[BrewBama]

I haven’t used NB in a while, and given the recent changes in mgmt, I thought I’d give em another shot.

The website has always been easy to use, the selection is outstanding, and the free shipping is attractive but it took 14 daze to receive my package. Upon inspection, two pounds of the grain I ordered was not included. After contacting them, they sent another package. The two pounds of grain showed up in four daze or so.

However, I just sent this note to them concerning today’s brewday:

“I recently ordered two oz of East Kent Goldings from you. When I weighed the contents of the packages neither were a full oz.

I realize scales can be off so I checked the qty on three different scales and the heaviest of either package on any scale was .9 oz.

I also realize .1 + oz light per package in a 5 gal batch will probably be undetectable, but the fact remains that I believe I did not get what I paid for: two full oz of hops.

Given the fact that my order was short two pounds of grain that you had to resolve and now to find out it was also light makes me begin to rethink using Northern Brewer in the future.”

We’ll see how they resolve this.


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[narvin]

So they repackage their hops?

[BrewBama]

Yes. They repack grains, too. I didn’t check the weight on the grain.


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[denny]

So they repackage their hops?

AFAIK, most do repackage.

[narvin]

So they repackage their hops?

AFAIK, most do repackage.

As far as I have experienced, most don't.  All of the LHBS around here, as well as Morebeer, have the prepackaged bags now in 1oz and 1 pound.  I'd rather not have an intermediary repacking with what is likely not as good oxygen purging practices.

Edit: Actually not sure about MoreBeer, I thought I had thrown a few ounces of hops on a recent order but it looks like I didn't.

[denny]

So they repackage their hops?

AFAIK, most do repackage.

As far as I have experienced, most don't.  All of the LHBS around here, as well as Morebeer, have the prepackaged bags now in 1oz and 1 pound.  I'd rather not have an intermediary repacking with what is likely not as good oxygen purging practices.

Edit: Actually not sure about MoreBeer, I thought I had thrown a few ounces of hops on a recent order but it looks like I didn't.

Interesting. Both HBS here buy in bulk and repackage.  So does Brewcraft on a larger scale.

[narvin]

So they repackage their hops?

AFAIK, most do repackage.

As far as I have experienced, most don't.  All of the LHBS around here, as well as Morebeer, have the prepackaged bags now in 1oz and 1 pound.  I'd rather not have an intermediary repacking with what is likely not as good oxygen purging practices.

Edit: Actually not sure about MoreBeer, I thought I had thrown a few ounces of hops on a recent order but it looks like I didn't.

Interesting. Both HBS here buy in bulk and repackage.  So does Brewcraft on a larger scale.

It probably does save money for bigger stores.  Not a deal breaker but if they're shorting you 10% that's no good.

[Slowbrew]

I haven't had any issues like you describe, yet.  The thing that has been bugging me is the shipping timeframe.  I submitted an order of 4 items that are prepackaged and should just be packed and shipped on Monday.  It wasn't shipped until last night.  Three days to ship an order in this day and age? 

I will admit the package is supposed to arrive today and that I don't have an urgent need for the items but the delay seems odd.  The last order was the same timeline.

I can understand waiting to ship liquid yeast until Monday if ordered on a Thursday or Friday (at least in the summer) because of hot trucks and all.  I don't really want to complain but other sites don't have built in shipping delays.  It would easier to understand if they stated it when you place the order.

Paul

[Bob357]

All of the hops I've gotten from MoreBeer were pre packaged and labeled by Artisan Hops, which is a MoreBeer trademark according to a search I recently did.

[denny]

All of the hops I've gotten from MoreBeer were pre packaged and labeled by Artisan Hops, which is a MoreBeer trademark according to a search I recently did.

Which says to me they buy in bulk and repackage.  It makes no economic sense to do otherwise.

[BrewBama]

It probably does save money for bigger stores.  Not a deal breaker but if they're shorting you 10% that's no good.

+1. I can only hope the shortage was unintentional and not a routine practice.

It reminds me of the story JZ tells in BCS, ‘No Short Measure’.   Interestingly, I was brewing an ESB based on his recipe when I came across the ‘short measure’.


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[narvin]

All of the hops I've gotten from MoreBeer were pre packaged and labeled by Artisan Hops, which is a MoreBeer trademark according to a search I recently did.

Which says to me they buy in bulk and repackage.  It makes no economic sense to do otherwise.

It all really depends what the markup is by the distributor.  It's not like the grocery store is buying 55 lb bags of M&Ms and breaking them down into ziplock bags for resale.  The big hop companies are already taking their bulk product and packaging it in 1 or 2 oz bags for the consumer, and depending on their volume it just might not be worth their time and effort for the store to do it themselves.  For MoreBeer I'm sure it is, for other stores maybe not.

[jeffy]

All of the hops I've gotten from MoreBeer were pre packaged and labeled by Artisan Hops, which is a MoreBeer trademark according to a search I recently did.

Which says to me they buy in bulk and repackage.  It makes no economic sense to do otherwise.

It all really depends what the markup is by the distributor.  It's not like the grocery store is buying 55 lb bags of M&Ms and breaking them down into ziplock bags for resale.  The big hop companies are already taking their bulk product and packaging it in 1 or 2 oz bags for the consumer, and depending on their volume it just might not be worth their time and effort for the store to do it themselves.  For MoreBeer I'm sure it is, for other stores maybe not.

This is one thing that my local store does that I don't like.  They buy in bulk and then weigh and package into one ounce mylar sealed packages, which are put into the refrigerator.  They look as if they're well cared for.  The problem is that the bulk hop bag is then not particularly well sealed and stuck back into another fridge.  No marking is evident for the harvest year and I suspect the bulk bags are getting oxidized.
So I have been buying by the pound from Hop Heaven and keeping the packages vacuum sealed and in my own freezer.

[Bob357]

I agree jeffy. The only time I don't buy pound packages is if it's a hop I seldom use. Most everything else I get from Yakima Valley Hops. I have bought pound packages from MoreBeer when I overlooked including a variety in my YVH order and need some quick.

[tommymorris]

All of the hops I've gotten from MoreBeer were pre packaged and labeled by Artisan Hops, which is a MoreBeer trademark according to a search I recently did.

Which says to me they buy in bulk and repackage.  It makes no economic sense to do otherwise.

It all really depends what the markup is by the distributor.  It's not like the grocery store is buying 55 lb bags of M&Ms and breaking them down into ziplock bags for resale.  The big hop companies are already taking their bulk product and packaging it in 1 or 2 oz bags for the consumer, and depending on their volume it just might not be worth their time and effort for the store to do it themselves.  For MoreBeer I'm sure it is, for other stores maybe not.

This is one thing that my local store does that I don't like.  They buy in bulk and then weigh and package into one ounce mylar sealed packages, which are put into the refrigerator.  They look as if they're well cared for.  The problem is that the bulk hop bag is then not particularly well sealed and stuck back into another fridge.  No marking is evident for the harvest year and I suspect the bulk bags are getting oxidized.
So I have been buying by the pound from Hop Heaven and keeping the packages vacuum sealed and in my own freezer.

I think the lesson here is to buy your hops from Hop Heaven. I really believe they taste better and the packs are definitely not under weight.