What do you love/hate about your LHBS??

[Chefencore]

Bump. So here's a new thought - there's a lot of LHBS that are 'multipurpose'. The better one close to me has takeaway pizza, as well as a well stocked beer and wine shop.

What is the craziest, most innovative, unique shop you have seem paired with a homebrew store?

 

[LKABrewer]

The LHBS near me is a room in The Natural Path, a holistic herb store.

 

[ozzy1038]

Well I have to say I love everything about mine. Everything in stock and good prices.

 

[29thfloor]

I like pretty much everything about mine, but if you happen to go when there are a few other people there being helped you can end up having to hang out for it bit before someone can help you (even just to pay for your stuff). Not really a huge deal though aside from the fact that the longer I hang out the more money I end up spending.

 

[seabass07]

There is one by me that sells grain only by the oz or by the 55lb sack. Buying the amount I need for a batch there costs me twice as much as if I go to another store. $.16/oz adds up very quickly. I hate this place because of that. They also have one mill that is adjustable and everyone is messing with it. The dial also has no markings, so you have to eye the distance between the rollers. I always have to double or triple crush my grains because of this. It's impossible to have consistent results without a consistent crush. I've only gone there a few times because they are the only one opened on sunday. The staff have no clue what they are doing and know absolutely nothing. I've overheard them telling a customer that the longer you boil hops, the more flavor and "smell" you get out of them.

The other one near me is wonderful. Excellent ingredients all year round. No complaints at all. The staff know about the grains they carry and the basic process that goes into the different types of malted grains. They obviously enjoy what they are doing and are interested in brewing.

One thing that I've heard of some LHBS doing is having homebrew tastings in the store. I realize you'd probably have to have a license to do this, but I'd really enjoy tasting beer made by the staff or other shoppers. I also love the idea of mixing the bottle store with the LHBS. I'd love to be able to fill a growler with local brew while picking up my grains.

 

[doubledub]

We have some in WI that do the tastings. Sometimes it's their kits, sometimes it's recipes from BYO. The state legislature is trying to clarify our home brewing law to allow for this, too. It's ambiguous right now.

 

[Pappers_]

Bump. So here's a new thought - there's a lot of LHBS that are 'multipurpose'. The better one close to me has takeaway pizza, as well as a well stocked beer and wine shop.

What is the craziest, most innovative, unique shop you have seem paired with a homebrew store?

BevArt seems to do a lot of classes and I imagine that is a significant addition to their business. Also, the owner also is a beekeeper and the owner of Wild Blossom, a commercial winery/meadery in Chicago. His meads are exceptionally good.

 

[Dr. Francois]

I think a class where you walk people through the process or a setup so people could come and brew their own batch would be nice.

Offer a Groupon for a beginner class and you'll make a KILLING through gift sales, many of which will never be turned in.

Don't teach classes during business hours unless you have ample staff.

Best of luck!

 

[BetterSense]

The number one thing I like about my LHBS is that their prices are not super great, but they are competitive with the internet. Everything that I have looked up on the internet to compare prices, has been about the same as the LHBS price, so now I don't even bother. It's nice to be able to go to a store and see some widget for $X, and not have worry if it's a competitive price or a total gouge. So unlike most of my other specialized hobbies (radio control, photography, hunting/outdoors) I don't even bother with the internet, and buy everything through LHBS, all because they have proven to me that they actually know what the current market prices of goods are and that they make an efford to not gouge, which is all I ask.

And the advice is free, and that's worth something right there.

 

[Whippy]

My small advice...

1. Keep a decently stocked library with a variety of up to date book titles available.

2. Frequently check the prices that your competitors charge. People will not patronize you if they can get their product shipped in from across the country for a lower price. Unlike the old days, your competition will now be nationwide.

 

[Spartan1979]

I don't use my LHBS all that much. The prices are just too high. It's not real convenient for me to get to, so I end up getting a lot of stuff online or group buys through our club.

I usually only go there when I don't have time to order online. I do buy my yeast there when it's too hot to ship. They do carry a decent selection of yeasts and grains. I haven't been all that happy with their hop selection.

You mentioned doing propane fills. I can't imagine this would be cost effective. Dealing with the regulations and insurance costs for doing this would make it more trouble than it's worth.

 

[cashX3r0]

My LHBS is BevArt aka "Brew and Grow" in Bolingbrook, IL.

Love:

The homebrew "guy" (Bob, I believe) is extremely knowledgeable, kind, and eager to help. I believe he used to work for Goose Island Brewery. Always offers samples of his brews, which he brews in house for instructional classes, etc. Haven't had a bad one yet.

Large selection of grains, yeast, and equipment.


Hate:

(Hate is kind of a strong word, more like dislike):

It's also a grow shop, and thus is frequently filled with people obviously buying equipment for marijuana growing (not that I care, the crowd just adds to the checkout time!)

Not a big selection of grains in bulk, which is what I tend to buy to save money. 2-Row, Pils, yes. Others, not so much. I often find myself buying several 5lb bags of base malts instead of a 50lb sack.

I once got yelled at for looking for yeast in the fridge myself.. the employee explained that they have had problems with people accidentally activating smack packs (they only sell Wyeast liquid yeast.) I kind of understand their reasoning on this one.

Closed on Sunday. I always brew on Sundays, and am pretty sure many a homebrewer does the same. I could've used them many a time when I ended up short on ingredients, need a quick fix, etc. for my brew. If anything, they should be closed on Monday or something like that - I really think they are losing about 50% of their homebrew business by being closed on Sundays.

Bob is super nice and accommodating, but unfortunately this sometimes leads him to helping newbs for a long time, when I just need a keg O-ring or something simple. (Really a petty gripe)

I bought a keg from them marked as good and it does not hold pressure. Before I could return it, they changed their policy on kegs to "no refunds". I don't know where they get their kegs but most are really badly beat up.

That's all.. overall, a pretty good LHBS.

I talked to Bob at MWBF and he told me they let him go and hired a kid to take his place.

 

[Chia]

My LHBS is about 20 minutes away from my parent's house (where I do most of my brewing anyways), and I'm very impressed with their service and selection. While they aren't an online supplier by any means, they still have just about everything I need, when I need it. I haven't really dealt there much other than picking up supplies, but their prices are pretty competitive with online prices + shipping. And even if it means I spend $10 more when I'm picking up a bunch of supplies and ingredients compared to ordering online, I'd rather support the local guy when I can, especially since their service is always polite and helpful.

So what I like? Knowledgeable staff, wide selection of ingredients (since that's what you're going to be forgetting about last minute on brew day) and decent selection of equipment.

What would I like to see? Try to tailor your prices to be competitive with online vendors after shipping has been considered. While not possible with everything, try to do it with things like base malt and basic equipment.

is this near rolla? what is the name of the store?

 

[iambeer]

I love I can get fresh ingredients, and relatively (in comparison to online) quick fulfillment of last minute needs. I love that real people work there who I can interact with and who I respect. I'm not too thrilled about the street price and tax. I'm not too thrilled that the shop looks like a dilapidated shack.

 

[Bronco1500]

In my opinion a lhbs is selling an environment and gathering spot, not just equipment and ingredients. Kinda like a bar. I can buy a 6pak at the grocery store for what a pint costs at the bar. Likewise almost everything home brew related is cheaper on-line. So, why go to a bar/lhbs if its more convenient and cheaper on the Internet. I think its because we are social animals. So try to encourage an environment that encourages socialization.

Other than this make sure to keep it clean. After all beer IS food, and I wont buy food if the store is nasty.

 

[NewBrewB]

This is a really interesting discussion. I started brewing overseas (Japan) and had to order everything from MoreBeer.

I got to visit my first LHBS in Portsmouth, NH about 6 months ago and it was awesome. I spent an hour asking every question I could think of and eyeballing every item, book, & ingrediemt in the well-lit and well-stocked store. The employee Alex turned out to be the owner and he was really patient and helpful. I was already gearing up to build an AG setup so he took me in the brewing room and showed me their electric DIY hard-piped 2 tier keggle setup. It was amazing. They had a huge selection of base malts/grains as well as specialty malts and you can grind in the store. In one visit, this store earned my loyalty and I live 2 hrs away! Any chance I get, I head up to A&G Homebrew Supply. If you are serious about starting a LHBS, you should buy a plane ticket and check out A&G. They are doing it right.

When I got back to my home state, I started shopping around, expecting to find the same thing.

The first "lhbs" was one aisle of a hardware store full of extract kits and bottle cappers.

The second was a dingy 70s cave run by a total stoner.

The third was closed because they are only open 3hrs per day...prob will never go back.

Finally, I found one about 30min to the south which was pretty good. The employee(owner) was super helpful and interested as I was telling him about my new brewing rig and helped me gather the ingredients for my first AG batch. He milled it for me and also told me several customers email their recipes a day or two ahead so he can have them ground and ready for pickup. While I was there, a kid came in wanting to barter a used beer pump for some keg hardware and he agreed. If the store had any downfall, it was too small and didnt seem to have a brewing space. He did say they run demonstrations/lessons and also have monthly homebrew competitions. They also have a punch card system for wyeast (5th is free) and give $1 back if you return the vial. They have a "leave a brew, take a brew" exchange. You have to bring an extra for the owner to try (to make sure it wont kill anyone) and then they go in the swap fridge-thought that was a neat idea as well.

Best of luck!

 

[Disintegr8or]

I only have 2 complaints about my LHBS.

1. It is about an hour away from me.

2. It is in a college town and is usually full of stinky, hippy college kids milling around and not buying anything but still taking up the Employees time and register space.

 

[RainyDay]

Mine is great. Good specialty malt selection, good hop prices (for the ones I dont buy in bulk), spacious storefront, good prices, good product turnover. The only problem is they're about 45 minutes away, one way. They have an online store with flat rate shipping, that is actually cheaper than the round trip gas in my V8 car. Ive been so busy lately that I wouldnt have been able to make time to drive to the store anyway, so its worked out well. It also makes me appreciate the times I do get to go to the store.

 

[steber]

I love that he's only 5 mins from my house, very local and can usually get anything I need. Very knowledgeable as well..

If I have to hate something I guess his prices aren't always the best, and sometimes when he's busy the grain crush isn't the best.

But I know a lot of people aren't as lucky to have a lhbs so close so I really can't complain.

 

[stratslinger]

I've got three LHBS's that are all relatively convenient drives from me (well, four actually, but I've heard universally terrible things about #4, so I've never bothered). Starting from the closest and most convenient:

Likes:
- Super conveniently located
- Fairly knowlegeable staff
- Good selection of small equipment options (hydrometers, stoppers, airlocks, etc)

Dislikes:
- Everything's expensive - significantly more so than any of the other LHBS's, let alone online. Only good in a pinch
- Sub-par selection of yeast, and what's there is often older than preferable.
- Not sure how they package and store hops - I went in to purchase 1oz of cascade to replace what I'd borrowed from a buddy, and wound up getting 1oz in a loose ziplock, rather than getting it in a hopunion bag like I'd get any where else I shop.

A little further out:
Likes:
- Super friendly and knowledgeable staff
- Good prices
- They're fair an honest, though sometimes to a fault - when they know they can't touch an online price, sometimes they won't bother. I found they won't even carry silicone tubing there, because they can't touch online pricing. I wouldn't mind paying a premium on a couple items just to support the local guy and to be able to get all my stuff in one place.
- Very good selection on all ingredients

Dislikes
- Their crush has recently become terrible. Not sure what went on there, but over the summer something went on with their mill. A few of us in my brew club have pointed this out, and it still hasn't been corrected, which is very unusual for them.

Furthest out:
Likes:
- They had samples of several of their kits available for tasting
- Lots and lots of cool gear to check out

Dislikes:
- Gear was very pricey
- Their ingredients appeared to be limited to their own extract kits, which in turn appeared to be limited to recipes in the two books their store had published. I noticed nothing there for all grain brewers, though I did see one mash tun setup for sale.
- The advice I was able to secure from the staff there was limited to "here, look through these two books and pick out a recipe, then find that kit, and have fun!"
- The kits were also very pricey - I could have gotten 2 extract kits from any online vendor for what they wanted for any of their extract kits.

 

[danielbt]

Austin Homebrew is awesome. Great selection and close to where I live

Awesome, except for prices. More than double the price for crystal, for example, than similar places online. And those places give a discount if you pick it up at the shop.

 

[ryno84]

MoreBeer is my lhbs, so I guess I am kinda spoiled. They have pretty much everything and it doesn't seem to be expensive. Oh, and they have been very helpful to me when I have gone in there.

 

[OlieNH]

I have three LHBS new me. I recently have a new favorite (#3 below), primarily because I have recently upped the volume of my all-grain brew days and the owner is willing to help me quite a bit with the price of 2-row.

LHBS 1: nice shop owner, but everything is overpriced, to the extreme. I shopped here for my first kit, telling myself that they extra 30% would come back to help me in terms of advice, etc. Grain is the same price no matter how much you buy, even 50+ lbs. He is selling Wyeast Smack packs at $11.50 a piece. Brewing two 10-gallon batches, I was buying 4 of those and it "hurt coming out" (from the reaming). The one thing I really liked for a while, was that he was "super-modifying" a Blichmann Top-Tier and was going to show me how to do the same over time. I like the idea of the DIY classes and guidance.

LHBS 2: The shop owner drives me crazy. I told him I wanted to do all-grain. He told me I was wrong for wanting to. I told him I wanted to buy a conical, he told me I didn't want to. If he had taken a minute to get to know me, to know that I like to spend money on GEAR and I have disposable income to do so, you would realize that this is the best thing for me. Thousands of $$s later, LHBS #1 got my revenue. Last week I needed to buy a stir bar and he pulled the attitude of, "people buy those ONLINE, when they buy their STIR PLATES THERE." I am sorry that people look to get good prices on commodities online, but that is life. Spare me your attitude, pal. I am never going back there again.

LHBS 3: my new go-to. I was doing 2 10-gallon batches of high gravity beers this weekend. This means 60+ lbs of 2-row. He gave it to me at the sack price and crushed it for me at no additional charge. It was around $0.75 per pound, as opposed to $1.70 that the previous shop owner was charging. Yeast and hops are reasonably priced and he has nice specialty malts that a lot of other smaller shops don't keep in stock, like Special Roast. This shop owner also runs a nano brewery out of his shop and when I spend a few bucks, he gives me a bomber of his latest libation to take home. SWEET!

 

[BAJones]

Get affiliated with local brew club and have stuff like wine corkers or even trial stuff like a (used) keggle for rent/loan to see if someone wants to try it before they make/buy one. Keep website updated with accurate depiction of current stock. And cocky employees are the worst.
My LHBS is wonderful and has everything I've needed in stock except maybe some rarer stuff that you can't even get online certain times of the year (like a lb of citra or something). There's brewouts with the local brew club that have instructional sessions or also just get to know people sessions. If no club is there, maybe start having competitions (I know I wish there were more).

 

[gizmodog51]

other than the fact they have the personality of a reptile.........

they don't handle hardware or equioment for intermediate to advanced brewers.

they only sell grain by the pound & the customer must get it out of the binds & god forbid if you spill any on the floor. and they do not crush and the scale sucks, so the customer spends way too much time - & + to arrive at the amount needed.

small selection of liquid yeats.

not open on sunday and closed wed.

35 miles away!

GD51

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

I wish i had a lhbs...

 

[Vinnyb722]

I love my LHBS! Pros: always a social spot, you can talk technique, recipies, or equipment. The owner/employees are all very knowledgable and helpful. You can buy you grains by the pound or whatever weight and she will mill it. The group has brew day for AG one weekend a month. I have never asked for a yeast she didn't have. Tried to stomp her last brew day, nope, she had my yeast.

 

[Vinnyb722]

Continued from last post.


It is "stump her, not stomp her".

Only con is some things are pricey, but with a little conversation I don't mind paying a little more.

Way to go "Brew Shop."

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

The only thing I don't like about mine is the size which is a small complaint really and it's not even that I don't like it. Especially considering he runs it out of part of his office so I'm appreciative that its even there. But because of that he has limited space and can't stock up on 100s of #s of malts and all the hop varieties and yeast strains out there. I have to get my base malts and specialty hops online but other than that they always have what I need in a pinch and I like to support the operation.

 

[jsguitar]

I hate my LHBS's prices for sacks of grain. I was in there today and for a 50lb sack of Briess 2 row they wanted $60 and for Muntons MO it was like $84

I also don't like that they only carry white labs for liquid yeast.

What I like: Super friendly and professional every time. The guy helped me out to the car, ect.

Grain prices here are generally high compared to others I've seen around the country but I might have to go to the 'other' place for grain. I believe they have bulk Rahr for a decent price and Wyeast if I need one of their options. Last couple of times I was there I felt like the owner had an attitude and it kind of turned me off. My wallet's killing me though.