What would you like to see in a brew shop

[Kay]

Hi my name is Kay and I've just started managing a brew shop, I'm absolutely loving it and the customers are a great bunch. My question is what do people want to see in a brew shop other than the usual products? I have a few ideas but would love to hear what you guys have to say, thanks and I look forward to your responses.

 

[madpierre06]

Wider range of yeasts, particularly more exotic beasties. Keeping in mind that chain HBS's seem to be usually tied to supply/brand agreements, from what I've seen anyways.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Or HBS apart from a few, tend to be focused on supplying distillers and kit brewers.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Decent yeasts

Decent hops




And all stored properly

 

[droid]

Hi Kay, not a bad time to get in considering the Brewery you've got there which will create more awareness of brewing surely. The flip-side being the ease of buying on-line through Melbourne tho

For me shopping locally in Bairnsdale is pretty expensive, the guys are friendly enough but also don't have the knowledge of All-Grain brewing which makes it tough when you want to order grain and they don't know anything about it.

So, I'd like to see an All-Grain brewer in the Local Home Brew Shop, which would mean getting in on some brew days here and there as opposed to being a retailer supplying the od bits and pieces

Good luck and if you haven't done so yet i'd suggest getting to know the crew at the local brewery - as you could help each other out with awareness

 

[DU99]

a good working Web Page helps any store,even run a brew club with the locals

 

[michaeld16]

Being on the north west of tas I would just like to see a brew shop... sorry that's no help

 

[Bribie G]

It's a tough one really, on the one hand you have the likes of Big W selling Coopers tins that undercuts your profits on those lines.
Then at the more skilled level there are large online stores such as sponsors on this forum that supply just about everything except kits, and in a sense they are the "Coles, Woolies and Aldi" of home brewing as opposed to the old corner stores.

Your best weapon is to get a really good knowledge of home brewing so you can be a source of advice, and as suggested above when you sell yeasts and hops, keep them in a display fridge, especially over the Australian Summer.

Maybe you could also find a supply partner who could enable you to sell 25k sacks of grain for a reasonable price.

Hanging out on forums such as this one can also give you a feel for what beer styles and ingredients are popular.

 

[Roosterboy]

Your on the right track asking Kay.

 

[antiphile]

I really like the suggestion that you get to know any local craft brewers and assist in supporting them. It needn't cost you any money at all, but it's often the unseen grapevine and recommendations that puts a business into the black or out of the game.

Then, of course, find out if there's a local home brew group. If not, make yourself available to spawn one. Again, it doesn't necessarily require any monetary support other than a tiny bit of time (though if there's already small flourishing one, a couple of vouchers for various local comps will always return you loyalty and custom), but it's amazing how quickly word gets around unofficially. As an example, I tend to be influenced quite a lot by the opinions of friends initially, which may or may not encourage me to go into their shop. Then, if I go, I can go by my impression of the shop's knowledge and attitude. And for a weirdo like me, I make up mind via the "bullshit-meter". If I think someone knows stuff-all about something and don't say something like "I'm afraid I don't know" or "can I find out for you and let you know next time?" or similar, or think I just crawled out of the gutter* and assume everything I suggest is idiotic*, then it's bzzzzt for me, let's have a new contestant.

Certainly it's true that some people will make purely hard-headed economics-based decisions. Yet IMHO, more people than you'd guess are willing to pay a little more for good service, good advice and an "accepting" culture. And sometimes, that may only mean biting your tongue a little and saying to yourself "it's not the way I'd do it, but this person has some preferences and limitation in equipment and wallet, so lets see how I can give him the best outcome given those limitations".

Finally, don't be surprised if the most obvious looking down and out no-hoper is the person who can really influence other people to make your efforts a success.

PS. This is not only possible, but likely, however I'd like to try to retain just one shred of undeserved dignity.

End of rant.

 

[MartinOC]

"if there's a local home brew group. If not, make yourself available to spawn one."

Gold.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Co2 re-fills.

I don't buy much from my LHBS but I always get my bottle filled there and invariably walk out with something else.

 

[Kay]

Thank you guys there are some great ideas and excellent advice. At this stage we have decided to have a sausage sizzle and tasting night encouraging people to come once a month for a chat, swap some recipes and taste each others brews. Down the track I would love to get some more products in and would love to hear what you the customer would like to see, we have a small range of hops and yeast, and another range we are doing is ready made beer kits, for example if you like "Corona" we would have all the ingredients need to make a beer that tastes like it all in one bag, with instructions on how to make it, we have done the same with spirits too.

 

[Moad]

Social nights are a good idea, variety of ingredients may not be commercially viable as you will struggle to compete with those places that have cheaper prices a d high turnover. Service is where you will win, with knowledgeable staff and friendly service.

It is a tough one, on one hand you have the kits and bits guys that will come in and buy something on the day. Those should be easy to cater for. The guys and girls that have a recipe in mind and just want a cheap price, availability and generally know what they are doing...they are the challenge and that would be most people on This forum. Tasting sessions, bulk buys, kegging gear etc would be how to get more experienced people in. Sponsor a brew club? Provide a few ingredients for brew challenges etc.

 

[DU99]

Clone Kits using Extract never been a favourite,plus it's expensive compared to ALL GRAIN

 

[Judanero]

Some reasonably priced enclosed temp controllers (tagged and tested STC's?) and an emphasis on temp control.

If you can demonstrate to your customers the little effort required and that it will make better beer I think they'll be more likely to return because it's cheap and easy.

I think cater for the "cheap and easy" crowd-while helping them make better beer, but definitely have the knowledge and advice for the more in depth brewers and you won't go wrong. Printed "how to guides" e.g making a starter, when to dry hop might help lift some of the mystery that surrounds this hobby when you first start.

As previously mentioned well stored decent variety of yeast (wet and dry), and fresh well stored hops. You said you had a small variety of hops but even if you had say three to four for each style (Eg UK, Euro US, Aus) it would probably provide enough variety at least initially.

If you took the time you could probably buy some voile and have biab bags sewn up sold for a reasonable price, and with a printed ' how to guide' could probably step people through the transition to cheap all grain aka the slippery slope.

Also a good supply of sodium per carbonate and star san is convenient and necessary when you first start out.

I personally think a lot of the danger with kits to 'make' commercial examples is they almost never taste what the average punter starting out wants them to taste like. I mean if you have a Tooheys NEW kit it will almost certainly NOT taste like NEW- this will turn some people away.. but if you can step them through the small adjustments needed to help the yeast-and use half decent yeast-in the right temperature range, even if it doesn't taste exactly like they're after they may be more inclined to stick with it because the beer will be reasonably good irrespective if it is an exact clone or not.

My 2c.

 

[BJB]

Wider range of yeasts, particularly more exotic beasties. Keeping in mind that chain HBS's seem to be usually tied to supply/brand agreements, from what I've seen anyways.

I agree with madpierre, the problem is we are a minority, and yeasts have a shelf life. No HB shop wants to be stuck with 'out of date' yeasts.

 

[Mardoo]

Here's a vote for well-organised. There's an LHBS here that has everything shelved in no apparent logical order with SFA signs. It's so hard to find things I have to ask the owner - who is on the phone or with a customer 90% of the time - where things are. Good organisation with clear signage can help you deal with the fact you don't have money for endless staffing and therefore help keep customers.

 

[TimT]

Wine brewing material too. Cider and fruit presses, apple mills. Possibly some quality varietal honey, with potential for bulk deals, as it's a product that's good for both mead makers and brewers.

One problem is there are different sorts of brewers - beer brewers don't always interact with wine brewers and vice versa. The two groups are very distinct markets, though they have interlinked skills and much of their material and products interlink too.

Personally I'd love to see a wider selection of old beer brewing herbs at home brew stores - mugwort, yarrow, marsh rosemary, bog myrtle, juniper, even some wild lettuce sap/lactucacarium - but I accept us recreationist weirdos are a very small demographic indeed

 

[Reman]

There are some craft maltsters in Oz, eg. Voyager and I think there was a forum member in Tassie (dead pony?) that was starting out. it would be great to have a place that stocks them as I would be happy to buy!