LHBS will NOT sell ME hops

[The Pol]

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS VENDOR!!! You wont get hops anyway..

 

[BrewBeemer]

DeathBrewer; last week I was at Brewmaster's on Marina Blvd asking a few stupid and newbie questions. Was told they will only sell hops to me if I purchased grain from them. Next door was a place called B.R.E.W. at one time, they moved to Hayward app 4 years ago. For a month after the move Brewmaster people would remove any and all signs on B.R.E.W.'s windows telling their customers that they moved, this happened many times. In the conversation at Brewmaster I asked what happened to B.R.E.W., was told they went out of business.

Well at B.R.E.W. with Mike the owner and the many questions I had did a 10 gallon AG that day, I spent over 6 hours there. I know where my money will be spent on supplies in the future.
I must do a road trip to MoreBeer in Concord to check 'em out, need some drool time.

 

[Orfy]

He must be really happy with revenue his old customers supply and not want new ones.

 

[The Pol]

Problem for him is this, I know several of thier customers... pilot friends of mine... they are pretty avid brewers.

 

[budbo]

Good thing you got places like Austin and MoreBeer with low cost or free shipping

 

[Chriso]

Sounds like this LHBS isnt as much of a stinker after all, but instead just had a foul smelling employee. Thanks for doing some legwork, Joe.

Pol, I think your resolution has come to possible fruition after all, let us know how things go when you call her!

Good work guys! This is the kind of "make it all better" story I love seeing!

 

[gwood]

Wonder if that guy still has a job? Good to see that the store was able to lay out the policy in writting.

 

[sirsloop]

Okay, so is this even legal...? Due to the hop shortage my LHBS will not sell me hops because I have not previously shopped there. Well, seeing as though I JUST moved to Indy, it is no wonder I have never shopped there before. Will I EVER buy anything from them from this point on? You guessed it, no. If I had previsouly ordered from them, I could get any hop they currently carry, but since I have not, they will not sell me a single ounce of hops!!! JERKS!

Pol

They don't have to sell you anything. Yeah it sucks but they probably have to save them for their kits. I got held to a 4oz limit at my LHBS... I don't blame them either. They do BOP and have to have hops for their business.

 

[The Pol]

Been out of the country, when I get back I will call Anita. NO this is not what I was told. Some dude told me "I cannot sell you hops... wait, have you shopped here before? No? Sorry, we can only sell hops to previous customers, hops are in short supply and we will probably not make it til fall. We cannot sell hops to new customers". Apparently HE did not get the MEMO. This is good news, because they have great grain prices...

Pol

 

[sirsloop]

Heh heh... so buy some grain today and go back tommorrow and get a pound of cascade

 

[Desert_Sky]

well......

I have to be honest here. If I actually had a LHBS close by, I would rather him not sell to anyone new and keep the hops for us regulars. There is a shortage, and the hops will get sold. It's a ******** move yes, but regular customers should have priority in times like this.


But, since my LHBS is the internet.....

 

[The Pol]

I would be a regular customer, BUT I just moved to Indy... I will shop there for eternity, but I have to start sometime. I never shopped there when I lived hours away, obviously. lol

 

[portski7]

I live about an hour away from great fermentations... where I pick up all my ingredients. Hell, I'm headed down there this weekend for my first partial mash (Kolsch!). There are only three people who work there... an old man, the lady, and a younger guy.

None the less, all of this seems really really odd. I've never had any trouble with them at all. In fact they have been more than helpful with just about everything.

I guess I'll have to ask about it when I go down this weekend...

 

[BierMuncher]

I would be a regular customer, BUT I just moved to Indy... I will shop there for eternity, but I have to start sometime. I never shopped there when I lived hours away, obviously. lol

Bring them some homebrew and convince them you're going to be a good customer for some time.

One fact that an LHBS has to deal with...like any "hobby shop", is that people come and go from hobbies and there is only a small core of people who get into the hobby and stay.

Those are the folks he's trying to protect. I doubt he woke up one morning and decided he wanted to p!$$ off strangers, but he's probably going with the odds that you're "in" the hobby now, but like so many, will be "out" of the hobby soon.

He has less risk in pissing you off than one of his cultivated regulars. I think you're a victim of circumstance.

I say bring him a sixer, share a beer...bring some pics of your rigs and convince him you're worth the innvestment.

 

[indybrewer]

I am also from Indy and have been to Great Fermentations. There have been several times that I have gone in there and a younger gentlemen by the name of Jason(I am pretty sure that is his name) was working and he was completely rude and acted like it was a pain for me to be there. But I have also been there several times and Anita the store owner was there and she is one of the nicest and most helpful individuals I have met. Don't give up on the shop because of him. Go in there and ask for Anita and talk to her about. I am sure she will help you out. She was on page 5 of last months issue of BYO on the right side so you know what she looks like.

Indy Brewer

 

[Desert_Sky]

Bring them some homebrew and convince them you're going to be a good customer for some time.

+1
thats one of the best ideas I could think of right there

 

[The Pol]

I am glad that a couple of you have had good luck there, sounds like I got a jerk is all. Trust me, I am not making this up, my wife was right by my side and was flabbergasted! Anitas answer and email sounds sincere, so I will print it and take it with me, in case there is any other issue. I have been AG brewing for 2 years now, I am on my third AG rig and spend a great deal of time and money in this hobby... It would be beneficial for all of us to "just get along".

I can take them a 6-er of my Feb 2007 Oaty Chocolate Stout, it is aged perfectly!

 

[Olive Drab]

Out of curiosity what was the price of hops before this shortage and also 2 years ago? I came into brewing after the higher prices were in effect.

 

[Chriso]

I've seen "old" prices on the web of sub-$10/lb for domestic hops.... I think one place even listed $7/lb for common American stuff.