Grand Ridge - Up Yours!

[bear09]

Hey all I was just reading about Mountain Goat Pale and some of the bad stories - it happens. I still buy the beer even though I have been stung. The guys there seem to have a wonderful attitude and when I took mine back I got it changed no worries. Grand Ridge - different story. I bought a 6 pack of yarra valley gold and was very exited to show my old man as I am desperatley trying to convert him from K&K to all grain. They were off really badly. Tasted like medicine. So I thought I would do the right thing. I packaged the beers up and wrote them a letter. I put all the serial numbers on it and all the other information. It was also strange that that bottles were filled to the brim - no air space whatsoever. It cost me $9 to send the package - I never heard a thing back. I specifically asked them to contact me - nothing. I gave them all the details and took the time to do the right thing - nothing.
They have great beers but none that I will ever pay for again. Micro beer costs twice as much - I understand that things can go wrong - but the service must come with the quality.

Thats my sook for the day. Anyone else had problems like this?

 

[Hutch]

Hey bear09,

That just compounds my belief that Grand Ridge aren't worth wasting your money on - I once bought a mixed 6-pack of their "most highly awarded" beers, and not a single bottle was enjoyable (the "pilsner" tasted like vegemite) - and I bought the beers from them at the melbourne microbrewery showcase - so no questions about freshness there!

I just don't think there's room for underperforming microbreweries in the current quality-driven market.

Thats my 2c rant!

 

[ozpowell]

Hey all I was just reading about Mountain Goat Pale and some of the bad stories - it happens. I still buy the beer even though I have been stung. The guys there seem to have a wonderful attitude and when I took mine back I got it changed no worries. Grand Ridge - different story. I bought a 6 pack of yarra valley gold and was very exited to show my old man as I am desperatley trying to convert him from K&K to all grain. They were off really badly. Tasted like medicine. So I thought I would do the right thing. I packaged the beers up and wrote them a letter. I put all the serial numbers on it and all the other information. It was also strange that that bottles were filled to the brim - no air space whatsoever. It cost me $9 to send the package - I never heard a thing back. I specifically asked them to contact me - nothing. I gave them all the details and took the time to do the right thing - nothing.
They have great beers but none that I will ever pay for again. Micro beer costs twice as much - I understand that things can go wrong - but the service must come with the quality.

Thats my sook for the day. Anyone else had problems like this?

Bought a 6 pack of the Grand Ridge Brewer's Pilsener from Dan Murph's about 6 months back every one of them was off - gushers with lots of brown floaties. Didn't take them back, but did send G.R. an email about the problem - also never heard back. I've since bought more G.R. beers (mostly Yarra Gold and Moonshine), but haven't dared buy the pilsener again....

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[Fents]

I'd ring them and hassle the beejusus outta them.

I send shit back all the time if its not right. Last time i brought a pack of Dim Sims from an IGA and they were green...mouldy...disgusting.

Few letters and a few phonecalls later i had a rep on my door begging to give me a whole box of the things. So i made sure they were fresh and got 13 packets (24 in a pack) od dimmies...im still steaming the bloody things!

Letters sometimes dont cut it, speak to someone and you will get a better response i find.

 

[Fents]

oh and if phonecalls dont get any response just say that A Currant Affair and Today Tonight love these sort of storys as do papers. Usually get a responmse then.

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

I stopped buying Grand Ridge a long time ago. Their beer is more expensive than other Microbrews and not as good in my opinion. I've never had an off beer from them though.

I also HATE their packaging!!! :angry: Looks good under the christmas tree, you don't even need to wrap them and they'll stand out from the other packages. They also use very sticky labels so even the bottles are useless to me.

 

[Phrak]

I hate jumping on the "me three" bandwagon, but I've been meaning to ask if any of you blokes had problems with Grand Ridge's Yarra Gold.

Bought a six-pack from Dan Murhy's the other week - First two I've had have been overcarbed to the bejeesus, also a murky brown colour. Tastse is a bit funky, but I can't put my finger on an infection.
Can't find any serial or batch numbers on the bottles or box.

Cold, COLD storage and frozen glassware didn't help either.

Will try and get my arse into gear and call them:
http://www.grand-ridge.com.au - 03 9778-6996

 

[warrenlw63]

I send shit back all the time if its not right. Last time i brought a pack of Dim Sims from an IGA and they were green...mouldy...disgusting.

:lol: :lol: Right in their prime.

Warren -

 

[Fents]

:lol: :lol: Right in their prime.

Warren -

you know it! :beerbang: still wasnt game tho

 

[Phrak]

Will try and get my arse into gear and call them:
http://www.grand-ridge.com.au - 03 9778-6996

Emailed them via their "Contact Us" link on the website:

Attn Brewery Manager

Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to draw your attention to a problem with a batch of your Yarra Valley Gold Ale purchase from Dan Murhy's in Castle Hill, NSW in early August.

Of the six-pack I purchased, at least two of the bottles are infected. I'm not really game to try the rest at this stage.

Symptoms included:
1) A significantly over-carbonated beer, to the point when *carefully* pouring less than a centimeter of beer into a standard schooner glass will foam up enough to overflow the glass.
2) A very murky brown appearance in the glass (once the foam subsides). Again, the bottled was handled and poured so as not to disturb the yeast sediment.
3) A funky aroma and flavour. I can't exactly pin the flavour, but it's somewhat medicinal, similar to the smell of band-aids.
4) Brown "floaties" in the bottle that do not appear to be any form of yeast sediment I've ever seen.

I am unable to find a best-before or bottling date on the bottles, nor a batch or serial number which could help identify the problem batch.

I realise how difficult it is to run a microbrewery in a very competitive market segment, and you have my full support once you can rectify these problems. Unfortunately, after speaking with other craft-beer enthusiasts, the problem with my six-pack does not appear to be an isolated incident. Others have mentioned autolysis problems with your Pilsener range.

The six-pack of YVGA was my first taste and purchase of a GRB products. I have to say that I was left very disappointed.

Could you please let me know what I should do with the remaining 4 bottles of YVGA?

Until Grand Ridge Brewery can assure me that these problems have been rectified (and that there are no more affected products currently on the shelf!), I won't be purchasing any more of your range. Nor can I, in good faith, recommend the Grand Ridge Brewery range to friends or family.

Kind regards,
Tim

Hopefully not too full-on h34r:

:beer:
Tim

 

[brendanos]

If any of you have seen the GR Brewery, you'd probably understand why they'd land an infection. But the Mountain Goat thing's a worry/unfortunate.

What's been going on in Melbourne lately? Has CUB been sending undercover operatives on microbrewery tours with a water squirter full of unpasteurised lambic?

 

[Money Well Spent]

Ive been ocassionally buying the grand ridge stuff for about 5 years and have had a few suss ones, It's mainly been the pilsners and gold that have been off.

I now watch what micro beers I buy and try to gauge how long it's been on on the shelf for. Sometimes you just know the locals dont drink it, and it's probably been there since the bottle shop opened.

I also avoid micro beers that are at the front of the shelves or next to the flurolights, as I think light/heat can spoil them faster.

Now is there a thread where I can complain about bad tap guinness

 

[tangent]

I also HATE their packaging!!!

actually, it's the only label i've seen that looks like it's been done with coloured pencils.... why???

 

[///]

Any one checked thier water - could be Calcium Oxylate city! Literally ...

 

[matti]

Now is there a thread where I can complain about bad tap guinness

You stole my Avatar :angry:
only kidding time to change mine
AH lol

 

[Fents]

Emailed them via their "Contact Us" link on the website:

Hopefully not too full-on h34r:

:beer:
Tim

Thats no where near full on!

Christ if it was me i'd ring them ask for a proper e-mail address which someone actually checks then i'd e-mail them the link to this whole thread..

Sure if it was just one person who had a bad run, let it slide but about 4 or 5 others have said here too. Worst thing is they probably think you guys are just drinkers and not real brewers. I know you said that you have spoken to other craft brewers but i would of put it differently...

" I posted a thread on Australias biggest homebrew website for homebrewers to gauge if it was the product or just an unlucky customer and it seems im not alone" [insert thread link]

 

[Money Well Spent]

You stole my Avatar :angry:
only kidding time to change mine
AH lol

Great minds, hey

You can keep it, so no one confuses me for you..

 

[mikem108]

Looks like their website needs an update "Grand Ridge continued its award winning run at the recent 2001 AIBA" ?
If thats your measure of recent then "fresh" beer could be a couple of years old!

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

Have you heard back from them?

 

[AngelTearsOnMyTongue]

I hadnt seen this thread when I posted a thread "A pleasant surprise".

This thread was also a surprise as I didnt have any problems and they tasted OK. Might have been a bit of "End of a long hard day" syndrome, but I didnt have any complaints.

In anycase, this thread just goes to show you what a bad experience, let alone bad customer service can do to your market!!

I send shit back all the time if its not right. Last time i brought a pack of Dim Sims from an IGA and they were green...mouldy...disgusting.

Fents, you didnt send them back did you? They were nicely aged and thats what soya sauce is for.

ATOMT