# Big W greed



## Grott (18/6/14)

We'll we know K Mart has just pulled out of supplying Coopers home brew. Big W has said we can really cash in here so at Colonnades shopping centre, Big W has increased all it's cans and malt/enhances by $1 each. Why, because south of Adelaide you can now only now get Coopers at Big W! What greed, what a rip off! Has this happened else where?
Cheers from really pissed of Grott


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (18/6/14)

A good excuse to support your local home brew shop.


----------



## TheBigD (18/6/14)

I'm moving away from coopers cans anyway going onto extracts and will be purchasing from my LHBS where the staff are always friendly and helpful and the cans of unhoped extract are always fresh


----------



## Grott (18/6/14)

I would but Adelaide is really bad for home brew shops, only one south is Brewcraft and besides the prices the stock and choice is really poor (nearly all are Brewcraft in Adelaide).


----------



## wynnum1 (18/6/14)

Coopers put there online prices up by 50 cents per unit.


----------



## DU99 (18/6/14)

i was getting these from brewcraft in melbourne..posted,works out to $11.50 and can get 4 varieties.


----------



## sp0rk (18/6/14)

grott said:


> I would but Adelaide is really bad for home brew shops, only one south is Brewcraft and besides the prices the stock and choice is really poor (nearly all are Brewcraft in Adelaide).


Why not go for the drive to Beer Belly?


----------



## chemfish (18/6/14)

If you are part of the coopers club you can order stuff directly from them for cheaper. I would just wait for them to do their free shipping and stock up with what you need, that's what I did last time they did free shipping and I'm just waiting for them to do it again so I can order another half a dozen cans of stuff.


----------



## Grott (18/6/14)

Thanks spOrk, will pop in next time that way and look a few things up on the internet.
I'm am a member of the Coopers club so thanks for the suggestion chemfish . This could be a good way to go. Do you know how often they offer free delivery?


----------



## chemfish (18/6/14)

They have been doing it frequently of late, at least 3 or 4 times this year so far. Don't know if they will keep that up or not.


----------



## Grott (18/6/14)

Having had a look at the Beer Belly site, although a bit of a trip it appears to be worth a visit. A bit of bulk buy and shared trip with a fellow brewer I know will be the go.


----------



## Rosscomatic (18/6/14)

grott said:


> I would but Adelaide is really bad for home brew shops, only one south is Brewcraft and besides the prices the stock and choice is really poor (nearly all are Brewcraft in Adelaide).


That sounds like an opportunity to me. I can see it now... The neon lights flashing "The Grott Shop - HomeBrew Specialists"


----------



## Camo6 (18/6/14)

grott said:


> We'll we know K Mart has just pulled out of supplying Coopers home brew. Big W has said we can really cash in here so at Colonnades shopping centre, Big W has increased all it's cans and malt/enhances by $1 each. Why, because south of Adelaide you can now only now get Coopers at Big W! What greed, what a rip off! Has this happened else where?
> Cheers from really pissed of Grott


Basterds. While I always preferred to buy a better kit from my LHBS, a few years ago, nothing beat the convenience of a quick kit from Coles, Big W or Kmart.

Sounds like a perfect excuse to move to AG, grott. You'll save a fortune in cash and have heaps more time on your hands... h34r:


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (18/6/14)

Its a slippery slope into the void of AG....

All that stainless stuff....and that feeling you get when you walk past a kitchen shop because it might have something in there usefull for brewing..


Its an incurable disease that will kill you once you reach the age of 100


----------



## maaark (18/6/14)

Dan Murphy's sell Coopers tins cheaper than Big W (in SE Qld anyway) but from memory they only sell the original series.


----------



## Grott (18/6/14)

Love the "grott shop" thanks, wonder if Mrs Grott will be in it?
Camo6, does AG really work out cheaper? I'm retired now (carer) so cash is a bit tight but have the time. I do play with grain etc with the coopers cans, but AG, I'm not sure.
Cheers


----------



## Grott (18/6/14)

Thanks mark, will check it out here in SA


----------



## elcarter (18/6/14)

grott said:


> I would but Adelaide is really bad for home brew shops, only one south is Brewcraft and besides the prices the stock and choice is really poor (nearly all are Brewcraft in Adelaide).


I'm trying to fix it  Get in touch my friend, I'll happily see what I can source for you.


----------



## Camo6 (18/6/14)

grott said:


> Love the "grott shop" thanks, wonder if Mrs Grott will be in it?
> Camo6, does AG really work out cheaper? I'm retired now (carer) so cash is a bit tight but have the time. I do play with grain etc with the coopers cans, but AG, I'm not sure.
> Cheers


My comment was a bit tongue in cheek, Grott. Yes, I can produce a batch of AG beer cheaper ( and in my opinion a lot tastier) but the apparatus and paraphenalia that goes with it adds up. Most of it's not necessary but it's become a bit of an addiction since starting a family and spending more time ( not money!) at home.
You could look into the AG for thirty bucks thread if you're already spending for kits and bits. I guess it depends on what you what from this hobby. If you're happy with the beer you create then the old adage "if it ain't broke..." probably applies. For what it's worth though, producing better beer through AG brewing is a lot less complicated than it seems. Cheers!


----------



## zarniwoop (18/6/14)

AG cost depends a lot on how you do it, if you're prepared to buy base malts in bulk, crush them yourself, reculture yeast and buy hops in bulk and store then yes I think it can be cheaper. But if you're a lazy sod like me who only brews once a month and often does very different styles each month then I'd say no it's probably not cheaper. (just spent $50 something at Grain and Grape to produce 25L of Irish Red Ale with liquid yeast - I really need to start buying in bulk :blink: )

Oh and as has been alluded to it's definitely not a shorter process, but a hell of a lot more fun and tastier  Extract with hops is a good intermediate stage.


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (18/6/14)

Its definatly not shorter. But, you need to realise that whilst your grain is mashing, you go do something else. Go do some washing, leaning up etc.

An AG brew takes 4-6hrs. This is the actuall time needed,milling,mash,boil,chill etc. You can cut corners with prep and cleaning. 

But thats not the point. 

AG is about your passion and what you are perpared to put into it. 

Regardless if you have an esky or BM it is going to cost you time & passion


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (19/6/14)

We have retirees with tight budgets who are award winning brewers. BribieG being one who immediately comes to mind.

It can be done on the very cheap. The thirty bucks thread mentioned above, my two pot stovetop method are examples of basic, cheap equipment (and repurposing/borrowing stuff you already have) producing good beer.

Bulk buys, reusing yeast, and time will do it for the ingredient size.

My batches are costing me around $10-$20 for 25L at the moment, courtesy of bulk bought grain and hops, though I'm too lazy (read: time poor, I have 4 daughters) to bother with reusing yeast.


----------



## zarniwoop (19/6/14)

Slightly off topic but what's the best approach with bulk grain? I'll normally use 7 or 8 different types throughout the year and I don't think swmbo will tolerate that many bags sitting around. 

Do most people just buy a couple of different base malts?


----------



## spog (19/6/14)

Have a go at home roasting your base malts,once you get it sorted all you need is bags of base malts and you will always have freshly roasted malts on hand.
Mind you my missus only let me do it when she wasn't home as she hates the smell so I set up an old oven in my shed,it's an interesting thing to do and a lot cheaper,well for me it is due to transport costs for me living so far from the nearest supplier.
Cheers....spog....


----------



## mr_wibble (19/6/14)

zarniwoop said:


> AG cost depends a lot on how you do it, if you're prepared to buy base malts in bulk, crush them yourself, reculture yeast and buy hops in bulk and store then yes I think it can be cheaper. But if you're a lazy sod like me who only brews once a month and often does very different styles each month then I'd say no it's probably not cheaper. (just spent $50 something at Grain and Grape to produce 25L of Irish Red Ale with liquid yeast - I really need to start buying in bulk :blink: )
> 
> Oh and as has been alluded to it's definitely not a shorter process, but a hell of a lot more fun and tastier  Extract with hops is a good intermediate stage.


But that's still only $2 / litre. The liquid yeast was probably close to 20% of the cost too.

Even if it was 2.20 with gas/electricity & cleaning, it would still be cheaper & better than say a case of VB at $5.101 / litre.

I don't make beer because of the price, I do it to get fantastic beer. 
But I do like to remind myself that the beer is also much cheaper than I could buy it for.

cheers,
-kt


1 Dan Murphy's website - 24x 375ml VB stubbies at $44.99 => 9 litres => $5.11 / litre


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (19/6/14)

zarniwoop said:


> Slightly off topic but what's the best approach with bulk grain? I'll normally use 7 or 8 different types throughout the year and I don't think swmbo will tolerate that many bags sitting around.
> 
> Do most people just buy a couple of different base malts?



Bairds Perle is my favourite base - it'll pretty much cover most of my bases with the beers I produce. Small packets (5kg or so) of specs which will fit in the cupboard.

I've got some JW Pils (a freebie, no complaints) that's been sitting around, being leapfrogged by other malts that I seem to just prefer.


----------



## Grott (19/6/14)

thanks for the basic advice about AG, will do some searches on set ups (plenty about) and cost appropriately.


----------



## zarniwoop (19/6/14)

Thanks guys, yes you're right it's still a lot cheaper and I don't do it just for the cost. I'll check this out.


----------



## gsouth82 (20/6/14)

grott said:


> I'm am a member of the Coopers club so thanks for the suggestion chemfish . This could be a good way to go. Do you know how often they offer free delivery?


Just got the latest Coopers email and the free shipping for orders over $50 is back. Enjoy.


----------



## Grott (20/6/14)

Thanks, just got same and just posted on coopers thread, hadn't seen your message but thanks again


----------



## barabool (26/6/14)

Coopers being the one of the last truly 'Australian' owned breweries and also with their support of home brewing since ...well..forever -I have a soft spot for them in my diseased liver.
It would be a great tragedy to lose them as a kit supplier. Grott - if you live in Adelaide, don't mean to be obtuse but - go to the source. I have no idea if Coopers has a shop attached to the brewery but book yourself into a tour and have a look.
PS: Big W, Woolworths and Dan Murphy's - all the same company (not that means the same price)


----------



## _HOME_BREW_WALLACE_ (26/6/14)

Bara said:


> Coopers being the one of the last truly 'Australian' owned breweries and also with their support of home brewing since ...well..forever -I have a soft spot for them in my diseased liver.
> It would be a great tragedy to lose them as a kit supplier. Grott - if you live in Adelaide, don't mean to be obtuse but - go to the source. I have no idea if Coopers has a shop attached to the brewery but book yourself into a tour and have a look.
> PS: Big W, Woolworths and Dan Murphy's - all the same company (not that means the same price)


A coopers "insider" told me that they felt a sudden "pinch" after the whole "Halal Accreditation" thingo (a load of BS to me though). Might have something to do with the price increase.


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (26/6/14)

_WALLACE_ said:


> A coopers "insider" told me that they felt a sudden "pinch" after the whole "Halal Accreditation" thingo (a load of BS to me though). Might have something to do with the price increase.


Um.....

How does it involve animals and doesn't Halal seem unnecessary for alcohol?


----------



## sponge (26/6/14)

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/78342-coopers-copping-halal-hate/


----------



## barabool (26/6/14)

Thought Alcohol could not be considered Halal ??
Started looking but got bored - http://www.halal-australia.com.au

Cheers


----------



## Vini2ton (26/6/14)

Hey Grott. Check out doing BIAB. Heaps cheaper than extract or even kits I reckon.Bit more effort but you're rewarded with much better malty hoppy goodness glaraaaaah dribble burp.


----------



## Nizmoose (27/6/14)

If I can chip in here I do understand the OP's frustration relating to the coopers cans, I use them for bittering without bittering additions in some extract brews and the frustrating thing is I haven't seen one lhbs in SA that sells coopers tins, brewcraft I've noticed have way inflated prices compared to brew adelaide and beer belly but none stock the coopers cans, so in response to the op I'd definitely recommend brew Adelaide for their hops and grain prices and the guys at beer belly were really helpful and was where I got all my starting equipment from. When it comes to cans I am just going to get mine from Coles, I work there and they do turnover and you can always check the dates, they have the most common cans, be2 and carb drops


----------



## sp0rk (27/6/14)

Bara said:


> Thought Alcohol could not be considered Halal ??
> Started looking but got bored - http://www.halal-australia.com.au
> 
> Cheers


It's on their malt extract products, not the beers, it's used for baking in a lot of countries
seeing as it's not actually an animal product, it more or less just gets waved through for halal certfication


----------



## SnakeDoctor (27/6/14)

As long as you pay the toll


----------



## Grott (27/6/14)

Vini2ton said:


> Hey Grott. Check out doing BIAB. Heaps cheaper than extract or even kits I reckon.Bit more effort but you're rewarded with much better malty hoppy goodness glaraaaaah dribble burp.


Thanks, currently costing/locating AG here in Adelaide but will now take this method into account. I have to consider bulk buy outlays as I have to travel a fair bit for a homebrew shop other than Brewcraft.
Cheers


----------



## sp0rk (27/6/14)

SnakeDoctor said:


> As long as you pay the toll


With the possibilities of so many exports, it makes plenty of sense to do it


----------



## Bribie G (13/10/14)

Bump
I was in Big W today to get a tin for a toucan (I've had a tin of Canadian sitting around since Easter) and got a tin of original series lager for $11. They are $13 on the shelf but the docket reads "Price reduction... $11".
It has two years date on it.

If you are a knk brewer might be worth a look in.


----------



## gsouth82 (29/10/14)

another bump.
If you want 10% of your tins get in this weekend with the below voucher...
http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/74568/26104/big_w_family_friends_sale.pdf


----------



## stm (29/10/14)

My wife purchased a couple of bags of BigW-branded crown seals from Big W a few months ago for me. I have found they are a complete bugger to get onto the bottles (with Superautomatica bench capper) - extreme force required. Home brew shop ones work much better.


----------



## superstock (29/10/14)

stm said:


> My wife purchased a couple of bags of BigW-branded crown seals from Big W a few months ago for me. I have found they are a complete bugger to get onto the bottles (with Superautomatica bench capper) - extreme force required. Home brew shop ones work much better.


And I thought it was just me getting weaker in my old age!


----------

