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Thanks for the inclusivity, everyone!


squarerootnegative1

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Howdy all,

I'm new (as you can see - only my second post!). I've only made 17 L of beer with the craft series brew kit. I make this post, because today i noticed there seems to be a divide between the real life community of brewers vs the ones here on the site. I've been looking through the forums and every post that I've looked through for my own knowledge appears to be helpful without condescension and done with patience (even for the posts that appear to be repeated).

Today, I visited my local brew shop and I didn't feel comfortable there. I told them upfront I was a novice and thought maybe they show me around the shop and have a chat about my set up. Instead it was just a "Oh that's too small we don't sell anything here for that size" and that was it. They went off to talk with a regular and eventually just checked me out without saying anything else or even bye.

I guess this reads more like a rant than anything else, but I just want to say thank you to the community here for being inclusive despite size and complexity of setups or experience 🙂! It really makes a novice feel like they can keep continuing where if it were the other way around, I would have lost interest quite quickly. 

So thank you all very much!!

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That's a bummer @squarerootnegative1.  Brewing can be daunting at first and there are lots of questions to ask and heaps to try and get your head around.

I reckon you've hit upon the minority at your brew shop. In general, I've found the home brewing community to be pretty helpful and willing to give their time.

But, you are right - this forum is an exceptional resource full of friendly people willing to help out. We're all a novice in some way. I owe a lot of people here a beer for their help. 

 

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Stick with us SquareRoot, & after a little bit of time, & a few more brews under your belt, you'll have the knowledge & confidence to go back to that LHBS & tell them what you want, rather than have to ask them for what THEY think you need. 😉

It's a very rewarding hobby, so stick at it & you'll amaze even yourself at the quality of beer you'll end up producing.

Cheers & welcome to the forum. 🙂

Lusty.

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Again, welcome to the forum. 

Theres some very knowledgeable folk on here and willing to guide however you brew. 

I too have a fairly average LHBS and without the advice on here and reading copious amounts of beer literature I probably wouldn’t be brewing today. I now walk into my LHBS and ask them if they carry or can get it in. If not I get elsewhere. 

Service like that is terrible and can’t see the Forrest through the trees as if your like most of us on here, have fallen smack bang down the rabbit hole and the chasm keeps getting bigger. 

Onward and upward. 

Cheers and brewgood.

Edited by The Captain!!
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Hey @squarerootnegative1

Welcome to the Forum.  You will find it a great place to learn.  It is also great to give back.  Even new brewer's experiences can help too.

Shame about your experience at your LHBS.  Good customer service costs them nothing.  Getting a new customer is priceless.  Hopefully you have another shop nearby.

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My LHBS are lovely people, they brew stuff themselves out the back of the shop. Great to chat too, they listen to my rambling about what I'm brewing and are very supportive and always happy to help and suggest stuff. But whenever I've followed their advice I've brewed forgettable beers.

Between the advice on here, the coopers recipes and brewing to some of my own preferences, I've fared a lot better.

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Dear all,

Thanks so much for your encouraging words and advice! I picked up my sanitizer and picked up the coopers APA on my way home to give another brew a try. I really appreciate the warm welcome and may gave them another try further on down the road!! Look forward to sharing some projects with everyone!

P.S. @Popo is the image and name in reference to the movie Beerfest? If so, I got a great laugh out of it!!

Edited by squarerootnegative1
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19 minutes ago, squarerootnegative1 said:

Dear all,

Thanks so much for your encouraging words and advice! I picked up my sanitizer and picked up the coopers APA on my way home to give another brew a try. I really appreciate the warm welcome and may gave them another try further on down the road!! Look forward to sharing some projects with everyone!

P.S. @Popo is the image and name in reference to the movie Beerfest? If so, I got a great laugh out of it!!

Where are you living?  

Member here can maybe reccomend a decent LHBS or local club to the ingredients and support that's invaluable as a learner 

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I am not sure if we can mention their names, everyone seems to refer to them as their LHBS.

Having said that, there is one in Boronia that I have got good service at.  Also one in Oakleigh that is good to visit and has a good on-line store. 

I got great service from one way outside of Melbourne in Mansfield.  I only dealt with them on-line and over the phone but they could not do enough for me.

I am sure you can find them on the Googles 

Edited by Shamus O'Sean
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  • 9 months later...

Went into Brewcraft in Adelaide on a Saturday. The reception I got was colder than Antarctica. As though, hurry up dude I want to close up. Lucky for me I'll be able to source some ingredients shortly with a big smile.

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On 9/28/2019 at 3:00 PM, squarerootnegative1 said:

Today, I visited my local brew shop and I didn't feel comfortable there

You're not alone. I've tried to do business in the only LHBS in Murray Bridge - he is dismissive, answering only what is asked, no chat or interest in what I'm doing or where I am at. I don't go there now, even though if I possibly can I like to support locals and small business. It helps me stay away that everything in there is SO bloody expensive. e.g. the difference between LDME from him and that from beerbelly is so great I can get 5kg from BB AND pay my petrol to Adelaide and back for just under his price for 5kg.

I know he has freight and costs etc (so does BB) but a 50% markup on everything is more than I can pay. And Amanda at BB is far more friendly, recognised I hadn't been there before, asked me what set up I had, ready with advice to help even if it didn't mean extra sales for them...

I'm not sure how he stays in business - I drive past there quite often and I think only once I have seen someone in there.

re: Places to shop - haven't dealt with them but have heard plenty of good comments about Grain & Grape in Melbourne. Prices seem good too - I'd have bought from them but freight costs killed it.

Edited by Journeyman
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