wolfstar
Well-Known Member
Today I made my third visit to Brew your Own Brew(BYOB) in Gilbert Arizona. Up until a couple of months ago, Brewers Connection (BC) in Tempe Arizona was my go to place. After hearing a couple of good things about BYOB, I decided to check them out. The first two purchases were small, Star San on the first visit. The second visit was for a couple of pounds of dark DME and Summit hops to round out an IPA recipe I was working on.
On the first two visits to BYOB, the associate was polite and helpful, without being too overbearing. I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in cleanliness and organization of BYOB as apposed to BC. Granted, I like BC, but the place could use a dusting and some tidying up...I have also noted that the regular staff at BC can be a little abrasive at times. Not a deal killer for me, I can work with that as I know I am not always an easy guy to get along with (not many of us in animal rescue are, but I digress)....
My last visit to BYOB (today) was quite a pleasant surprise, though the jury is out for me as to the quality of the brewkit I purchased.
BC has a recipe book (without prices for the kit) that you can jog through and pick something out that suits your fancy if you do not already have a recipe in hand or mind. When you pick a recipe out, BC will mill the grains to order and assemble the recipe components at the time of sale. While during busy times you can not get in and out quickly, you can be sure that the grains are at least freshly milled and the yeast was on a chill.
BYOB has kits pre-assembled in a box with milled grains, (dry) yeast, DME, priming sugar, a hop bag, a grain bag, etc. Each kit has a set price based on what is in the box. The kits are not refrigerated, so neither is the yeast. I did not notice any date of assembly, so there does not appear to be any way to determine how long ago steeping grains may have been milled. You can trade out the dry yeast for liquid yeast for an upcharge (I did on my San Diego IPA). They will subtract the cost of the dry yeast and add on the cost of the liquid yeast. All of the kits come with priming sugar, they will remove the priming sugar from the kit and subtract the cost of that if you keg and force carb your beers (I do).
I purchased this kit
http://www.beer-wine-brewing.com/store/product.php?productid=17585&cat=259&page=1 and deleted the priming sugar and dry yeast and added WLP002 liquid yeast.
I also picked up a 5 gallon glass carboy, a 6 gallon glass carboy, 2 oz. Cascade hops, a hop bag, and 3 carboy stoppers for $126
For all grain brewers....
BYOB will let you mill grain yourself to your specs on their mill.
BC will not
For all of us.
BYOB allows total access to yeast and hop fridges
BC does not.
* BC Vacuum packs their hops.
* BYOB does not, though maybe they are nitrogen packing?
IN the end, I like both shops.
BC, I can go in there and get what I want/need. And I can even butt heads a bit and come out chuckling. They do have some edgy products now and then...If you are an extract brewer, I suspect you can do well here...for a price*
BYOB. Clean, low key, no constraints. The staff is low key and easy going. All grain brewers are crazy not to come here, IMHO, with the freedom of milling and picking out hops and yeast....*
* the asterisk* I did find that BYOB beat BC in terms of price of DME, yeast, and glass carboys.
There was no clear winner here for me, as brewers needs vary.
As a currently extract brewer, I will still visit both. I suspect I will make a foray into all grain brewing this winter (in Arizona) and at that point BYOB may see more of my business....
On the first two visits to BYOB, the associate was polite and helpful, without being too overbearing. I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in cleanliness and organization of BYOB as apposed to BC. Granted, I like BC, but the place could use a dusting and some tidying up...I have also noted that the regular staff at BC can be a little abrasive at times. Not a deal killer for me, I can work with that as I know I am not always an easy guy to get along with (not many of us in animal rescue are, but I digress)....
My last visit to BYOB (today) was quite a pleasant surprise, though the jury is out for me as to the quality of the brewkit I purchased.
BC has a recipe book (without prices for the kit) that you can jog through and pick something out that suits your fancy if you do not already have a recipe in hand or mind. When you pick a recipe out, BC will mill the grains to order and assemble the recipe components at the time of sale. While during busy times you can not get in and out quickly, you can be sure that the grains are at least freshly milled and the yeast was on a chill.
BYOB has kits pre-assembled in a box with milled grains, (dry) yeast, DME, priming sugar, a hop bag, a grain bag, etc. Each kit has a set price based on what is in the box. The kits are not refrigerated, so neither is the yeast. I did not notice any date of assembly, so there does not appear to be any way to determine how long ago steeping grains may have been milled. You can trade out the dry yeast for liquid yeast for an upcharge (I did on my San Diego IPA). They will subtract the cost of the dry yeast and add on the cost of the liquid yeast. All of the kits come with priming sugar, they will remove the priming sugar from the kit and subtract the cost of that if you keg and force carb your beers (I do).
I purchased this kit
http://www.beer-wine-brewing.com/store/product.php?productid=17585&cat=259&page=1 and deleted the priming sugar and dry yeast and added WLP002 liquid yeast.
I also picked up a 5 gallon glass carboy, a 6 gallon glass carboy, 2 oz. Cascade hops, a hop bag, and 3 carboy stoppers for $126
For all grain brewers....
BYOB will let you mill grain yourself to your specs on their mill.
BC will not
For all of us.
BYOB allows total access to yeast and hop fridges
BC does not.
* BC Vacuum packs their hops.
* BYOB does not, though maybe they are nitrogen packing?
IN the end, I like both shops.
BC, I can go in there and get what I want/need. And I can even butt heads a bit and come out chuckling. They do have some edgy products now and then...If you are an extract brewer, I suspect you can do well here...for a price*
BYOB. Clean, low key, no constraints. The staff is low key and easy going. All grain brewers are crazy not to come here, IMHO, with the freedom of milling and picking out hops and yeast....*
* the asterisk* I did find that BYOB beat BC in terms of price of DME, yeast, and glass carboys.
There was no clear winner here for me, as brewers needs vary.
As a currently extract brewer, I will still visit both. I suspect I will make a foray into all grain brewing this winter (in Arizona) and at that point BYOB may see more of my business....
