NoVaBrewer
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To anyone reading, what makes an ideal brew shop? Share your stories about the best and worst Brew Shop Experience you've had and what made it that way.
Best Brew Shop Ever
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
The ideal brew shop? Well that is easy.
1. Open during hours most would need supplies. 10-8 M-S perhaps 11-4 Sunday.
2. Fully stocked at all times. Nothing worse than going to get something simple like a pack of US-05 and they have none.
3. Good product turn over so the items you purchase are indeed fresh.
4. Friendly staff that is helpful and takes good care of the newbies. I stopped going to a brew shop near my house due to not being treated well and not getting straight forward answers to simple questions when I was a newbie.
1. Open during hours most would need supplies. 10-8 M-S perhaps 11-4 Sunday.
2. Fully stocked at all times. Nothing worse than going to get something simple like a pack of US-05 and they have none.
3. Good product turn over so the items you purchase are indeed fresh.
4. Friendly staff that is helpful and takes good care of the newbies. I stopped going to a brew shop near my house due to not being treated well and not getting straight forward answers to simple questions when I was a newbie.
FTG-05
Well-Known Member
Ideal brew shop?
I'd start with having a brew shop to begin with. Right now, north Alabama (Huntsville area) doesn't have a dedicated brew shop although a local hippy/organic food type place does have some supplies. I hear the grain ends up smelling like incense, so it's strictly a side show for them.
One is supposed to be opening near the Madison/Hsv border on Hwy 72/University, so maybe things will get better around here.
I'd start with having a brew shop to begin with. Right now, north Alabama (Huntsville area) doesn't have a dedicated brew shop although a local hippy/organic food type place does have some supplies. I hear the grain ends up smelling like incense, so it's strictly a side show for them.
One is supposed to be opening near the Madison/Hsv border on Hwy 72/University, so maybe things will get better around here.
NoVaBrewer
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All very Important things for sure, one thing I have yet to see in any shop I've been to so far is bottle/keg washing service.
I work in restaurants and I clean ALOT, kinda don't want to any more. I might be alone on that though some may not want to spend extra money on something they can do at home,
although it would save on cleaning and sanitation supplies.......
Send your bottles to me. I will clean them for a mere $50/hour. You pay shipping both ways!
I doubt that anyone could do that and make any $$.
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
The three most important things for me are:
1) Intelligent, helpful staff - Nothing worse than asking a legitimate question only to be talked down to by a condescending a-hole. At least that's better than the guy that just has no clue. Conversely, one of the reasons I prefer LHBS over the big online guys is the ability to talk face-to-face with someone and get advice and feedback.
2) Good selection of fresh ingredients - I hate going to a HBS only to discover that half the ingredients in my recipe are out of stock and need to be subbed out. I can understand running out of some obscure ingredient, but how do you run out of Marris Otter? And no, I do not want your yeast that expires tomorrow because that's "all you have left".
3) Evening Hours - If your store is only open 9-5 M-F, then guess what, most people are at work 100% of the time you are open. I literally cannot patronize your store.
If I can have those three things, I would go there every time. I don't care as much about gadget selection or equipment - I can probably find those elsewhere cheaper online or make them myself.
1) Intelligent, helpful staff - Nothing worse than asking a legitimate question only to be talked down to by a condescending a-hole. At least that's better than the guy that just has no clue. Conversely, one of the reasons I prefer LHBS over the big online guys is the ability to talk face-to-face with someone and get advice and feedback.
2) Good selection of fresh ingredients - I hate going to a HBS only to discover that half the ingredients in my recipe are out of stock and need to be subbed out. I can understand running out of some obscure ingredient, but how do you run out of Marris Otter? And no, I do not want your yeast that expires tomorrow because that's "all you have left".
3) Evening Hours - If your store is only open 9-5 M-F, then guess what, most people are at work 100% of the time you are open. I literally cannot patronize your store.
If I can have those three things, I would go there every time. I don't care as much about gadget selection or equipment - I can probably find those elsewhere cheaper online or make them myself.
HokieHomeBrewer
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Agree with Hunter.
Most important is a friendly and intelligent staff. Having a wide variety of fresh ingredients and equipment is important but I can order that stuff online and in many cases I can get it cheaper online. When I'm going to a home brew shop it is usually to ask questions about what ingredients to use in my recipes, critiques and information on how to improve my brewing or to figure out what I'm doing wrong.
There is one brew shop about 10 minutes down the road from me but I never go there, they don't have much equipment or ingredients but more importantly their staff sucks. You walk in and it's one staff member sitting next to their keg drinking with 3 of his friends. No one there makes any attempt to help and when you have a noob question you fell intimidated because you have a group of 4 half drunk people staring at you.
Instead I drive an hour into the city even for simple supplies. The staff there is amazing, super helpful and they also have better ingredients.
Most important is a friendly and intelligent staff. Having a wide variety of fresh ingredients and equipment is important but I can order that stuff online and in many cases I can get it cheaper online. When I'm going to a home brew shop it is usually to ask questions about what ingredients to use in my recipes, critiques and information on how to improve my brewing or to figure out what I'm doing wrong.
There is one brew shop about 10 minutes down the road from me but I never go there, they don't have much equipment or ingredients but more importantly their staff sucks. You walk in and it's one staff member sitting next to their keg drinking with 3 of his friends. No one there makes any attempt to help and when you have a noob question you fell intimidated because you have a group of 4 half drunk people staring at you.
Instead I drive an hour into the city even for simple supplies. The staff there is amazing, super helpful and they also have better ingredients.
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