What does your LHBS do to keep you coming back?

[Toga]

Has everything I could imagine in stock at reasonable prices. They store all their yeast and hops properly. All the staff are experienced brewers, are friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about beer and brewing. The store is immaculately clean and bright. They have quite a lot of turnover so ingredients are fresh. They host two AHA big brew days with hundreds of folks participating.

They were the first and only homebrewshop in the Metro Detroit for years. They're an institution. They carry pretty much everything...I mean it, in terms of bulk grain, hops, yeast- I've never had to do a substitution with them.

Just PART of their grain and extract area. The bins keep going to the right, then the fridges for hops and yeast. What you can't see is opposite this part is a wall of nothing by canned extracts of all brands and boxed kits....

Homebrew Day in the back

Our HBT tent

Man Revvy they had an awesome turn out for the brew day in the picture. Too funny. I know the guys in the first pic starring at the keggle.....they are in my homebrew club

Hopefully one day the Malty Dog Brewery N supply store in Southfield will get there.

They keep me coming back. There is no other place close where I can walk in,hand a recipe to someone, and have a pint while they grind the grains for me :rockin:

 

[sapperxl]

Mine is B&S Brewers Guild, I get my grain and yeast from them. I have to contend with the heat so ordering yeast online is expensive during the summer paying for ice and express mail, cheaper to goto my LHBS. Their grains are priced ok and they mill them for me for a small fee. Everything is a little overpriced and the employees are hit or miss. They also don't carry any advanced stuff, just basic equipment for extract brewing. The coolest thing they do is have a brewing demo every Saturday for newbies plus they always have homebrew on tap in the store. I order most everything online except grains and yeast.

 

[CidCitrus]

Pour House in Hartford CT? Or is there one in NJ too?

It's in Westmont, NJ. I think it may be a small chain, my brother just told me there's one in Boston. Maybe it's like Firewaters where there are one or two in a couple of states.

 

[Mongrel]

One store I read about allows people to buy in at full sack prices for grain and then tracks your use so that you always have fresh grain and don't have to store a full sack at home.

One store refills PBW, One Step, etc for a discount.

Mine does both of these. Yeast and hops are stored properly. They have a fantastic collection of commercial beers (400+). 5% discount for members of the local brew club. They've also just moved to a bigger location, and have added a pub with a fantastic tap list.

 

[Spooner61]

Not only does the lady that owns the shop reminds me of my grandma and is supper nice and always willing to try and critique my beer and recipes but her shop is in the middle of a subdivision which is cool and it is a 5 minute drive from my house

 

[runningweird]

Not only does the lady that owns the shop reminds me of my grandma and is supper nice and always willing to try and critique my beer and recipes but her shop is in the middle of a subdivision which is cool and it is a 5 minute drive from my house

I bet its a front for a pot business.

 

[Spooner61]

Not in idaho

 

[runningweird]

Not in idaho

I didn't notice that, my mom lives in Sandpoint up north.

 

[unionrdr]

My LHBS is JW Dover in Westlake,OH,home of Black Box Brewing. I wish they'd let me have a sample of their wares while shopping. I spend enough there since they seem to be learning what I want is usually something new,or used in a new way. Better value for their wares,in my view. Plus it's a win for me.
Their prices are on par with what I'd pay to ship it in,or such a small dif in price that I may as well have it now. It's sorta like shopping at BJ's,or the other shopping club places. You have to be up on your pricing around town to know what's a good deal,& what isn't.
Just wish it was like cap-n-cork. Just wow,man...

 

[jrg42]

-convenient and near my work.
-will help or just let me find and mill the grain I am buying
-great selection of grains. rarely they don't carry or are out of something i need.
-always have stuff like keg orings, tubing, or other little things you don't need until you need them.
- Stuff is cheaper online for sure, but I needed a johnson controller that day and they had it in stock.
-the guys there all brew and can share their experience when you ask for it.

 

[Homercidal]

My LHBS is over an hour away. But they are pretty much fully stocked, plus have flour for bread, cheese ingredients, etc., Cigars, amazing selection of beers and wines. Much like Cap 'N Cork, but in Grand Rapids. The people are all experienced brewers and will help with advice and recipes, and they've even let me use their laptop to look up recipes on HBT when I forgot my ingredients list.

There is another LHBS that is a bit closer. They are decent, but I have to hustle after work, as they are usually only open until 6PM. They don't have as much stuff, but still have most things you could want, and they used to have a kegerator in the place for sampling from... Don't know if it's still there. They also do a fair amount of online sales. www.brewgadgets.com.

I rarely order online simply because I enjoy going to the stores. I probably don't save money over gas. I'll even wait 3-5 days to go there instead of saving money on gas and time too. I'm dumb that way.

 

[bengerman]

I've been to three near me. One is closed on Sunday which is usually my day off.
The one that's closest to me (10 minute drive) is way overpriced on everything. They do have a discount program but it works out to less than 10 percent off. The people there aren't rude but they aren't really nice either. They feel like their goal is to complete the transaction as fast as possible rather than making sure you have what you need. I've only been there once when there were other customers in the store but it still always takes at least 5 minutes before anyone says a word to me.

The one I go to (30 minute drive without traffic) has a program where you put $50 down on grain and get it for 25% off (their prices on grain were lower than the other store before the discount, too)
They're nice guys, they don't know me by name but they do know the brews I have going and ask how they're turning out. They all brew a lot, and really know what they're talking about.

 

[Firebat138]

Our place is right around the corner from our house... Usually has 4-6 beers on tap for samples, great prices and friendly atmosphere... Always there to answer questions and etc...

 

[Airplanedoc]

Mine sells at the same same price as the big online places, sometime cheaper. Since there is no additional cost for shipping which can get pretty expensive for a 15L wine kit, carboy, bulk ingredients etc. I generally go there first

 

[richbrew99]

Mine is a well known shop. I go because I can get the stuff when I need it. They are friendly only if you talk to them, they never initiate any conversation like asking what you are making or things like that. I've tried to initiate conversations because I love to talk homebrewing, but no go. I feel like it's an atmosphere of get what you need and go.

 

[Misfit]

The store I buy from is owned by the guy who is always there. He is extremely friendly, knowledgable and helpful. It's in this weird "farmers market" so people watching is a plus. His prices are a bit high and really doesn't have a very large selection but that doesn't bother me. I make do. He is always up for just bull****ting about anything. The hours plain suck though. Friday Saturday and Sunday are the only days they are open. Also he is a member on this site.

 

[phoenixs4r]

I have one that is very close to me, has great prices and has a very knowledgeable and helpful staff. Unfortunately since making the switch to all grain I've noticed their grain selection isn't that large, and their mill sucks.

Still go there for some yeast at the beginning of the week for a starter. I also bring extract brewing friends there because place is never really busy.

Then, an hour away is morebeer. They get good reviews, but I've never had good experience with them. Old yeast, crappy mill. Good selection of equipment though. No one there is there to help.

Somewhere in between is the current store I go to. Ran by husband and wife. One is an extract brewer the other an all grain brewer. I never went there because they closes early but I recently found out they do that to brew themselves and invite new people to watch the process. They have the largest selection of grain and the best mill in town. Everything is fresh and they have a decent amount of equipment. Always there to help you out. They're a little far away but they'll be my new store from now on. Plus they're they only brew shop that my girl and I have bounced recipe ideas off of and they actually take interest, including letting us sample some of theirs when we have an idea of a recipe but aren't quite sure if we'll like it.

 

[Phillyphoodie]

The store I buy from is owned by the guy who is always there. He is extremely friendly, knowledgable and helpful. It's in this weird "farmers market" so people watching is a plus. His prices are a bit high and really doesn't have a very large selection but that doesn't bother me. I make do. He is always up for just bull****ting about anything. The hours plain suck though. Friday Saturday and Sunday are the only days they are open. Also he is a member on this site.

Is it Booth's Corner?

My LHBS just moved 3 blocks from my house. The guys are super helpful and I can go over with any little issue and get great help.

 

[ZBrewski]

Well for Morebeer in concord:
Pros:
Friendly staff
good selection/stock

Cons:
Grain mill's crush sucks, especially for smaller grains
Rarely have anything on sale, not even a monthly sale recipe
Closes earlier then convenient (during the work week)
Hops in stock are hit/miss
Do not want to take back or provide support for faulty products
Higher prices


So even though I live 10 minutes away, I really give alot of my business to Austin Homebrew, and all the small vendors on this site. They have all had way better customer service then morebeer

 

[djfriesen]

Not only does the lady that owns the shop reminds me of my grandma and is supper nice and always willing to try and critique my beer and recipes but her shop is in the middle of a subdivision which is cool and it is a 5 minute drive from my house

This is the same one I go to. Tried one about 30 minutes away when I was just getting started, but then I found this one closer when searching Google. Read a couple reviews, and decided to give it a try. The owner is rad. She does wine, beer, and cheesemaking. Doesn't brew as much as she used to, but does a cheese demo every Saturday and is still very knowledgeable about brewing techniques and very eager to help. She always has a sample of homebrew on tap, and will treat you fairly when setting up your beginner's equipment. She is willing to mix and match items in her startup kit. If you already have something (like a capper and caps), she'll let you sub them out for a case of bottles, or an equivalent amount of grain.

All in all, she seems to be a great ambassador for the hobby, which I appreciate as much as anything. Honestly, I haven't even compared prices, as I would rather support this type of business, even if it is more expensive. Plus, I like to decide that I want to brew tomorrow, and be able to get everything I need in time to do it.

 

[C-Rider]

Besides the fact that Mike's a nice guy and has a great selection of grain, yeast, and hops and that I can buy as much or as little grain as I need, like 1 ounce, he's the only shop on the island of O`ahu.

Forgot to name the shop. HOMEBREW IN PARADISE

http://www.homebrewinparadise.com/Beer.aspx

 

[JonK331]

Friendly service, always willing to help, positive attitude, no "I'm better than you and you can't pretend to know half as much as I do cause I'm a LHBS owner" BS, hands on set up (you mill your own grain), good selection, and of course, free samples of beer when available.

 

[dover157]

I mostly shop at Victors Grape Arbor in Albuquerque, Small place easy to get to prices are a little higher than buying on line but worth it to me. Grains are always fresh and no charge for milling. They do host classes every now and then but I have yet to be able to attend one due to work. The staff is helpfull and has great advice to give, and willing to share any information they have. Plus the lady that owns the place makes me giddy every time I go in.....

 

[Hypnolobster]

I go to Grape and Granary in Akron, OH.

They have vaguely acceptable prices, I mostly go there because I'm always on a fairly tight schedule and forget to order from NB or MoreBeer or the like ahead of time.
The staff seems pretty knowledgeable about their products (like knowing SRM off the top of their heads), if I get grain milled there, it's consistent.
They do have one employee that has some pretty noticeable allergies, and nosepicking while getting grain is a little off-putting, but whatever, it all gets boiled eventually.

I will say that as far as I know and have seen, they never ever do the "better than you, you don't know what you're doing" thing. I know lots of people have problems with that, but the staff is always very nice.

 

[MikeinCT]

I like using the Local Home Brew Store because I can go in with a complicated grain order and he will select and combine it into one batch. Then it is all ground together. I like this better than ordering everything in big bags and having to measure out myself. Also he gives me 3 oz of something if that's what I want. He also seems very fair on price.

I think I should go see him soon....Mike

 

[TrainSafe]

They sell grain in any qty (fractions of a pound), have very reasonably priced grain, grain is always fresh. It helps that they are open on weekends.

Equipment is priced high, compared to internet suppliers so I only by small items there.

Selection is very important (grain, hops, yeast).

 

[Willbrew]

I have 2 lhbs near where i live and really enjoy going into both shops. I just recently discovered the second one and their prices are a little better than the first,however i still want to support the other. The owner is really knowlegdable and has shared a ton of info with me. A few months ago i walked into the shop and it was 99 degrees in there, lucky for him im a heating and air guy and fixed it for him pretty quick and he hooked me up with $40 store credit!! So i still need to support his store

 

[Misfit]

Is it Booth's Corner?

My LHBS just moved 3 blocks from my house. The guys are super helpful and I can go over with any little issue and get great help.

It's You Can Brew It. It's in the quakertown farmers market

http://youcanbrewit.com/

 

[Irishwrench]

Local shop is 15 minutes away and is run by a Gentlemen with an extremely friendly personality. I bring in a list and he runs all over the store filling the order. Mills the grains no charge. Has always had everything I needed, and is quick with advise and reccomendations. The prices are equal or sometimes less than mailorder/internet, except the yeast. Even has a box of toys. I was running errands one day with my two lil ones, ages 2 and 4, stopped in the shop and thoguth the lil Guys would tear the store appart. Owner had a box of toys for the kids to play with while he filled my order and passed on some more great tips for my brew. My 4 year old sometimes asks "Daddy, can we go to the beer store?" LOL

 

[wolverinebrewer]

I've only been brewing for 14 months and I started off using a couple online sources. But since going to a LHBS about 15 miles away, I have not used the online source. My LHBS has prices that are just as good and I have not had to switch grains, hops or yeast when I take in a recipe. Specialty grains are about $1.70 per lb. and hops range from $1.50-$2.10 an oz.
I also get 50 lbs. of 2-row for $39 and they will crush for free as I need it.
They are a great group of people and I just enjoy going there. Plus, it's only a couple miles out of my way home from work and it's where I pick up my copy of the Michigan Beer Guide!! How else would I know that Founders Harvest Party is this weekend.... Can't wait to try the black wheat IPA and the barrel hopped Red's Rye!