National Homebrew

[yum beer]

My first order came the other day, quick service, great communication, well packaged.
Haven't cracked the hops yet but will later in the week and see how they are.

Certainly want be my last order.
Cheers NHB

 

[menoetes]

I ordered on Wednesday, here on Thursday and you don't get much quicker than that.

They didn't have the yeast strain I wanted but Martin called me immediately once he discovered this offering me an exchange or credit. Excellent customer service as always.

I even got the pleasant surprise of a free 35g sampler of hops. I swear, these guys are so much better and cheaper than my LHBS that even with the added postage (also cheap) my shopping bill comes out lower and I come away happier.

Thanks again NHB.

Oh, and I just started reading the beer blog, love it :lol:

 

[lukiferj]

Thanks Martin (and co). Another order arrived today that was just placed on Monday night and paid for yesterday morning. Great service, great prices and great range. Love that I can decide as late as Wednesday what I need and still be able to use it on the weekend. Great job guys.

 

[TheWiggman]

It would be remiss of me to not mention my recent experience with NHB.
I talked a friend into using them for an order, and got him to put in a recipe for me as well. This bloke lives in the sticks outside of Orange. The package got lost in the mail and I PMed Martin to see if it could be followed up as the other bloke only used e-mail.

Long story short he kept in touch with me throughout and chased up numerous times with the freighting companies and we were well and truely dicked around by them (couriers). He chased up alternative couriers in the meantime and came back to me with his difficulties. After a few weeks - even though the package had not dissappeared for long enough to be claimed as 'lost' - he arranged another package to be sent to my address. He notified me on a Sunday. Twice, following delivery, he asked if the package had arrived to get a feel for the timing of postage to the Central West region. When it turned up I found an extra pack of Target with 'FOR TESTING ONLY' written on it.
In the meantime the original package got found and delivered. I told Martin this, offering payment for the second delivery, and noted the yeast had swollen and looked like it had been mishandled. He said it was their choice to ship it, don't worry about it, and stated that 1056 was a very gassy yeast. He even remembered what yeast I ordered (and he was right, the pack hadn't been smacked).

I can't say I've ever received better, more personal service anywhere. And out of sheer coincidence I needed Target for my Barleywine I have planned. Despite the delivery dramas, they still have a stable customer.

 

[Forever Wort]

It's a tricky business proposition: webstores rely on so many other services which can "taint" their brand. It's all about how the store deals with the customer in the face of said unknowns.

I agree that NHB has a handle on it in that regard.

:beer:

 

[wynnum1]

If sending parcels take a photo before sending to record day and address because if you make a mistake like wrong number easy to verify good to have when lost.The courier company is only as good as the one who delivers and there can be isolated poor service.

 

[menoetes]

I see National Homebrew has the 15kg growlers of Briess Liquid Malt back on offer. I bought one of the Pilsen variety several weeks ago and it's some of the finest (and by far the cheapest) liquid malt I have found. Good value @ $4.60 a kilo and the postage was very reasonable too. I highly recommend it for us kit and extract brewers - just leave some for me, eh guys?

 

[wynnum1]

What is the container like can it be used.

 

[menoetes]

Just like in the picture on the website, it's a big squarish bottle with a handle on top, a big opening too. I've not had trouble pouring from it, though if you want an exact measure you probably won't get it from your first pour. 15kg is a bit hefty but not unmanageable and it gets lighter the more you use it .

 

[zeddy1234]

Great Job! I accidentally paid for the order three times, I wish I had that kinda cash. Martin let me know refunded money and received order a day after placing it! Awesome.

 

[menoetes]

I ordered grains, malt & yeast late Tuesday and received it early Thursday, all in very good time. I picked myself up another 15kg growler of Briess Liquid malt for $69. That's $4.60 a kilo and I don't know where to buy better value than that. Only at National Homebrew; great value and excellent service. Cheers again Martin & Co!

 

[Forever Wort]

Thanks again to the excellent team at National Home Brew for replacing an item broken in transit promptly - and with a smile!

 

[menoetes]

"While an urn is getting it's fancy pants on, you could run a mower around the yard, or wash the windows thus gaining valuable brownie points."

Lol, I love your blog Martin.

Say; your Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone link is lacking a PDF. I've seen a few recipes around for that clone but I was more interested in seeing your own as it seems a to be given that you test all your recipes before posting. Your Twin Galaxy blonde looks good too though I was a little surprised that you used coopers commercial yeast in it.

At first I thought an American ale yeast would be the go for that kinda brew but I've just started playing with that Coopers yeast myself and I am pleasantly surprised how well it work in fruity brews. I think you're onto a good thing there and it's on my list of brews to make shortly now I'm making my way into AG...

 

[DU99]

:icon_offtopic: made the blonde galaxy used flowers for dry hopping and MJ west coast yeast.very nice beer will add to "do again " list..

 

[HBHB]

"While an urn is getting it's fancy pants on, you could run a mower around the yard, or wash the windows thus gaining valuable brownie points."

Lol, I love your blog Martin.

Say; your Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone link is lacking a PDF. I've seen a few recipes around for that clone but I was more interested in seeing your own as it seems a to be given that you test all your recipes before posting. Your Twin Galaxy blonde looks good too though I was a little surprised that you used coopers commercial yeast in it.

At first I thought an American ale yeast would be the go for that kinda brew but I've just started playing with that Coopers yeast myself and I am pleasantly surprised how well it work in fruity brews. I think you're onto a good thing there and it's on my list of brews to make shortly now I'm making my way into AG...

Fixed that pdf issue mate. It's a favourite recipe that one. Nearly always on tap or in the rotation.

None of the recipes on there will be untried. Indeed, most have been developed over several brews and tweeked to get what I was looking for.

The Coopers yeast is IMHO probably the best choice for the style & brings a certain light bready note into the equation with that Twin Galaxies Blonde. It's a summer fav at our place - not too much, not too little, but just right.

:icon_offtopic: made the blonde galaxy used flowers for dry hopping and MJ west coast yeast.very nice beer will add to "do again " list..

Yeah, I know, I'm out of flowers myself. The key I found is to dry hop them cold for best results.

More flower variety soon.

Martin

 

[Bridges]

Good recipes, is it just me though or is there no yeast specified on most of them?

 

[HBHB]

Good recipes, is it just me though or is there no yeast specified on most of them?

Bridges, there should be notes on them, but can check the brew logs and tap in the varieties used and results. Most of these have been brewed with a variety of strains to see what works well and what didn't. There should also be notes on most about what hop schedules have been tried from time to time.

Wil update them from time to time with those results as well.

 

[Bridges]

I noticed it on the newky brown recipe, I've had a couple of goes at this myself, and was starting to research a third go to see where I could get a bit closer to the original. I've used S-04 and was wondering if you'd tried the M03 mangrove jacks uk dark ale yeast in particular. I checked out a couple of the other recipes too. I'd be keen to hear what you went with on all of them.

 

[HBHB]

I noticed it on the newky brown recipe, I've had a couple of goes at this myself, and was starting to research a third go to see where I could get a bit closer to the original. I've used S-04 and was wondering if you'd tried the M03 mangrove jacks uk dark ale yeast in particular. I checked out a couple of the other recipes too. I'd be keen to hear what you went with on all of them.

Notes for that Newky from the murky depths of shortened notes. Sorry for the poor quality;

S04 – Nice profile
US05 - Plain Jane. Lacks everything English should have dry hopped the shit out of it and made an American brown – don’t redo. (fertiliser)
Nottingham – Will re-do late hops lost a bit. (not bad at all)
1968 London ESB slurry pitch – Nice (compare to the Whitbread again in side by side)
Wyeast Whitbread on 2.2 L starter – Excellent profile
MJ Newcastle Brown – Will Re-do worked nicely. Nice fruity balance
1275 Thames Valley 2 pack pitch– Will redo. comparable ester profile to the MJ M03 (odd) side by side comparo

If anyone needs further notes on those recipes, I'm happy to help, but please just drop me an email so we're not bumping the retailers threads.

 

[Forever Wort]

I received another top notch order from National Homebrew while I was interstate. It was nice to come home to it on my desk.

During said conference the overall retail award went to another Hervey Bay business, so how's that for symmetry. They're doing something right up there.