Homebrew Company Extract Beer Kits.

[Greg2013]

My home brew must be stronger than i thought or else my eyesight is worse than i thought because this seems too good to be true?




https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/hbc-extract-american-brown-ale-23-litres-p-1733.html

[LordEoin]

How much are they paying you by the hour?

seriously though, their extract kits were always that cheap.
You get the specialty grains, hops, yeast, a whirfloc tablet and probably a muslin bag.
Just remember that you also need to purchase your DME/LME/BaseGrain.
I'd say it's a fair price for what you get

[Greg2013]

How much are they paying you by the hour?

seriously though, their extract kits were always that cheap.
You get the specialty grains, hops, yeast, a whirfloc tablet and probably a muslin bag.
Just remember that you also need to purchase your DME/LME/BaseGrain.
I'd say it's a fair price for what you get

Ah yes just had another look,did not see first time that these were minus the tins of extract as i had never seen these on their site before,only the full extract ones.I agree though for what you get i think it is a very good price indeed,and i do have a fair bit of pale malt on hand.

[Greg2013]

https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/hbc-the-kraken-american-amber-ale-23lt-p-2677.html

http://geterbrewed.ie/american-amber-gambler-all-grain-ingredient-kit.html

Is it just me or are these very similar ? Since i started looking at the HBC kits i have noticed that a few of the other ones on offer are as close as makes no difference which begs the question in my mind at least are home brew shops copying each others recipes and is this a god thing ?

Note: Not singling out HBC and Geterbrewed here just using those as an example so no ill will or libel intended and no slurs or such are being accused at either.

[The Homebrew Company]

Those guys copy allot of what we do, including the description on that particular kit even. The difference is we actually put allot of effort into our kits and all of ours are actually brewed by us first. Its ridiculous the amount of products these guys have copied and then try tout them as the fresher alternative. It's laughable at this stage.

[LordEoin]

I don't see this line of conversation going anywhere productive or positive, so how about the homebrew shops short whatever problems you have between yourselves in person and off the forums. Affiliates have been given quite liberal permissions on these forums on the condition that you treat each other with respect and don't spam members with adverts.

Regarding the similarities between beer kits:
Of course they're similar, they're the same style of beer. An american amber ale (10B) is an american amber ale. With "Moderate to high hop flavor from American hop varieties, which often but not always has a citrusy quality. Malt flavors are moderate to strong, and usually show an initial malty sweetness followed by a moderate caramel flavor (and sometimes other character malts in lesser amounts)."
Google American Amber Ale recipes and they'll mostly have similar ingredients and descriptions

In fact, google the product names and neither company has been very original here:
Amber Gambler: https://untappd.com/b/tavernale-amber-gambler/573286
Kraken: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/spinnakers-kraken-amber/236981/

At the end of the day the customers will vote with their feet and wallets regardless of there product 'inspiration' comes from so long as the quality is high and the price is reasonable.
Bitching about each other in public only makes you look bad and actually drives customers elsewhere.

[The Homebrew Company]

Hi Eoin,

I take your points, but we are responding to the OP ascertion that Homebrew Shops are copying one another. I believe he is correct and we simply wanted to point who the offending party is in  the example he has given. We never engage in such shit on here and you can check through all our posts.

Shane

[Greg2013]

)1 Affiliates have been given quite liberal permissions on these forums on the condition that you treat each other with respect and don't spam members with adverts.

2)At the end of the day the customers will vote with their feet and wallets regardless of there product 'inspiration' comes from so long as the quality is high and the price is reasonable.

3)Bitching about each other in public only makes you look bad and actually drives customers elsewhere.

1)And of course they obey that leniency don't they,don't see them being hopped on on any other post why here ?

2)I agree yes they will,however i noticed a similarity between two items to the degree i thought it best to ask if it was "possible" some copying was going on,that to me denotes a lack of imagination and creativity and a lack of dedication to home brew in general and we should not be afraid of the PC brigade so much that we don't ask,if ya don't ask ya don't get an answer.Also i did add a codocil that i was not singling out any particular HBS as being a copycat,all i did was ask a question.

3)I don't agree in this instance,if the HBS have a legitimate concern then they should voice it here if the feel like it but be prepared to back it up.All this hush hush don't say anything negative to anyone business on here has got to stop.Besides wher are people going to go ? We only have like 4 shops in the whole country.


Point of order i didn't make an assertion that anyone was copying,i merely asked if they were in members opinions.If the home brew shops want to use this post to hash it out i have no issue with that,they need a voice too and it's not as if they have their own section to do this in.

Note: As a matter of interest how many of the home brew shops on here are actual home brewers and have actually brewed with their own name stuff over years and developed recipes,put in the time and effort, and made the best product they can ? Those are the guys whose own brand stuff we should be supporting i reckon. The current price wars will have to stop though as it isn't sustainable long term,good for us as customers perhaps but long term bad for business i think.

[LordEoin]

These rules for vendors are there to ensure fairness and good competition practices and not adhering to these rules is not only unfair on the other vendors it's downright wrong IMHO

businesses here by our leave,we must be stricter with them than our own members as a matter of course.

this attitude of "ah sure its grand let them do what they want" is wearing a bit thin tbh.

And to answer the original question again, no i don't think there's much avoidable similarity between the beer kits apart from the description of the beer-style and the basic ingredients for that style. neither party has much influence over that. To stray from it much would put the beer into a different category.
I'm sure that if you picked up 2 bottles of commercial American amber ale they'd have similar descriptions too.

But if the HBS want to put their money where mouths are, send me one each and i'll brew them both and do a full comparison review with a blind tasting at a rebel brewers' meet. Seems like the only way to truly see who has the better kit.

[mr hoppy]

Kraken: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/spinnakers-kraken-amber/236981/

Nice spot Spinnakers. I remember having RIS and IPA with, respectively, a scoop of espresso and basil sorbet for dessert there - the tuna was great too.

[molc]

Starting to feel like tis the season for handbags at dawn!

[Bazza]

2c
I've just started drinking a Cotleigh Bitter clone I did using my first ever malt order from GEB. Grains were whole. Went for their MO and Crystal. Now, to stand by their freshness claim, that low hopped brew tasted like milk straight from the cow. Very impressed, best pale malt I've used in a long time.

My cousin, from Kells Meath, just got the brewing bug. I very recently spent a long cross-border conversation helping him through his first all grain. He's now officially obsessed. Same lad spouted on to me about visiting HBC and how helpful Shane was and how he seemed to know his stuff. He was genuinely impressed.

My point being,  there's much more conversation between Irish brewers than is ever seen on this forum so all this public happy slapping between HBCs has a potential for turning said forum into the Jeremy Kyle show.

Why pay 10 quid a year for something I can see for four hours every day on Freeview? Even worse, why would I refer the aforementioned cousin to this forum?

-Barry

[Bazza]

...oh and not to forget HBW. Ordered off them a couple of times. Delivey speed snd quality of service could not have been better.

So you're all good in what you do and the sheer level of choice you now offer have stopped me ordering from across the water, something I'd have thought impossible 2 years ago.

So, as the late Jimmy Young would say, 'Staap fightin'!'

Cheers,

-f*****g Santa

[DEMPSEY]

I am only getting to read this thread now as I don't usually read these type of threads but I am disappointed in what has being posted here. The commercial issues of the various HB stores should not be trashed out here on the forum. It distorts what the forum is for which is allowing home brewing hobbyists to share knowledge and communicate with fellow hobbyists.
Bazza I would hope that your mate in Meath would join the forum and add his own bit of knowhow to the community here.