What kits to stock

[Cheshire-cheese]

Thanks for the research

[delboy]

Is youngs really where its at, from my experience a lot of their stuff is over priced and of low quality. Seems they want you to jump through a lot of hoops to sell it too.

[Cheshire-cheese]

(though I found a couple listed as being in Tranmere and one supposedly in London Road between Lime Street Station and the Hospital),Andy

The only one that seems local to Liverpool rather than the Wirral seems to be the healthfood and homebrew shop, but no sign of it in yell and no hint of a phone number

[Gazzababbo]

There are no home brew shops in Liverpool. Remarkable considering it's only behind London and Birmingham for population in England. The most convenient I have found is a cracking little shop in St Helens (Tranmere may be closer but 2 lots of tunnel fees rule it out) only 15 minutes drive from me.

The London Road shop listed on the internet has long gone. I believe it was inside one of the little shed like stalls opposite the Odeon but that was years ago. There used to be one on East Prescott Road by Old Swan but the last time I remember seeing it was about 19 years ago, just before I lived in Colchester for four years. In Colchester I'd get a few bits and bobs from a tiny home brew store there.

I used to pick stuff up from Boots before that but I soon gave up on the hobby due to having no time. Now I have the time and the space too I'm starting to get back into it.

What's the point of this long winded tale? Well, I live in Liverpool and wish Cheshire Cheese luck in stocking some supplies. I would strongly advise getting some Coopers kits in, as others have already mentioned. Spraymalt, BKE, Sugars, yeasts etc would also be welcome as would some basic equipment, but be aware of what equipment Wilkinsons sell and at what price. BTW, I work at the other end of Woolton Road so keep us posted on your growing stock and I'll try and pop in and have a look around.

Good luck

[Cheshire-cheese]

Wilco!
Got a couple of cornies coming in soon and will be ordering coopers kits soon.
Thanks for the info where's the one in St Helens?

[Gazzababbo]

The one in St Helens is called 'The Wine Loft', 2 North Road I think.

The cornies, are they for sale or for yourself? New or refurb'? I'm tempted by a cornie or two but I would want to look at one first hand before I decide if they are for me or not.

Cheers

[Cheshire-cheese]

The cornies are refurbished and even if you decide to get them from Norm, you are more than welcome to drop in and have a look and ask any questions.
Personally I use cornies as well as plastic barrels (not to mention my experimentation with refilling Easykegs that once contained Kronenbourg) and I find that the cornies suit my needs very well.
They retail at £45 each. I'll give you a shout when they come in.

[colchesterhomebrewer]

I was delivering a shipment of roof panels this morning to the University so decided to drive down London Road for a look and, yes, the HBS that I found listed at no 6 appears to have long gone....

I would guess that the shop you used to visit in Colchester was the one in Crouch Street, opposite the Odeon. Dave, the owner, closed it down about 10 years ago and moved out to Manningtree where he continued to supply the locals until he retired in August last year.

That was when I opened up our shop on Severalls as there was nowhere else in Colchester (other than the two shelves in Wilcos). We now stock over 500 items and appear to have come in at just the right time to catch the brewers that have been trying to replace Dave as there main supplier...

(And yes, we do sell online but only via our shop and not through ebay so as not to upset our relationship with Youngs - even though the other main shop in the North Essex area does sell via ebay....)

[Gazzababbo]

Ha ha, there must be a thing about HBSs opposite Odeon cinemas. The one you describe in Crouch Street sounds familiar. I think it was about 1996 that I was last in there, my last year at The University of Essex studying Industrial Chemistry. I got a prohibition coconut rum kit and I remember that it had loads of black powder at the bottom, it still got drunk though!

[GARYSMIFF]

"in my Pharmacy"

Would you make me feel like a bomb maker or a Drug dealer if I wanted to by Citric acid or Iodine like most Pharmacy owners?

[GARYSMIFF]

The University of Essex studying Industrial Chemistry.
Huuum..Black Powder ......alcohol...........mmm may be its carbon.

[Gazzababbo]

Dya think?

[Cheshire-cheese]

"in my Pharmacy"

Would you make me feel like a bomb maker or a Drug dealer if I wanted to by Citric acid or Iodine like most Pharmacy owners?

I think you know the answer to that one. I have always encouraged by staff to take the position that there are more legitimate uses for our stock than illegitimate ones. Although ascorbic acid can be used to increase the solubility of heroin for injecting and it would be unethical or even unlawful to knowingly sell it for this use, there is absolutely nothing wrong with selling it for use in jams, wine, bread and every other legitimate use. The same goes for citric acid, I can't stand it when some Pharmacists and their staff get the balance wrong and treat everyone like a criminal.
Before anyone asks, the only reason I don't sell saltpetre for culinary use is not because I think bombs will be made, but because my supplier doesn't stock it and I think that is down to lack of demand.

Not so long ago a government department (anti-terrorism) wrote to us demanding vigilance on certain products that can be used in bomb making, which is fair enough but some common sense needs to be engaged along with vigilance.

[adm]

The cornies are refurbished and even if you decide to get them from Norm, you are more than welcome to drop in and have a look and ask any questions.
Personally I use cornies as well as plastic barrels (not to mention my experimentation with refilling Easykegs that once contained Kronenbourg) and I find that the cornies suit my needs very well.
They retail at £45 each. I'll give you a shout when they come in.

Wow....this is coming on in leaps and bounds......it was only a few weeks ago you were asking about what kits to stock! now you've got grain, cornies etc....


Well done!

[Cheshire-cheese]

Just need customers now