Exclusive nocturnal grain blend.
So now they won’t even show you the grains in their kits. What BS. I am not surprised with the way things have been going with northern brewer. They really don’t want to keep customers around.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/pira ... n-kit.html http://www.northernbrewer.com/documenta ... derIDA.pdfHave you asked them what it is?
No. This however was the one thing I liked most about ordering from them. I was ordering all my grains from them, but it bulk. Haven’t done a kit in years. So having the ingredients clearly labeled was a plus.
They also stopped sending my catalogs after I responded to my last purchase saying that I didn’t like the new shipping rates. Which I found funny. But whatever, I am just b!tching now.
Ask them and see what they say. I’m curious now. They have always been good about giving up their recipes, unlike some retailers. Maybe there is a good reason for it. info@northerbrewer.com
Sounds suspiciously similar to “midnight wheat” to me.
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too.
NB did me rite, and I have since given them hundreds of dollars in business since. So what if there’s a +/- $10 price difference in comparison to other venders (sometimes). I know i’ve spent $10 worse ways before.
I suppose they want to protect their recipe. It is their right.
I’ll confess to something:
I have based purchases at my local brew shop on ingredients from on-line sources.It’s not ethical.
Most of my brews have been from purchased kits, or from a recipe offered by the LBS.
As for me, I think I’ll read some books instead and base my brews on what I read in books, or what is offered in on=line sources that are freely given.
[quote=“harpdog”]I’ll confess to something: I have based purchases at my local brew shop on ingredients from on-line sources.It’s not ethical.[/quote]I don’t think that’s unethical - if NB didn’t want you to have access to the ingredient list they could just not post it. It would be unethical then to purchase a kit, copy the recipe, and return the kit. 
I admit to spying on NBs recipes for inspiration. They are generally tried and true. I wouldnt begrudge them the occasional proprietary ingredient.
On a very related subject, It’s an irritation to me that they sell items but don’t give enough info:
for example, if you order Crystal Malt, it’ll come as “English Medium Crystal.” That lacks the company of origin, and the Lovibond rating of the malt.
I understand they wanna have their name on it, but serious and experienced brewers would rather they say, “Thomas Fawcett, 60” or something.
And no, I never asked them or complained about it. It’s a minor irritation though.
[quote=“beermebeavis”]On a very related subject, It’s an irritation to me that they sell items but don’t give enough info:
for example, if you order Crystal Malt, it’ll come as “English Medium Crystal.” That lacks the company of origin, and the Lovibond rating of the malt.
I understand they wanna have their name on it, but serious and experienced brewers would rather they say, “Thomas Fawcett, 60” or something.
And no, I never asked them or complained about it. It’s a minor irritation though.[/quote]
a lot of english maltsers label their crystal that way. if they had the malsters name, we could look it up. but generally for english crystals: light=20L, medium=60L, dark=120L
My LHBS sells “British Crystal”, which is 45 Lovibond. So you don’t know for sure with that description.
You gotta be kidding me if your complaining about this. There are plenty of companies that sell recipes that do not tell you anything online. I have always considered this a plus of NB and not my right to have them provide it.
Don’t worry Original Poster, I’ve got this response for you:
Are you kidding? Hearing that NB is now only giving out the full recipe of 90+% of their recipes then only explaining the bulk of the recipes of the others gets me so worked up that it makes me want to complain all about them on the free message boards they provide!!! It makes me so mad that I will no longer buy the kits that I admitted I didn’t buy before!!! Arrgh!!!
(For the record, I also buy bulk grains from NB and only rarely buy their kits so I don’t have any issue with your behavior but can’t imagine why you’d think it was “garbage” and then complain here. I think a valid criticism is that it will be harder for brewers to learn from this recipe when developing their own but it’s a business decision by NB and if you didn’t buy the other kits then you can’t even “vote” by avoiding this one)
The only thing wrong with the kit is that it should have included the captain’s plunder hop blend
FYI,
I did ask them for information on what the blend is. This was their response:
"Hi,
The Grain Blend by itself will be available for purchase up on the site sometime this week.
It’s a blend of Fawcett’s Pale Chocolate, Simpson’s Dark and Extra Dark Crystal and Weyermann Carafa III.
Cheers!"
So, I suppose thats pretty fair, it answers it for us bulk brewers who just want to get their hands on it without buying the actual kit. AND it tells you whats in it, if not exact quantities, so you can sort it out yourself. I think that is more than fair. Thank you NB.
Sounds like a pretty good composite. I love British crystals, I keep several of those on hand. And pale chocolate is tasty stuff too.
Wow. Maybe I’m just uninformed, but I don’t recall ever having seen another online retailer freely giving away their recipes.
I always thought that NB was the exception to the rule, and very cool for having done it for so long…
[quote=“rustyhoover”]Wow. Maybe I’m just uninformed, but I don’t recall ever having seen another online retailer freely giving away their recipes.
I always thought that NB was the exception to the rule, and very cool for having done it for so long…[/quote]
agreed. a few years ago i sent an email asking them about putting the recipe on the facepage of each of their brews…got a response back in less than an hour APOLOGIZING, stating that they didn’t have room but that they hoped the pdf link to the recipe sufficed. and it does suffice for me, the guy who rips off their recipes…so after that i chilled…and am happy give them business once in a while out of guilt/great deals once in a while and to keep the catalogs coming.
