How often do you buy ingredients/equip. online?

[cclloyd]

I must be really lucky - I've got two good LHBS in the area and a third I haven't been to but hear good things about. The only thing I buy online is hops - and until my local gets under a buck an ounce I will continue to do so. I'm expecting three pounds will be at my door when I get home tonight. :}

 

[Campbell]

My LHBS charges double the price I would get online. $32 online, $63 at the LHBS for the same recipe. Needless to say I shop online for most things.

 

[shanecb]

Guess I'll finally chime in.... I have about 3 LHBS that I can visit rather easily: two less than 20min away, and one that's about 40min away. When I factor in the cost of shipping their prices come out pretty close to what I would pay online, so I've never had to order anything online at all. They're pretty good with putting in special orders, also, if you need something they don't regularly have in stock. Decent quality, prices, and people. I feel pretty luck to have some nice LHBS in the area.


Also... didn't think about a "mostly" category.. sorry! Just use "sometimes" I suppose.

 

[blindtiger]

my LHBS is pretty weak but the people who run it are cool and its where i got my starter stuff, so i like to give them some business when I can, and its good for emergency replacements, additions, or substitutions. But for the most part its online.

 

[TomSD]

I support my LHBS whenever I can and buy all of my ingredients and basic stuff (tubes, hygrometers, etc) from them. That and it is a decent place to hangout... good people and good beer (Ballast Point/Home Brew Mart). Their prices are terrible for hardware though so the bigger stuff (immersion chiller, keg stuff, conversion stuff for my keezer project, etc) I shop around and get online.

 

[carl_g]

I don't have a LBHS that is any good so I always order from brewmasters warehouse. I consistently get 82% Efficiency with their crush and batch sparging

 

[Hammy71]

How do you think your LHBS gets the liquid yeast? On the back of a UPS truck has my vote. You can pay for an ice pack for about $1 from most online sites.

I see your point but the difference is the package sits on my front porch for six hours. Whereas the shop gets their delivery when they're open.

 

[mrk305]

I only shop local. I love being able to walk in and make up a recipe on the spot. Since I have shopped there 150+ times they give me a little discount. That makes them about the same price as online plus shipping.

I have been on HBT long enough to think I almost know lots of the online vendors. If my local place ever went out of business, I know plenty of places to buy from.

Oh yeah... I did just get a bad a*s shirt from Rebel Brewer.

 

[AnOldUR]

How do you think your LHBS gets the liquid yeast? On the back of a UPS truck has my vote. You can pay for an ice pack for about $1 from most online sites.

Most of my stuff comes from Brewmasters Warehouse. I will make the drive for yeast in the summer, but thought that all vendors (on-line or retail) got their yeast in a cooler.

 

[motobrewer]

i buy online more than i should, with Northern Brewer Milwaukee being close. However, it's a good 35 minutes away from my house with no traffic. Spending an hour driving for grain (i buy bulk hops) isn't something that gets me excited. Not to mention that's roughly 2 gallons of gas (more if I take the SUV). Stopping after work is an option, as it's fairly close to work, but traffic is a nightmare in that area at that time.

BMW's prices are competitive even with shipping and I get better efficiency with their crush.

 

[Brewmasters Warehouse]

Most of my stuff comes from Brewmasters Warehouse. I will make the drive for yeast in the summer, but thought that all vendors (on-line or retail) got their yeast in a cooler.

We receive our yeast like most vendors and that is shipped via Fedex air either 2-day or overnight depending on our situation. The boxes are insulated and have a ice packs to help keep them cold. Unless a store can pick up the yeast directly from the manufacturer that is how they receive yeast. Outside of the insulated box it is very similar to how customers receive yeast from an online vendor with the exception that yeast tend to stay cold when there is 100+ yeasts in the box that are already cold.

Ed