Alternative Beverage + Homebrew Adventures, Important Announcement Options

[MtnBrewer]

There is probably going to be some modification to the policy of publishing the pdf's for the recipes for good reasons - think about it. A customer in Calif prints the pdf, drives down to the local shop, fills the order, takes it home and brews it. We will find a way to share our 90-Minute Double Pale Ale recipe with a loyal customer on request without sharing it with the world.

I'm not seeing the "good reason" yet. That customer is Cali. isn't going to order the kit anyway, most likely. So it hasn't affected your sales one way or the other. I'd be very disappointed to see the recipes go. Other shops don't post their recipes...this is one way in which HBA has always stood out from the others.

Edit: I posted this before reading Dale's post that argued pretty much the same thing.

This post has been edited by MtnBrewer: Feb 20 2006, 02:32 PM

[Dave in Indiana]

I don't think, with all the sources for recipes out there, that HBA would be very high on the list of places to get a recipe. And even if you were looking here, you'll see the competitive price perhaps and order.

Dave

[Dude]

I'm not seeing the "good reason" yet. That customer is Cali. isn't going to order the kit anyway, most likely. So it hasn't affected your sales one way or the other. I'd be very disappointed to see the recipes go. Other shops don't post their recipes...this is one way in which HBA has always stood out from the others.

Edit: I posted this before reading Dale's post that argued pretty much the same thing.

To piggy back on that--I've actually NOT ordered a kit from other places because they won't specify what the ingredients are.

Recently I ordered the High Sierra Celebration Ale kit, but I supplemented it with more/different ingredients to "enhance" it. I still placed the order from HBA, and that is what matters. I don't take the recipes from the HBA pdfs and then order from B3.

On another note, change is inevitable and this is the way it is. I was one of those that was waiting on an order during the "sale" and gave alt bev a call last week. I talked to Jess and the boiys and they got me hooked up, and Jess even offered a 10% discount on my next order for the inconvenience. I know he wants to make this as easily as possible and he knows HBA had a good thing going. I'm confident after the initial growing pains we'll see a super website and customer service to go along with it.

[kiwicanoeboy]

I don't think, with all the sources for recipes out there, that HBA would be very high on the list of places to get a recipe.  And even if you were looking here, you'll see the competitive price perhaps and order.

Dave

The question is will the price stay competitive? From what I had seen in the past AB was usually more expensive than HBA.

Kiwi

[stangbat]

For what it is worth, I'm another vote in the share the recipe camp. I'd like to know what I'm getting and I think the goodwill is worth more than anything earned by keeping the recipe secret.

Dr. Dale summed it up great but here is my two cents FWIW:
The thing I like about this hobby is the willingness to help others. A recipe is just that, a recipe. What you do with it is as important as the list of ingredients. A bad brewer can ruin a good recipe. So share, help each other out, and learn. That's why I'm here day after day.

[REM]

My thought on the recipes is that at the very least the ingredients included in the kit should be listed (even if the exact amounts aren't listed).

As far as kits go, it's also important to take a customers point of view. The first AG kit that I bought did not list the ingredients on the site. While the taste was very similar to the clone, it was very watery and had very little body!

It was my first AG. My efficiency might have been too low. I did order 2 more of the same kit with additional base grain. I could only do this because the recipe was on the kit box. If it weren't I would not have bought again. These two batches are still lagering, but I have high hopes for them.

From my point of view a homebrew company that does not brag about the quality of the kit ingredients is tempted to offer only minimal ingredients to improve the bottom line. Take the high road, make quality kits, show the ingredients and the weights, and challenge customers to find a better deal elsewhere! Explain why the kits might cost more and allow the consumer to decide.

Recipes are easily discovered and shared. They flow pretty freely, particularily when starting with a recipe and amending it to personal taste. The web has numerous recipe sites. We share many here. It's a corporate secret that in my view is best unkept.

I cannot buy a kit that does not have the recipe information available beforehand. I'll have to resort to buying grains and working from other recipes.

2 cents here

[stout_fan]

Funny, I thought that name on the return address of the beergun package looked familiar.

I'm sure there is a ton of things that have to get done for the merger or aquisition.

But just thought I'd mention Brewboard T-Shirts.
Ale has my e-mail to him about t his.
Hopefully we can get them rolling before T Shirt weather gets here.
I'd love to give you some free advertising at the NHBC. (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/smile.gif)

[bigslowrock]

(IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/shock.gif)

This post has been edited by bigslowrock: Apr 29 2006, 02:56 AM

[cj in j]

bigslow -- See what happens when you go away for a few months!?!?!

[bigslowrock]

bigslow -- See what happens when you go away for a few months!?!?!

yeah. all hell breaks loose (IMG:style_emoticons/brewboard/crazy.gif)

[Askalon]

Hah! my LHS is more expensive than ordering online...I get the advantage to see what is in it, order it cheeper shipped to my door, and have fresher ingredients by HBA.