one supplier or shop around?

[Clint]

Hello all
As the title....do you use a hb shop that has everything, Internet, just off everything place or multiple to get the best deals or that hard to find item?
Looking around the price especially regarding grains,yeast and hops can vary enormously!
I have used one online supplier mainly but that was mainly buying kits and the odd other bits but now I'm looking around as the grain is calling. ..
Personally I would prefer a local well stocked shop even if it meant paying a little extra as I like to get out and about have a chat etc..alas I'm struggling with that where I live..

Cheers



Clint

 

[Gunge]

I used to get everything from one place via the internet. Now I get everything from one place via the internet except yeast which comes from crossmyloof via the er, internet. If there was a store down the road I wouldn't go because no doubt it would be too dear for my tight git mentality and I'm an unsocial bleeder.

 

[sausagefingers]

I have a great homebrew shop in Burnley and I'd be gutted if it closed.It may cost a few pence more than online but it's worth it to me to have somewhere local that I can call in anytime and pick up whatever I want

 

[Bigjas]

If I had a local HB shop that stocked everything I needed then I would use it. My nearest shop is only a couple of miles away but they only really cater for kit brewing. They have small amounts of grain and hops but not what I need. Its a shame as I like to support local business where I can and don't mind paying a bit more for the local shop service. So I end up ordering on the internet shops. I try and get the best deal but I will be loyal to a business with great customer service rather than price.

I would love to own my own HB shop........

 

[Gunge]

My local HBS thinks it's funny to knock out hops at £7 a pack when they're £2.50 ont net, and £8 for 3Kg of pale malt when 25Kg can be had for less than £18 ont net. I could never support that sort of nonsense, even if I wanted to for some zany reason.

 

[Graz]

Essentially whoever is cheapest and therefore usually off the 'net. Don't mind a few £ either way between on-line suppliers as I usually have to order multiple items to get over the £65-£70 threshold for free shipping.

Having not had a local HB shop for years one has opened recently but it's still not hugely convenient for me as it's on the other side of a town from me that is a nightmare for traffic and there's no parking locally when you get there. No idea if they're competitive price wise or not.

 

[Pawlo7671]

My local HBS thinks it's funny to knock out hops at �£7 a pack when they're �£2.50 ont net, and �£8 for 3Kg of pale malt when 25Kg can be had for less than �£18 ont net. I could never support that sort of nonsense, even if I wanted to for some zany reason.

Totally agree, I'm all for supporting a LHBS but I went to one a few years ago and had to drive quite a distance as I dont have one where I live. Insane prices, £17.00 for a coopers kit :-o £8-£12 for a bag of hops.
Its like they'd bought everything online and added a fiver to it.

I tend to get all my stuff from Thehomebrewcompany and buy in bulk to get free postage. Plus I get 5% of thanks to this place :grin:

 

[chub1]

Alas the nearest HBS to me is not great.The guy who owns it doesn't really have much interest so don't use it much at all.
Most of my goods come from Geterbrewed,some from Bigger Jugs and a few bits and bobs from Ebay. Now get my yeast from Crossmyloof via my wifes facebook account.

 

[photek1000]

The LHBS near me is good but not great, so I use that for little odds and sods I need that would be twice the price once postage is added, they are good for the occasional kit brew as well, kit prices are the same as most decent online suppliers, they only do a small selection of Grains and Hops and prices are alright but not great, a good selection of dried yeast and a good price.

Everything else comes from a small variety of on-line shops and eBay depending on who offers the best value for what I need once postage is taken into account.

 

[Clint]

I purposefully didn't want to name suppliers to start with but hoped,if allowed,contributers to this thread,would...
I've used homebrew online, faultless service,malt miller. .again great,and CML..another who have it sorted regarding products;price and service!

 

[Zephyr259]

I have the same issue as Grunge, £7 minimum for hops and the grain is 4 times the price online, £2 for 500g bag and £9 for 3kg. I try and support then as much as I can as their other stuff is OK priced and I've bought enough for an 8L batch as postage would balance it out, but can't justify buying in bulk.

I'm about to buy from geterbrewed which will make an order from all 4 big online retailers. :-)

 

[Brew_DD2]

I have gone between HBC and Geterbrewed but have settled on the latter due to the quality and variety of hops they stock and the flexibility of their custom grain kits. Recently used CML for yeast and hops and they have been superb.

 

[Gerryjo]

Nearest HB shop is Geterbrewed for me which is about 50 mile away and is cheaper to post than drive and I'm also supporting my local HB store, though shall also use THBC and crossmyloof.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

[Slid]

Worcester Hop Shop gets most of my business. My LHBS is fine for what it does, which these days seems to be mainly posh wine kits - all Grape Juice concentrate and Bottled Craft Ales.

 

[dps51]

I always shop around for everything I buy
but if I can get everything I want from one place at a good price then I stay with them
but that if it is every time I need stuff over wise I shop around for best deal
but due to ill health it is must online now

 

[jceg316]

I usually go to GEB to get my stuff, but when I need specific ingredients which aren't the most common, like Calypso hops or something, I tend to look around as it's unlikely one shop will have everything I want. I also look on the sale pages of HBS to get discounted ingredients. Really useful if I want to make a pale ale but have nothing more specific in mind. I can usually find some cheap hops I've never heard of. Same with yeast sometimes.

 

[terrym]

I have no LHBS since it shut down early last year.
So my stuff comes via tinterweb.
I use The Homebrew Shop and the HomeBrewCompany for large orders since prices seem to be very good. The HBS is probably slightly more expensive but stuff comes well packed, unlike my orders from HBC.
I have also used Balliihoo for small orders cos their postage rates are only �£2.50 for less than 2kg.
And I use Crossmyloof for hop top ups and intend to try their yeast when I run out of stock.
There can't be much profit in running a LHBS, so they are slowly likely to become a thing of the past imo. The client base is small and people only visit infrequently, and proprietors are now in competition with online prices. So if you like your LHBS, keep going or you will lose it.

 

[The Idiot]

My first port of call is always the Malt Miller, simply because of the range on offer and the service (next day delivery, always turns up well packed, issues - usually me forgetting something or ordering the wrong thing - always resolved easily, questions answered quickly).

If there's something that Rob doesn't stock I visit the Home Brew Shop online, or if I need it urgently I go to the local homebrew shop but prefer not to use them because their choices are very limited and the people who run it don't have much interest beyond selling kits. When I needed 10 fermentors and heat belts in a hurry during cider season it was a bit of a struggle getting them to take my money!

 

[Clint]

Goodies ordered yesterday at 11:30 delivered this morning at....11:30! From homebrew online. ...I have a few tins of malt and single can kits to partial mash so having the grain in sealed bags suits me fine atm. Just going to hide it under the bed before gestapo headquarters marches in....

Cheers

Clint

 

[MickDundee]

I nearly always use Geterbrewed for ingredients. I got some hops from Crossmyloof recently and was really impressed with the service so might try their yeast for my next few brews. Equipment wise I shop around. I've got some mini kegs from Brew UK, Leyland Homebrew and the-home-brew-shop and found the service from the latter to be far superior to the other 2.

My nearest shop is in Edinburgh (about 60 miles away). I've looked into making an order to collect from them when I've been going to Edinburgh but every time I've found in cheaper just to order through GEB with the£6 postage charge.