[zwiller]

I just checked 5 other recipe kits at NB, and they all listed the ingredients just as they always have.

I think the Goose Island kit is an exception, though I know of at least one other.

Nice finding.  Might be just a Goose Island thing. 

[Phil_M]

...What they're selling here is branding, since I doubt you're even getting the same stuff that Goose Island uses.  That's fine for consumers who want that, but too many people are unaware of how marketing works.

Bingo.

[chumley]

As has been pointed out in this thread, there are many brewers and homebrew stores who don't like to give out their recipes.  It seems like NB is getting singled out because of the anti-corporate backlash that is somewhat pervasive here. Statements like "I'll never buy from them again now that they're owned by Inbev!" appears to be a little self-righteous to me, kind of like Gerald Broflovski smelling his farts because he owns a Prius.

Brewers maybe, but homebrew stores?  None that I've visited.

Earlier in this thread, majorvices mentioned that he quit shopping at William's years ago because they don't post their recipes.  I just looked at their site, and looked at their American IPA kit.  The recipe listed is limited to "Includes 8 pounds of blended malt extract, 4 flavoring hop additions, 125 ml of liquid yeast, and corn sugar for carbonation. Makes 5 gallons with a starting gravity of at least 1.053."  Not much more that what NB is providing.

[Stevie]

I'm not buying Betty Crocker brownie mix anymore. She doesn't share her recipes. What a b****.

[narvin]

I'm not buying Betty Crocker brownie mix anymore. She doesn't share her recipes. What a b****.

You're a homebrewer yet you buy brownie mix?  ;-)

[Lazy Ant Brewing]

The thing that really irks me with ABInBev is when I let friends talk me into going to a restaurant where their brands are the only ones served.  I live in SW Indiana which is mostly a desert for good draft with only a very few restaurants that stock good craft on tap.  Very few stock a good brown ale, my favorite, under 6% abv.

In those places I'll drink tea or a soda, and then come home a pop the top on one of my own brown ales or stouts brewed with my own recipes.

That said, I have looked at the ingredient's list from NB as well as BYO recipes and other sources as a starting point for my own creations.

[majorvices]

I'm not buying Betty Crocker brownie mix anymore. She doesn't share her recipes. What a b****.

If you don't see the difference between a convenience factor of making kit brownies instead of learning how to make brownies from scratch as opposed to trying to clone a favorite beer recipe, then you won't ever get it. And, as I mentioned before, the REAL problem I have with Williams and the GI secrecy is that it doesn't provide the home brewer the educational tools to make him or her a better brewer. I don't expect breweries to share their recipes unless they are selling kits to homebrewers. Then it is a different story.

Also, like I said, I';m not going to cut my nose to spite my face. If I really need something from NB I am going to buy it. Thankfully for me I have a pretty well stocked homebrew store within walking distance from the brewery.

[Stevie]

And you're assuming one that buys a kit like this wants to learn about it beyond the process. You don't think some see box mix convenience in a kit like this? Betty's brownies and my scratch brownies are different, yet they are both still brownies and I learned to bake.

[zwiller]

And you're assuming one that buys a kit like this wants to learn about it beyond the process. You don't think some see box mix convenience in a kit like this? Betty's brownies and my scratch brownies are different, yet they are both still brownies and I learned to bake.

Beat me to it.  I know plenty of brewers (and there's probably alot more them than "us") that care less about the kit ingredients and just want to make good beer/brownies quickly and effectively with a minimum of fuss.

[majorvices]

And you're assuming one that buys a kit like this wants to learn about it beyond the process. You don't think some see box mix convenience in a kit like this? Betty's brownies and my scratch brownies are different, yet they are both still brownies and I learned to bake.

Beat me to it.  I know plenty of brewers (and there's probably alot more them than "us") that care less about the kit ingredients and just want to make good beer/brownies quickly and effectively with a minimum of fuss.

Well, that makes absolutely no sense to me. Why not just go buy the commercial beer? If you are that careless as a homebrewer the actual beer is most likely gonna taste better than your half ass homebrew anyway.  Perhaps I'm an over-achiever.

[BrewBama]

....Thankfully for me I have a pretty well stocked homebrew store within walking distance from the brewery.

Stopped by there on the way home for a cool drank and ingredients for this weekend. Sure am glad they opened given the Rebel Brewer announcement.


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[Stevie]

And you're assuming one that buys a kit like this wants to learn about it beyond the process. You don't think some see box mix convenience in a kit like this? Betty's brownies and my scratch brownies are different, yet they are both still brownies and I learned to bake.

Beat me to it.  I know plenty of brewers (and there's probably alot more them than "us") that care less about the kit ingredients and just want to make good beer/brownies quickly and effectively with a minimum of fuss.

Well, that makes absolutely no sense to me. Why not just go buy the commercial beer? If you are that careless as a homebrewer the actual beer is most likely gonna taste better than your half ass homebrew anyway.  Perhaps I'm an over-achiever.

Again, the process.
"Am I doing this brewing thing right? Hey look, a kit of that beer I like. If I can make it taste close, I'll know if I'm doing well. Add-to-cart."

And why is it careless or half assed? Do we need to be like the video below with our ingredients to be full assed and really care?
https://youtu.be/ErRHJlE4PGI

I'm mostly playing devils advocate here. I find the ABI boogeyman outrage ridiculous.

I lost love for northern brewer when some of their products magically had 4.5 star ratings while getting trashed everywhere else. Can't tell me a homebrewer cared enough to complain on a forum/Reddit and not offer an "I'd give it zero stars if I could" rating. That and their ingredient prices have always been pretty outrageous.

[natebrews]

I was a little underwhelmed when I noticed that my poor review of a product disappeared from the review list on NB sometime ago.  I don't care that much, but if you are going to put a comments/reviews section for a product and people who legitimately bought the thing are reviewing it, then own it (good or bad). 

That said, it didn't stop me from buying a couple PET BMBs from them when I had enough of my glass carboys.

Also, I just got my NB and my Midwest catalogs in the mail today.   I wish I knew how to stop that.

[majorvices]

And why is it careless or half assed? Do we need to be like the video below with our ingredients to be full assed and really care?

Because I honestly believe if you don't care about the recipe you should just stick to Mr Beer kits. At that point it's only about the novelty, nothing about judging your skill as a brewer.

BTW: Guess who has never been an ABI hater? Me! I have never been an aniti-ABI guy even though I don't care for much of their business practices. But I think by principle a homebrew shop should give homebrewers a recipe not a bag of grains. OTOH it is their business and they can do whatever they want with it. It's my money and I can do what I want with it. Like I said, I stopped shopping at Williams years ago for the same reason.

[Frankenbrew]

And why is it careless or half assed? Do we need to be like the video below with our ingredients to be full assed and really care?

Because I honestly believe if you don't care about the recipe you should just stick to Mr Beer kits. At that point it's only about the novelty, nothing about judging your skill as a brewer.

BTW: Guess who has never been an ABI hater? Me! I have never been an aniti-ABI guy even though I don't care for much of their business practices. But I think by principle a homebrew shop should give homebrewers a recipe not a bag of grains. OTOH it is their business and they can do whatever they want with it. It's my money and I can do what I want with it. Like I said, I stopped shopping at Williams years ago for the same reason.

I'm with you on this. I also am not a ABI hater. I still enjoy many of their beers, Leffe comes to mind. But, we all know that a business' ultimate goal is always monopolization of its market. And, they can legally monopolize. It is only illegal if it is done by collusion (trusts) or by unfair and illicit practices. Being distrustful of them is only being an adept consumer, and one should do so very critically. I am critical of Northern Brewers practices, such as having one price in their catalogue and another online (I called their attention to this and they said it was changed after their catalogue was printed, but it was not changed in the next catalogue) because not to be may mean limiting my choices as a consumer. I don't use them any more because of their prices mostly but also because I think that using them might ultimately limit my choices.