Hbs Misinformation

[user 384]

I know that we often give some stick to HBS owners but it's hard not to when you find blatantly wrong information like this:

"Hops
All our hops are type 90 pellets and are kept in a freezer in sealed pouches so that you can be sure of getting the freshest product available.

Our philosophy with hops is that to get the true varietal character it is necessary to use hops that are grown in the country of the hop origin (eg: Saaz from Czechoslovakia, Fuggles from England and Tettnanger from Germany) in order to get an authentic regional beer flavour. It is not possible to import hops in any form other than pellets into Australia due to quarantine laws. Therefore any hop cones or plugs (other than Pride Of Ringwood) for sale are not country of origin. "
(reference)


I'm still not sure if such misinformation is horrifying or funny.

Cheers
MAH

 

[brendanos]

Haha woah.

 

[BenH]

So what IS the truth about importing hops?

 

[domonsura]

Ross will be able to tell you for sure, but I think it's simply a matter of placing an order, declaring them correctly, probably paying the appropriate extortion blackmail customs fee, and waiting for them to get through customs.
There may be countries that you can't import them from to protect Australian hops industry, but I'm not aware of any.

 

[kook]

http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casec...ssionID=2380959

http://www.aqis.gov.au/icon32/asp/ex_casec...ssionID=2380959


Basically, pellets and extract are fine for anyone to import, as well as flowers from NZ.

Plugs, cones and flowers require an import permit.

edit: One thing that confuses me, how come we can buy imported plugs, when according to the import conditions: "the hops may only be used in a beer making process that involves a boiling procedure. This process must occur at a Quarantine approved processing premises (Class 3.0)."

 

[Barramundi]

I know that we often give some stick to HBS owners but it's hard not to when you find blatantly wrong information like this:

"Hops
All our hops are type 90 pellets and are kept in a freezer in sealed pouches so that you can be sure of getting the freshest product available.

Our philosophy with hops is that to get the true varietal character it is necessary to use hops that are grown in the country of the hop origin (eg: Saaz from Czechoslovakia, Fuggles from England and Tettnanger from Germany) in order to get an authentic regional beer flavour. It is not possible to import hops in any form other than pellets into Australia due to quarantine laws. Therefore any hop cones or plugs (other than Pride Of Ringwood) for sale are not country of origin. "
(reference)
I'm still not sure if such misinformation is horrifying or funny.

Cheers
MAH

i frequent the HBS refered to here and would hazard a guess as to say the imformation wouldnt be far from correct , perhaps if you wanna get up here and shit can someone come back with facts not just give them the stick and dont bring the "real" story to the table


reading kook's reference to AQIS , the information on the website is pretty well to the mark

 

[kook]

reading kook's reference to AQIS , the information on the website is pretty well to the mark

It neglects the fact that imported plugs are readily available on the market (though I'm not sure how?). It also neglects that Australia produces more than just Pride of Ringwood, and that flowers from New Zealand are available.

 

[Wortgames]

i frequent the HBS refered to here and would hazard a guess as to say the imformation wouldnt be far from correct , perhaps if you wanna get up here and shit can someone come back with facts not just give them the stick and dont bring the "real" story to the table
reading kook's reference to AQIS , the information on the website is pretty well to the mark

It looks pretty straightforward to me Barra - the website states 'It is not possible to import hops in any form other than pellets', and goes on to imply that any other retailer advertising european plugs or flowers is lying.

A look at the AQIS site makes it clear that hops CAN be imported. There are conditions involved, and there is obviously something fishy going on with the 'approved processing', but that isn't what the website is claiming.

Personally I suspect that any cones or flowers we have access to have been 'skimmed' from a perfectly legitimate and much larger commercial import, and I don't think that drawing attention to any quarantine technicalities is going to help anyone (except perhaps those retailers selling pellets).

 

[Barramundi]

was more refering to the fact that the original poster didnt back up his/her claim with any facts or points of reference , perhaps the webiste quotes could be more specific to prevent being taken as somewhat misleading....

im out of this discussion from here on in fight it out amongst yaselves...

 

[user 384]

i frequent the HBS refered to here and would hazard a guess as to say the imformation wouldnt be far from correct , perhaps if you wanna get up here and shit can someone come back with facts not just give them the stick and dont bring the "real" story to the table
reading kook's reference to AQIS , the information on the website is pretty well to the mark

Didn't think I needed to add any more information to the original post. As a HB community we know that the information is simply not accurate. It's just not true that only pellets are allowed to be imported. And as a community we have for a long time had access to imported plugs. For this retailer to claim that other suppliers, are all stiffing us when they claim their plugs are from OS, is blatantly incorrect.

Just consider the range of hops that are grown in Australia that we have access to in whole and plug form. This automatically negates the statement that only PoR flowers and plugs are truly country of origin.

Then consider the varities that are not grown in Australia, yet I can still get them as plugs. If they aren't grown in Australia, then how can they be anything other than country of origin? Is this retailer truly suggesting that any plugs that we have ever bought, were actually grown in Australia and for all these years we have been duped by unscrupulous suppliers?

In fact if only PoR can be bought as plugs then by this logic all plugs must be PoR. I'm pretty sure that the plugs I have been using for many years have not been PoR.

 

[Ross]

Other than local product where there is no restriction - For the homebrewer basically pellets & plugs are available here from anywhere in the world. The statement by this particular HBS Therefore any hop cones or plugs (other than Pride Of Ringwood) for sale are not country of origin. is TOTALLY FALSE.
Flowers for the Homebrew Industry can only be imported from NZ.

Any hops can be imported though, if you wish to meet all aquis conditions. Hence Little creatures are able to import fresh flowers from the USA for their brewery. These flowers though need to be kept on site in an approved quarantine area until they are used. LC would not be permitted to let the flowers leave their premises.

& yes there are potential problems with plugs, but at the moment aquis are happy with their import through approved Company's.

cheers Ross

 

[PostModern]

Then consider the varities that are not grown in Australia, yet I can still get them as plugs. If they aren't grown in Australia, then how can they be anything other than country of origin?

NZ grown EKG?

 

[Stuster]

I've recently got some stuff from this HBS. It's pretty new. They were helpfu with their orders, seemed to have a good range of grain and hops. The owner (I think) gave me a taste of his beer, a pretty good partial. He seemed interested in brewing and sincere. I've sent him an email with a link to this thread so hopefully he can comment himself. I'd say from my first impressions that this guy is just unaware of the availability of other hops rather than trying to mislead people.

 

[bigfridge]

I'd say from my first impressions that this guy is just unaware of the availability of other hops rather than trying to mislead people.

Perhaps this is what he has been told by his wholesale supplier.

There are many suppliers in the Australian brewing industry so it is pretty hard for one person to know what is happening everywhere.

David

 

[user 384]

NZ grown EKG?

Fair point, you can get US Fuggle etc.

With EKG I would be more worried that mislabeling of where it is from within England. Not all Goldings are grown in Kent . Goldings are grown in Kent, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Supposedly the best Goldings come from only half a dozen farms in a stretch of countryside about 15kms long and 1km wide, between Canterbury and Faversham.

Cheers
MAH

 

[Lactobacillus]

Perhaps this is what he has been told by his wholesale supplier.

There are many suppliers in the Australian brewing industry so it is pretty hard for one person to know what is happening everywhere.

And one big one (not based in Australia, however) that is not above feeding their clients a pack of BS if it serves their purpose.

 

[beers]

I've recently got some stuff from this HBS. It's pretty new. They were helpfu with their orders, seemed to have a good range of grain and hops. The owner (I think) gave me a taste of his beer, a pretty good partial. He seemed interested in brewing and sincere. I've sent him an email with a link to this thread so hopefully he can comment himself. I'd say from my first impressions that this guy is just unaware of the availability of other hops rather than trying to mislead people.

Well said Stuster. I frequent said shop & am more than happy with the service they provide. I seriously doubt whether Paul & Ross (owners) are deliberately trying to mislead people by feeding their customers BS. & I doubt whether this is something they "made up". Perhaps they are just passing on some misinformation they have received?

For the record I do think it's poor form to bag someone's business on a public forum without having visited the shop in question <_<

Just a happy customers 2c

 

[Murray]

I think it is fair to point out misinformation regardless of whether it is intentional or whether the hbs owners are good blokes or not.

 

[Barramundi]

I think it is fair to point out misinformation regardless of whether it is intentional or whether the hbs owners are good blokes or not.

pointing something out is one thing, making someone out to be a liar and a cheat is another , perhaps the original poster would have better served the HB community by contacting the shop in question and discussing with them the statement be it right or wrong , rather than shoot the place down in flames on here ....

 

[Gerard_M]

I think it is fair to point out misinformation regardless of whether it is intentional or whether the hbs owners are good blokes or not.

I reckon a quick phone call to see if they stand by the information would have been better than posting on here, that way you could put your point of view to the retailer. The guys have been there for 6 months & in that time may have changed their views as they learn more about the business. I was in there yesterday & the English Pale Ale I was offered was very nice. They have been running a few demo's & are making a go of things.

Cheers
Gerard