F.H. Steinbart

F.H. SteinbartF.H. Steinbart
F.H. SteinbartF.H. Steinbart
Homebrew

234 SE 12th Ave
Portland, Oregon, 97214-1321
United States

(503) 232-8793 | map
fhsteinbart.com

Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 1:00pm
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.32
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
23
pDev:
12.96%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by velosuds:
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Reviewed by velosuds from Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
Visited the store late this afternoon before closing. Bought a second fermenting bucket, lid, and airlock. Found what I needed without assistance and by looking around it is evident F.H. Steinbart has the most comprehensive range of supplies, equipment, ingredients, and books of the four homebrew shops I have visited from Corvallis to Portland the past month as I have begun to homebrew. Looks like excellent assistance is available as I observed several interactions between staff and customers. Prices seemed reasonable.
Nov 10, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.16 by South2NW from Oregon

Feb 18, 2016
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Reviewed by aobrehm from Oregon

4.71/5  rDev +9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
The vibe is kind of "meh," but this is a jackpot of a homebrew supply store. Their ingredients are always incredibly fresh (hops, yeast, malt extracts, etc.). Staff is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced. They'll take care of you whether you're an award-winning homebrewer or just looking to get started with your first batch. The reason they've been able to stay in business for so many years in a homebrew-centric market like Portland is because they're the best.
Jun 19, 2015
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Rated by SCW from New York

4.64/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
over the years, inspired countless numbers of homebrewers, and also hook people up for their kegerators....
Jun 03, 2015
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Rated by Dcbelkot from Washington

4.66/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5
Very knowlegable people that work there. you have an idea they will help you build it.
May 28, 2015
 
Rated: 5 by gurumojo from Oregon

Dec 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by anteater from Oregon

Oct 14, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by RedDon from Oregon

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by DuaneKing from Oregon

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by SickBrew from Washington

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by jackmax from Washington

Jun 12, 2014
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Reviewed by gkunkle from Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -5.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5
Just started dewing about 2 months ago with a buddy. We did a little reading then headed over to FH Stienbart where we purchased one of their kits. The older gentleman there was really helpful to a couple of noobs. A couple weeks later we went back to get ingredients for a second batch, we figured out most everything ourselves, but had to ask a couple small questions and one of the guys there didn't seemed less interested. They have a huge selection of ingredients and gear which is awesome. I was amazed by the variety of tools they had available. I think I'll check out some of the other homebrew shops in the area, but I'm pretty sure this location will get most of my patronage.
Feb 17, 2012
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Reviewed by cavemanlawyer from Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -13.2%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I purchased a kegerator conversion kit from Steinbart. They walked me through everything that I needed to know and were responsive to my questions. The installation and conversion went just as planned, in part thanks to the assistance of their staff. They seem to have a lot of events for homebrewers but I have not been to one yet.

This is the place that everyone who brews recommends, with good reason. The staff are almost always on hand waiting to answer your question. They have a good selection of books on homebrewing and winemaking as well. They have a mill to crush grain, and a huge selection of local and international hops.
May 14, 2011
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Reviewed by Schnapsidee from Oregon

4.74/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
I have been to a number of home brew supply stores and this one is hands down one of the best. Their sheer knowledge of the materials and processes makes conversation and ease when it comes to asking questions. Granted i have had a few days where employees were short with me, this was usually on a Saturday at 12:30 when the place is packed with people rushing to buy materials for brewing on Sunday (only open until 1 pm Saturdays/ CLOSED Sundays). I think the ours of operation are totally reasonable but there does tend to be a rush on Saturdays.

They have their own 2 mills that customers are allowed to use which can speed things up if you are the only one there but might move slow if the people in front of you are fooling around or moving the pace of cold honey... They have nearly every item for home brewing that i could possible think of from herbs to wine making materials. They also carry a large array of draft materials in their draft dept. if you need to fill CO2 tanks, build a manafold or fix a keg.

They also hold a variety of wine, beer and mead making demonstrations from month to month that are super useful for starting brewers. Demos are split between extract and all grain sessions to fit your knowledge. Beer is typically served from the previous brew demo and is usually accompanied by food.

This place does an all around good job and while some of their things are a bit pricey they tend to be useful in helping you find it cheaper. When i asked about the cost of high temp hosing, they said their drafting department sold it for $3 a foot, but suggested instead i use Amazon. Things like this give me a lot more confidence in their practices. I have trusted this place with nearly every batch i have made
Mar 08, 2011
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Reviewed by squaremile from Oregon

4.3/5  rDev -0.5%
I am not a homebrewer (just yet) but Steinbart has another wonderful reason for any beer drinker to go: bottles. I like to get growler fills from places in town, but never have the ability or interest to put away 64oz of beer over two days. Steinbart has a wonderful selection of flip top empty bottles that are great alternatives if the place yo buy from will fill them. I got a couple 32oz flip tops and a couple pints as well. Most places are cool with the 32s but complain about the 16s. They have a bunch of full size growlers as well, and of course tons of home brewing stuff.
Jun 01, 2010
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Reviewed by gxm99 from Oregon

5/5  rDev +15.7%
I've been going to Steinbarts consistently over the last 2 years, and they have improved significantly on their two biggest flaws:

1 - Awesome New Mill - the beast from the 70's has been replaced with with a brand new, on the fly adjustable Barley Crusher MicroBrew - http://www.barleycrusher.com/barleycrushermicro.php
Very fast, excellent crush.

2 - Lower grain prices - Their grain prices always seemed on the high end, especially by the pound, and they have recently come down significantly.

The service is very friendly and helpful. Before they lowered grain prices, I'd buy grain elsewhere, and they said "No problem, mill it here". Another LHBS in town wants $3 to mill 10#. Crazy.
They keep reference copies of all the most common brewing books behind the counter, so if you want to look something up, no problem.

The selection is nearly overwhelming. They carry the full Wyeast line, and some White Labs. They have all the grains you might want. I read another review which said "no Maris Otter?", which is odd since I've bought MO there a dozen times.

Mike in the draft department is wonderful. When I was building a kegerator, he spent 20 minutes talking about the pros & cons of different designs, making sure I got what I wanted.

My only cautionary advice is to avoid buying items which aren't brewing specific, such as pots or a spatula. These seem over priced.
Mar 08, 2010
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Reviewed by olympuszymurgus from California

4/5  rDev -7.4%
homebrew store hours will never make sense. but sometimes they work to your advantage. i figured there'd be no way a homebrew store would be open on a monday. it just seemed so unlikely. never have i ever been to one with such a design.
was going to go to brewbros out west but they were closed because we didn't plan well. so this fell into our lap. honestly, i figured there'd be a little more, but still, a lot of quality. many wyeasts (i don't recall seeing any white labs?) but several were out, including some of the fun stuff i would've considered. hop selection was bountiful, still a little expensive for what they're paying for it now, but some stuff had dropped to reasonable prices. i know, i know, they gotta make that paper, boo-boo. anytime i don't see maris otter, i lose a little respect, but they did have the also fabulous golden promise. grain prices decent, certainly not outstanding. but there were some fun specialty grains.
left with a couple pounds of specialty stuff, 10 pounds golden promise, a bag of 2 row, 4 oz of Citra(TM!!).
the gentleman that helped us was very friendly and we bonded very closely over some washington type bullshit.
Feb 02, 2010
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Reviewed by chwilliams from Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
As for selection and price, you can't compete with Steinbarts. They rarely don't have a grain or yeast I want, and if I call ahead a day or three they can get me pretty much any bulk grain I want. Oh yeah, Wyeast is an hour to the east, so they're selection is bar none (and fresh as all hell!) They've also got a great draft department and wonderful staff, and the place is actually clean (unlike some other places).

Ok, here's my only complaint: their hours. How can a LHBS close at 530pm M-F, and Saturday at 1pm? As a result of this, I do waaaay more mail order than I'd like from other vendors because I work an hour and a half away. A lot of folks go to Bader's on Tuesday night because they're open until 8pm, but they're selection is crap compared to Steinbarts. I've complained repeatedly to management, but they don't seem to care.
Sep 27, 2009
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Reviewed by geographie from Oregon

4.85/5  rDev +12.3%
Steinbarts is my local brewshop, and thank goodness! The selection will bring tears to those used to run-of-the-mill shops. The service is quite genial, professional and VERY knowledgeable...almost scarily so. A few of the employees could definitely be brewery consultants. Any random equipment that they don't stock, they are more than happy to procure it for you. Two knocks (as if I could really knock it) would be 1) their grain mill is set waaay too loose, apparently to prevent stuck lauters, but yields a much lower extract. boo & 2) there is one guy who has been a complete [insert nasty adjective] to me a few times, but then other times is nice. They also have brewing demonstrations..this place truly caters to all levels of homebrew prowess. Come here now!!
Feb 07, 2009
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Reviewed by beermebeerman from Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +0.7%
For AG brewers this is the place to go. Self service in the malt section. Extract is a little bit more expensive than I am used to, but the selection is unbeatable. Great for beer/wine/mead making. They also have a great selection of hardware (fermenters, mash tuns, etc). Everything from grain mills to books, corkers to kegs. I will say one negative is the usability of their website. Ordering online is a bit of a chore. Take a trip to the store and you won't wanna leave. The staff is pretty knowledgeable, but I had one guy that may have missed his coffee that morning, as he was a bit rude, but this is forgivable. Great store.
May 28, 2008
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Reviewed by RedDiamond from Oregon

4/5  rDev -7.4%
This is my local, neighborhood brew shop, and I shop here because of the convenience, and because I’ve found their prices better than Let’s Brew. I’m just a DME/mini-mash/stovetop brewer so Steinbart easily surpasses my brewing needs. But they’ve got maybe five-dozen styles of malts and flaked grains in bulk. Some are prepackaged. A number are organic. Chances are if you need it, they’ve got it: books, cleaners, vessels, yeasts, nutrients, etc. They’ve also got wine-making kits, cider presses, roller mills, and a whole back room full of draught beer hardware for service to local bars.

For me, it’s great to know that if I’m prepping for brew day and I suddenly find I need some gypsum, I can just hop on my bike and have it in ten minutes. I’ve never had any issues with the service.
May 27, 2005
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Reviewed by Elemental from Oregon

2.65/5  rDev -38.7%
I really can't stand this place. Everytime I have been into the place, they ignore you and when you finally get some help, they talk to you as if you were a moron. Plus I have found by comparing prices, that they actually overcharge for most things. The only advantage I can see to going Steinbart's is that they have a large selection of hardware. But you can find most of that stuff online anyway.

Bottom line: I make an effort not to go to this place based solely on the service.
Feb 20, 2003
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Reviewed by freed from Oregon

4.05/5  rDev -6.3%
This place is supposed to be "the place to go" for beer supplies, but the several times I've been there, I was treated like I was wearing a shirt that said "your mom sucks like your beer."

Maybe you need to buy in large quantities before they notice you standing at the counter with an armful of equipment and ingredients. The only decent service I got was from the draft equipment guy, but the next time I was there, he was gone. Must have been sacked.

2006 update: This is really the only nearby place now so I've been in about 5 times in the last couple months. I'm generally there early on a weekday and the place is pretty slow - so I've received good service. I'm pleased because the alternative is to drive way out of my way to buy stuff from places that buy their stuff from Steinbart.
Feb 17, 2003
F.H. Steinbart in Portland, OR
Place rating: 4.32 out of 5 with 23 ratings