WARNING: If You Do Not Support Your LHBS It Will Close.

Northern Brewer and Midwest.

 

I use an online store that feels like (the good aspects) of a LHBS. It's probably >200 miles away (Bay Area) but the free shipping on >$59 orders keeps me coming back even though their prices aren't fantastic on a lot of items. My orders almost always arrive the next day. I wouldn't hesitate to order liquid yeast from them...except this week .

 

Barry, I am pretty sure that we shop from the same place except that I select to have my items shipped from their PA location.

Same for me as well.

My LHBS is about a 30-40 minute drive and the principle route there is a toll road. If it was more convenient to me I would shop there more often.

I have been very happy with our online vendor.

Cheers!

 

Jack, you must be referencing Morebeer, but that's not my HBS (most of the time)...but good guess ...it's not Williams anymore either except for dry yeast).

 

Keystone is a great LHBS. The best I've ever been to. They are quick and the people they have working there are very knowledgeable and helpful. Prices are on point too. Usually slightly cheaper than online for hardware.

I'm usually pretty critical of most retail businesses but these guys have the LHBS format really dialed in. Hopefully Amazon doesn't try to take them out too. I always enjoy sampling some of the homebrews they have on deck while waiting for grains.

I also prefer buying liquid yeast cold and keeping it cold in a cooler in my car. Those cold packs that online stores use lose their chill pretty quick, especially in the summer months.

 

Interesting that they both you the same free shipping for orders over $59. I suppose it is a competition thing.

Anyhow, I have been ordering from MoreBeer since the fall of 2015 and I have been pleased with them.

Cheers!

 

Well, for you, Jack it makes sense. Morebeer has a PA warehouse that is fairly close to you. On the other hand I have a relative who owns a HBS in Santa Rosa, CA that hooks me up with beer shwag almost every order while his wife draws smiley faces on my receipts cheers

 

I want to support my LHBS but I'm not wealthy enough to pay the exorbitant prices. I brew a lot when I brew and I need to buy in bulk and I need the cheaper prices.

I would like to know which online stores are AB owned to avoid them but I can't fully support local homebrew shops. I buy things I need last minute there but if I'm planning it out, I'm going online.

Also from my understanding our local homebrew shop turned off the local homebrew club by trying to go behind their back to get a local brewery to stop providing them with grain orders. Not very cool. You should be giving discounts to the homebrew clubs, supporting them, creating a synergy, not trying to sabotage them.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't actually used that feature on the site before. One of those results is the store I mentioned that is now a brewery (Mountain Man), and 5 of the others are just too far away. I've actually been to Bonded by Bottles (one of the best bottle shops in the state) but the last time I was in they did not have any brew supplies as the store is still pretty new, and the plan is to add homebrew supplies later. But the Charleston one is doable, if the info is up to date. I will have to check it out next time I am in Charleston.

 

Also have started going there. I'm happy with it so far. Spend $60 and get a free pack of yeast with a Homebrewers Association membership, I'll take it. Been happy with the selection and fine with the prices.

I'm fine paying a little more to support a local business, but there is obviously a line. That said, I don't typically use my LHBS for any sort of advice, I would hope they were knowledgeable though.

 

Make sure u download the Perka app. At 500 points you get ten percent off an order. That's usually when I get a bag of base malts

 

Thanks for reminding me. They mentioned it the first time I was in - will check it out. I've litterally only been there three times, was using Home Sweet Homebrew on occasion (I work in Philly, so it's conveneient but a pain to lug bags on the train) and before that mostly Brew Your Own Bottle in Westmont .

 

Ya sad what happened in collingswood brew your own bottle. He was a really nice guy. This place is nice. Where in jersey do you live. I'm in hammonton. Berlin is 25 minutes for me.

 

Down south west from Deptford, town called Gibbstown (not to be confused with Gibbsboro), so Keg and Barrel is a bit of a drive for me but not really any other options in South Jersey.

I was just in your neck of the woods this past weekend, drove down to Hammonton after picking up some ingredients and hit Three 3s and Toomfoolery brewing.

 

Always go to the LHBS and with the 10% off for AHA members their prices are always competitive. It also helps that it is just a couple miles away. Their employees have a wide range of experience but they're always friendly and willing to talk homebrewing which is sometime giving me ideas and sometimes me giving them ideas.

 

This makes a lot of sense to me. At least in theory, a brewery/HBS could turn over its inventory of grains etc. much faster than a typical HBS, keeping everything nice and fresh. Whereas when you walk into a typical HBS to buy a specialty grain that only ever gets used in small quantities, you have to wonder how long the grain has been sitting around. Same logic could potentially apply to things like coriander—if the brewery makes a wit, then the coriander in the store could be relatively fresh (assuming the business sets it up to work that way). With hops it probably doesn't matter as much, and of course breweries don't use homebrew quantities of yeast. (Although, in theory a brewery could sell you a pitch of super-fresh yeast from its own fermenters... that is actually kind of an interesting idea, assuming you want the same strain of yeast. Just bring a sanitized container, take home a super-fresh pitch of yeast with no need for a starter...)

 

Yeah, benzene will kill anything . I thought it (the 15%) was a surfactant

 

My LHBS is 40 minutes away and has consistently had the same problems. Crappy selection in stock, expired liquid yeast (by 6 months or greater), terribly misinformed (basically thinks all dried yeasts are the same and it doesn't matter which one you use). Doesn't understand the importance of pitching temp, or fermentation temps, generally not a friendly person. Poor storage practices of grains. I started using online suppliers in the region I live because they were the antithesis of the store, and provide very fast, and cheap shipping.