Ordinary Response Local Home Brew Store

[DU99]

makes you think why some people open a store when there not going to provide decent product's and service. :unsure:

 

[pimpsqueak]

I also only buy emergency supplies at my LHBS. New bottling wand, US05 etc. The good thing is that the dude who runs it has an open mind and I take the occaisional beer in to share with him and talk about how I made it. I reckon he'll be a hardcore BIABer by this time next year

 

[argon]

my LHBS is Craftbrewer's... only 10 mins away. 'spose they're a decent shop

 

[DU99]

i have three LHBS in a 25km area,all are brewer's..

 

[MarkBastard]

makes you think why some people open a store when there not going to provide decent product's and service. :unsure:

Actually this is what it makes me think:

"These guys are so pathetically crap yet they still exist after all of these years, so they must be at least making enough money to survive. Imagine if they did more than the absolute basics, surely they'd make a bit more money? Perhaps owning and operating your own home brew store could actually work, because if these guys can do it then even I could do it better".

 

[Tanga]

Actually this is what it makes me think:

"These guys are so pathetically crap yet they still exist after all of these years, so they must be at least making enough money to survive. Imagine if they did more than the absolute basics, surely they'd make a bit more money? Perhaps owning and operating your own home brew store could actually work, because if these guys can do it then even I could do it better".

Lucky for the Adelaide brewers it made BB Wayne and Nige think the same thing. Otherwise we'd only have Brewcraft. Absolutely dumbfounded by how useless Brewcraft were, and that's when I was only starting out.

 

[Ross]

Actually this is what it makes me think:

"These guys are so pathetically crap yet they still exist after all of these years, so they must be at least making enough money to survive. Imagine if they did more than the absolute basics, surely they'd make a bit more money? Perhaps owning and operating your own home brew store could actually work, because if these guys can do it then even I could do it better".

They exsist because they are a protected species! Company's like Brewcraft who hold the distribution rights to many products will refuse to supply you if you open up within a 30min drive of an exsisting store, regardless of how crap they are.
To this day we still can't buy their products direct - It's a joke!!!

 

[MarkBastard]

They exsist because they are a protected species! Company's like Brewcraft who hold the distribution rights to many products will refuse to supply you if you open up within a 30min drive of an exsisting store, regardless of how crap they are.
To this day we still can't buy their products direct - It's a joke!!!

Yeah that doesn't surprise me either, but I think my LHBS isn't part of a franchise, and neither is another one I'm thinking about in Tweed Heads.

I just can't help but think there's a lot of people out there that would get into real brewing if they just knew about it, and once they do there must be some money to be made in the bigger ticket items that real home brewers spend their money on. I mean the amount of money people here spend is massive compared to extract brewers and even distillers I reckon?

 

[Clutch]

I'm 15 mins from Craftbrewer and I tell ya, I'm tired of Ross and Co. stocking everything I need coupled with good prices and knowledgable staff.
It gets tiresome walking in there on a Saturday morning and walking out 20 mins later with the stuff I needed with no attitude and a "if you get stuck give me a call".

And damn you for putting the Braumeisters right where I have to walk past them too.

 

[big78sam]

All of this sounds exactly like my LHBS. Quotes from the proprietor "B Saaz what's that?" "Liquid yeasts - dont stock them but you can order them in" (I did and he charged me $30 for a wyeast smack pack - triple the craftbrewer price). "I tried grain brewing once but it was too much effort". Still he's a good bloke and it's handy having someone there close for emergencies. My guess is there's not the market for most suburban LHBSs to stock liquid yeasts, and all the different types a grain an AG brewer would want (especially with most of us doing bulk buys or ordering from craftbrewer).

 

[1975sandman]

Same here.

Only have 2 LHBS here and one is a franchise of the other. Good for the "needing stuff now" of certain items eg, US-05 but hopeless at anything else brewing. Only kits and turbo yeast seem to be the biggest sellers.

 

[Bongchitis]

I went into my local the other day for some emergency supplies and asked if he had Amarillo or could get it in. "No such hop exists" was the reply..... no worries mate, see you later, NOT!

 

[mje1980]

**** 12 people were in there??? Everytime I go in there im usually the only person in the store and he stands at his wooden bar come front counter register station waiting for me to hurry up and find $15 worth of crap to buy so I can stop interrupting his daily schedule of doing what he does out the back. I hate going to stores where your made to feel like your annoying them and are an interruption to their day, and that is one of those stores.

That is annoying in any store. If you don't want to run a business, don't run a business hahah. Then when it goes to shit, it's everyone else's fault!!. I have a LHBS 10 mins away, but i'd rather drive 25 mins north if i need stuff. Much better service.

My local has sold me different branded yeast which was wrong on two occasions. The second time i was pretty sure it was wrong, but bought it. Got home, checked the equivalent on the net. Guess what? wrong again. That was it for me!!

 

[Nick JD]

My LHBS has 2007 vintage S04.

 

[going down a hill]

You should stock up, that was a good vintage. Just make a starter from 5 packs and you'll be good to go.

 

[Truman42]

Its not just the HBS that has these small stores that sell things at over inflated prices and have attitude at everything you ask them. I was once into radio controlled helicopters and planes and the Local hobby shop is the same.
He is as dry as the desert, not interested in trying to help you or give you advice except to say I should be ditching my cheaper heli to buy his heli worth $1500 because thats the only one Im going to learn to fly on. He gets annoyed when you walk in there just to buy a $2.00 part because thats all you need.

Only once in all the times I've been there was he actually cheery and nice to me and that was when my missus came in with me and he started joking around about I shouldn't be letting her see how much the hobby costs. I felt like saying, "Well providing I don't buy everything here it doesn't cost me that much anyway"

I'm also into tropical fish and same at some of the local aquariums, they will tell you every fish is compatible just to sell one that you know will die within a week because it doesn't suit your setup. then they try to sell you every single chemical and compound and tell you your fish will all die a horrible death if you dont put this gunk in your tank..NOW..

 

[Nick JD]

I went into a HBS once to buy a kg of LDME. The guy started ranting about brewing and then just picked up a kit can and a can of coopers extract and put them on the counter and looked at me waiting for me to pull out my wallet.

Couldn't believe it.

Just wanted some extract for making starters. I began explaining myself and then thought, **** it - and walked out.

 

[bconnery]

In my early days of homebrewing I thought that some hops were green and some were brown, such was the care and attention payed to them by my former LHBS as they sat in ziploc bags out on the shelf in the store...
They weren't a bad bunch and did help me with some questions, they just really didn't look after their stock outside of spirits and kits...

 

[petesbrew]

Got a country brewer within a 15min drive, and a Dan Murphy's just across the road. Convenient for picking up the odd spec grain, LDME or dried yeast. The guys in there are always happy for a chat.
Getting to the point where I don't need to ask so many questions, but in my beginner days, one guy in there (Beavis?) put me onto the "brewing with the seasons" process. One of the simplest & best bits of advice.

But Dave's @ Nth Sydney always has the goods, and knowledge to back it up.

 

[chunckious]

Getting to the point where I don't need to ask so many questions, but in my beginner days, one guy in there (Beavis?) put me onto the "brewing with the seasons" process. One of the simplest & best bits of advice.

Does this mean in Spring you brew beers for Summer or something?