Local Homebrew Shops

[warra48]

Our local HB shop seems to be a sideline to another business doing solar film on windows etc. They're nice enough people to talk to, but totally aimed at kit brewers and spirits junkies.

For me, I've always had first class service from Ross at CraftBrewer, as have the only other AG brewers on this forum in Port Mac and Wauchope.
I also totally agree with Trent and his observations about Mark at MHB. Newcastle is where mrs warra and I see our financial people from time to time, and it's also on the way (well, with only a little detour) from seeing our daughter and son in Sydney, so it's easy to call in. First class service also from Mark. Last visit mrs warra enjoyed the lounge and a fascinating book on the history of spirits or coctails (or somesuch), although she'll be prepared next time by bringing her own book.

I'll continue to support both. There's no way NSW is any worse off then any other state.


Edit: spelling, but I still don't think I have it correct.

 

[Bribie G]

For me, I've always had first class service from Ross at CraftBrewer, as have the only other AG brewers on this forum .........

+1 for kits n bits and partial brewers as well. If I couldn't get my Nottingham Yeast, Carapils, hops, polyclar etc from Ross I'd commit hari-kiri for sure. Also doing partials the odd two kilo of malt grain doesn't totally blow out the freight as I usually order some higher value stuff with it like a couple of shrinks of hops.

My LBHS sounds like warra's except they do pots and garden ornaments on the side, and of course heaps of distilling stuff. However their kit range is ok and about fifty cents less than woolies, and they always have LDME and DEX at good prices so I regularly use them for that.

 

[Jim_Levet]

I live in Western Sydney. Within 5-20 minutes from me are three stores, each offering something a little different than the other.

For me, Absolute Homebrew at St Marys (also at Faulconbridge) is perfect. Pat has taken the time to understand what I like to drink and what level I brew at. When I was reaching the end of trying different types of K&K (never sugar!) he had the partial kits ready. It didn't take long from there that I was interested in AG. Again, Absolute Homebrew had all the ingredients I needed ... and most importantly Pat was able to help with the transition - from equipment to recipes.

He also helped when I was changing to kegs, with advice and equipment.

Supplies are also available online via their website.

IMO:

"In QLD you have craftbrewer
In VIC you have G&G
In SA you have BeerBelly
In WA you have Gryphon"
In NSW you have Absolute Homebrew

+ 1 for Pat & Reoko, also Dave At Nth Sydney gets a bit of a work out. Kev at Kirrawee HBS is well worth the visit too>
James

 

[hoohaaman]

I live in Victoria but use Craftbrewer for 90% of my supplies

 

[HoppingMad]

^^^ your not looking hard enough, 20mins and approx 18kms from you (glen iris) there is a shop that welcome types of blokes like you.

Its at

23 Louis St
Greenborough Vic 3087
9432 0283

Thank me later.

Interesting Fents. Tried a brewshop in Heidelberg a while back but hadn't sussed anything in Greensborough. Will give it a crack. Cheers.

Hopper.

 

[BungalowBill]

I'm very glad I found Greensborough HBS, especially as I'm about to start AG myself, he's been a great help, lots of good stuff in there, unlike that "other" shop in Heidelberg I used to go to when I was K&K, apart from the older guy there once a week the normal bloke just didn't seem to give a stuff.

Like others It used to be the $'s which steered my direction but now I realise there is alot more to brewing and after quality and well, just that "good bloke" factor

Hijacking the thread for a minute, can anyone recommend a good HBS in the Moorebank area in Sydney? Moving in May with work and need a good local.

Cheers

Try the thread below , he has been going for as long as I can remember, dont know what they are like but it is worth a go, the is also another shop at Picnic Point.
BB
http://www.thebrewshop.com.au/beer-recipe-...e=2&sort=2a

 

[Fents]

Interesting Fents. Tried a brewshop in Heidelberg a while back but hadn't sussed anything in Greensborough. Will give it a crack. Cheers.

Hopper.

Heidelberg Brewcraft...*shudder* dont worry i wouldnt lead you there.

 

[wambesi]

Try the thread below , he has been going for as long as I can remember, dont know what they are like but it is worth a go, the is also another shop at Picnic Point.
BB
http://www.thebrewshop.com.au/beer-recipe-...e=2&sort=2a

That post was from a while back!
Since then I have found a few in my (not so new now) area. Looking to get a grain mill hopefully at xmas so can drop those costs down again.

Heidelberg Brewcraft...*shudder* dont worry i wouldnt lead you there.

Yeah I don't recommend that either, go to Greensborough, when I was starting to get my AG gear he was awesome, helped out with as much as he could and now finished it off here in Sydney.
Leave Heidelberg alone!

 

[Weizguy]

I'm not on here to polish anyone's bits, but I will state some facts, as I know them.

MHB has actual brewing qualifications, which he doesn't mention very often, least of all on this forum. People would call it self-aggrandisement. He has done the short brewing course in Ballarat and has a qualification from the British Brewing guild in brewery design and operation (IIRC). There is also a superb range of reference material in the shop, and some highly technical books too, such as Kunze etc. He scored me a copy of Acid ales, so he does a bit to look after the customers here, encouraging their weird interest, and thereby expanding the knowledge base that can be called upon.

I haven't checked his prices comparatively, and I admit that. But it's only because I have an historical idea of what things cost, and trust that he's looking after us, and he has mentioned the price comparison. Should I check everything, or just relax?

The cost of overheads for a shopfront can be substantially more than an internet business with a warehouse and staff.
Any reasonable person, especially the virtual shops, would acknowledge that fact.

Nor is it in the best interest of local brewers to completely ignore the local brew shop, and I have received acknowledgement of that from discussions with a rep from one of the online shops. No, I won't tell you which one, as I have some respect for the confidentiality and don't wish to spoil our discourse. and openness.

Fact: Homebrewers, typically, are a bunch of tight-arses, as is evidenced in many threads here and on all the other forums.
The flipside is that a brewshop owner is a bit of a zealot, going about the business (most often with enough margin to eke out a living) mainly due to their love of the craft. At the end of the day, most go home completely beer-fatigued and don't have time to brew, or just couldn't be shagged about it.

Before you go disrespecting your lhbs for the level of cost, energy, commitment and level of involvement, just think of your commitment level. Are you willing to support your local shop, or are they just not worthy? Could you do the same job?

As has been mentioned here, other forums and at the ANHC just gone: all-grain homebrewers are not that big a percentage of the market. Maybe the lack of your business might not make a dent on the local shop's bottom line.
If the shop doesn't look after you, they may be lacking commitment to all their customers and they will disappear eventually.

It's freedom of choice, and I'm happy to strongly state that my lhbs looks after me, and supports the local brewing community at all levels. That may be by not stocking the bits that will sit on the shelf because people can buy them from the supermarket, and that frees up space for the stuff that we will use.
My lhbs does a fair bit of research into what is actually "good value" (for example, the Weyermann Premium pils) and stocks quite a range of grain, well-refrigerated and vac-packed hops and impeccable product knowledge.

This rant is not about "my shop" being better than "your shop". However it is a statement of the level of commitment of the really good shops and why they should be supported...and when they answer a question, give some thought and respect. They have probably given the best possible answer, so don't dismiss it out-of-hand as I have seen here in the past.

Your lhbs: Use it or lose it!

Perhaps this diatribe is a testament to just how tired, yet inspired I am after coming back from the ANHC early this morning.
Whew, time for a beer
Now, what Have I got that I can force down after all the great beer I sampled this weekend. It's a hard act to follow.

 

[buttersd70]

snip...... he does a bit to look after the customers here, encouraging their weird interest, and thereby expanding the knowledge base that can be called upon.

For me, this is more important than price (within limits). Its called good old fashioned customer service. Like what you used to get (and sometimes still do if you're lucky) from your local butcher, greengrocer, etc. Luckily, in the HB community, this spirit still exists with many of the smaller retailers.

And as for this particular retailer.....If I was within a hundred miles (or more), I know where I would be giving my business. I've only dealt with Mark within the confines of the forum, and he has not only given great responses in threads, but has gone out of his way to follow up with PMs and further advice and encouragement, purely for the love of the craft.

I might be as tight as a ducks butt, however I will continue to support the little guy vs larger corporate enterprises and their franchises any day of the week. It's just too important not too. As les said, use it or lose it.

 

[quantocks]

i just bought my latest kit ingredients and it ended up costing me $37 all up, that's only for 19 litres of beer. So not that cheap

I got
1x Morgans Wheat goop
1x Coopers wheat liquid malt
1x SafBrew SB06 yeast

37 dollars is a lot for one brew. starting to wonder if that is even worth it from the brewshop?

 

[Gerard_M]

i just bought my latest kit ingredients and it ended up costing me $37 all up, that's only for 19 litres of beer. So not that cheap

I got
1x Morgans Wheat goop
1x Coopers wheat liquid malt
1x SafBrew SB06 yeast

37 dollars is a lot for one brew. starting to wonder if that is even worth it from the brewshop?

Well that is a bit too much coin when all you end up with is a K&K kit. Why not spend about the same money & get a Fresh Wort Kit. After a couple of batches you will be ready to go even further to the dark side & buy a mash tun & kettle!
Cheers
Gerard

 

[HoppingMad]

Thanks for the Greensborough recommendation from all. And yep, only did Heidelberg once and wasn't a groundbreaking experience. Never been to a brewshop where the phone wasn't ringing at all and it was completely devoid of customers on a Saturday morning. The only thing missing was tumbleweeds blowing through it .

Some interesting dialogue here since I last clocked in. I'm the first to admit that as stated above I'm a tight-wad with my brew cash, but I think that when it comes down to it - a grain mill, pumps pots, burners they're all not exactly cheap items. And if we can get some service while we're shopping around for these items I reckon we're more likely to spend it at that place.

The dumb and scared looks from attendants I've had at some shops have made me realise I'm not their kind of customer. They have made me want to shop elsewhere, to me that doesn't make good business sense - regardless of the market segment I occupy.

As an aside - I note that a lot of AG'ers also throw a K&K on once in a while, so I think by not catering to at least some of their needs in brewshops can be counterproductive.

Hopper.

 

[MHB]

I hope I am not asking for trouble posting in this thread, but this for me is the crux of the matter.

i just bought my latest kit ingredients and it ended up costing me $37 all up, that's only for 19 litres of beer. So not that cheap

I got
1x Morgans Wheat goop
1x Coopers wheat liquid malt
1x SafBrew SB06 yeast

37 dollars is a lot for one brew. starting to wonder if that is even worth it from the brewshop?

$37 for 60 schooners of dam fine wheat beer or just under 62 cents a glass.

It might not be the cheapest beer in the world, but its far from expensive, I was at one of the local hotels a week or so age, Erdinger on tap, over $5 a schooner or $300 if you brought 60 schooners, thats 1/8th of the price.

Sorry you only made it to 19 Litres so thats about 1/7th of the price.

Your right it isnt the cheapest home brew you can make but its fantastic Value of Money.

MHB

 

[white.grant]

37 dollars is a lot for one brew. starting to wonder if that is even worth it from the brewshop?

Brewing is my hobby and I really enjoy it. Other than trying to stick within the hobby budget allocated by the treasurer, I don't try to rationalise the costs -- It would spoil the fun. My local HBS is Northern Brew in Woonona, Allen is very helpful. While I use the sponsors a lot, its good to have a local store with an interested owner and positive customer service.

cheers

Grant

 

[balconybrewer]

i brewed a double batch last week and last night pitched one packed of 'amearican ale' yeast from ross and one pack of US-05 from the LHBS,

the one i put ross's in today was firing away but the LHBS yeasat has done jack all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOT HAPPY

 

[Screwtop]

i brewed a double batch last week and last night pitched one packed of 'amearican ale' yeast from ross and one pack of US-05 from the LHBS,

the one i put ross's in today was firing away but the LHBS yeasat has done jack all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOT HAPPY

Not wanting to exagerate but for the 40,000,000th time :lol: Did you rehydrate to proof the yeast, and what were the manu dates on each pack.

 

[balconybrewer]

both rehydrated in the same way, 160ml boiled and cooled water (25deg) in separate growlers, man date was 08, cant remember the month???????


would you put this down to poor storage on the LHBS or is it just my luck??

 

[SJW]

I'm not on here to polish anyone's bits, but I will state some facts, as I know them.

MHB has actual brewing qualifications, which he doesn't mention very often, least of all on this forum. People would call it self-aggrandisement. He has done the short brewing course in Ballarat and has a qualification from the British Brewing guild in brewery design and operation (IIRC). There is also a superb range of reference material in the shop, and some highly technical books too, such as Kunze etc. He scored me a copy of Acid ales, so he does a bit to look after the customers here, encouraging their weird interest, and thereby expanding the knowledge base that can be called upon.

I haven't checked his prices comparatively, and I admit that. But it's only because I have an historical idea of what things cost, and trust that he's looking after us, and he has mentioned the price comparison. Should I check everything, or just relax?

The cost of overheads for a shopfront can be substantially more than an internet business with a warehouse and staff.
Any reasonable person, especially the virtual shops, would acknowledge that fact.

Nor is it in the best interest of local brewers to completely ignore the local brew shop, and I have received acknowledgement of that from discussions with a rep from one of the online shops. No, I won't tell you which one, as I have some respect for the confidentiality and don't wish to spoil our discourse. and openness.

Fact: Homebrewers, typically, are a bunch of tight-arses, as is evidenced in many threads here and on all the other forums.
The flipside is that a brewshop owner is a bit of a zealot, going about the business (most often with enough margin to eke out a living) mainly due to their love of the craft. At the end of the day, most go home completely beer-fatigued and don't have time to brew, or just couldn't be shagged about it.

Before you go disrespecting your lhbs for the level of cost, energy, commitment and level of involvement, just think of your commitment level. Are you willing to support your local shop, or are they just not worthy? Could you do the same job?

As has been mentioned here, other forums and at the ANHC just gone: all-grain homebrewers are not that big a percentage of the market. Maybe the lack of your business might not make a dent on the local shop's bottom line.
If the shop doesn't look after you, they may be lacking commitment to all their customers and they will disappear eventually.

It's freedom of choice, and I'm happy to strongly state that my lhbs looks after me, and supports the local brewing community at all levels. That may be by not stocking the bits that will sit on the shelf because people can buy them from the supermarket, and that frees up space for the stuff that we will use.
My lhbs does a fair bit of research into what is actually "good value" (for example, the Weyermann Premium pils) and stocks quite a range of grain, well-refrigerated and vac-packed hops and impeccable product knowledge.

This rant is not about "my shop" being better than "your shop". However it is a statement of the level of commitment of the really good shops and why they should be supported...and when they answer a question, give some thought and respect. They have probably given the best possible answer, so don't dismiss it out-of-hand as I have seen here in the past.

Your lhbs: Use it or lose it!

Perhaps this diatribe is a testament to just how tired, yet inspired I am after coming back from the ANHC early this morning.
Whew, time for a beer
Now, what Have I got that I can force down after all the great beer I sampled this weekend. It's a hard act to follow.

Well said Les.

i just bought my latest kit ingredients and it ended up costing me $37 all up, that's only for 19 litres of beer. So not that cheap

I got
1x Morgans Wheat goop
1x Coopers wheat liquid malt
1x SafBrew SB06 yeast

37 dollars is a lot for one brew. starting to wonder if that is even worth it from the brewshop?

It sounds like you should save your time and money and get a case of "Hammer n Tongs"

Steve

 

[raven19]

I've used Brad and Phil a couple of times, stagga. Good blokes, good service, and good advice. But the brewshop itself isn't going anymore. The guys are still operating from their website, and under a differant name. http://stillbrewing.com.au/

For me, now that Beerbelly has moved, he's just 10 minutes up the road, and as I have to drive right past his door on a regular basis anyway, convenience wins out for me.

+2 for Grumpys back when I started home brewing many years ago. Yet to get to beerbelly, but it sounds like the place to be in Adelaide...