Before I impulsively run down and start buying equipment at my local brew shop which is my normal M. O., My wife has asked me to ask you guys what online site/company I might look into. I'm barely getting started, still in the homework stage. She's right. I should get the right stuff at the right price. Is a beginner starter kit the best way to save money? I want to make some Hefeweisen.
Online shopping
- Thread starter bajarob
- Start date
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The sites I use in order are:
1) Northernbrewer.com
2) austinhomebrew.com
3) homebrewers.com
4) Morebeer.com
There are others but those are the ones I have ordered from before and the ones I check regularly.
1) Northernbrewer.com
2) austinhomebrew.com
3) homebrewers.com
4) Morebeer.com
There are others but those are the ones I have ordered from before and the ones I check regularly.
bjohnson29
Well-Known Member
If you are starting with extracts, the beginners kits are a great way to start. You may also want to consider a wort chiller, large kettle, and potentially a propane burner if you want to do full boils.
bigpapa7272
Well-Known Member
If you need a propane burner keep an eye on Bass Pro, I scored a turkey fryer kit with 30qt pot last year for like 30 or 40 bucks plus shipping. usually have a big sale on them in october to get ready for thanksgiving! Only PITA is the 20 minute shutoff safety timer, just got to remember to turn it back to the 20 position every 15 minutes or so. other than that it works for my needs
Backporchbrewery
Well-Known Member
I use rebelbrewer.com and brewmasterswarehouse.com mostly, but being in CA you might want to check out bellsbeer.com 's homebrew stuff. They beat just about every price I've ever seen on equipment.
morebeer.com
They have a shop in Riverside. Why buy online, when you can go there? Morebeer is one of the most well known and probably the biggest homebrew supply company in the US.
They have a shop in Riverside. Why buy online, when you can go there? Morebeer is one of the most well known and probably the biggest homebrew supply company in the US.
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There are advantages and disadvantages to the old local shop/online shop debate. Having worked in a specialty retail setting (a bicycle shop) for many years I tend to support local businesses versus online. That being said, I have purchased from both.
Local shops will tend to be a bit more expensive, but that is because they have to pay the overhead of a nice store, staff, etc. Many online vendors have a warehouse and a couple employees. This is one place they save.
I've found the staff at my shop to be very friendly and welcoming. The first time I went in, I spent nearly 2 hours talking to the owner. He gave me a tour of the store and showed me what I needed at a bare minimum and what would make it easier. We spent time talking about extract vs. all grain, what was in the kits, the process and what books were good. After that time I bought Papazian's "Joy of Homebrewing". 2 hours for a $15 sale. I have never felt like less because I'm just doing extract. They're excited that another person has found their hobby/passion.
Two weeks later I went back with my girlfriend, spent another hour talking to the same guy, and purchased a starter kit with a fermenter, carboy, bottles, capper, the other stuff and a Brewer's Best kit. Went home, brewed my first batch.
At $50 a pop, the BB kits are expensive. I purchased my next one from midwest and it was here fast, and was nearly $20 less. I asked at the local shop why theirs are so much more expensive. Midwest has greater volume, sells their LME in bulk, and can save a few bucks doing this. The local shop thought about making their own kits but it would prove too costly and they might not have the turnover. I can build one out of individual ingredients at the local shop for about the same price. I will probably do that.
One other thing to consider is shipping. It's expensive. While the upfront price may be less online, carboys, fermentation buckets, etc are bulky/heavy. There's a bit of a shipping charge. By the time you add that the cost is about the same at the local shop and I get to inspect before I buy versus dealing with the hassle of returing it. That being said, any reputable store will stand behind their product sold online too. Just isn't as simple as a 20 minute drive to the store to exchange.
Local shops will tend to be a bit more expensive, but that is because they have to pay the overhead of a nice store, staff, etc. Many online vendors have a warehouse and a couple employees. This is one place they save.
I've found the staff at my shop to be very friendly and welcoming. The first time I went in, I spent nearly 2 hours talking to the owner. He gave me a tour of the store and showed me what I needed at a bare minimum and what would make it easier. We spent time talking about extract vs. all grain, what was in the kits, the process and what books were good. After that time I bought Papazian's "Joy of Homebrewing". 2 hours for a $15 sale. I have never felt like less because I'm just doing extract. They're excited that another person has found their hobby/passion.
Two weeks later I went back with my girlfriend, spent another hour talking to the same guy, and purchased a starter kit with a fermenter, carboy, bottles, capper, the other stuff and a Brewer's Best kit. Went home, brewed my first batch.
At $50 a pop, the BB kits are expensive. I purchased my next one from midwest and it was here fast, and was nearly $20 less. I asked at the local shop why theirs are so much more expensive. Midwest has greater volume, sells their LME in bulk, and can save a few bucks doing this. The local shop thought about making their own kits but it would prove too costly and they might not have the turnover. I can build one out of individual ingredients at the local shop for about the same price. I will probably do that.
One other thing to consider is shipping. It's expensive. While the upfront price may be less online, carboys, fermentation buckets, etc are bulky/heavy. There's a bit of a shipping charge. By the time you add that the cost is about the same at the local shop and I get to inspect before I buy versus dealing with the hassle of returing it. That being said, any reputable store will stand behind their product sold online too. Just isn't as simple as a 20 minute drive to the store to exchange.
