LHBS Pet Peeves

[MrInternet]

Also just found out that my LHBS is not open on Sundays. Not very pleased with them.

If you're talking about Winemakers, go to Aurora to Fox Valley Home Brew in downtown Aurora... it's out of the way, but it is a super clean store and the owners are really helpful... insisted on individually measuring and re-packaging my grist ingredients last time I was in there...

 

[sp1365]

If you're talking about Winemakers, go to Aurora to Fox Valley Home Brew in downtown Aurora... it's out of the way, but it is a super clean store and the owners are really helpful... insisted on individually measuring and re-packaging my grist ingredients last time I was in there...

Actually I am talking about a homebrew shop in Dayton, OH. I live in IL, but go to school in OH. Granted I havn't had much luck for stores in IL either. Closest store to me is Brew and Grow in Roselle.

 

[Pappers_]

Also just found out that my LHBS is not open on Sundays. Not very pleased with them.

This critique is one I disagree with - I would prefer to deal with a small mom 'n pop store that's open 40 hours a week.

 

[RGH]

AHS is a pretty amazing place to shop online imo

Yeah, but they wont ship to APO's. No worry, I will gladly spend my money at midwest. Not only will they ship to My post in Germany, they also offer a Military discount. My old LHBS was great when I was stationed close to Nashville. They were called "allseasons" Nashville. They had a pretty good selection but it was a bit on the steep side. I think I paid 3 bucks for an ounce of cascades which does seem a bit much. They also sold hydroponics equipment which worked out good for my tomato garden:rockin:. They also had aphids for the "organic" folk. sorry

 

[Synovia]

This critique is one I disagree with - I would prefer to deal with a small mom 'n pop store that's open 40 hours a week.

Why?

I'd prefer a place be open when I'm not stuck in work.

 

[Synovia]

I just said a smart business owner does their best to sell what they have, not sell what they don't have.

A smart business owner sells the customer what they want, whether or not they have it.

If I go into a HBS, and I want UK Chocolate malt, and the guy tells me I can use US, I'll buy it, and use it, and he makes a sale. But next time a recipe calls for it, I go elsewhere, or I order it online. If he says he can get some for me? I buy the US, and order the UK from him.

Customers have choices now. Old business practices don't work.

 

[inspector13]

Advantage: My LHBS is Austin Homebrew Supply.

Disadvantage: My LHBS is Austin Homebrew Supply. $$$

Advantage: I am in the area weekly.

Disadvantage: My wife knows I in the area weekly.

 

[khiddy]

Well, I am pretty blessed to have three or four shops within a 20 minute drive, including a brand-new one (Homebrew Exchange) just five minutes away. The crazy thing is that all of the shops in Portland get their base supplies from the oldest one, Steinbart's. Steinbart's has a reputation of being a place that caters mainly to the other shops and professional brewers rather than homebrewers, but they are actually very supportive of the homebrewing community and very generous with their knowledge if you take time to build a relationship. Unfortunately, their grain prices are a bit high, but a dime or two per pound really won't destroy a recipe, I guess.

I'm pretty excited by some of the other, newer shops in the PDX area, especially BrewBrothers.biz's marvelous grain prices and Homebrew Exchange's handy location. Now if only I could get some more specialty grains at HBX...

 

[FreakinA]

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?

Prices for my LHBS(which I frequent frequently![Brewers Connection In Tempe])
Grain: about 1.50 a pound for milled stuff. Some of the specialty things are closer to 2.00
hops: 2-4.50 an Oz depending on what you want
Yeast: US-05 (and similar)= 4.00 Wyeast are like 7.19?

I always thought that was decent, my biggest LHBS pet peeve is sometimes I have to wait when I go at crowded times. Also as an SCM student, the store is arranged terribly. The sections are NOT divided by profitability and target at your eye level like anything should be. They need a planogrammer, and fast.

 

[670x]

Our LHBS is only open when they feel like it. I have been there numerous times only to find the door locked during posted hours while the Open sign is on.
I now drive 45 miles to Ft. Collins, their prices are higher but they are OPEN during the hours posted.
I just wish they were not so rude there. They act like they are doing you a favor to get out of your way so you can grab something off a shelf.
I think I will start purchasing online in bulk I can get my brewing advice here on this site, so far it's been my best source of information

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Yeah, but AHS wont ship to APO's.

Austin Homebrew will gladly ship to anyone you know in the states for $7.99 and they can forward it to you. USPS will not allow glass or liquids and many addresses will not allow beer ingredients into the country.

I really don't want to have to lie repeatedly to the post office. We already got busted at one location.

Forrest

 

[wizardofza]

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.

They're ok. They're frequently out of at least one item in my recipe. It would also be nice if they kept their website up to date. At least that would save me a trip when they are out of something I need.

 

[overflow]

If you're talking about Winemakers, go to Aurora to Fox Valley Home Brew in downtown Aurora... it's out of the way, but it is a super clean store and the owners are really helpful... insisted on individually measuring and re-packaging my grist ingredients last time I was in there...

I didn't even know there was a HBS in Aurora; I'll have to hit it up this weekend. I'm in Bolingbrook and was going to Two Brothers when I first started brewing. Like others, I found it kinda sucks - they have weird hours, not much of a grain selection, and I was always having to substitute things. The staff gave always gave off the attitude of "you're bothering me" (seems like since the brewery is attached they just send whoever is available up to deal with you.) Been a few years since I've been there though; maybe it's improved. Presently I use Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies, and Morebeer for everything; just plan your brew session a week or so in advance. Two Brothers does make some fine beer though.

 

[chefmike]

It is unfortunate: my LHBS store is now Brew Master's Warehouse. :fro:

I have used the HBS in Asheville NC. He puts together decent kits which I used for a couple years. This time I was just picking up specialty grains for 5 recipes and some hops I did not have (I buy a lot in bulk now). The prices were decent and he had 99% of what I needed. He does not list everything he has online (Simcoe hops on this trip) but told me he maintains a stash for his local customers. That is the asheville way!

And when I lived in Memphis, I visited a homebrew store that got me back into brewing. No clue about prices (it was back a few years ago when stuff was cheap. But the service was AMAZING!

 

[HomerJR]

My LHBS (Kennywood Brewing Supplies) is about a 40 minute drive from the house, and is only open 3 evenings a week, plus Saturday. But that's okay, because he's a great guy with reasonable prices. $2.25/oz for hops, $1.30/lb for 2-row and $2.25/lb for specialty grains. No milling charges, either. He's never acted like a know-it-all, and he's working with a local brewpub to provide space for a homebrew club to start.

On the other hand, there's a wine-heavy store (few extract kits and some minor equipment) about 25 minutes from me, but the guy's a condescending butt. I was in there once just to see what he had, and in the course of a couple phone calls that I overheard, he bad-mouthed my preferred LHBS and another one about an hour away. My wife wants to start making wine, but I'll be damned if I'm buying anything from him. Kennywood either has or can order any wine stuff I need.

A good attitude goes a long way, don't it?

 

[OMJ]

My biggest pet peeve about my LHBS is that it is only open 2 days a week from 10-5. There is another one that is about 40 minutes away with much better hours though.

My other pet peeve is the out dated advice I sometimes hear being given to customers. There is an older guy working there that hasnt brewed beer since the early 90's and only makes wine now. I often hear him telling people only to use stainless or enamel pots and not to use aluminum. I cant think of anything else I have heard him tell people but I have heard him say other things that just arent true to newbies.

 

[tdiowa]

I am very fortunate to know the Homebrew Supplier's by name. He lives 90 miles away and has some shelf space at a local pharmacy. I email him on Monday and he gathers the requested supplies puts them in a box and when he make his weekly stop puts the box aside for me to pick it up on my way home. Never been disappointed and the prices are reasonable.

After reading some of the horror stories you people go thru I guess I am very fortunate.

One last note. I was in Kansas City last January and went to a local homebrew store. I was absolutely floored when I saw that they were charging $18.00 for 3 pounds of Dry Malt Extract.

TD

 

[ibbones]

I have nothing closer then 100+ miles to my house but I can go in three different directions and get to a big city. Austin is still my fav.

 

[JVD_X]

My LHBS is about 30 minutes away by highway - an hour round-trip along one of the busiest roads in the country. When I get they are usually busy and I tried to support him. However, by the time I get there, do my shopping (having to wait for him to grab the yeast, hops, and grains) and get back -it's a two hour trip. I simply do not have the time.

In addition, he costs more and it takes about two gallons of gas for me to get there and back. So... gas @ $3/gallon plus two hours of my time to pay a premium prices at the LHBS simply doesn't cut it when Austin will ship everything to my door for $7.99

Also, when I asked him to assemble me all the equipment for a four-keg system so it would be ready for me to pick up when I got there he simply said "I don't have the time for that." SO... guess what. No more business unless it's an emergency.

 

[smizak]

They're ok. They're frequently out of at least one item in my recipe. It would also be nice if they kept their website up to date. At least that would save me a trip when they are out of something I need.

Just call. They would have no problem making sure they have what you need. If you do it a couple days in advance, they would probably get what you need in. They are super cool like that.

 

[MrInternet]

I didn't even know there was a HBS in Aurora; I'll have to hit it up this weekend. I'm in Bolingbrook and was going to Two Brothers when I first started brewing. Like others, I found it kinda sucks - they have weird hours, not much of a grain selection, and I was always having to substitute things. The staff gave always gave off the attitude of "you're bothering me" (seems like since the brewery is attached they just send whoever is available up to deal with you.) Been a few years since I've been there though; maybe it's improved. Presently I use Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies, and Morebeer for everything; just plan your brew session a week or so in advance. Two Brothers does make some fine beer though.

Brew & Grow in Bolingbrook for the win! Check it out, they're open now...

My new pet peeve is listening to a shop LHBS employee justify the price on pre-crushed grain. I simply asked "these are priced differently simply for being pre-crushed, correct?" She took this to mean I was angling to get it for the same price and launched into a spiel about "yeah, it takes me hours and hours to crush and re-bag all that grain, so yeah, I'm going to to charge you for it". I'm sorry, I was just asking for clarification on the GIANT 25 CENT PRICE DIFFERENCE, wasn't trying to pull anything.

 

[Rooster5150]

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.

Go to hopsdirect.com. You can get hops at rock bottom prices. I bought a pound of 4 different pellet hops ranging from $6.75 to $10.75 per pound. That's less that a buck an ounce.

Also quit buying yeast. Get a flip top bottle or something even a glass bottle with a screw on top like Sobe if you must. Sanitize it and siphon some of your yeast cake into it. You can use it like 4 times before you need to replace the yeast strain. I've used 6 month old yeast before without a hitch. Just make a starter with it to make sure it's viable before use.

Put your yeast cake into a bottle seal it, refrigerate it and release the pressure 2-3 times over the next 1-2 weeks and forget about it till you need it.

With re-using my yeast and the cheap hops I knock like $10-$15 bucks or more off of my bill. I think my LHBS charges like $1.25/LB for grain. So I can easily brew 5 gallons for under 20 bucks. I use my savings to include an extra pound of grain or so to a recipe and kick up the alc content a tad.

Brews like Pliny the Elder which use a truck load of hops I would never brew with the cost of LHBS hop prices. With cheap hops it doesn't hurt your pocket book so much.

 

[BangorBrewer]

I frequent three different home brew shops in Maine. One is in my home town of Bangor - it's actually an all natural grocer with an impressive selection - and they are able keep their prices very competitive because they have a ton of revenue streams beyond brewing, which is nice. They only have a brewing guy there on the weekends, though, which is fine by me.

The two in the greater Portland area have their perks. The one I prefer, but is further way, is small, dusty and perfect. The guy is exceptionally helpful, doesn't mind shooting the breeze, doesn't put pressure on you to buy, etc. The closer for the two is neat, tidy and trendy. The service is marginal, prices are average, but the selection is worth it. Place has everything you'd ever need. But, I'll always take service over selection. That's probably just me, though.

 

[khanti]

I don't have any shops local, except for one place in northern Wisconsin about 50 miles away. They are new to homebrew supplies, so there isn't a good selection, and the prices aren't great. The good part is that they will order things for me. I just got a sack of maris otter, Vienna malt, and 2-row. Their yeast is way too old and overpriced, and their supply of specialty malts is very poor. But I'm thrilled to have any place at all, less than 150 miles away.

"Super H" in Ashland? Used to live in Ashland before I homebrewed and before Super H began carrying supplies. Was just up there last month to visit friends and was pleasantly surprised to see that they were carrying stuff. But yes, their prices were a little out of hand. Beats nothing, though.

 

[Sea]

Don't really have any gripes. Prices are a little higher than I'd like, but that's the nature of the little guy. I try and support local businesses whenever possible, and that's almost always going to mean paying a little more.

 

[overflow]

Brew & Grow in Bolingbrook for the win! Check it out, they're open now...

My new pet peeve is listening to a shop LHBS employee justify the price on pre-crushed grain. I simply asked "these are priced differently simply for being pre-crushed, correct?" She took this to mean I was angling to get it for the same price and launched into a spiel about "yeah, it takes me hours and hours to crush and re-bag all that grain, so yeah, I'm going to to charge you for it". I'm sorry, I was just asking for clarification on the GIANT 25 CENT PRICE DIFFERENCE, wasn't trying to pull anything.

Thanks for this! I swung by there (Brew & Grow) Saturday and this place is fantastic. I talked with the head brewing guy a while and he is really friendly and knowledgeable. I was also brewing that day and it turned out NB had shipped me 2lbs of my base malt (instead of the 12lb I ordered) so they saved my brew day. They're doing 20% off your highest priced item until the end of November as well - I grabbed a bulk sack of Briess 2 row for $40..

I'm also an indoor/hydro grower so this place is like a dream come true.

 

[PseudoChef]

Pro: My homebrew shop is Rebel Brewer - so they always have the best prices and the largest selection of grain. The last two times I've bought yeast from them, it was made less than 2 weeks ago each time.

Cons: I'm moving soon and will have to start paying shipping.

 

[wizardofza]

Just out of curiosity I did a price comparison between my LHBS and the online guys, and the local one is wwwaaaayyy more expensive - even if you include shipping from one of the online shops.

Just as an example, they’re selling 1oz of Amarillo pellets for $3.99 when most places online have them for $2.99 (NorthernBrewer, Brewmasters Warehouse, AustinHomebrew). 1LB of breiss 2-row is going for $1.95 at NT where it’s $1.25 - $1.50.

I want to support the local guys, but man, they make it tough.

 

[Bowtiebrewery]

yea Mine is the same way... but at the same time they have to pay for overhead and many of the online hbs are completely based on the internet and have little overhead to speak of.

I try to support my LHBS as much as I can. They used to be absurdly priced with bulk grain... $80 for a sack of 2-row and $90-$100 for anything german or Belgian.

But they have come down to $65 on the sack of 2-row, which is only $15 more than I pay at the brewery upstate. But they can't touch my price on Pilsner malt.

 

[norwegiangeek]

I must be pretty lucky then. I have two LHBS to choose from, one is pretty subpar I think, but the other is actually Northern Brewer so I don't even have to pay the $8 flat shipping. The place is like 10 minutes from my work.