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Grr

Northern Brewer General
#1

I’m doing a partial mash recipe http://hopville.com/recipe/1520829/home … ling-clone and while I was getting my grains I had to go through a clerk who doesn’t know anything about homebrewing (LHBS is in the corner of a very large sporting/camping/hunting/cooking/gardening/activity store). When we buy our grains, most of the time, there are competent, experienced homebrewering employees there while you measure out (someone has to be there to verify the amount you say you have). And rather than letting me operate the scale and pour the grains she insisted she do it all herself. In the process she tried to tell me that I was measuring the grains wrong (oz. instead of lbs.) and then started recalculating everything for me. To make it worse she ground all of my grains before I could fall out of my stupor of anger, and now they’re all blended together. I feel like a demon is about to explode from the back of my head.

I can brew with this bill, it just won’t be the beer that I wanted. Out of some stranger stubbornness I just have to use what I was given. Anyway, the above posted link is what I’m getting into. If you read this before 10 a.m. pacific let me know what you think.

#2

It looks ok to me. Sorry for the troubles with the clerk. I rarely have anyone very helpful at my LHBS, but I am used to that.

Brew on!

#3

Looks ok to me. A little heavy on the crystal malts, but I guess that’s fitting for the style… so I’m cool with it. Would like to see a different yeast, but again the recipe still looks good.

#4

I think next time you should politely ask to do it your way and if the answer is no then find the manager and explain to him/her your problem with this.

I have two LHBS near me. One is almost always the owner behind the counter and he knows what he is doing. The other is a hydroponics/homebrew shop and they can help you grow pot plants better than brew beer. Unlike your shop they would rather have you weigh out your own grain though.

#5

LMAO

MY “LHBS” is a … um… I just aint sure how to describe it except give the particulars.

-run down store in run down part of town

  • small section in a health food/ herbal store wherin the “proprietress” non stop chain smokes.

When you look this place up on line it gets horrible reviews just because of the management and the nastyness of going to a health food type store and getting your unasked for nicotine dose. Not to mention that i am allergic to the stuff.

I wont even mention how old the yeast in this place is. They may get there supply srait from the dark ages.

Barry

#6

Thanks guys. The crystal malts were where things went heywire and she started assuming control. I would love to use a scottish ale yeast, but no such luck here in mudville. I’d order it online, but I can’t justify the $8 shipping charge for just a dry yeast from NB. I’ll post results when it’s all good and brewed. :cheers:

#7

As long as the employee correctly converted lbs to oz or the other way around, it shouldn’t be a problem - might even be more accurate depending on their scale.

#8

She didn’t. That was my point. I started telling her the ounces of the grains I needed, and out loud without actually checking with me she said, “Well, this scale measures in lbs. not oz. so I’m going to need…” it sounded like her conversion method was 12oz for every lb instead of 16 and she proceeded to quickly dump the grains. There were people standing around waiting, and on the whole it was just a bad experience. Next time, I’ll just leave and come back when the more helpful staff are available and it’s not busy.

#9

[quote=“Hoppenheimer”]Next time, I’ll just leave and come back when the more helpful staff are available and it’s not busy.[/quote]Or carry two versions of your inventory, one in oz and one in lbs. That’s what I tell people to do when they buy grains at AHS because some employees want it one way and some the other.

#10

Yeah, I’ll def. take that advice to heart. It’s just one of those things were you want to scream like the waitress in “Waiting”

“GODAAMNIIIIIIT!!! Here, let. me. do. it.”

#11

Just finished brewing. My 2 gallon wort boiled off down to 1/2 a gallon. Is that as bad as it feels?

#12

You’re just boiling off water so now you have to add more back, not a problem. A full boil makes better beer, or so I’ve heard (never done a partial) - a bigger kettle might be a good next investment.

#13

Yeah, I just added 4 1/2 gallons to the carboy afterward, and away we go. I’d really just rather not be cooking on an electric stove anymore.

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