Merged with the existing Northern Brewer thread.
Anybody on here try NB Honey Kolsch extract kit? I am on the fence with trying that next, just would like some encouragement
Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
I brewed that kit a couple years ago. I enjoyed it. A couple things you should know, though. The Wyeast Kolsch yeast takes a good long while to clear up. If you have the ability to cold crash, that will obviously be a big help. When I brewed that kit, I kept it right around 60°F for 2 to 3 months (next to an exterior wall in the winter). Even after that, it needed some time to mature in the bottle.
So, if you are patient and you have the ability to keep the beer pretty cool, then you should go for it. If you are looking for a quick turnaround, then you might want to save this kit for another time.
Having said that, when it finally matured in the bottle, it was delicious. I've made several non-honey batches of kolsch since then. That kit really turned me on to the style.
Apparently a supposed flaw I described may have been a warranty issue and NB wished to have my bubbler replaced. They merely asked me to rate the thinness of the plastic on a scale of 1-10.
I saw a post around here a month ago from a guy who bought the bubbler and it just blew out on him. There was a spot where the glass was thinner than a dime! Crazy stuff!
I had my second glass carboy break yesterday. I am replacing it with a plastic one, I am leaning towards a speidel fermenter http://morebeer.com/products/speidel-plastic-fermenter-30l-79-gal.html
or the big mouth bubbler
Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
So do you have examples or is this all speculation?
Even if their own products prove to be defective, name one company that has better customer service. They will replace it, give you a credit, or both on any complaint about anything you purchase from them. No other company out there does that. There isnt another option is my eyes and ive shopped elsewhere many times.
I've had better customer service from adventures in homebrewing and morebeer, personally.
Also if you want to talk ridiculous customer service, look no further than Sam Adams and New Belgium. Not homebrew shops but they make anything right.
.................
As for the "they took two days to fill my order" complaint. Do you know how silly that sounds?.................
I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'
To me, its silly for an industry giant, that is known to NOT be price competitive, to not hire an adequate # of employees to fill orders when they come in. For special order items, items that require drop shipping, or Holiday season orders I can understand. For grain & hops on a Monday in September, not quite sure I get that.
But I now understand that this is their policy, & so i'll work around it or source my orders elsewhere.
Enter your email address to join: