LHBS Pet Peeves

[PintOfBitter]

I don't have a local shop anymore, but it really used to bug me that the owner would always act like if I wanted something they didn't stock, I was wasting my time or being too picky or something. the selection wasn't great, and I frequently asked for yeast or hops that they didn't carry. Interesting to be treated like a beer snob at a homebrew shop...what are your homebrew shop pet peeves?

 

[Rick500]

Both of my LHBSes are good; I guess I'm lucky. I guess the only peeve I have with them is that they almost never have every single thing I need for a recipe and I'd have to substitute something. But...I almost always use BMW and save the LHBS trips for something I need immediately (yeast, etc.).

 

[Pappers_]

I'm lucky, I don't really have any lhbs pet peeves - the local shop is small but really great, pleasant folks, decent selection. Its Bev-Art, in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, 101st and Western.

 

[nickster51]

$3-5 per pound grain prices. Very expensive extract kits. my LHBS pales in comparison to most online shops.

 

[JKoravos]

$3-5 per pound grain prices.

Holy macaroni! Are they trying to go out of business?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Advantage: My LHBS is Austin Homebrew.

Disadvantage: Austin is 5-6 hours away.

Advantage: Flat rate shipping is nearly overnight service.

Disadvantage: I have to wait overnight.

 

[Catt22]

$3-5 per pound grain prices. Very expensive extract kits. my LHBS pales in comparison to most online shops.

You have got to be joking! $3-5 per pound is ridiculously overpriced. They would not see a dime of my money ever. Prices a little over online pricing is not unusual for a LHBS, but price gouging is another matter. I would also tell them right to their face why I won't be coming back. That is plain bad business. What's the markup like on their hops and equipment? Is it just as high?

 

[bgburdman9]

You have got to be joking! $3-5 per pound is ridiculously overpriced. They would not see a dime of my money ever. Prices a little over online pricing is not unusual for a LHBS, but price gouging is another matter. I would also tell them right to their face why I won't be coming back. That is plain bad business. What's the markup like on their hops and equipment? Is it just as high?

The store i have been going to sells hops for 4.25 an ounce and yeast for like $8-9. I cant remember grain prices but probably not much less than this.

 

[Catt22]

The store i have been going to sells hops for 4.25 an ounce and yeast for like $8-9. I cant remember grain prices but probably not much less than this.

That's also price gouging IMO. The yeast should be no more than $7.50 max and hops around $2.50/oz depending on variety and form. Where are you located? Do these shops actually have any repeat customers? With all the online shop competition I don't see how they stay in business. A reasonable profit they deserve, but not obscene profit.

 

[MBasile]

MoreBeer is frequently out of at least one thing I need (be it yeast, hops, specialty grains, etc...)

The other LHBS doesn't have grain in bulk, so I have to buy in 1 pound increments.

 

[elmetal]

jesus christ. that's crazy!

 

[Trevor57]

My local shop is also a brewery, and kind of gave up on the shop when their beer became more popular. I actually drive past it to go to a decent place. At least the Chicago burbs have a couple good shops. Just a further drive.

 

[hal2814]

My local shop has apparently cut its hours to closing at 5:30 sometime recently. I just can't make that anymore. They're 45 minutes away and I get off work at 5PM. I'm too far in the opposite direction on Saturdays to make it out there. They're closed Sunday. Sadly, I had to place an order online this past go-around and will have to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. And I hate that because they're a great shop with a very good selection.

 

[elmetal]

AHS is a pretty amazing place to shop online imo

 

[smizak]

I am soooo thankful to have Niagara Tradition as my LHBS. They are four minutes down the street from me and have almost everything I could need.

 

[Cheaton]

Any retail operator with any sort of "sales" ability will (and smartly so) always try and persuade his/her customers into purchasing items "off the floor". That's just smart business. The smaller the business, the less likely they're going to have a huge selection, and the more likely the redirection. If they're willing to do special orders for customers that's a nice thing, but it doesn't do alot for a business's bottom line, especially a small business (unless it gets you to buy more off the shelf products and increases your return frequency to the store).

 

[sp1365]

My LHBS (at least when I am at school) is decent, but only sells base grain in bulk or specialty grain in 1 pound increments. This wouldnt be a problem except I do 2.5 gallon batches and do not have a grain mill. I have a hard time buying and grind 1 pound of Chocolate malt when I am going to use at most 1-2 oz of it. I still get my hops and yeast from them. I usually get my grains from AHS, but my recent order is kinda aggravating me.

 

[bgburdman9]

That's also price gouging IMO. The yeast should be no more than $7.50 max and hops around $2.50/oz depending on variety and form. Where are you located? Do these shops actually have any repeat customers? With all the online shop competition I don't see how they stay in business. A reasonable profit they deserve, but not obscene profit.

Columbus, OH. The store is called the winemakers shop and they have been around since 1974. The owners husband is the brewmaster at barleys brewing company.

 

[DRoyLenz]

My local shop is also a brewery, and kind of gave up on the shop when their beer became more popular. I actually drive past it to go to a decent place. At least the Chicago burbs have a couple good shops. Just a further drive.

I've never been to any of the HBS in Chicago, I don't have a car. Which shop is also a brewery, I'd like to check that out next time I'm in the burbs if possible.

 

[dfohio]

Columbus, OH. The store is called the winemakers shop and they have been around since 1974. The owners husband is the brewmaster at barleys brewing company.

I went to The Winemakers Shop once about a year ago and I will never go again.

I had just moved into Columbus and found the place by doing an internet search. I walked in and the lady was sitting behind the desk reading her book and never looked up to greet me. I walked up and told her I was new in town and was checking out the LHBS's and asked if they had a product sheet/price sheet. She said no, and then went on for 5 minutes completely bashing the other LHBS in town. Her main point was that she was a real store and not some pizza place...She then proceeded to charge me 5+ dollars for an ounce of Willamette.

I really hate to bash, but this lady has a severe superiority complex. Instead of deciding to help me or get to know me, she wasted my time by bashing another business.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

If they're willing to do special orders for customers that's a nice thing, but it doesn't do alot for a business's bottom line, especially a small business (unless it gets you to buy more off the shelf products and increases your return frequency to the store).

There's a business term for it but, for example, grocery stores sell some items close to cost, maybe even under cost, JUST so they get people in the door shopping there. Then they buy the rest of their groceries there and the store makes their profit. I've even read that often gas station/convenience stores sell gas essentially at cost just so people stop and get gas...and a few sodas, and a coffee, and a pack of smokes, and some beer, and some chips, etc.

 

[david_42]

My main problem is distance. The closest shop is 25 miles (and only has a limited selection of dried yeast, no liquid) and the closest good shop is 50.

 

[Cheaton]

There's a business term for it but, for example, grocery stores sell some items close to cost, maybe even under cost, JUST so they get people in the door shopping there. Then they buy the rest of their groceries there and the store makes their profit. I've even read that often gas station/convenience stores sell gas essentially at cost just so people stop and get gas...and a few sodas, and a coffee, and a pack of smokes, and some beer, and some chips, etc.

Ya, it's called a loss leader.

 

[RC0032]

I've never been to any of the HBS in Chicago, I don't have a car. Which shop is also a brewery, I'd like to check that out next time I'm in the burbs if possible.

2 dick head brothers



B&G in the city blows also

 

[JKoravos]

Columbus, OH. The store is called the winemakers shop and they have been around since 1974. The owners husband is the brewmaster at barleys brewing company.

Which probably means they are getting their grains even cheaper than a typical HBS. Time to stop going there.

 

[Evan]

I go to My Old Kentucky Homebrew, its right next to work and they are open till 7 during the week. I like the place, grain and yeast prices are good, hops might be a little higher but not much. i mostly buy my hops in bulk anyway, so that doesnt matter so much.

if i had a complaint, it'd be lack of kegging supplies. I think he is getting more stuff in as he figures out what people are wanting. but its a new shop, he has really worked hard to get new people into brewing.

 

[TexLaw]

DeFalco's is pretty good to me. I can't say I have any serious peeves. I do get a bit tweaked if I go in there and they are out of a common grain or yeast, as well as common substitutes, and I have to either delay brewing or reformulate fairly seriously on the fly. That RARELY happens, though (maybe once every couple years or so), and is just due to one of those times that the swarm of locusts descends and consumes everything. The store can't really plan for that!


TL

 

[Trevor57]

Originally Posted by DRoyLenz View Post
I've never been to any of the HBS in Chicago, I don't have a car. Which shop is also a brewery, I'd like to check that out next time I'm in the burbs if possible.

2 dick head brothers



B&G in the city blows also

LOL I didn't want to call them out but..... yeah. They have a brewpub, which I have heard is good. Although I went to a tasting of theirs and didn't like any of their beers, not that they were poor quality, just none I liked. The 2 ingredients kits I bought from them had the wrong ingredients, and didn't taste good.

 

[Bowtiebrewery]

I have a few complaints...

1.) The owners wrote a few Brewing books, which on almost all the forums everyone laughs at. When I talk to them about a recipe that I formulated or got off one of the very respected brewer's (Jamil Z, Denny Conn) they act like its terrible and that it will never be good.

2.) I share my successes and failures with them. They chalk my successes up to them helping me, which btw they have no clue when it comes to proper yeast pitching rate or fermentation temp. My failures are because I'm stupid apprently.

3.) Prices are generally high... as high as $4 for belgian malts and $3 for germans all the time... 2-row is always $2
Hops usually for 2 oz bags it costs me $5-$7
Yeast Propogator $6 Activator $7
Dry yeast is cheap $2.50
Their carboys are rediculously expensive... 6.5g corny for $50

I just hate the Holier-than-thou-attitude the most... They compete in competitions but they don't often win any huge awards. They scoff at Jamil Z and Denny Conn, when they don't know them... I guess its just a mindset...

 

[mindcrime]

DeFalco's is pretty good to me. I can't say I have any serious peeves. I do get a bit tweaked if I go in there and they are out of a common grain or yeast, as well as common substitutes, and I have to either delay brewing or reformulate fairly seriously on the fly. That RARELY happens, though (maybe once every couple years or so), and is just due to one of those times that the swarm of locusts descends and consumes everything. The store can't really plan for that!


TL

I live near Houston as well, and can vouch for DeFalcos.

I happen to live in the far north side though, so my regular LHBS is the relatively new Brew It Yourself off I-45 in Spring. I love it. The proprietor, Ray, is a really friendly guy, passionate about brewing. Very knowledgeable, and Ive never had a bad piece of advice from him. His stock is great. I very rarely can't find something I need, and if he's out, he'll reorder just for you and drop you a line when the product is in. He's also responsive via email if I'm looking for something particularly obscure. His dry yeast selection is complete, and liquid is very good.

Pet peave?

Hes only open till 5:30 some nights, 6 pm on Thurs/Fri, and I occasionally have trouble getting there after work. But, he's open all day Saturday, so no harm no foul!