National Homebrew goes above and beyond once again! Gather around kiddies and let Uncle Meno tell you a tale...
So I placed my regular order online this Monday just past; grains, yeast, hops, new brewtoys - you know the drill and not long after ordering I get a telephone call. It's Martin from the shop and he is telling me that, regretfully, they are out of the Wyeast 2124 liquid yeast I had requested.
"But don't be disheartened" says this hero among brewshop owners, "What are you brewing, Grasshopper? Maybe we can find something else to suit your style."
I tell him that I am chasing the elusive Vienna Lager and he tells me to fear not, MJ M84 yeast will do the job nicely - in fact it is essentially the same strain!
"I'll throw a couple of packs your way in place of the liquid yeast, never mind the difference in price." He reassures me, as though mere money was a distraction to true homebrewers.
He then goes on to give me some tips on my mash temps and fermentation temps to get the most out of the brew, information I lapped up as eagerly as a kitten laps up spilled milk.
At this point I hesitantly bring up the fact I had forgotten to add a kilo of dextrose to my order, not wanting to complicate this order anymore than it already is.
"Dextrose?" he says dismissively, "Never mind the invoice, I'll throw that in the box too, gratis - no problem."
Well needless to say I came away from this interaction, a true example of excellent service, feeling quite chuffed. My lager was saved and I had got some free dextrose thrown in too. 'Thank you very much Martin' thinks I with a contented smile.
My box arrived safe and sound today & I pounced on it like I child on Christmas morning. Upon opening it I discovered that Martin had not just thrown a few packs of M84 yeast my direction but SIX! While he was there he also threw in 3 packs of M44 American Ale yeast too. It was as if he had started grabbing yeast packs from the shelves and just couldn't stop the giving spirit (which dwells deep in every brewers heart) from overcoming him. Let me tell you children, when it comes to yeast right now - I'm riding the gravy train. Oh, the heady extravagance of it!
So when people say to me "Meno, why do you order your gear all the way from Harvey Bay when there are homebrew shops right here in Brisbane? Are you mad?" I just smile and think of my fridge full of yeast, or the good advice I have been given or any number of free throw-ins that Martin has sent my way over the past two years but most of all I think of the great service I get from NHB time after time.
The moral of this story kiddies? Well... Uncle Meno thinks it is that you can buy brew gear in lots of places but excellent service from people that really know their stuff, like NHB do, is a much rarer commodity.
Thanks again Martin and thanks to your helpers too. I never forget why I shop with you, sir!
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