Really? I think their warehouse is in Pittsburgh, CA which I thought was less than an hour from SF?
Northern Brewer - Buyer Beware
- Thread starter NobleNewt
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I get orders from MB usually w/i 2 days: order Monday, on the doorstep by Wednesday afternoon. Of course, I’m only 70 miles from their Pittsburg, PA., warehouse. So there’s that.
In a way it kinda sucks though, since it’s easier to order from MoreBeer than to go across town to my LHBS, and I know the retail side of their business has to be feeling the downturn. Fortunately they are closely aligned with a number of local breweries, and that business keeps them in the black.
I could not remember, just remember it was somewhere in California. You are right, according to their website, but for some reason I thought it was Modesto or Turlock. Either way, two to three days and I usually have my stuff. Not bad.
I just checked, with no traffic it is a little over an hour. And in California, no traffic is not normal. LOL
treacheroustexan
Well-Known Member
I just wanted to contribute my shipping times to this post. I had to take advantage of a sale so I got the kama citra kit and the mosaic ipa kit. Ordered on Feb 4th, was delivered Feb 14th.
I need to get some of those $20 extract kits whenever they go on sale. (they still do that, right?) I'm an all-grain brewer but I only get to brew a few times a year. Extract kits would allow me to sneak a few extras in. Thanks for the reminder.
JoeSpartaNJ
Well-Known Member
I honestly don't know. I do not pay attention to any of their “deals” anymore.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41vpOQ2OvTL._SL500_.jpg)
Just FWIW, I placed a small MoreBeer order on Monday. It shipped today. This is typical for me, maybe even a day quicker than usual. So I'm not sure how anybody gets their stuff delivered in two days no matter how close to a warehouse they might be.
I usually get my MoreBeer orders quite fast as long as the the entire order comes from CA. It obviously takes longer when they have to split the order between warehouses.
I just went back and checked my most recent order which was grains for an imperial stout, plus some miscellaneous hardware. I placed the order on Monday February 19th at 9:54 am, and received an email later that same day at 3:10 pm letting me know my order shipped. The order was at my front door on Tuesday February 20th at 11:13 am. It shipped free using standard shipping via GLS since the order was in excess of $59.
While that's quicker than usual I still don't think I've ever waited longer than 3 or 4 days, order to delivery.
I guess they just don't like me. 
That's weird. I'm in TN, so I may get my orders from MB in 4-5 days. Not super fast like you say, but neither is Amazon Prime if that makes you feel better.
I've thought about letting my Prime account expire.
Yes it is, but the streak ended today.
Prime is all over the place. I actually do get next day or two day about half the time, but the best thing about Amazon is free returns.
Tancred the Brewer
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Just adding a Northern Brewer purchase data point. Ordered two IPA kits on a deal (combined $69 for the two kits) on February 28th. Got confirmation of the order and then nothing until March 5th when I got notice the shipping label was created. Two days later and the box arrived in good shape and with everything correct with the order. 8 days total turnaround from Minnesota to Ohio does seem a bit long but I am not angry. Not planning to brew until next Saturday anyway.
So if you need a quick turnaround for a brew this weekend just know you may need to stick with someone like MoreBeer. If you have time to wait and can take advantage of the sales (hard to beat all the ingredients for 2 IPA's for less than $35 each including dry yeast) then I don't see any reason not to go with Northern Brewer. Just my experience. YMMV.
So if you need a quick turnaround for a brew this weekend just know you may need to stick with someone like MoreBeer. If you have time to wait and can take advantage of the sales (hard to beat all the ingredients for 2 IPA's for less than $35 each including dry yeast) then I don't see any reason not to go with Northern Brewer. Just my experience. YMMV.
BrewnWKopperKat
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via a topic at a online community: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/w...s-you-never-got-or-you-get-unordered-products
Only issues I've ever had with Morebeer/Northern Brewer or any of the big guys is on the shipping side. Not their fault, but FedEx/UPS issues.
Morebeer always stepped up and made it right even when it wasn't their fault.
Morebeer always stepped up and made it right even when it wasn't their fault.
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BrewnWKopperKat
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@Tancred the Brewer : thank you for including the details (when did the order get to the shipping dock, how long did it take for shipping to occur)! The additional details matter.
BrewnWKopperKat
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Back in the late 2010s, I had back-to-back orders from MoreBeer that were damaged in shipping. They made it right.
Out of respect for their time/profit and my time, I reluctantly decided to not order from them for a long, long time due to those shipping problems.
Recently (2024), I ordered from them - and shipping (so far) has not been a problem.
They have a new (2024) customer and I have a new (2024) supplier.
Have you looked for a LHBS within a reasonable driving distance?
Tancred the Brewer
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I have a LHBS within about 20 minutes drive. I visit there often and do purchase from them. But it isn't always the most convenient to drive that way and when I do have a few minutes free, I would rather be brewing than driving to get supplies. I am all for supporting local but I have no qualms buying from the big dogs online if the price is right and convenient.
Tomahawk47
Well-Known Member
FInally got my order from Northern Brewer.
I ordered 3 different varieties of hops (1-oz pellets), 16 oz in all. The alpha acid % was not listed on any packets. While I can ball-park the flavor & aroma additions with those intended for that purpose, the magnum hops meant for bittering is a different story. Wasted money there.
That will be my last order to them.
I ordered 3 different varieties of hops (1-oz pellets), 16 oz in all. The alpha acid % was not listed on any packets. While I can ball-park the flavor & aroma additions with those intended for that purpose, the magnum hops meant for bittering is a different story. Wasted money there.
That will be my last order to them.
I know they don't put actual AA% on their website (it's inexcusably LAZY, and also why I'd never buy hops online from them)... But the hops packets they sent didn't have that information either?!? That's up there in "dispute the charges" territory...
Well, let me post my recent experience. I ordered some items from both More Beer and Northern Brewer. From More Beer, I ordered a Fermonster and some parts so I could have a floating diptube. I placed that order on 3/16. Two days later it shipped on the 18th and I received it on the 21st. So 5 days total.
On the same day as the More Beer order (3/16), I placed an order for a couple of beer kits from Northern. I didn't get an email confirmation that the order shipped until the 26th. I received it on the 28th. One of the beer kits was left out, so after contacting their customer service, they promptly sent out the other beer kit. That kit arrived on 4/5. So, 12 days total for that order or if you count the forgotten kit, 20 days for the completed order to arrive. 8 days for them to ship the forgotten beer kit.
So, would I still order from NB? Yes and no. If it's something exclusive they have and no rush, sure. They botched this recent order, but they did (eventually) make it right. The late order didn't mess up my brew day since I didn't have one planned. The biggest issue with them is the long lag time between order placement and shipping confirmation. I don't like that. Once I got the shipping confirmation email, the package arrived two days later.
This isn't meant to be a pile on post. I'm just sharing my recent experience. I don't think they have become shady, but there's some room for improvement when it comes to communicating with the customer, especially when your competitors can offer you better prices and faster shipping.
On the same day as the More Beer order (3/16), I placed an order for a couple of beer kits from Northern. I didn't get an email confirmation that the order shipped until the 26th. I received it on the 28th. One of the beer kits was left out, so after contacting their customer service, they promptly sent out the other beer kit. That kit arrived on 4/5. So, 12 days total for that order or if you count the forgotten kit, 20 days for the completed order to arrive. 8 days for them to ship the forgotten beer kit.
So, would I still order from NB? Yes and no. If it's something exclusive they have and no rush, sure. They botched this recent order, but they did (eventually) make it right. The late order didn't mess up my brew day since I didn't have one planned. The biggest issue with them is the long lag time between order placement and shipping confirmation. I don't like that. Once I got the shipping confirmation email, the package arrived two days later.
This isn't meant to be a pile on post. I'm just sharing my recent experience. I don't think they have become shady, but there's some room for improvement when it comes to communicating with the customer, especially when your competitors can offer you better prices and faster shipping.
I have some left over Czech Saaz hops I bought from them in April 2023. They have the AA listed (3.5%) in smaller print, right above the bar code.
A hair of a bump to an old thread as an FYI to anyone considering placing a Northern Brewer order...
I placed an order over the weekend and then received an automated email about shipping delays and "The safety of our employees is our top priority during this time, and we are working diligently to restore operations as quickly as possible." I waited and reached out yesterday for an update since there's been zero communication since. Support responded advising orders are backlogged due to a labor shortage. Understandable although the automated response about employee safety seemed odd to me.
Still no shipping confirmation. I'll wait it out and, unfortunately, will be avoiding Northern Brewer going forward. It's been a few months since my last batch. This puts an unexpected damper on the motivation and excitement of getting back into the swing of routine brews. Time to find a new source of ingredients.
I placed an order over the weekend and then received an automated email about shipping delays and "The safety of our employees is our top priority during this time, and we are working diligently to restore operations as quickly as possible." I waited and reached out yesterday for an update since there's been zero communication since. Support responded advising orders are backlogged due to a labor shortage. Understandable although the automated response about employee safety seemed odd to me.
Still no shipping confirmation. I'll wait it out and, unfortunately, will be avoiding Northern Brewer going forward. It's been a few months since my last batch. This puts an unexpected damper on the motivation and excitement of getting back into the swing of routine brews. Time to find a new source of ingredients.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check them out over the weekend. There's a local shop here in NJ that's about 40 minutes away. Tough part about using them is their limited supply. I haven't come across BrewHardware before so I appreciate it. Always great to have options.
As I mentioned in another NB thread, they have moved their warehouse operations to South Carolina. My recent order from them took 22 days to be delivered. And no status update updates until I reached out to them after a couple weeks. On a subsequent survey I graded them quite low, mostly due to lack of communications. Got an automated reply acknowledging my dissatisfaction and that a rep would be contacting me to address my concerns. That was over a week ago and no one has contacted me. I am done with them.
We're down to two shops in the whole state as far as I can tell. We are very well stocked and our shipping is fast and cheap via UPS if you don't want to make the drive.
Not sure exactly where the new warehouse is located but although the devastation in NC dominated the news, parts of SC also got over ten inches of rain from Helene.
morebeer has served me well for the past few years. The free shipping when spending over $59 is a huge selling point as I buy malt in bulk once a year.
BrewnWKopperKat
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@mac_1103 : I'm building on your points, so I removed the 'direct' quotes.
), I saw from 6" to 10" being reported. And topology (here's a link to a map for SC) will also a factor.
Based on this article (link) Hodges SC. Which is near Greenwood SC.
Depending on the reporting station in that area (one station didn't have data for a couple of days during that period
), I saw from 6" to 10" being reported. And topology (here's a link to a map for SC) will also a factor.
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It's fine either way. And just FTR, I am not defending NB; I was simply pointing out that the the "safety of our employees" e-mail might not seem so odd given the context, and the context might not be readily apparent depending on where you live.
BrewnWKopperKat
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When they had physical stores "close" to me, it was worth while to mention quality of the grain rooms in the physical stores. Until early 2023, in-store pricing was lower than their on-line pricing (
free shipping isn't free?!?) - so it was worth the gas money to be able to browse, sample, and chat with staff.If, in 6 to 12 months, assuming the same depth of malts as their physical stores had, they can offer
1) pricing equal to (or better than) MoreBeer
2) same day order fulfillment, and
3) three day delivery of the order
then they are an on-line store I'll likely use.
Looks like you guys are about an hour away. I'll definitely keep this in mind for my next run of ingredients and supplies. Thanks!
That makes a lot more sense now. I had no idea their warehouse was in SC. That's ignorance on my part. Their automated email about shipping delays and employee safety made no mention of being impacted by the hurricane. That's a pretty big piece of the puzzle to leave out. I wouldn't have bothered adding another email to their inbox for status had I known. I've seen the flooding in SC. Hopefully, everyone is safe and recovers from any damages quickly.
Re NB, I won't hold my breath that they'll shape up.
Re brewhardware, recommendation seconded. I'm in Southern NY and I've only ordered online to date, but I dream of getting over there some day. I frequently order sunday, ships monday, receive tuesday with very reasonable UPS ground.
https://www.brewhardware.com/
Re brewhardware, recommendation seconded. I'm in Southern NY and I've only ordered online to date, but I dream of getting over there some day. I frequently order sunday, ships monday, receive tuesday with very reasonable UPS ground.
https://www.brewhardware.com/
I'm halfway across the country from NJ and I received each of my last 2 BH shipments within a week of ordering.
BrewnWKopperKat
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I'm not "holding my breadth" either.
I am being open minded to the possibility that, in 6 to 12 months, they will be a competitor to MoreBeer.
It is this the moment for HomeBrewTalk to stop "hating on" the past owners of NB? Is this the moment to give the new owners a moment (ok, maybe a couple of monts) to "digest" the purchase and the 100 year storm?
edit: minor preamble to say this should be read in a friendly tone. not trying to start a fight : )
I think the bashing will stop when (if) the service improves.
Personally , I don't know or care who the owners were*. I care that it took 6 weeks to get some grain out the door, and even a wellness check took over a week for a response. It's been a mess for years.
If the new owners basically bought the name and inventory, and are rolling their own logistics, it may work out. I look forward to finding out. : )
*I heard something about inbev, and maybe private capital afterwards? But the problem was 100% performance.
I think the bashing will stop when (if) the service improves.
Personally , I don't know or care who the owners were*. I care that it took 6 weeks to get some grain out the door, and even a wellness check took over a week for a response. It's been a mess for years.
If the new owners basically bought the name and inventory, and are rolling their own logistics, it may work out. I look forward to finding out. : )
*I heard something about inbev, and maybe private capital afterwards? But the problem was 100% performance.
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BrewnWKopperKat
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Me also.
In the mean time, can everyone else stop 'hating on' the previous owners of NB and give the new owners some time to "digest" the purchase and the impact of the 100 year storm?
Most of my family is still in NY and NJ and I get up there a few times a year. I've thought about taking a little detour to check out the store, but it would probably be dangerous for me to see all that shiny brew bling up close and personal. So I'll probably stick to online orders.
But aren't those two separate things? The hate for the previous owners was very well deserved, but the new owners deserve to be judged on their own performance going forward.
