My favorite LHBS is closing...

[seatazzz]

Been going there for a few years now; prices have always been decent, selection great, and the expired yeast bin has yielded some great beers. And the proprietor is more than a retailer, she's my friend, and one of the few female homebrewers in our area. I went there almost more for the chat than the grain I needed. That being said, I need to find a new place to buy full bags of grain. Even though I'm in the Great PNW, land of many breweries, our LHBS selection in the South Sound is pretty slim; the two that are closest to me now are kinda pricey. So I've been googling around, and found that morebeer.com has some pretty good prices on full bags of base malt. Just want to know, how have you all who've ordered from them found the service? We live down a tiny street with 6 houses, not much room for big trucks, and I plan to order at least 2 full bags at a time.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Why closing?

Perhaps purchase and open your own homebrew supply store?

Ordering bags online is NOT cost effective. Join a local group buy.

 

[day_trippr]

This would be exactly the wrong time to start a homebrew supply company...

Cheers!

 

[Tom R]

I've been going to Olympic Brewing Supplies in East Bremerton for years.
Olympic Brewing Supplies (olybrew.com)

Great guys, lots of hops and grain. Good inventory of most everything I need, and will special order the rest for me.

Yes, you'll find some things cheaper online. But I'll pay a bit more to support the LHBS.

 

[2hennepin6]

Pricey shipping on 50 lb sacks. I have a maltster that will sell direct so shipping is not an issue

 

[MaxStout]

A little hack for Morebeer: They sell grain in 10 lb bags, and it counts for free shipping. Full bags do not. Compare getting 5x10lb bags, vs. a full 50 lb bag + shipping.

I've been buying all online since my LHBS closed 2 years ago. I bounce around to a few different ones, depending on what I'm getting and the overall cost with shipping. Open browser tabs for several stores and add your items to the shopping carts for each vendor. After shipping is tallied, you might be surprised the price differences. I used to buy a lot on Morebeer (free shipping for >$59), but I think their prices are kind of high to begin with. I often find Midwest is cheaper overall with their flat rate shipping. YMMV.

 

[bracconiere]

and I plan to order at least 2 full bags at a time.

damn, when they were just a couple hour drive from me i'd buy 8-9 bags at a time! (just a wee taste of the creature, lol)

i was getting bags from a local brew pub before that....might want to hit one up for a keg fill, just to loosen their tongues and get to know them? ask them about something to do with your homebrew or something, then let it slip...you know when you order next, mind slipping a few extra bags on for me?

 

[MaxStout]

damn, when they were just a couple hour drive from me i'd buy 8-9 bags at a time! (just a wee taste of the creature, lol)

i was getting bags from a local brew pub before that....might want to hit one up for a keg fill, just to loosen their tongues and get to know them? ask them about something to do with your homebrew or something, then let it slip...you know when you order next, mind slipping a few extra bags on for me?

I've never done it, but have heard of homebrewers asking a local brewery to piggyback a few bags of grain. Worth a try. Make friends with the brewer, and ask. The worst that could happen is they'll say no.

One of my friends always keeps a sanitized mason jar in his trunk. He's scored free yeast from breweries several times.

 

[bracconiere]

and as a footnote, if you feel you're getting pushed too hard. i just bought 40lbs of malt for $13 from my local...how shall we say, "grain supplier" today....just have to malt it myself....

edit: i remember you fixing a fuel pump relay, and rigging up your NG burners!

 

[Sammy86]

Online shopping I go with Atlantic Brew Supply, great prices, a little limited on the types of grain available but I adjust when I can’t get to my LHBS. As said above, Midwest and Morebeer have good deals as well.

 

[seatazzz]

and as a footnote, if you feel you're getting pushed too hard. i just bought 40lbs of malt for $13 from my local...how shall we say, "grain supplier" today....just have to malt it myself....

edit: i remember you fixing a fuel pump relay, and rigging up your NG burners!

View attachment 738122

Yah, but I just don't have the patience (or the space) to malt my own. I do have a friend that runs a brewpub, he taught me a lot of what I know; I've asked before if he'll order grain for me when he does his orders, but he's scared he'll get found out (by who I've asked, but never got a straight answer). And he gets his premilled, so if he added a couple of bags of unmilled they might get suspicious.

 

[superiorsat]

You have to account for all the grain you have on hand at a brewery. That way uncle Sam can try to figure out if your skimming the books. You had a 1000 pounds of grain on hand but only produced X BBL's of beer? Where did the other grain go? We want our tax money.
www.ritebrew.com has good bulk grain prices but shipping is key thing to check.

 

[madscientist451]

Homebrew club group buy is the way to go. You need to order a full skid, which is like 40 bags. Otherwise, just keep an eye out for special deals at the online sellers.

 

[Steveruch]

Sorry your local is closing. Any chance she can give you some going out of business prices to clear her inventory and let you stock up?

 

[seatazzz]

Sorry your local is closing. Any chance she can give you some going out of business prices to clear her inventory and let you stock up?

She's making one last grain order for her regular customers at her good prices; placed my order yesterday for 2 bags each of two-row and pilsner. Getting Canadian 2-row instead of GW at the same price. Next weekend when I go pick it up I'm sure I'll find some screaming deals on what else she needs to get gone. She offered to hold back anything I needed but I couldn't think of anything.

 

[Zenmeister]

I have used Bader Brewing in Vancouver. They have very good prices on grain, as they are only a couple miles from GW Malting there. I know they are about a two or so hour drive each way from the South Sound, but if you brew enough, you can just double up on the grain to make it somewhat worthwhile, especially if you make it part of another trip down south.
Bader Beer & Wine Supply | (baderbrewing.com)

 

[IslandLizard]

She's making one last grain order for her regular customers at her good prices; placed my order yesterday for 2 bags each of two-row and pilsner.

I'd stock up. You can keep malt for quite a few years. Uncrushed that is. Store dry and cool.

Maybe she could keep her account and order grain for her loyal customers, say, once a year. Like a group buy.
We used to get 1-3 pallets (mixed malt order) through someone with an CMG account, until they would only sell to LHBS anymore (lobbying maybe?). Then we started ordering through an LHBS, and later through a brewery/LHBS. The price difference was only a few more $, per sack, with much more choice of different malts, and any amount basically, not just full pallets.

 

[MaxStout]

You have to account for all the grain you have on hand at a brewery. That way uncle Sam can try to figure out if your skimming the books. You had a 1000 pounds of grain on hand but only produced X BBL's of beer? Where did the other grain go? We want our tax money.
www.ritebrew.com has good bulk grain prices but shipping is key thing to check.

Nah. Uncle Sam doesn't care how much grain you buy, just production of beer in barrels. Even if they did ask, it would be a trivial matter to explain that "my brewhouse efficiency was lower."

 

[bracconiere]

he'll get found out

scared of getting fined for not obeying the beer cartel?

Yah, but I just don't have the patience (or the space) to malt my own.

all you'd need for a five gallon batch is a cheap cooler, and 4-5 days of letting sit, and nursing it a bit.....i malt 20lbs at a time, but i do my 10lb crystal batches in a cooler, just keep it next to the bathtub, so i can fill and drain it when it needs to be watered.....

 

[beernutz]

Why closing?

Perhaps purchase and open your own homebrew supply store?

Ordering bags online is NOT cost effective. Join a local group buy.

If you buy your grain from morebeer in 10 lb increments it qualifies for the free shipping if order is over $59 offer. Not to mention all their other site-wide percent-off sales.

 

[superiorsat]

Nah. Uncle Sam doesn't care how much grain you buy, just production of beer in barrels. Even if they did ask, it would be a trivial matter to explain that "my brewhouse efficiency was lower."

I plan on paying for TTB Tamer software because of all the brewery reports that have to be filed or at least kept track of daily, weekly and monthly to the TTB. Close enough to opening ( waiting on a building I'm trying to secure before I can apply for brewers notice) that I know they keep a record of grain on hand.

 

[BrewDrinkRepeat]

But I'll pay a bit more to support the LHBS.

IMO that is ALWAYS the correct answer. Because the day WILL come when you desperately need a last-minute item on brewday, and you're not going to get that from an online store.

 

[bracconiere]

IMO that is ALWAYS the correct answer. Because the day WILL come when you desperately need a last-minute item on brewday, and you're not going to get that from an online store.

for days like that, is why i try and keep six kegs full! and a few jugs of concentrate....

 

[tochsner]

Been going there for a few years now; prices have always been decent, selection great, and the expired yeast bin has yielded some great beers. And the proprietor is more than a retailer, she's my friend, and one of the few female homebrewers in our area. I went there almost more for the chat than the grain I needed. That being said, I need to find a new place to buy full bags of grain. Even though I'm in the Great PNW, land of many breweries, our LHBS selection in the South Sound is pretty slim; the two that are closest to me now are kinda pricey. So I've been googling around, and found that morebeer.com has some pretty good prices on full bags of base malt. Just want to know, how have you all who've ordered from them found the service? We live down a tiny street with 6 houses, not much room for big trucks, and I plan to order at least 2 full bags at a time.

I am familiar with the store you mentioned and it is indeed a sad day. They were a great homebrew shop in an area that has lost quite a few in the last few years. Be sure to check with the other shops in your area, most of the time, full bag prices for the same malts are better than what you can find online. I own a shop north of Seattle and I know our bag prices are competitive. Cheers!

 

[Reneauj62]

Been going there for a few years now; prices have always been decent, selection great, and the expired yeast bin has yielded some great beers. And the proprietor is more than a retailer, she's my friend, and one of the few female homebrewers in our area. I went there almost more for the chat than the grain I needed. That being said, I need to find a new place to buy full bags of grain. Even though I'm in the Great PNW, land of many breweries, our LHBS selection in the South Sound is pretty slim; the two that are closest to me now are kinda pricey. So I've been googling around, and found that morebeer.com has some pretty good prices on full bags of base malt. Just want to know, how have you all who've ordered from them found the service? We live down a tiny street with 6 houses, not much room for big trucks, and I plan to order at least 2 full bags at a time.

Here is the thing with Morebeer.... They have some of the best prices and availability of items. If you order from them you will notice that they have two distribution centers, one in Northern California and one in Pennsylvania. I live in the Not So Great PNW (Oregon)....If your order comes from N. California your order will arrive in about 3 business days and you have an option of a Monday shipment to avoid having your yeast sit in a hot warehouse over a weekend. If your order comes from PA, you are looking at 10 business days which means you definitely will have a weekend storage somewhere. So, if I am buying liquid yeast, I make sure it comes from the N. CA warehouse or I use Brew Chatter (BrewChatter Home Brew Shop - Brewing Supplies and Education) which is also from N. CA and has exceptionally fast shipping.

 

[seatazzz]

I am familiar with the store you mentioned and it is indeed a sad day. They were a great homebrew shop in an area that has lost quite a few in the last few years. Be sure to check with the other shops in your area, most of the time, full bag prices for the same malts are better than what you can find online. I own a shop north of Seattle and I know our bag prices are competitive. Cheers!

Tony I have been to your shop twice now (and have met you, you might not remember, but you came to Rail Hoppn in Auburn when I was working there), and I love your selection!! Couple of years ago won a gift card to Micro from a competition, and enjoyed every minute I spent there. If I lived closer I would definitely patronize it, just Kenmore is quite a drive from Covington. When I'm ready for more full bags I'll give you a call.

 

[MaxStout]

Here is the thing with Morebeer.... They have some of the best prices and availability of items. If you order from them you will notice that they have two distribution centers, one in Northern California and one in Pennsylvania. I live in the Not So Great PNW (Oregon)....If your order comes from N. California your order will arrive in about 3 business days and you have an option of a Monday shipment to avoid having your yeast sit in a hot warehouse over a weekend. If your order comes from PA, you are looking at 10 business days which means you definitely will have a weekend storage somewhere. So, if I am buying liquid yeast, I make sure it comes from the N. CA warehouse or I use Brew Chatter (BrewChatter Home Brew Shop - Brewing Supplies and Education) which is also from N. CA and has exceptionally fast shipping.

I've never noticed any option for choosing a shipment date from Morebeer (perhaps the function is there, but I've missed it). I have ordered from them several times and it could go out the door the next day, or next week. But then, I've never ordered liquid yeast from any mail order source. Maybe others have had good luck.

Where I live it's hot for three months and below freezing about 5 or 6 months, and I don't trust the so-called "freezer packs" they offer. No more LHBS 3 miles away, and Midwest is on the other side of the metro, so if I need liquid yeast I wait until I need to go to that end of town for other things and swing by there. I don't like to do a 1.5 hr round trip just for a pack of yeast if I don't have to, though I'll make a dedicated trip to MW if I need a bunch of things.

 

[Reneauj62]

I've never noticed any option for choosing a shipment date from Morebeer (perhaps the function is there, but I've missed it). I have ordered from them several times and it could go out the door the next day, or next week. But then, I've never ordered liquid yeast from any mail order source. Maybe others have had good luck.

Where I live it's hot for three months and below freezing about 5 or 6 months, and I don't trust the so-called "freezer packs" they offer. No more LHBS 3 miles away, and Midwest is on the other side of the metro, so if I need liquid yeast I wait until I need to go to that end of town for other things and swing by there. I don't like to do a 1.5 hr round trip just for a pack of yeast if I don't have to, though I'll make a dedicated trip to MW if I need a bunch of things.

It's is great if you have local options even if it is 1.5 hrs roundtrip. I don't have any option as my nearest HBS is over 100 miles away and the last three times I did make it over there it was closed for one reason or another... I guess I should call ahead.

 

[Beermeister32]

Years ago if you needed brewing materials, you drove over to the LHBS and bought what you needed.

Today, you sit online trying to shave a few more bucks off by calculating who provides free shipping or who has the lowest price on malt or hops with their online specials this week.

The LHBS in my town closed 2 years ago.

So it comes as no surprise that the local one or two person shops can’t make it. The brick and mortar retailers are dropping off in many industries because people are buying online rather than supporting their local sources. These companies can be outcompeted by online sellers using UPS/FedEd or Amazon shipping.

 

[Snuffy]

I don’t see how any LHBS expects to survive long-term w/o an e-commerce site. Or any other specialty store for that matter. I didn’t get into brewing with the idea I needed to do it as cheaply as possible. I will buy locally every chance I get - but how many times have you dropped into the LHBS with a recipe and they are out of this or that and you either substitute or go back online for the missing bits? Bless em for trying, but that’s gotta be a tough way to make the rent.

 

[Snuffy]

I don’t see how any LHBS expects to survive long-term w/o an e-commerce site. Or any other specialty store for that matter. I didn’t get into brewing with the idea I needed to do it as cheaply as possible. I will buy locally every chance I get - but how many times have you dropped into the LHBS with a recipe and they are out of this or that and you either substitute or go back online for the missing bits? Bless em for trying, but that’s gotta be a tough way to make the rent.

I would buy local and pay shipping if they would just post a current inventory list on a website and then let me email them a shopping list. Then email bill me to pay by Venmo or Paypal or just call me for the CC info before shipping it out.

 

[Steveruch]

I would buy local and pay shipping if they would just post a current inventory list on a website and then let me email them a shopping list. Then email bill me to pay by Venmo or Paypal or just call me for the CC info before shipping it out.

The homebrew shop that used to be in Fort Wayne closed before we moved here. There is a hardware store that has a homebrew section, but no listing of what they have. And they couldn't be bothered to answer an email query. So, I'll just keep ordering ingredients online.

 

[hout17]

I would buy local and pay shipping if they would just post a current inventory list on a website and then let me email them a shopping list. Then email bill me to pay by Venmo or Paypal or just call me for the CC info before shipping it out.

My LHBS doesn't ship but they have contracts to supply breweries and that keeps them afloat. They do have a good online presence though and anything you could ever want grain wise. I can go on their site order all of my ingredients and set a time to pay and pickup and they are pretty competitive price wise too.

There is another LHBS a little closer but they never have what I need in stock literally never. I want to support them too but they make it very hard. The owner is a nice guy too.

 

[NickTheGreat]

How sad. My favorite/only LHBS closed a few years ago. I don't do full bags, but have just started ordering online. And it's fine. Just not quite as fun as going to the store to stock up/ shoot the breeze.

 

[MaxStout]

I like to support local and am willing to pay a little more to do so. But that has limitations. I will not support a bad business, regardless of price, or one where I'm not treated fairly--whether it's an LHBS or any other type. The LHBS that closed near me was one of the very good ones and I miss it a lot. OTOH, I have been to a few others where either their ingredients were not very fresh, or they had poor selection, or the employees were just plain dicks. Or all three. Sometimes, a business is its own worst enemy.

Maybe some closed due mainly to online competition. But that's how many businesses are evolving and the pandemic probably sped up that change as more people ordered stuff from home.

But in many cases an LHBS just drove off its customers, and blaming online is an easy excuse. I've certainly heard plenty of bad LHBS stories on HBT over the years.

In any case, it's such a niche business that it's not economically viable by itself. The ones in small markets that still make it usually have some other business to backstop it, e.g., liquor store, grocery, hardware store.

It's sad to see the good ones close up, but some of the bad ones needed to go. Business is a Darwinian process.

 

[jtratcliff]

My closest LHBS just closed last month as well... I tried to shop there initially when I was getting started... Not the cheapest prices but a pretty good selection of grains and hops. Nice clean shop that was pleasant to be in... But about 80% of the guys at the counter (owner included) were just pompous dicks...

Only so much ass-hattery I could take before I finally said F-it... Morebeer delivers to my door in 1-2 days, for less $$, and I don't have to listen to dicks being dicks to everyone in the store. I would go once or twice a year if needed something that I didn't want to wait for, but I went from dropping $50-$80 every few months to only $10-20 maybe twice a year.

 

[DBhomebrew]

My LHBS is owned and operated by a super nice gentleman who opened as a weekend gig then retired into it full-time. I can't get imported grain at a better price, I've looked. Hops I don't know, haven't bothered looking. Yeast, prices on par with anywhere else and he puts in monthly or weekly group orders straight from the vendors.

I give him as much business as my small batches require. Plus all my oats, flours, etc.

 

[crazyjake19]

If we had a local homebrew shop I'd gladly give them my business even at a higher price. Unfortunately, the two closest shops are each an hour away in different directions, and I'm not one to drive much. I tend to order most things from MoreBeer or other online sources.

 

[oakbarn]

I like to support local and am willing to pay a little more to do so. But that has limitations. I will not support a bad business, regardless of price, or one where I'm not treated fairly--whether it's an LHBS or any other type. The LHBS that closed near me was one of the very good ones and I miss it a lot. OTOH, I have been to a few others where either their ingredients were not very fresh, or they had poor selection, or the employees were just plain dicks. Or all three. Sometimes, a business is its own worst enemy.

Maybe some closed due mainly to online competition. But that's how many businesses are evolving and the pandemic probably sped up that change as more people ordered stuff from home.

But in many cases an LHBS just drove off its customers, and blaming online is an easy excuse. I've certainly heard plenty of bad LHBS stories on HBT over the years.

In any case, it's such a niche business that it's not economically viable by itself. The ones in small markets that still make it usually have some other business to backstop it, e.g., liquor store, grocery, hardware store.

It's sad to see the good ones close up, but some of the bad ones needed to go. Business is a Darwinian process.

Exactly. I used to drive 30 miles to pick up my supplies at a LHBS. Another one opened 7 miles away. I tried it but their grain mill was a "home" version driving by a drill. They expected you to do the milling with that hand drill which I cannot do and the gap was terrible (and they would not adjust). They lacked different grains and hops, and had a take it or leave attitude. They had off brands of things. In addition, their prices were maybe 30% more than the other store. I tried them 3 times before I gave them up.