Your LHBS

[C-Rider]

How does yours sell supplies?
Here we only have one shop on O`ahu, but they are really helpful.

Most of the grains are the same price $2 a pound. The way it works here is they are all in 5 gallon buckets. There is a scale and you measure out each weight of what ever you want on to the scale and get charged for the total weight. I can go as low as one oz if I want to.

They only have 3 LME's but they are in 55 gallon barrels. I can buy any weight I want and the guy measures it out into a sturdy plastic bag.

That part is great. Dry yeast selection is limited to only 4 types. Not sure about liquid yeast as I haven't tried any yet. Hop sellecton is not bad either and they are measured into either 2 or 5 oz packs.

 

[Priemus]

My local sells no grain, he has DME in prepacked 1kg bags. A selection of can and kilo kits, probably 25 different types. He sells "hops" in vaccum bags, the varity is "belgium" and AA is not listed.

I order most of my stuff online.

 

[Stoutman82]

Mine sells it all grain extract dme wine making kits and everything in-between they are very nice friendly and knowledgeable they also tend to keep me grounded when a I think too big or b am way off the mark.

 

[C-Rider]

Mine sells it all grain extract dme wine making kits and everything in-between they are very nice friendly and knowledgeable they also tend to keep me grounded when a I think too big or b am way off the mark.

Oh yea, forgot our guy also has lots of Cooper's kits, as well as wine making supplies, glass and plastic carboys, and all sorts of "little" hardware such as thermometers, caps, cappers air locks, etc.

 

[bruin_ale]

sounds like you've got a pretty good shop there C-rider. Morebeer is my LHBS (I have two that are actually closer, but I prefer Morebeer). Their shop is similar to what you describe, they have most types of specialty grains in large bins that you can weigh and bag yourself. They sell 55lb sacks of base malt as well. They have a bunch of large glass door fridges with hops and dry/liquid yeasts in them. Not sure how many varieties of dry, they have the common S05, S04, nottingham, windsor, and then the wine and champagne varieties at the very least.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Your does sound pretty quality, C-rider.

But through reading about many LHBS stories on here I'm extra happy mine is the way it is:
- Already-milled malts in 55 gallon drums (pale, wheat, pils, etc) with specialty grains in smaller tubs. Massive selection of grains. Nice big scale and super sturdy grain bags
- LME and DME in pre-weighed packages plus 55 gallon drums of LME for any amount you want
- Huge rack of spices and brew salts
- Fridge with pellet hops pre-packaged in 2oz bags, another fridge with big bags of loose pellet hops for specific amounts, and a big ol' fridge with huge bags of loose whole hops. Overall, I'd say about 25 varieties at any given time
- Another fridge with liquid yeasts, I'd say at least 20-25 varieties White Labs, Wyeast and another company that I've never used but can't recall the name
- Usually between 12 and 15 selections of dry yeast
- Very large selection of hard-to-find beers
- Ridiculous amount of equipment (I'm already posting a long enough post, to even start on what they have would make this a "tl;dr" situation)
- Big spools of every diameter of line hanging on the wall
- Taps with the owner's homebrew to sample
- Blues-rock always blaring on the surround system
- An incredibly friendly, helpful staff that's usually at least a little buzzed any time you go in
- Dogs.... seriously, there's always at least 3 dogs chilling outside on the patio that greet everybody who comes in

I consider myself lucky

 

[RenoDean]

Reno Homebrewer is great. Thankful I don't have a crappy LHBS.

 

[nymtber]

LHBS? Internet for me... There is a tiny shop about half hour away that has ok supplies, some can kits that look a little old (might try one someday but will check date-some don't look TOO old) DME, nottingham yeast, pellet hops in a clear bag on the shelf (would never buy), all kinds of carboys, some interesting plastic fermenters, and mostly wine making stuff that is likely fresher. They do have some grain, but I would just buy that online. Then, if I want to travel FARTHER, there is "Beers Of The World" in rochester NY that has a huge selection of beer, and also an OK homebrew selection. Their ingredients are likely fresher, they have a huge selection of bottles, buckets, beginner kits, hops, grains, extracts, yeast, etc. However with gas prices, Norther Brewer's 7.99 flat rate is cheaper than traveling up there. Unless I need something big, like a carboy, I shop online.

Northern Brewer is my go-to online shop. 99% of my start up equipment was from them (Deluxe starter kit), and both of my extract kits have been from them. They package things very well, and instructions are good on kits. They got a kit to me in 3 days from placing the order, pretty good IMO.

I envy those of you with really good local places like NB, more beer, etc. But, then I would spend even more money and have to ride my bike everywhere to burn all the beer calories!

 

[C-Rider]

nymtber, where in N.Y. are you? My wife grew up in Lyons on the Eire canal. I was raised in Brooklyn. We now live in Hawai`i.