Will supermarkets ever carry hops?

Lebowski · Post by **Lebowski** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 2:25 pm

Was just thinking how it would be a lot more convenient if the supermarkets carried a few types of hops

Where do the HBS get their hops from?

Antsvb · Post by **Antsvb** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 2:31 pm

I hope not. Give people more reason not to support their local HBS.

silkworm · Post by **silkworm** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 2:41 pm

Yeh it would be convienient but my local HBS dispences the great advice
that goes along with the products (service you definately would not get
from Woolies or K-Mart) and the price is not that much more....

Lebowski · Post by **Lebowski** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 2:44 pm

My local HBS is a bit of a drive (30 mins or so) and they dont have any coopers pale ale or some of the other kits that coles carry (canadian blonde etc). Price is not so much a problem, just convenience, maybe a HBS should just be created closer to me and carry more coopers stuff

Post by **Oliver** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 3:06 pm

Looking for a new career, Lebowski?

Oliver

Tyberious Funk · Post by **Tyberious Funk** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 3:59 pm

silkworm wrote:Yeh it would be convienient but my local HBS dispences the great advice
that goes along with the products (service you definately would not get
from Woolies or K-Mart) and the price is not that much more....

Sure, Woolies and Kmart aren't going to give you any advice, but I reckon the advice on the 'net is a pretty damn good substitute. My main beef with HBS is that they are usually too far away and open such limited hours. Consequently, I don't feel tooooo guilty for buying the occasional tin of Coopers or bag of dextrose from Coles.

silkworm · Post by **silkworm** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 4:06 pm

True - I buy from the supermarket from time to time. My local is good for hours so I can't complain there. He's open till 6pm and on weekends and for me although he is 20 mins drive away it is on the way to the main shopping center.

gregb · Post by **gregb** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 5:13 pm

The local Woolworths used to carry CL80 hop bags. They have since stopped. I enjoy dropping into the HBS for some supplies and a chat.

Cheers,
Greg.

NTRabbit · Post by **NTRabbit** » Friday Sep 30, 2005 5:32 pm

I buy anything I can thats cheaper from Big W, K Mart, Woolworths, Foodland or Coles, including Coopers tins, crown seals, steriliser and premixed brew boosters and bags of dextrose. I have a Woolies, Bi Lo and Foodland 2 minutes away, and a Big W and K-Mart 10 minutes away at Marion

I go to the HBS to buy the more specialised items, like better equipment, Black Rock/Muntons/etc cans, hops and hop bags, specialty yeasts, liquid malts, dry malts other than Coopers Light 500g, and non-beer equipment (cider, magic mixer, mead). My HBS is 15-20 minutes away in the opposite direction from the others, and is really only near a Coles.

I think thats a fair division, since the second list is by far the bulk of the costs when making something a little more complicated than a Coopers Lager Kit and Kilo.

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Saturday Oct 01, 2005 2:25 am

As hops are tempermental by nature, I wouldn't count on the supermarket being able to give you good fresh hops at a reasonable price. I would be worried and afraid

Dogger

scblack · Post by **scblack** » Monday Oct 03, 2005 8:38 am

Lebowski wrote:My local HBS is a bit of a drive (30 mins or so) and they dont have any coopers pale ale or some of the other kits that coles carry (canadian blonde etc). Price is not so much a problem, just convenience, maybe a HBS should just be created closer to me and carry more coopers stuff

It's about a 20min drive for me to the closest HBS, and I just found out they also do mail order, and postage only costs $5.00. If the order is above $100, free postage.

The $5.00 should be well less than petrol for a one hour round trip for you. Oh, it's Country Brewer by the way (http://www.countrybrewer.com.au).

peterd · Post by **peterd** » Thursday Oct 13, 2005 11:56 am

Sorry to come in late on this one but I have been away.
Big W in Queensland (specifically, Runaway Bay at the Gold Coast) used to stock a range of teabag hops (most of the well known brands). Stopped about two years back. Damned if I know why, because most of the good ones were normally sold out if I ever went there for them. Could almost always buy POR though. Maybe they just stocked more of them

scblack · Post by **scblack** » Thursday Oct 13, 2005 12:48 pm

Coles and Woolworths have been engaged in a very serious drive for efficiency in the supply chains of their store networks, for a few years now.

Maybe some stuff, which sells comparatively less, such as hops, are being dropped out of their stores due to this process.