Cheers From France

[Illunada]

Hi everyone,

My name is Julien 32 years old from Colmar, Alsace, France.
I've been homebrewing for 3 or 4 years now, especially hoppy beers and stout.
I'm in love with Australian & Kiwi hops, especially Vic secret & Motueka. I like mixing american hops with the juicy fruity new world hops.

See ya

Cheers !

 

[Phoney]

Bonjour!

I spent a month in your country in August. Loved the emerging craft beer scene in Lyon and Paris.

Make sure you try Galaxy. It's a great Australian hop.

 

[Illunada]

Yeah it's going bigger and bigger, gonna start my own business this year too.

I tried Galaxy, more grassy more potent, I really think that Vic is more clean, certainly harder to work with but some beers i've been brewing turn into masterpiece with Vic.
And Galaxy is soooooo expensive

 

[Roosterboy]

Yeah it's going bigger and bigger, gonna start my own business this year too.

I tried Galaxy, more grassy more potent, I really think that Vic is more clean, certainly harder to work with but some beers i've been brewing turn into masterpiece with Vic.
And Galaxy is soooooo expensive

Welcome Illunada,
You have to tell us about the home brew community there. How fast is it growing and is it mainly kits or has all-grain taken off ?
Great to hear from you.

 

[Illunada]

I don't really like the community here.. People in France have a very particular mentality.
Not really about mutual aid but more of the competition.

I think it's fifty fifty, you can find kit everywhere, it's very popular at the moment. And homebrewer go for all grain.

 

[damoninja]

And Galaxy is soooooo expensive

Huh? Just bought 1kg for $60.39 with free shipping. A 500g pack even would have only been $32.

Got $20 voucher to use on evilBay so effectively cost me $48.70123585 (percentage of the discount that applied to this).

 

[Illunada]

Sure but shipping is as expensive as hops for me :lol:
Then in europe, galaxy price is calculated according shipping cost.
approx 35 dollars shipping for 500g

Here galaxy is the more expensive hop just after Nelson sauvin

 

[Illunada]

That's what I was talking about ^^
But for the love of Hops, no price can stop me.

 

[Matplat]

It would work both ways though right, European and English hops must be pretty cheap?

I wouldn't think homebrewing would be so popular in France, beer is so cheap there.

My father had a labourer in France who would turn up to work every day with a carton of Kronenbourg. He was drunk by 1pm and go for a siesta, needless to say, he was only doing demolition work!

 

[Illunada]

It's sad but true. Kronenbourg & other pils are nothing else than water with à little malt syrup.
A 24 pack cost something like 5 au$

Yeah english and european hops are cheaper except for new German variety

 

[damoninja]

Sure but shipping is as expensive as hops for me :lol:
Then in europe, galaxy price is calculated according shipping cost.
approx 35 dollars shipping for 500g

Here galaxy is the more expensive hop just after Nelson sauvin

:blink: :blink:

Jeez I thought shipping wasn't too bad from places like UK at least, some products we can buy from UK and postage is cheaper than if I bought it locally or sometimes even free.

I had a look on evilBay and can see exactly what you mean... even buying from UK, the overall cost would be as it would cost me for 250g.

Someone send this man some galaxy!

 

[Phoney]

I wouldn't think homebrewing would be so popular in France, beer is so cheap there.

Bland eurolager like Kronenbourg 1664 etc is cheap. But who wants to drink that? Not me.

€6 (AUD$9) can get you a six pack of Leffe, which is 'just' OK but nothing special.

Whereas microbrewed craft beer (either local French or imports from Belgium, Germany, UK or the USA) in French supermarkets is about €2 - €2.50 for a 350mL bottle or €8 - €10 a six pack. Plus the selection even in bigger supermarkets like Microprix is not very big (the only liquor shops they have there are like specialty wine boutiques), craft beer is not available in just about any restaurant or bar, so you need to seek out where the brewpubs or craft beer bars are to get an IPA.

So, yes it would be worth brewing your own. The reason it's not so popular is that craft beer isnt the drink of choice. Most people drink wine or to a much lesser extent lager. Though what I was told by bar staff is that this is changing, slowly.

 

[Illunada]

It's funny, but in france, it's women who are the most attracted about craft beer, men prefers quantity to quality.
This is my own experience.
Beyond 40 IBU it's too bitter :huh:

 

[Jack of all biers]

Welcome. I am in Germany at the moment although a fair way away from the border otherwise I would offer to visit to see your set up. You'll find that this forum is fairly good in exchange of idea's etc. What are your preferences towards styles of beers at the moment?

 

[Illunada]

Oh nice to meet you Jack From where are you from?
Will visit stone berlin soon.
Yeah this forum is really enjoyable.

All hoppy beers, Stout (especially barrel aged) and sour

 

[Jack of all biers]

I live in Adelaide, South Australia, but am in Germany to collect my German malt mill..... I mean visit the wifes family (Mattmill made in Kirkel, Saarland not far from Saarbrücken, so for you just next door.) If you are struggling to get supplies in France then check out some of the German suppliers as the Hobby in Germany, whilst not necessary for the Germans to do, is quite well supplied. http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/home-1 has an English Homepage as well as German and is based in Neukirch, Baden-Württemberg (borders Alsace, although Neukirch is very close to the Swiss-Austrian border). Their Website seems to indicate they only ship to Germany or Austria, but they have just shipped a mill to Australia for another Forum member, so I'm sure they would send it just over the border to Alsace.

Good luck and good brewing.