Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Where do you get your stuff  (Read 3293 times)

Offline Chris C

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 21
Where do you get your stuff
« on: March 27, 2020, 12:25:14 pm »
My homebrew store is closing indefinitely tomorrow.  Where do you get your stuff online?  Do Kits seem to work well?  Is it time for me to buy something to crush my grains and just get things individually?  I'm kinda freaking out to be honest!  HELP!  I NEED BEER!!!

Offline KellerBrauer

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 808
  • Bottoms Up!
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2020, 12:34:56 pm »
I buy all my supplies from Chicago Brew Werks:

www.ChicagoBrewWerks.com

Their prices are reasonable, they have a massive selection of grain and hops.  They have transitioned into on-line sales only and will ship.  I haven't done a kit in about 6 years, so cant help with that.  I have my own mill and i recommend one if you pan on brewing a lot.
Joliet, IL

All good things come to those who show patients and perseverance while maintaining a positive and progressive attitude. 😉

Offline TANSTAAFB

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 198
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2020, 12:38:13 pm »
If you are in the financial position to pick up a mill (good ones like the Cereal Killer or Barley Crusher are usually available for around $100) and can buy grains in bulk that is a great upgrade to your brewing setup and helps support your local shop. I just placed a $150 order with my LHBS that I'll pick up this afternoon. 55# of 2 row, 10# Munich, some flaked this and that, 1# of Cascade hops, some yeast. Then I can make it up as I go along! What I would have paid in shipping is now staying in my community

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


Offline Chris C

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 21
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2020, 12:38:36 pm »
I buy all my supplies from Chicago Brew Werks:

www.ChicagoBrewWerks.com

Their prices are reasonable, they have a massive selection of grain and hops.  They have transitioned into on-line sales only and will ship.  I haven't done a kit in about 6 years, so cant help with that.  I have my own mill and i recommend one if you pan on brewing a lot.

What do you use for a mill?  My search online seems to run anywhere from $30-$3000.  I'd want something affordable but reliable!

Offline Chris C

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 21
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2020, 12:39:03 pm »
If you are in the financial position to pick up a mill (good ones like the Cereal Killer or Barley Crusher are usually available for around $100) and can buy grains in bulk that is a great upgrade to your brewing setup and helps support your local shop. I just placed a $150 order with my LHBS that I'll pick up this afternoon. 55# of 2 row, 10# Munich, some flaked this and that, 1# of Cascade hops, some yeast. Then I can make it up as I go along! What I would have paid in shipping is now staying in my community

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Read the first post.......

Offline KellerBrauer

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 808
  • Bottoms Up!
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2020, 12:42:25 pm »
I buy all my supplies from Chicago Brew Werks:

www.ChicagoBrewWerks.com

Their prices are reasonable, they have a massive selection of grain and hops.  They have transitioned into on-line sales only and will ship.  I haven't done a kit in about 6 years, so cant help with that.  I have my own mill and i recommend one if you pan on brewing a lot.

What do you use for a mill?  My search online seems to run anywhere from $30-$3000.  I'd want something affordable but reliable!

I have a Barley Crusher with a 15 pound hopper i bought on sale for $125.

Edit: I actually bought it through the BeerSmith website several years ago.  If you're not already signed up, I suggest adding your name to their email list.  Maybe Brad will have another sale soon.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2020, 12:45:52 pm by KellerBrauer »
Joliet, IL

All good things come to those who show patients and perseverance while maintaining a positive and progressive attitude. 😉

Offline TANSTAAFB

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 198
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2020, 12:42:53 pm »
I did. Just saying if your local shop is closing tomorrow,  can you buy stuff from his shop before it closes.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6052
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2020, 12:55:16 pm »
I buy from MoreBeer, NortherBrewer, Great Fermentations, Label Peelers, etc.

The mill I have is a JSP MaltMill but you can’t get them anymore. There are number brands that you can get thru the online sites.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Offline Slowbrew

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2857
  • The Slowly Losing IT Brewery in Urbandale, IA
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2020, 02:05:01 pm »
I was where you are last Fall when the last LHBS in Des Moines closed it's doors.  It was tough situation.

I was lucky enough to have family business in Omaha and I found Patriot Brewing in Elk Horn, NE (now a suburb of Omaha) and they were open on Sundays.  I picked up what grains I needed for close to a year of brewing. 
I now buy hops in bulk from Yakima Valley Hops, good prices, great selection. 
I've picked up liquid yeast and miscellaneous crystal malts and adjuncts from RITEBREW.COM, good prices on yeast, good selection of malts and quick shipping (not free shipping but reasonable).
If I need something more specific, I shop around on a large number of good online shops for the best deals.

My mill is a Monster Mill MM3.  Works very well but could have easily gotten an MM2 also.

Hopefully your LHBS can reopen fairly quickly.  It kind of suks to not have anything local.  It can be managed by doing some early planning and giving up some spontaneity.

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline Village Taphouse

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2327
  • Ken from Chicago
    • The new Mayfair Court Brewhouse
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2020, 05:03:07 pm »
I have 2-3 decent local shops.  For larger buys I really like Label Peelers especially for malt.  I can get a 55-pound sack of malt from them delivered to my door for less than it would cost me to buy the same thing locally.  No, they don't have every malt you could want so you have to look to see what they have.  The run specials often which lower the price further.  My best hops have been coming to me from Yakima Valley Hops and when they have specials you can get great vacuum-sealed and O2-purged hops for $5 - $8 a pound.  Another great source is Brewrite.  Their prices are good and their shipping is fast. 
Ken from Chicago. 
A day without beer is like... just kidding, I have no idea.

Offline M-O-O-N That spells beer!

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 165
  • South Jersey
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2020, 05:57:52 am »
I shop from Adventures In Homebrewing, Love2Brew and Northern Brewer. The grain mill I have is the Cereal Killer from AIH (homebrewing.org), it's about $99 and free shipping.

Cheers!
Na zdrowie!

Offline YetiBrewsIt

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2020, 07:09:58 am »
I was lucky enough to have family business in Omaha and I found Patriot Brewing in Elk Horn, NE (now a suburb of Omaha)...

Was browsing the forums this morning when I saw this from Slowbrew about Patriot Homebrew Supply.  That is my LHBS and that store is absolutely wonderful.  In the future I hope to find a good one like Patriot in Northern Virginia if I have to move this Summer.

I've only been brewing for a couple of years and I'm the classic "start small" and then "scale up" kind of guy.  I've shopped with Northern Brewer and still really like them.

This is my first post and I also want to say thanks to the folks on this site.  The amount and quality of advice on here is a gold mine for newer brewers like myself.

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2020, 08:05:07 am »
Usually in person at AiH, now will do online.

First order came in from Hop Craft near Saginaw MI. O had to try Crisp Chevallier. They carry many grains that AiH doesn't. Think small hardware store vs big box.

If I'm in Indy I stop at Great Fermentation, they have Brewtan-B on the shelf.

Bell's has some things I stop in for. Imperial's line of yeast, including Bell's house yeast. Bell's selected hops are available.

More Beer and Williams have some special items I have ordered. I might order from Northern Brewer again.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Kevin

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 726
  • Great beer. Less work. More fun.
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #13 on: March 28, 2020, 08:07:38 am »
My LHBS is also closed but they've always sold online and continue to do so. I just bought ingredients for an ESB Tuesday night and they were on my front porch yesterday morning. Awesome customer and community support from these guys. I wouldn't buy anywhere else. www.hopcraftsupply.com
“He was a wise man who invented beer.”
- Plato

Offline Visor

  • Brewmaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 753
Re: Where do you get your stuff
« Reply #14 on: March 28, 2020, 10:12:25 am »
  Where to buy largely depends on where you're located. I'm a bazillion miles away from everything, the nearest LHBS is about 300  miles away. I buy almost everything from More Beer and some from Williams. In the past buying bulk grain was the cheapest way to go, last time I did that, with the shipping the bagged grain cost more per # than the stuff I bought by the pound. I found it interesting that although their CA warehouses are only a few miles apart, the bulk shipping rates from Williams were about 1/3 lower than MB. My most recent order a couple weeks ago the best price was for 10# bags with free shipping, hell if they want to give a discount after going to the labor of bagging grain up into 10# lots I'm cool with that.
  I've found that NB & Midwest's prices just aren't competitive with MB and to a lesser extent Williams and bulk shipping is higher, the only time I buy from them is when it's something the other guys don't carry, caramel rye being a good example. If I had a LHBS within a reasonable distance I'd be willing to pay a bit more to keep them in business and handy, hell, if there was one I'd probably start using liquid yeast for some brews. Sadly that's not an option here.
I spent most of my money on beer, tools and guns, the rest I foolishly squandered on stupid stuff!