I beg to differ.
Does my LHBS suck?
- Thread starter cvstrat
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
I beg to differ.
My LHBS really sucks. They do have a pretty good selection of equipment for a rookie like me (the only thing I miss is hop bags) but when it comes to ingredients, they really suck. They only have kits, DME and some wierd little tea bags with hops (nothing interesting, just stuff like Saaz and Goldings). When I was shopping for ingredients for my first brew (an APA), I asked the woman who runs the store if they had any other yeast than the ones in the kits because I didn't want to use kit yeast. She looked at me like I was a moron and told me that they sold lots of these kits with "so called bad yeast" so there couldn't be anything wrong with it.
But then again, they're not a specialized home brew store. They also sell stuff for wine brewing, bar stuff etc. so I suppose I shouldn't expect much more. Still, their slogan, "Everything the homebrewer needs" is a bit misleading.
But then again, they're not a specialized home brew store. They also sell stuff for wine brewing, bar stuff etc. so I suppose I shouldn't expect much more. Still, their slogan, "Everything the homebrewer needs" is a bit misleading.
How did you ask the question about the yeast? Did you imply that there was something wrong with the yeast? Did you come off as a know-it-all? (It was only your first batch.) I think it's a good idea to stick with the kit yeast for your first batch. I've found that the yeast in the kits can make great beer. They also tend to be more forgiving. I think a lot of beginners make the mistake of placing too much emphasis on buying expensive yeast. Specialty yeast can add flavors giving your beer more character, however, the fermentation temperature is critical. Special flavors can turn into really nasty flavors if your fermentor gets too hot. I say make a few batches with the standard kit yeast and practice getting your temperature under control. The wrong yeast at the right temperature will produce a better beer then the right yeast at the wrong temperature.
No, I just said something like "I've heard some bad things about kit yeast, got anything else?", which was pretty much true. I had been looking around on some Swedish homebrewing sites and pretty much everyone says that if you want to do a kit brew, replace the yeast with another one. Also, I had a recipe in mind that recommended Safale S-05, which I eventually bought. So far, it turned out pretty good. I tasted it after racking to secondary and didn't notice any wierd flavours.
Sure, it's my first brew, but an extract brew with partial grains seemed more fun than using a kit.
Sure, it's my first brew, but an extract brew with partial grains seemed more fun than using a kit.
OP
OP
cvstrat
Well-Known Member
Turns out he only sells White Labs or Safale yeast, so of course he'd scoff at Wyeast. He prefers the WL vials I suppose.
OP
OP
cvstrat
Well-Known Member
Yeah I believe so. That store is always rockin when I go in there. They do wine as well. However they do beverage supply as a main deal I believe, so I'm not sure what percent of their business comes from the LHB stuff. I've considered the idea myself to be honest with you.
APendejo
Well-Known Member
I will not use my LHBS(Long Beach) because of one dick that was working there a couple of years ago. He was too busy to do some specialty grains for me (he was surfing the internet). So I walked out and never went back
I make the 2 hr roundtrip drive out to Morebeer in Riverside now if I need stuff in a hurry.
Was there a couple of weeks ago and got back home and had a customer service questionaire waiting in my email inbox.
Only gripe I have is they don't offer ya a sample of their homebrew unless you are one of the "good 'ol boys".
At least the store that I don't patronize anymore would offer you a sample of whatever they had on tap that day.
AP
I make the 2 hr roundtrip drive out to Morebeer in Riverside now if I need stuff in a hurry.
Was there a couple of weeks ago and got back home and had a customer service questionaire waiting in my email inbox.
Only gripe I have is they don't offer ya a sample of their homebrew unless you are one of the "good 'ol boys".
At least the store that I don't patronize anymore would offer you a sample of whatever they had on tap that day.
AP
My LHBS only carries White Labs. I asked about it. He didn't scoff at Wyeast. He just explained that most yeast strains you could get from either Wyeast or White Labs, so it wasn't worth having two suppliers of yeast. He said that most home brew shops choose one or the other.
That explanation made sense to me.
BrewSpook
Well-Known Member
CV, so after much thought, consideration, and beer drinking... we have decided to undertake the project. If all goes well a new LHBS will be in Richmonds future.
Somewhere Fan/Byrd Park/Downtown area close to VCU. We are hunting for locations now and raising funds.
Somewhere Fan/Byrd Park/Downtown area close to VCU. We are hunting for locations now and raising funds.
shek
Well-Known Member
Was it Steinfillers? That's where I've been going for a while, except for a few years in the valley when I would go to The Home Wine, Beer, and Cheesemaking shop
