Do you support your LHBS?

[Homercidal]

My LHBS is over an hour away. I go there when I can. Most of the time I just use what I have on hand. I've gotten to brewing All Grain and bulking up on a lot of things. I actually have way too many hops now. I might try to sell some to locals so that they can be used while still fresh. Or brew more IPAs...

So I probably go to the LHBS a few times a year. I've ordered online a few times, but really, most of the stuff I need I already have. I foresee a new bag of 2-row on the horizon though.

 

[waldoar15]

I'm lucky that I have three locals. At the busy one, I can shop online, pay, then pick up my order in person.

 

[Sigafoos]

I've also learned by the time I pay for shipping it eats up any money I save on the internet.

I've made identical batches with stuff I've ordered from BM Warehouse and one with stuff I got at LHBS and the cost difference was $.01.

Yeah, BMW has a better selection of and prices on equipment, and I've ordered grains from him when I'm buying other stuff because hey, the shipping is the same either way. But in general, the savings -- if there are any -- aren't worth the convenience of going when you need it (except for Saturday afternoon-Monday :/) and supporting the people who have supported the local community so much.

That being said, I just got a sack of 2 row and 2 pounds of hops from hopsdirect, and am thinking about making another push to wash yeast. But belt tightening doesn't mean I don't <3 them.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I get my supplies from various sources...nearest "local" is 35 miles away...another 50 miles in the other direction...I also do mail order...

 

[dogwielder]

The closest I know of are more than an hour away. Not happening.

 

[HBRunner]

I will not support mine anymore:

I have one word to explain it:

KEGKITS.com

 

[DavidP]

I buy whatever I can from my local store, the Homebrewing Deopt in West Allis. His prices are right in line w/ the online vendors and has a decent selection.

 

[ImperialLover]

My LHBS is all over it. I see a lot of guys talking about the drive, etc. My LHBS has their internet page set up better than their store. They have a good store to go and hang out in, SDRHAHB etc, but I think they understand that they better serve the customer who can't make the hour drive every week. They have cheap ground shipping to my house that takes two days, and they're very well stocked. They also have good customer service as they've rushed my orders and thrown in little odds and extras that I forgot in my order. They only ask that I put the word out, so here I am. If you're in the greater Nashville, TN area give them a shout. www.rebelbrewer.com

Chase
Clarksville, TN

 

[PWalk]

My LHBS store is more of a wine making establishment than it is beer and the staff definitely leans in that direction. The prices for grain are higher than just about everywhere you go and the help tries to help but would rather talk merlot than they would barleywine so I've been turning to online sources more lately for purchases and in fact have gone to local breweries for some items as they are usually more than willing to help out.

 

[Richard-SSV]

I'm in the Dallas area and there are two LHBS that I know of. One is in Richardson (Homebrew Headquarters) and the other is in the Arlington area (Dr. Jekyll's Beer Lab). Dr. Jekyll's has a smaller selection, but their prices are MUCH cheaper than Homebrew HQ. For that matter, they are much cheaper than anything I've seen on line as well.

HomebrewHQ has a website if you want to check them out (www.homebrewhq.com). To give you an idea of the price differences a bottling bucket at HBHQ is $21 while at Dr. Jekyll's it is $12. Similar price comparisons can be found on just about everything else they sell.

It just goes to show that sometimes you can find a LHBS that is cheaper than those shops that also sell on line. If you're in the D/FW area I highly suggest Dr. Jekyll's Beer Lab. They are located at Bowen and Park Row in the Arlington/Pantego area.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

I've got two home brew stores nearby. I go to one of them for basic supplies that I may need - yeast, common hops, sanitizer, and smaller amounts of common grains. The other store has a much larger selection but sells grains at 1lb minimum and the one girl who works there rubs me the wrong way for some reason; it's also harder to find parking so I go there when I find a need for something a little more special.

But I think I'm going to, for the most part, end up buying supplies online when I'm prepping for a brew session. That's mostly due to extract being cheaper online than at the LHBS - everything else is pretty much the same price.

 

[ThickHead]

78% Yes is good....I was hoping it would be a bit better. I know not everyone is near a quality LHBS so can certainly understand taking advantage of the great online resources. I am lucky enough to have a fantastic LHBS run by an award-winning enthusiast. It is worth paying premiums for imho.

Please support your local small business owners whenever you can!

 

[jjp36]

The other store has a much larger selection but sells grains at 1lb minimum... it's also harder to find parking so I go there when I find a need for something a little more special.

I'm assuming your talking about Home Sweet HomeBrew?

I do like that store. They have a great grain selection and the prices are reasonable. But parking is definitely a PITA.

Whats the other store you're talking about?

 

[bonzombiekitty]

My LHBS store is more of a wine making establishment than it is beer and the staff definitely leans in that direction. The prices for grain are higher than just about everywhere you go and the help tries to help but would rather talk merlot than they would barleywine so I've been turning to online sources more lately for purchases and in fact have gone to local breweries for some items as they are usually more than willing to help out.

Where do you shop at? Barry's on Snyder Ave near Target & Lowes has a lot of wine making equipment, but I find Barry himself to be more beer oriented and the prices are the same as anywhere else. Then there's Home Sweet Homebrew on Sansom and 20th, which is definitely beer focused.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

Whats the other store you're talking about?

Barry's Home Brew there's plenty of parking across the street right under 95. His grains are $2/lb across the board. So some are cheaper, some are a little more expensive. I just like that I can measure out how much I want. That way I'm not paying for stuff I might not end up being able to use.

 

[winstonofbeer]

We have 2 now in the area. One is under a drug store....High prices, hops are like 10.00 for 4oz of tet. yeast us-05 is 3.75 Irish was was 1.75 for a ounce...Not so bad there.
Help doesnt know a hop from a auto siphon and she has a bad attitude.
So, Dont go there unless i am in a hurry.

Other place is by my work, Got tons of brew kits and constantly exspanding.
He has made beer and wine and is really fun to talk to.
Prices are good. As for grain, He is slowing getting there...Just takes more people to get interested in him before he makes a huge jump i think.

 

[jarrman00]

I do shop at mine, but prefer to drive to the one about a half hour away. The guys at my LHBS are always stoned and their prices are not the best. I never buy equipment from there, but I do buy ingredients. It seems to me that they are the ones responsible for making me want to buy ingredients in bulk, from elsewhere.

I can't complain though, it is a full HBS with in 5 minutes of my house.

 

[Sacdan]

My LHBS is 1.5 miles from my work. I am in there 2-3 times a week. Pricing isn't too bad.

 

[yeastbound]

I'll echo Bobby's sentiments. There were once two LHBSs but one closed a few years back. Now there's only one game in town and their prices are much higher than online, even with shipping. Not to mention that it's almost an hour each way to get there. I'll stick with Rebel Brewer. Prices are low and service is unbeatable.

 

[northernjerry]

LHBS is close and convenient. I have never oredered online. I love the smell of the grains and hops at the shop.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

My two closest stores are each about an hour away... I tend to order perishables online, mostly because their inventories of ingredients seem pretty old or in the case of yeasts are almost at their expiration date.

 

[Synovia]

About the only thing I don't buy at my LHBS is hops. I can't justify paying 7$ for 2 ounces of Willamette hops that I could order off of hops direct for 7$ per POUND.

Right.


I buy my Base grain from Mid Country. I buy my Hops from Hopsdirect (or grow them), and I buy my specialty grain/yeast from the LHBS.


If the LHBS was even CLOSE I'd buy from them, but not when they're 10 times as expensive.

 

[Guinness71]

My local one isnt very local - about an hour drive. Its not worth the price of fuel and time for me to drive out and back. If there was one local I would use it..

 

[Synovia]

5 - perhaps allow for discounts on buying bulk and/or give the option for special ordering certain ingredients/quantities for customers

One of the Fish Shops I used to frequent used to do group buys all the time, where you could buy certain supplies (usually Instant Ocean salt) for just above wholesale.

He had one condition: you had to come into the store yourself to pick it up.


It was a great policy: He made a little bit of cash off of the guys who otherwise would have gone online, and because you had to pick it up, he usually sold a couple of fish/corals/etc.

 

[buffalobrewer]

I buy a lot of my grains at the lhbs, but they are still charging 3.99/oz for willamette hops, while hops direct is at $6.75/lb. Hard to buy hops locally at that price. Grains seem high at $68/bag of 2 row too, but after considering shipping it's within my local buy pain threshold. Nice people and selection, but they could really use about 2x the space they have because the store is rather cramped.

 

[inspector13]

The closest LHBS is 1 hour away but I am near in that area weekly. The best part is that the shop is Austin Homebrew Supply.

 

[Chester]

I buy grains and "need right now/emergency" items but thats it.

 

[goose_on_fire]

Yeah, Home Brew Mart is on my way home from work so it's where I buy all of my ingredients. Some equipment like flasks and faucet stuff I'll buy online, and hose, clamps, etc. I get at Home Depot, but I paid $18 for a 16oz of StarSan the other day and don't really have a problem with it. They're remodeling and it looks great it there so far, so I'm OK with a markup on stuff like that.

 

[EricCSU]

I live in Austin. Why would I go anywhere else?

 

[Jalbert]

I got a good homebrew shop about an hour away. The closer one is a liquor store that has a small homebrew section that is pitiful. They keep their hops out at room temp on a shelf. Their selection is extremely limited, it looks as if they ordered about 10 starter brewing kits from a website and are trying to sell em. Though they did save me when I forgot corn sugar. And I still visit because their beer selection is good.

 

[fatguy-littlecoat]

I tried going to my LHBS over the internet HBS but the internet stores actually have BETTER customer service. I like the idea of going local and keeping my money in the local economy but when the owner of the LHBS acts like I'm just there as an inconvience then I'll take my hard earned money elsewhere.

Seriously think of Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons.

yours too? i had to look at your location to make sure we weren't talking about the same one!!! Cary is a great place though!

interesting ive had the exact opposite experience!

 

[Crabnut]

I love my LHBS, Larry's Brewing in Kent, WA. Maybe a little eccentric, nicely down to earth, very knowledgeable, and always willing to talk methods, supplies, and equipment, especially DIY equipment. Larry is great and his family is always there supporting. Has opened up well after closing just because I pulled in and parked. And all I needed was some yeast. Prices are as good or better than on-line, even before shipping. He does a serious on-line business as well. 15 minutes from the house, with three others in the area, but none up to Larry's standard, so far.

 

[alexdagrate]

I love my LHBS, Larry's Brewing in Kent, WA. Maybe a little eccentric, nicely down to earth, very knowledgeable, and always willing to talk methods, supplies, and equipment, especially DIY equipment. Larry is great and his family is always there supporting. Has opened up well after closing just because I pulled in and parked. And all I needed was some yeast. Prices are as good or better than on-line, even before shipping. He does a serious on-line business as well. 15 minutes from the house, with three others in the area, but none up to Larry's standard, so far.

Briess has Larry listed as their Seattle-Tacoma area distributor. Are his malt prices ridiculously good because of this?

 

[Crabnut]

Briess has Larry listed as their Seattle-Tacoma area distributor. Are his malt prices ridiculously good because of this?

Don't really know about that. But I do know that when I have a C02 tank swapped out, he charges me less than I would pay at a welding gas supplier. It seems a little crazy, but I don't complain.

 

[Brewin06111]

I support 1 of the 2 local ones... I just bought bottle caps at the one I support today... I go there for the little things (Yeast, Bottle caps etc) but for ingredients and whatnot I just order online.

PS: The second shop guy deserves a kick in the teeth.

 

[alexdagrate]

I represented one of my LHBS guys in a DUI, so I know he stands behind his merchandise!

 

[Brewin_CRAZY]

I think that I support my LHBS a little to much.... In all seriousness though, as long as you have a decent LHBS there is no reason not to support them, and it cuts out the cost of shipping. I have become good friends with my LHBS here in Corvallis OR (which might I add is a fantastic place) and it pays off. If they dont have something I need they get it, sometimes we have beer tastings in the back, or I bring in my beer and get their opinion. Its just something that you dont get online and I love being able to converse with other people about my beer.

 

[78kombi]

I represented one of my LHBS guys in a DUI, so I know he stands behind his merchandise!

HAHA! thats awesome!
My local HBS is beer-wine.com
they are 1/4 mile from work so we ( work/brew buddys) go there like 2 times a month, but yeah , hops are cheaper online.
the best part about going there is the expert advice, theres an older woman with a german ( guessing) accent who knows EVERYTHING!
they know me and are always pleasant and very helpful..something that seems lost these days when shopping in a store. I dont know if anyone uses thier online store, but if you come to Massachusetts, I recommend visiting the store
and meeting the people who make it all happen.I rate them A+

 

[JuanKenobi]

HAHA! thats awesome!
My local HBS is beer-wine.com
they are 1/4 mile from work so we ( work/brew buddys) go there like 2 times a month, but yeah , hops are cheaper online.
the best part about going there is the expert advice, theres an older woman with a german ( guessing) accent who knows EVERYTHING!
they know me and are always pleasant and very helpful..something that seems lost these days when shopping in a store. I dont know if anyone uses thier online store, but if you come to Massachusetts, I recommend visiting the store
and meeting the people who make it all happen.I rate them A+

I used to get all my stuff from beer-wine.com before I discovered BMW. They do have excellent customer service. Unfortunately their prices are pretty high and they charge shipping by totaling the estimated weight and charging you for that. I usually paid for nearly double the actual shipped weight. I'd still really like to see the store. Aside from the prices I never had a bad experience with them.

 

[Montanaandy]

I am fortunate in that my LHBS store/owner is close by, has very competitive prices, and is very knolwedgeable. The place is always hopping but he always will make time to talk to a relative newbie such as myself and give me advice based on his 30 years of experience. He does not push you to purchase things - if anything he steers you away from a sale if he feels that there is a better (cheaper) alternative that you can get elsewhere. We don't have sales tax here in MT so prices when sales tax + shipping are figured in are often lower than what I see online. The only reason I order online is if there is something that I want that I cannot obtain locally. Montanaandy