is about a 15 min drive, another is further but very near my girlfriends place, and the closest to me is a brewery/coffee place that has a limited selection. The two larger shops have a pretty solid selection of ingredients.
 
CascadesBrewer said:
Two things that I wish my local shops carried are:
  • 8 oz and/or 16 oz bags of hops...it is really hard for me to justify buying 6 oz of a hop at the 1 oz bag prices when I can get the same amount online for maybe 1/3 the price.
  • 10 lb bags of grain...my shops sell grain by the lb and 50/55 lb bags. It would be nice to have something in the middle (where an online vendor like Morebeer has good prices on 10 lb bags of grain).
I am blessed to have 2.5 homebrew shops near me. One is about a 15 min drive, another is further but very near my girlfriends place, and the closest to me is a brewery/coffee place that has a limited selection. The two larger shops have a pretty solid selection of ingredients.
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I agree with you and I have a plan for both. I will keep my idea quiet for now.
 
RPh_Guy said:
BrewTan B :)
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I'd sure like to get this locally. And a number of other items I use, but most homebrewers don't. And there's the rub. A shop can only realistically carry things they can move enough of to justify buying in the required wholesale quantity and not have to take a loss on if they don't move or expire. And if they did carry an item that had a limited shelf life, and I was one of the few people buying it, well, I wouldn't want to any more, because it might be a little long in the tooth. So I accept that it's best for both me and the shop that I buy certain items online. One thing I really appreciate about my LHBS owner is that when it comes to things he can order by the item, he will take a special order for anything carried by any distributor he regularly orders from. I can put a sack of heirloom malt on his next pallet from BSG, get an odd keg part from Foxx, and so on. If a shop can provide this kind of service, it really puts them on the next level. As for what he does stock, he is very responsive. If he notices a few customers starting to show an interest in a particular ingredient, brand, or item, he'll try to start carrying it. "Hey, whatever you guys want," he's said, "that's what I'll get." (The current owner is second generation, and his son is becoming his right hand man. No surprise the shop has this kind of longevity.)
 
Not intending to bust your bubble.....but.....

The group you're asking here is, as a group, probably in the top 10 percent of all homebrewers. Maybe even the top 5 percent. What they want in a homebrew shop is unlikely to be what the average or newbie home brewer will want or need. You will not sell much to this group, simply because they are few in number.

Case in point: @RPh_Guy suggested Brewtan-B. Nobody in my local homebrew club knew what that was until I did an experiment comparing two batches, one with, one without. Frankly, I'm sure they forgot about it.

Most of the members brew kits the LHBS owner puts together. Now, nothing wrong with that, not at all. Everybody gets to decide how to get what they want out of brewing, and no reason everybody should be the same.

But they're not advanced brewers. They don't have an ethic that would demand continual learning, pushing the envelope, trying new things, comparing, experimenting, all the kinds of things that brewers here typically do. (And no cut on those for whom that is not their interest). They're not online, they're not members here (except, I think, for one of them, who is a very infrequent poster), and they're not going to buy unusual stuff or items that require an advanced understanding.

Case in point: the kits all have dry yeast. Almost nobody does a starter, or even likely knows how to make one.

So, suppose you stock Brewtan-B; almost nobody who comes into your LHBS will even know what that is. You'll sell two of them and, since it lasts a fairly long time, the rest will sit on your shelf gathering dust.

Now, maybe where you are the homebrew community is more advanced than it is where I am. Maybe there are many more who will need the unusual item. But I'll bet you'll make your bread and butter selling kits to those for whom this isn't an obsession, and not on the high-level stuff.
 
↑^^My LHBS sells extract kits, winemaking and Mead stuff, and even cheesemaking stuff, to get some added income from a larger group of consumers. Nothing wrong with that, but it does take space away from beer making supplies:cask:
 
Good Point mongoose33...........I like you started with. "Not intending to bust your bubble"

Don't worry you didn't, Ive always had an entrepreneur mindset.

I started the thread here because you are the top 10 or 5%. If you look at my profile I don't post much either. I sit back work hard and get through life like most home brewers. I only consult with the top 5% with anything.

Let me ramble for a minute:
I agree 100% with you. But as americans we have forgotten about our community and what makes all of this great. We think Amazon because its cheap and shipping is free. I want to be known as that local guy that loves his community and builds a family. I want everyone to feel like my brother when they come in. I plan to take request and if someone only brews twice a year so be it. Ill have what you need. I live in a area that has 60+ breweries in a 30 mile radius. Im building relationships with all of them and don't plan on cutting the small brewer short. I still am a small old school home brewer. As a matter of fact ,Im brewing tomorrow on my back porch. I still have kegs I converted in my shop 20 years ago. I brew about 15 times a year but some years maybe I've brewed once because life got in the way.

All I'm asking is support from a group that has taught me a lot and Id like to extend that knowledge.

I know most brewers don't make starters. But they don't because the brewers before them didn't shine the light. Or didn't explain the benefits of brew tan B


Im here to make a difference. Look what Booby has done.
 
Tony_nc said:
Good Point mongoose33...........I like you started with. "Not intending to bust your bubble"

Don't worry you didn't, Ive always had an entrepreneur mindset.
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I tend to be the type who says "try it and see" instead of trying to overanalyze everything. There used to be a magazine publisher which eschewed (I love that word :)) doing all sorts of market research on some new magazine they were considering issuing. Rather than do that, they just published it ("Left-handed canoeists in Maine!") and waited to see if it sold. If it did...they put more resources into it. If it didn't...cut the losses and try something else.

My comments were intended to be along the line of "just realize you're catering to a rather small market segment if you focus on the top 5% or 10% of brewers."

And who knows--maybe you can grow the market. I'm skeptical of that, too, as I think it takes a certain personality type to want to engage at the level the top 10 percent do. I don't think you can grow that, I think it's inherent in the individual. But I digress....

I want everyone to feel like my brother when they come in. I plan to take request and if someone only brews twice a year so be it. Ill have what you need. I live in a area that has 60+ breweries in a 30 mile radius. Im building relationships with all of them and don't plan on cutting the small brewer short.

All I'm asking is support from a group that has taught me a lot and Id like to extend that knowledge.
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Well, I'd support you, but I'm so far out on the leading edge that you probably wouldn't have what I typically might want. Know how I got there? The people here, of course.

I added it up--I've spent over $1500 with Brewhardware over the last 4 years. Virtually none of what I've bought from him is available in my LHBS. Why? Because I'm the only guy who'd buy it! :)

I know most brewers don't make starters. But they don't because the brewers before them didn't shine the light. Or didn't explain the benefits of brew tan B.
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Or maybe they just don't care enough. Or don't have time. Or don't want to spend the money on a flask and a stir plate and some DME. Or they are satisfied with what they do. Or.....

I'm trying to make the very best beer I can. Others here are on the same mission, but not everybody is. Nothing wrong with any of that. There are many in my LHBC who are just satisfied to do an extract kit here and there, and they have no interest in improving things.

Now, maybe you live in an area with a lot of home brewers. If there are 60 breweries within 30 miles radius, that suggests a fairly large population, many of whom must be home brewers. If the homebrew market is large enough, then even the top 10 percent might be a noteworthy market segment for you.

I wish you all the luck in the world, and none of this is intended to try to dissuade you. Just to introduce a dose of realism.


Im here to make a difference. Look what Booby has done.
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Booby? Bobby?
 
Tony_nc said:
...I want to be known as that local guy that loves his community and builds a family. I want everyone to feel like my brother when they come in. I plan to take request and if someone only brews twice a year so be it. Ill have what you need. I live in a area that has 60+ breweries in a 30 mile radius. Im building relationships with all of them and don't plan on cutting the small brewer short. I still am a small old school home brewer....Im here to make a difference....
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Lofy and admirable goals. We need more business owners like you!

With that said, I believe the posters want you to succeed. As you pointed out, there is fierce competition out there. You already recognized Amazon's draw. Not to repeat totally what others have written, but you need to cater to what sells. You need cash flow that allows you to keep the doors open so you can achieve the teaching and educating you desire.

Your wants and desires may not match potential customers. You can research here on the best ingredients to carry, take unlimited surveys and get the best advice from the top 10 percent here. Most of that doesn't matter.....I believe what matters most is what matters more to YOUR potential customers. What matters most is YOUR location...is it easily accessible, is it a safe area of town, does it have regular hours, etc. I think you get the point.

When I go to my LHBS, they are very nice and polite. However, I have gotten blank stares when I mentioned BrewtanB and asked about Saccharomyes Cerevisiae Var. Diastaticus. Even the owner had no idea of the two.....and he has been in business well over 25 years. I get my information from here on HBT, not frm my LHBS.

While I personally question why starting a new business at this time, I wish you great success!
 
mongoose33 said:
I tend to be the type who says "try it and see" instead of trying to overanalyze everything. There used to be a magazine publisher which eschewed (I love that word :)) doing all sorts of market research on some new magazine they were considering issuing. Rather than do that, they just published it ("Left-handed canoeists in Maine!") and waited to see if it sold. If it did...they put more resources into it. If it didn't...cut the losses and try something else.

My comments were intended to be along the line of "just realize you're catering to a rather small market segment if you focus on the top 5% or 10% of brewers."

And who knows--maybe you can grow the market. I'm skeptical of that, too, as I think it takes a certain personality type to want to engage at the level the top 10 percent do. I don't think you can grow that, I think it's inherent in the individual. But I digress....



Well, I'd support you, but I'm so far out on the leading edge that you probably wouldn't have what I typically might want. Know how I got there? The people here, of course.

I added it up--I've spent over $1500 with Brewhardware over the last 4 years. Virtually none of what I've bought from him is available in my LHBS. Why? Because I'm the only guy who'd buy it! :)



Or maybe they just don't care enough. Or don't have time. Or don't want to spend the money on a flask and a stir plate and some DME. Or they are satisfied with what they do. Or.....

I'm trying to make the very best beer I can. Others here are on the same mission, but not everybody is. Nothing wrong with any of that. There are many in my LHBC who are just satisfied to do an extract kit here and there, and they have no interest in improving things.

Now, maybe you live in an area with a lot of home brewers. If there are 60 breweries within 30 miles radius, that suggests a fairly large population, many of whom must be home brewers. If the homebrew market is large enough, then even the top 10 percent might be a noteworthy market segment for you.

I wish you all the luck in the world, and none of this is intended to try to dissuade you. Just to introduce a dose of realism.




Booby? Bobby?
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Damn, you're quick! I just finished my post only to learn you had another post while I as writing mine. I guess I need to ignore the interrupting phone call....
 
Mongoose33 I love your passion and I want to respond to all your responses......

I apologize I typed booby and not Bobby. I have a family and a full time job and dogs barking and running around. I love what Bobby is doing and Im going to follow his path
 
Tony_nc said:
Mongoose33 I love your passion and I want to respond to all your responses......
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Well, it is my passion right now. Others have different passions.

I apologize I typed booby and not Bobby. I have a family and a full time job and dogs barking and running around. I love what Bobby is doing and Im going to follow his path
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I finally bothered to look at your location, and Denver may well be large enough for this to work. And if you have enough capital to stock items that aren't commonly requested, you may develop the reputation of "whatever you might need, no matter how obscure, you probably can find it at Tony's HomeBrew Store."

My views on this are probably colored a bit by living in a town of 11000, half of whom are college students. I'm 25 miles from Dubuque, but even then, they're a population in Dubuque County of only 97,000 people. So a far smaller market than the Denver area.
 
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CodeSection

I understand and this is scary to me. I need support. Im just one guy with a lot of skills. Ive done a lot in my life. Im ready to take a leap.
Ive been an app coder/a brewer/ a website designer/ a wood worker/ a salesman/a graphic design/ a family man/ a car enthusiast. and last but not least an avid drinker.

I have skills. they will prevail with your help
 
I will suggest you spend some time getting to know the local homebrew clubs. Foam on the Range and RockHoppers have been around for over 10 years and have produced many award winning brewers. They can be great customers. I would also start attending local competitions and meet some of the local BJCP judges. That can help you learn what locals are brewing and what they might want from a LHBS.

As far as "influencers" here is a link to folks who started commercial breweries that started as members of Foam on the Range https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/homebrew-club-members-who-have-gone-pro.548821/

The biggest thing is where you plan to set up your shop.. The Brew Hut is probably the best HB store in Denver. Quirky's is close behind. Right now there is no store serving the south and south west metro area.
 
^^^^^Nice list...I've been to a few of those places. Littleton was throwing me off and then I just realized who you are. You make great beer!

EDIT: The last time I was in town, I had your Tangerine Cream and the Peach IPA...awesome!
 
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CodeSection said:
^^^^^Nice list...I've been to a few of those places. Littleton was throwing me off and then I just realized who you are. You make great beer!

EDIT: The last time I was in town, I had your Tangerine Cream and the Peach IPA...awesome!
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Thanks. I left S26 close to a year ago. I am now semi-retired. I am involved with a start up brewpub in Alabama. As part of that, I am putting together a Pilot/homebrew system. I live in the SW suburbs of Denver. There is not a homebrew shop within 30 miles of here. Most I what I have bought for this system, I have picked up from sales on the Internet. I have purchased a BrewZilla 65L and DigiBoil 30L from Quirky, as they offer a "Professional Discount"
Pricing is important to me. I have a fixed budget to put my system together.
Getting back to the topic, offering group buys to HB clubs will certainly help.

I am somewhat infatuated with what KegLand is presently offering. They seem to be on the cutting edge of homebrew at a reasonable price. I wish we could get some of the products they are offering in Australia faster. I would love to have their stainless steel counter flow chiller https://www.kegland.com.au/colossus-stainless-steel-counter-flow-chiller.html and TempTwister https://www.kegland.com.au/temp-twister-cooling-heating-coil-temperature-control-your-fermzilla-or-kegmenter-with-a-glycol-chiller.html
and whirlpool arm https://www.kegland.com.au/brewzilla-whirlpool-arm-suits-35l-65l.html
as well as the 55L Fermzilla https://www.kegland.com.au/fermzilla-55l-conical-uni-tank-fermenter.html
 
Wayne1 said:
Thanks. I left S26 close to a year ago. I am now semi-retired. I am involved with a start up brewpub in Alabama. As part of that, I am putting together a Pilot/homebrew system. I live in the SW suburbs of Denver. There is not a homebrew shop within 30 miles of here. Most I what I have bought for this system, I have picked up from sales on the Internet. I have purchased a BrewZilla 65L and DigiBoil 30L from Quirky, as they offer a "Professional Discount"
Pricing is important to me. I have a fixed budget to put my system together.
Getting back to the topic, offering group buys to HB clubs will certainly help.

I am somewhat infatuated with what KegLand is presently offering. They seem to be on the cutting edge of homebrew at a reasonable price. I wish we could get some of the products they are offering in Australia faster. I would love to have their stainless steel counter flow chiller https://www.kegland.com.au/colossus-stainless-steel-counter-flow-chiller.html and TempTwister https://www.kegland.com.au/temp-twister-cooling-heating-coil-temperature-control-your-fermzilla-or-kegmenter-with-a-glycol-chiller.html
and whirlpool arm https://www.kegland.com.au/brewzilla-whirlpool-arm-suits-35l-65l.html
as well as the 55L Fermzilla https://www.kegland.com.au/fermzilla-55l-conical-uni-tank-fermenter.html
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I didn't mean to imply I didn't know where Littleton was. What was throwing me off was your suggestion of Foam On The Range beer club which I thought mainly comprised of people in the immediate Denver area. I was under the belief depending upon where in Littleton you are, the commute could be an hour each way to the club meeting place. So, when I read your location, I just assumed you to be operating within Littleton.

While on the subject of Littleton, when I was there last January, there was a "Brewery Coming Soon" banner on a place at KC and 470. When I was there in July, it still Had not opened. Do you know what's happening there?

Kegland does have some great prices on items. I have a few of their items and it would be great if more items were available.

My apologies to @Tony_nc for getting sidetracked. @Wayne1 gave you good info to follow up on...
 
A liquor license and beer on tap would keep people hanging out there all day. lol

But all the small obscure items (like Brewtan B) would be nice for a LHBS to carry, but they are not going to be something that will keep your doors open. A huge variety of grains, hops, and yeast is the best thing to focus on. Most of your homebrewers are going to be looking for kits with instructions.

The biggest thing that I look for in a LHBS is a personable owner/employees who know the craft and builds a relationship with the customers who are a little more advanced. The owner of the LHBS I prefer going to is always friendly and outgoing. He may not carry everything but can get anything I need. He has built a relationship with "elite" customers to the point where when I am building a recipe for an upcoming brew I message him on FB and ask him if he has the obscure crap I need. If he doesn't then he orders it and by the time I'm ready to brew, usually within a week, it's there waiting for me. To me that is the most important thing to have in a LHBS.

Also, sell bulk everything if you can. The 1oz hop bags are annoying and expensive. Even though I try to support local as much as possible, I started buying direct from the hop farms because of them. Same goes with water minerals. And one of my friends was just telling me about a service he liked at his LHBS was they sell a "virtual sack" of grain. He said it's where if you don't have a mill you can buy what is essentially a punch card good for the 55lbs of grain. That way he gets the bulk grain discount from buying a "virtual sack" of a specific base grain but can come in and get it in small orders per recipe and they just mark off how much he gets until his 55lbs is used up. He seemed really excited they started doing this and even though the discount doesn't seem like it's that much, it sounded like he was more excited by the fact he was getting more ingrained in the brewing community by having his name on a list of big boy brewers at his LHBS lol. But it's all about that connection to the customers that keeps them off the internet and in your shop.

But seriously, get a liquor license! :cask:
 
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Two LHBS in Denver operate breweries connected to the store. You can browse for supplies while sipping a brew. Brew Hut does hold contests where the winner can have their brew made in the brewery. Brew Hut also has a dedicated demo/teaching area where they give classes on beer and wine making. They also allow local clubs to hold their competitions there.

CodeSection, That space was taken over by Lariat Lodge Brewery as their second location. Their first is in Evergreen. I believe the brewer worked at TommyKnocker for quite some time. I was there last week for there initial opening. They only had one beer of their's on tap. The rest were guest beers. The remodel looks nice, but they did nothing to reduce noise in a large open space. Fairly similar to Blue Spruce's 2nd location, which is near by.

Foam on the Range has members from Highlands Ranch to Westminster. It is a club with no boundaries. The meeting place is Hampden and Monaco.
 
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I tend to adjust my recipes to what I can get at my LHBS. For the most part, all I buy there is grain and yeast, and order random equipment, hops, and parts online. However, for me the best part of a shopping day at my LHBS (27 mile drive from my house) is the social aspect; if the owner is there, I spend more time just chatting and looking around for things I might need. I'm also about to dip my toes in joining a club, something I should have done a while back but haven't because I'm a bit shy in group situations. What I look for in a LHBS is a decent selection of grain (both base malt and adjuncts), yeast, and random things I decide I need on a whim like water adjustment chemicals and random equipment parts I need RIGHT NOW instead of waiting 4-6 days from online. Natalie at Mt Si in Snoqualmie is willing to order anything I might need, but being who I am I don't want to put her out or spend more $$ than I'm willing to.

Start with a good selection of base & adjunct malts, with plenty of LME, DME and maybe some premade kits for the newbs just starting out; and be willing to order other stuff as your clientele needs. You'll soon know what to keep in stock and what to special order.
 
Tbagger said:
A liquor license and beer on tap would keep people hanging out there all day. lol

...And one of my friends was just telling me about a service he liked at his LHBS was they sell a "virtual sack" of grain. He said it's where if you don't have a mill you can buy what is essentially a punch card good for the 55lbs of grain. That way he gets the bulk grain discount from buying a "virtual sack" of a specific base grain but can come in and get it in small orders per recipe and they just mark off how much he gets until his 55lbs is used up. He seemed really excited they started doing this and even though the discount doesn't seem like it's that much, it sounded like he was more excited by the fact he was getting more ingrained in the brewing community by having his name on a list of big boy brewers at his LHBS lol. But it's all about that connection to the customers that keeps them off the internet and in your shop.

But seriously, get a liquor license! :cask:
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What an interesting idea of the virtual sack. Do customers pay up front or as they go for the punch card? If as they go, to avoid someone from getting a price break with no intention of ever buying 55lbs, does the LHBS charge the normal price say on the first 45 lbs purchased and then discount the remaining 10 lbs?

I bought 55lbs of Golden Promise earlier in the week from my LHBS. I have several 60lbs and 10lbs stackable Vittle Vaults. Something like this would have eliminated the need for all those containers, plus would have me visit the LHBS more often that probably would lead to more sales for them. While there is more record keeping, it sounds like a win-win situation!
 
CodeSection said:
What an interesting idea of the virtual sack. Do customers pay up front or as they go for the punch card? If as they go, to avoid someone from getting a price break with no intention of ever buying 55lbs, does the LHBS charge the normal price say on the first 45 lbs purchased and then discount the remaining 10 lbs?

I bought 55lbs of Golden Promise earlier in the week from my LHBS. I have several 60lbs and 10lbs stackable Vittle Vaults. Something like this would have eliminated the need for all those containers, plus would have me visit the LHBS more often that probably would lead to more sales for them. While there is more record keeping, it sounds like a win-win situation!
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The downside, especially for people with a bit of a trek to the homebrew store, is that trek. I have hops in the freezer, yeast in the refrigerator, and malt stored in 5-gallon buckets with gamma-seal lids. I also have a number of adjunct grains as well.

My LHBS is about 30 minutes away, about 25 miles. That's an hour drive, plus mileage. Might be worth it, if people have similar distances, to buy the vittle vaults, etc., instead of incurring the time and mileage cost.

I suppose that if someone doesn't have a lot of room, then "storing" your grain at the LHBS may be attractive.
 
mongoose33 said:
The downside, especially for people with a bit of a trek to the homebrew store, is that trek. I have hops in the freezer, yeast in the refrigerator, and malt stored in 5-gallon buckets with gamma-seal lids. I also have a number of adjunct grains as well.

My LHBS is about 30 minutes away, about 25 miles. That's an hour drive, plus mileage. Might be worth it, if people have similar distances, to buy the vittle vaults, etc., instead of incurring the time and mileage cost.

I suppose that if someone doesn't have a lot of room, then "storing" your grain at the LHBS may be attractive.
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Yep, it may not be beneficial to those that live aways from the LHBS. If the LHBS owner believes it is a viable marketing solution, then why not offer it and let those that can benefit use it. At least the owner is offering something that others are not.

I'm fortunate, the only LHBS in my area in AZ is a screaming three miles from my house. Then to top that off, it is on my travel route between my house and work. So, at any given day, I can stop in after work. Only if everything else in life was just as easy.....

CO is a different story since I am not aware of anything close by. Plus, I haven't built out my basement yet for my brewery. When I do, hopefully I will find a LHBS to visit. I will visit @Tony_nc if he opens one up.
 
Keg o-ring kits, pressure relief valves, etc. Small equipment like that always on hand would be beneficial. I kegged a beer and right after found out the PRV went bad so I went to my LHBS and they didn't carry any. They were nice enough to pull one off of their kegs and then just replace it on their keg, but still.

Make your own recipes and sell pre-packaged kits of them as well.
 
Don't know if I have a good idea or not but if you can run with it and make it work more power to you.
Every LHBS I have been in has Brewers Best kits for extract brewing and then loose or 1# bags of grains.
For new all grain brewers it may be worth having some pre-printed recipes available so they know what grains to get for a particular style they want to brew.
My first trip up and down the grain aisle was a bit confusing because I knew I needed Crystal malt but I had no idea which one I needed. Granted had I done more research on grain types I would have found the answer but sometimes I don't want to research the fun out of it and I'm perfectly happy to brew a recipe put together by someone else.
 
Wow, I live in the country and see plenty of things. I haven't caught anything on the cameras that big.
 
We had a much smaller bear earlier in the spring. This one I'm guessing is a male since it is so large. KC NR here...
 
CodeSection said:
What an interesting idea of the virtual sack. Do customers pay up front or as they go for the punch card?
Click to expand...

From what he said, you go in and pay up front for a virtual 55lb sack (or whatever size sack that particular grain comes in) of a specific grain at bulk price, and then you can come in and use said amount in small increments as you need it for batches.
 
LHBS charges $8.00 shipping on any order over $25.00. This is a great service as it is cheaper than the drive and the time. So, I am supporting a local shop, saving money, and getting my stuff next day. I usually buy grain twenty pounds at a time so this makes the minimum. Still paying pound prices but for the service it's worth it.

All the Best,
D. White
 
Tony_nc said:
Wow, I live in the country and see plenty of things. I haven't caught anything on the cameras that big.
Click to expand...

Well, we have been having bears come by practically every other night. Our neighbors have crab-apple trees and a regular apple tree that attracts them. They take a short cut through our yard when they go from one house to the other. Here is a video taken at about 1:30AM today and it is the largest one yet.

https://ring.com/share/6739406340071116968

Back to the original topic. It has been a couple of weeks. Any progress?
 
Just found this thread today. I'll definitely follow this progress. I'm in SW Littleton. It was sad to see a couple LHBS close earlier this year.

Ideally I would like to see selections from local maltsters and yeast shops, and hops in the .5 and 1lb packaging sizes.

Good luck!

Edit: I'm a bozo! I just realized you are in Denver, NC. Too far for me for a Local HBS. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Tbagger said:
From what he said, you go in and pay up front for a virtual 55lb sack (or whatever size sack that particular grain comes in) of a specific grain at bulk price, and then you can come in and use said amount in small increments as you need it for batches.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would think customers would have to pay for it all upfront or else what's the benefit to the LHBS to bother doing it.
 
VirginiaHops1 said:
Yeah, I would think customers would have to pay for it all upfront or else what's the benefit to the LHBS to bother doing it.
Click to expand...

Actually, the LHBS could just as easily charge normal pricing on say the first 40 lbs and then adjust the pricing on the remaining 15 lbs. That way, they receive and benefit with full retail pricing in case someone did not want to go through with buying all 55lbs.

However, it is easier for the LHBS to probably take the discounted money up front and keep track of the account and amounts used. Either way, there is extra bookkeeping to perform. In essence under the "pay up front virtual" plan, the LHBS is acting like a storage facility. This may be a good thing since the inventory is probably turning over at a faster pace at the LHBS as compared with the home brewer.
 

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