Yes we do Mail Order

Frequently Asked Questions

    Q. Why buy beer kits from a Home Brew shop, instead of Coles, Woolworths, K-Mart, or Big W?

    A. Firstly, before reading any further do you :-

Do you...

• buy sausages from a Supermarket, as mentioned above, or from a Butcher?
• buy Pet care for fleas from a supermarket , or brands like Frontline/Advantix from a Vet/Pet store?
• buy $1.20 pies from Darby's instead of a bakery?

 

If you answered no to one of the above, there is still hope for you, to make GREAT, DRINKABLE, THIRST-QUENCHING beer. T

The best example, is that supermarket brands such as:-

• Coopers Homebrew - Their price has changed lttle in 15 years, yet has the quality improved in that time? Look at the MacDonald's Quarter Pounder for example. 

 

            Is it still the same size as it was 15 years ago? 

            Why did MacDonald's discontinue their Southern Fried Chicken 20 plus years ago, and replace it with Nuggets. The answer is cuttong costs, to maximise profit. For the best quality intended from Coopers in homebrewing visit Thomas Coopers Black Label. This is a far superior product from as little as 37 cents per schooner. 

• Tooheys - An Australian Icon, made in New Zealand by Canterbury Brewery (a great New Zealand company who make Blackrock). On a side note, Lion Nathan, who owns Tooheys and Castlemaine is 46.13% owned by the Kirin Brewery in Japan. If you want a good Tooheys style beer, purchase Blackrock. Blackrock is made in NZ, but a far superior grade made malt and yeast than Tooheys. 
• Malt Shovel - Another Australian Icon using the James Squire name, made in NZ under license until recently. Their quality went downhill after being stocked/promoted in Big W, and now who stocks them? No-one in Australia.
• Homebrand Coles/Bilo/Woolworths - the best valued beer of all from a supermarket. 

 

    On a side note, Aldi has the best valued prices in groceries.  What does that tell you? The above products do not meet Aldi's Standards, and that is why they have not entered the homebrew market.  

    Most of these above brands are made by major companies, but to a price. A different  lower grade alt base , but different yeast. 

    If you buy from a supermarket, BUY HOMEBRAND. If you want a GREAT beer, buy from a HOMEBREW store.

    Lastly, I personally do buy sausages quite often from  a supermarket. The brand is Sanitarium, and they are Vegan/Vegetarian sausages. Otherwise, they come from my preferred butchers, whom I trust with the quality of meat output.  

    Q. Why does 1kg  of normal sugar with beer produce different/off-flavours?

    A. Well, sugar is extremely unpredictable. Dextrose will produce a consistent result, but please select from our various body blends. These body blends are selected from the finest local/imported ingredients such as Muntons. Our powdered malt is sourced from Muntons, to guarantee the finest quality on a kit beer. It is highly likely that beer made from sugar WILL PRODUCE OFF-FLAVOURS, and will be quite often inconsistent.

    Q. Why do you have 2 prices for some products?

    A. That is simple, some people buy all their lower-grade products from a Supermarket, instead of purchasing from homebrew stores. Regular customers that buy good quality products from us, receive them at the cheaper price. Otherwise they pay the higher price, as they do not contribute to paying our rent. Some of these items take a great deal of floor space, hence why we will charge them a higher price.

eg $35 for a fermenter starter combined with $14-17 for a decent  Morgans/Brewcraft/Thomas Coopers beer is cheaper than paying $77.56 for a full Coopers kit from Big W/K-Mart with no Bottle brush, bottle cleaner or sterilisation. These kits from the chain stores are perceived to be great value for money. Starter kits like that from Brewcraft are a loss leader for Brewcraft. There is at least $140-150 of value in that $99.95

Q. I bought a keg system off Ebay, and my beer is still not that great.

A. Our keg setup may cost more, but we also include  a few extras such as Keg & line cleaner, plus a Morgans Export Beer valued at $17.95. If you are still putting Coopers White label through, than you are not achieving your money's worth. You pay $395 PLUS for a setup, and put a $10 beer in, plus 1kg sugar???? 

Why?

It will still be ordinary. However, you will have plenty of drunken no-hoper friends, that will not reimburse you.

Q. Is it true that you do not drink spirits?

A. As I said to a number of customers, when we first took over, one of the best run Pubs/clubs in the local area is run by a non-drinker. He turned a $2,000,000 debt in 1999 into a gold mine  worth at least $6,500,000. However, the answer is that I only drink my own home-made spirits, as there are no preservatives, unlike that commercially sold and marketed by major companies.

Q. Why do you not have a website?

A. Hello, why are you in the 1st place?    

Q. Why are you not on ebay?

A. Well, we have a retail shop, and we pay Shop rent. 

 I also have a house to pay off. However, some items may come up from time to time.

Q. Why do you not store all your hops in a fridge?

 A. Hello!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you seen the space of my shop? Other than not having the room, Energy Australia up their prices all the time, so the cost of running such an item is not currently cost effective.

Q. Did I see you buying commercial beer early this year?

A. Yes you did. Regrettably my Beer freezer died before Christmas, and I have had to have commercial beer which I do not enjoy. I now have my new Kegmate and i am enjoying my beer. I do from time to time purchase a commercial beer, which is most likely a boutique beer style such as Little creatures, James Squire etc, or a non-alcoholic beer from the supermarket.

Q. Why is your website more up to date than others in the area?

A. Well, firstly, I do this all myself, using 8 year old software, despite having more modern versions of that software illegally, plus others. I use legitimate software that I am comfortable with.  It may not be as fancy, but I also trust the Webmaster ;-)

Q. Why is there hardly any giftware on the site?

A. Giftware is the minority of our business, but this will change soon. As time goes on, I will add major items that sell well.

Q. Why do you not have a web based, Shopping trolley, order setup?

A. As above, we are a Retail store that pays shop front rent. Maintenance of a web-based system requires extra investment, and time. The time, we would much rather try and devote to personal customers, that are either in the store or on the phone. By the way, we do mail order.

Q. Why are some items in your store so dusty?

A. Firstly, we are on the Pacific highway. Secondly, over the last 12 months there has been some major construction work within 100 metres of our store. Please note, that on request these giftware items will be cleaned at no extra charge.

Q. Where is the recipe for Duff Beer?

A. Ummm. It's a trademark of the Simpson's, and is a fictitious beer.  DOLP! ;-)

Q. Why do you support losers like South Sydney?

 A. Well,  firstly a leopard does not change his spots despite living with Tigers. Despite being born in Cessnock, and living most of my life in the Newcastle area, my always heart belongs to South Sydney. Like most people in Newcastle, I am unable to buy the local newspaper due to the overkill of the local team. Even a former player confessed to that today in the Sunday Telegraph 4/11/2007. I stuck by Souths when they were omitted in 1999, and helped where I could over those years. God bless Souths. Despite being a Cessnock lad, and living in the Macquarie Scorpions area,  I regard Central Charlestown as being the local team.