Brewcraft Bag-out

[loikar]

I've noticed that a lot of people bag out Brewcraft.

Where I live, my LHBS is a Brewcraft, and thats a 15min drive away.
The next local one is about a 30min drive away.

I gotta say, the bloke I have dealt with at Brewcraft is gun and knows his stuff.
Of course he's not going to advise anyone not to buy the "off the shelf" packs or K&K or anything for that matter (he is running a business after all). But when I went in there last week with a recipe, he was all over it with some great advice, if anything, echoing the advice Butters and others gave me.
he also knows I'm a n00b and he didn't take advantage of that, which is pretty respectable I reckon.

I think it comes down to the person behind the counter, and not the name above the door.
You're gonna get ******s no matter what franchise you walk into.

So if any South Aussies are on here, I highly recommend visiting Brewcraft at Reynella, talk to the bloke with the freaky eyes. He's only too happy to help.

My 2c of venting :icon_cheers:

 

[wambesi]

I think it comes down to the person behind the counter, and not the name above the door.
You're gonna get ******s no matter what franchise you walk into.

Your spot on with that statement, any store no matter how good a stock of products they maintain can be ruined by "the bloke" behind the counter.
It just happens to be co-incidental that a few of these tend to run the brewcraft stores.

At the end of the day of the store does good by you and you are able to get what you want then do good by them and keep your service there.

 

[Fourstar]

Sounds like you have found a diamond in the rough mate.

Personally, the products in most brewcrafts are well overpriced for what you get. i only ever goto brewcraft if i absolutely need to. For a dry yeast sachet of US05 or a DME bag so i can do a starter. I personally prefer to support my local (who is on the other side of town) as his service and products are well priced, has everything i need and is always willing to go the extra mile for you.

Cheers Dave @ Greensy HB'ing!

 

[Adamt]

You work at Brewcraft Reynella do you? ^_^ Kidding.

You might find a good server (actually no... you won't) or a good cook at Hungry Jacks, doesn't make Hungry Jacks much better. If you walked into that store and the aforementioned bloke isn't there, what's the advice/service like?

As a kit brewer generally, you'll do far better off posting here, determining exactly what you want, going into Brewcraft (or Coles, Woolworths, whatever) wearing headphones, buying it, walking out, throwing away the kit instructions and consulting the community for assistance should the need arise. That is generally and accounts for, I'd wager, 90% of LHBS's.

That's just my 2 cents. If you disagree, round it down.

 

[HoppingMad]

Don't mind Brewcraft - they are in convenient locations for me coming out of the city from work etc, but very geared to their bagged up Kits & bits packs as that's where their dough is made. Am with Fourstar on this one - will dash in there for a quick yeast or little baggie of grain but wouldn't be doing my dough on the big stuff as their mark-ups are too high for me. That said, the guys that run the Richmond store I go to seem friendly enough and passionate about making beer - so you can't bag them for that. They are also talking about setting up regular homebrew nights, so anything that creates a better home brew community and gives everyone a chance to share the knowledge I'm all for.

I think everyone has their favourite, and it's a matter of what best suits you. Because of where I am on the learning curve now it's Grain and Grape all the way for me as you can learn stuff from the guys there even in the shortest of conversations, and their stock is all dangerously tempting. Is annoyingly out of my way to get there but I've caught the G&G bug and can't shake it.

Hopper.

 

[loikar]

You work at Brewcraft Reynella do you? ^_^ Kidding.

You might find a good server (actually no... you won't) or a good cook at Hungry Jacks, doesn't make Hungry Jacks much better. If you walked into that store and the aforementioned bloke isn't there, what's the advice/service like?

As a kit brewer generally, you'll do far better off posting here, determining exactly what you want, going into Brewcraft (or Coles, Woolworths, whatever) wearing headphones, buying it, walking out, throwing away the kit instructions and consulting the community for assistance should the need arise. That is generally and accounts for, I'd wager, 90% of LHBS's.

That's just my 2 cents. If you disagree, round it down.

Yep I agree, and the previous 2 times i was there I did exactly that, I completely ignored all he said and consulted everyone here.
I even put together my recipe after consulting the guys here with the intent to ignore the Brewcraft bloke again.
After showing him my original recipe, he basically said the same as everyone here. He was more than happy to advise me on what to expect and provided options in stead of "his way is the only way".

My point being that after reading the posts here, I had a pre-conception of Brewcraft which was incorrect. Maybe his HBS is in that 10%, but no matter if its called BrewCraft or BrewShaft, I think it's wrong to paint them all with the same brush.

At the end of the day, Even if he couldn't brew a cup of tea, He's out there and supporting HBers

 

[Thunderlips]

At the end of the day,

http://www.caddmanager.com/CMB/2005/02/15-...noying-cliches/

Sorry, couldn't help myself

 

[chappo1970]

Well what the hell can you expect from their poor suffering staff/resellers if they educate them on their little Brewcraft booklet or the Brewcraft way. That has to be the single worst reference book ever produced, well that and how to solve the rubic's cube. Personally I think they should get serious about what they are and what they are doing in the home brew market. If you followed their guidence you WILL produce a crap beer FULL STOP.

How is the hell does that encourage someone? Some find this forum and hopefully they learn and move onwards and upwards. Others I suspect just give it away with bitter disappointment. I've brewed their kits and to be honest they were reasonable but far from fantastic.

How sustainable can you be if your burning your client base for the almighty dollar?

As a few have already said they voted with their feet.

 

[loikar]

http://www.caddmanager.com/CMB/2005/02/15-...noying-cliches/

Sorry, couldn't help myself

...Gutted! :icon_cheers:

 

[loikar]

Well what the hell can you expect from their poor suffering staff/resellers if they educate them on their little Brewcraft booklet or the Brewcraft way. That has to be the single worst reference book ever produced,

Yeah, gotta agree with that one. But then if you're stupid enough to believe the blatant plugging and marketing in that book and aren't able to sort the wheat from the chaff, well, you deserve to make **** beer.

well that and how to solve the rubic's cube.

Yeah, I used to pull the stickers off and swap them around too

Personally I think they should get serious about what they are and what they are doing in the home brew market. If you followed their guidence you WILL produce a crap beer FULL STOP.

They are a business, and just like any business, there there to make money.
How they do that or the info they provide to the customer is irrelevant.

How is the hell does that encourage someone? Some find this forum and hopefully they learn and move onwards and upwards. Others I suspect just give it away with bitter disappointment. I've brewed their kits and to be honest they were reasonable but far from fantastic.

My Brewcraft JSAA is a cracker beer, It's no JSAA, but more than reasonable.
Like I said, its the bloke behind the counter chappo, not the name on the door mate.
I've only been to a few HBS so far, and the bloke at Brewcraft has been the most helpful.
To go to a few and then say they're all crap is a big call I reckon.
But then, more than a few people have issues with them.

How sustainable can you be if your burning your client base for the almighty dollar?

Country wide franchises here and in NZ as well as a global presence via the Internet?

I don't want to sound like I'm blowing smoke up Brewcrafts arse, but my experience seems to be pretty different to a lot of others who post here. I dont have an issue with them, and until I go to AG, I'll be going back there and supporting my LHBS, Unless, of course a private HB business opens locally.

I just reckon bagging the crap out of them to new brewers isn't the way to go for supporting HBing.
there still a shitload better than tin of goo and a kilo of sugar.

 

[chappo1970]

...Like I said, its the bloke behind the counter chappo, not the name on the door mate.
I've only been to a few HBS so far, and the bloke at Brewcraft has been the most helpful...

Couldn't agree with you more. Make a HUGE difference if they know what they are on about and even better if they are also a brewer.

Country wide franchises here and in NZ as well as a global presence via the Internet?

I don't want to sound like I'm blowing smoke up Brewcrafts arse, but my experience seems to be pretty different to a lot of others who post here. I dont have an issue with them, and until I go to AG, I'll be going back there and supporting my LHBS, Unless, of course a private HB business opens locally.

I just reckon bagging the crap out of them to new brewers isn't the way to go for supporting HBing.
there still a shitload better than tin of goo and a kilo of sugar.

Justified. I guess my frustration comes from good businesses with good products completely rooting it up via poor staff training and poor attention to detail. Most people know what a good beer tastes like even if your a megaswiller. So to lead them up the garden path is not only bad business it just plain stupid. I had my own building company for 10 years i never had to advertise for work once. Why? Because I did a good job and I never intentionally gave someone bad advice.

To lend an example I hate Bunnings with a passion not because of what they are but what they have become. When they started out they employed Tradesman in their respective departments, plumbers in plumbing, carpenters in hardward/tools, sparkies in electrical. Generally they were Tradespersons (politically correct) in the latter part of their working life but a wealth of knowledge and skill. I enjoyed shopping there as I could ask for a widget and I would recieve my widget with some friendly advice. Then they started employing kids and or people with no knowledge of building who basically didn't know their ass from their tits because they were cheap labour. The place bombed for me from there on.

Anyway my point is they could do so much better than what they are. Would it not be beneficial if the MD of Brewcraft spent 1 day trawling this site. I am sure that they would scrap that book of theirs and make it maditory to lurk these threads.

END OF RANT!

BTW Beerfinger: pfft! Pulling off the stickers was no where near as much fun as pulling the cube apart and reassembling in the right order! :lol:

 

[Thunderlips]

My Brewcraft JSAA is a cracker beer, It's no JSAA, but more than reasonable.

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but have you tried the ESB Ezybrew version of JSAA?
They are 4.5 litres of fresh wort. Or a "mini mash" I think you call it.

I've got that, their Little Creatures Pale Ale and their Hoegaarden clones in kegs right now
and they are pretty close.

I think they are around the same price as the Brewcraft kits too.

 

[HoppingMad]

Would it not be beneficial if the MD of Brewcraft spent 1 day trawling this site.

Dunno if he's the MD but one of the main guys running Brewcraft in Oz as I understand it is Mike Rogers-Wilson (but this could be just Vic - not sure).
If you check any local HBS (not just Brewcraft) you're likely to several home-brewing books written by the guy as he was one of the first Australians to start writing on the subject. I guess by checking out this site he would learn a little about homebrewers having a whinge about his stores and where the gaps are - but I doubt he'd learn much on the home brewing front. He could most likely teach many of us a thing or two, myself included.

Hopper.

 

[Mitcho]

BeerFingers,

Which BC do you frequent?
I go to the one in Salisbury and the chap there seems to be an honest decent sort of guy with some good advice.

 

[loikar]

BeerFingers,

Which BC do you frequent?
I go to the one in Salisbury and the chap there seems to be an honest decent sort of guy with some good advice.

At Reynella Mitcho. About an hours drive south from you :icon_cheers:
But If I was living up north, I would probably be spending my time at BeerBelly. If only for the bling!

 

[reviled]

Ya know the thing is, irrelevant of the guy behind the counter, brewcrafts prices are allways more expensive than anyone else... Try $11 for a kilo of malt?!?! WTF???

Reason is, because Brewcraft is actually a NZ business, who branche out to Aus, which is primarily focussed on distilling, especially here in NZ where its legal :beerbang: The kits were just an extension of this business to generate more income...

 

[br33zy]

I'm not sure that this is a very helpful topic. Especially as it appears to be a regular one.

Stores like Brewcraft have their place. They are a good place to start one's homebrew journey; but if you move on from K&K then it will quickly become time to shop elsewhere.

I still use the Brewcraft in Richmond occasionally (am popping in for a tin of goop at lunch time today actually). Jason there will talk the legs of a chair; is always helpful; goes out of his way to save me money instead of just trying to ram products down my throat; and very often has a kegged beer to taste. Can't ask more than that.

And as I've said on a previous incarnation of this thread, we ended up at Brewcraft in Richmond after VERY shabby service in our early visits to one of the serious stores. They were completely disinterested - presumably because we were brewing with K&K instead of partial or AG.

Its very clear to me which one of the above stores were more helpful in encouraging me with my homebrew development.

Cheers

Breezy

 

[chappo1970]

Dunno if he's the MD but one of the main guys running Brewcraft in Oz as I understand it is Mike Rogers-Wilson (but this could be just Vic - not sure).
If you check any local HBS (not just Brewcraft) you're likely to several home-brewing books written by the guy as he was one of the first Australians to start writing on the subject. I guess by checking out this site he would learn a little about homebrewers having a whinge about his stores and where the gaps are - but I doubt he'd learn much on the home brewing front. He could most likely teach many of us a thing or two, myself included.

Hopper.

Well that just has me gob smacked. Ignorance is truely bliss I guess?

 

[reviled]

He could most likely teach many of us a thing or two, myself included.

Id rather learn absolutely nothing from some idiot who tells me to boil specialty grains!!! :icon_vomit:

 

[Pollux]

They are out to get butters too......

Fermentation is finished when the airlock stops bubbling and the brew itself begins to clear. Allow a further 48 hours for it to clear thoroughly.