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Author Topic: When a LHBS Gets It Wrong  (Read 2286 times)

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Re: When a LHBS Gets It Wrong
« Reply #15 on: January 06, 2018, 10:43:10 am »
I have two stores within 25 miles that carry brewing supplies as a sideline.  One is a restaurant supply store and the other is a agricultural coop.  Both have limited choice of brands and staffs with limited knowledge of brewing.

The one I patronize the most does keep yeast packets and hops in a refrigerator; the other does not.

I have become a "regular" at a small local brewery tap room and they are very supportive of home brewers. They will sell you full sacks of any malt at good prices ($42.50 for a 50-lb bag of pale ale malt and no shipping) and sometimes depending on which employee you are talking to less than full sacks. 

Twice I've got stuff for free.  Once I needed some brown malt for a porter I wished to brew and neither of the LHBS had it.  I went out to the brewery and they gave me about three pounds for free.  Of course I had two pints which I paid for to celebrate not having to order the brown malt online and wait for delivery.

And about two weeks ago I was drinking at the same table with the brewery's owner and mentioned I needed some Munich malt.  We went out to the grinding room and he gave me the remnants of an open bag with about 20 lbs in it for free. 

Needless to say the brewery is my first option for malts.
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline Wilbur

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Re: When a LHBS Gets It Wrong
« Reply #16 on: January 06, 2018, 04:25:32 pm »
Still gonna stick with my LHBS. I like to see before I buy and have a relationship,  but the whole business is getting squeezed it seems. Stevie, are you contributing to the problem? Mom & Pop getting steamrolled by The Man?  ;)
[Hey, glad YOU came through the fire.]
I’d support local if the prices were fair. $80 for a sack of weyermann pils is outrageous. Many of the specialty malts are over $2. Plus it’s 45 minutes away.
One has all malts prepackaged by the pound for $3/lb. Hops unrefrigerated. White labs yeast vials (circa 2015!)

The other is a hydroponics shop that's probably going out of business. Reasonable prices, not great selection, but enough to brew most styles. I'm hoping business picks up for this one.