Where brewers go shopping
It’s no secret, of course, that some of my colleagues brew beer at home in their spare time. But where they get their equipment and their raw materials from has hitherto tended to be the esoteric knowledge of a few hobby brewers. This is set to change: our colleagues have begun to put together a network inside the company, where they share their knowledge (and their questions) with each other.
But why not share this with everyone straight away?
So here’s a collection that I’ve put together with the assistance of the home-brewers at Krones. This is why the principal focus tends to be on the Regensburg/ Neutraubling region, supplemented by some online shops and treasure troves elsewhere.
The list isn’t complete, of course, so simply add your favourite vendors and relevant experiences in the comments section!
Equipment and accessories
Brauereibedarf Josef Lindner: a family firm with a lengthy tradition behind it – meanwhile located in Haslbach near Regensburg. Directly from its own warehouse, it sells things like filters, cleaning and disinfection agents, but also labelling adhesives and other technical products.
Der Hobbybrauer Versand: the website may look pretty minimalistic, but everything essential is quick and easy to find. Not least equipment for mashing, wort boiling and cleaning, plus a beginner’s set for getting started, and gift vouchers.
Amihopfen: here, home brewers can order not only hops, but also various pieces of brewing equipment and components. The firm delivers all over Europe.
Braupartner K. Kling: customers collecting their purchases in person will find the well-stoked firm in Heilbronn, while the online shop is the portal for everyone living further away. In what are currently 1603 different product groupings, you will also find quite a lot of equipment and accessories.
Candirect Getränkesysteme: from the malt mill to the bottler: the beverage system vendor has significantly expanded its portfolio in recent years, and the shop meanwhile stocks quite a lot of stuff for private beer production.
Bockmeyer: the attractively uncluttered shop is above all a good place to start when you’re looking for vessels, closures or packages.
Polsinelli: the pots, filters and pumps from this Italian manufacturer have already made their way into some of our colleagues’ brewing workshops. Originally, this tradition-steeped firm sold equipment for wineries, but meanwhile it also has an extensive range of brewing accessories.
Raw materials
Malzfabrik Albert Müller: numerous malts from Bavarian farmlands; our colleagues praise the comparatively affordable prices for customers collecting their purchases in person.
Der Hobbybrauer Versand: besides equipment and accessories, home-brewers will also find an enormous choice of hop, malt and yeast varieties here. Complete brewing sets can also be ordered.
YCH Hops: Yakima Chief – Hopunion sells various American hop varieties in all product forms worldwide. The principal focus here is without a doubt on hobby brewers in the USA, but the website also offers quite a lot of interesting information on an enormous range of different hop varieties.
Amihopfen: the range includes dry yeasts, malts and many (!) different hop varieties, plus water treatment agents. And: for orders above 25 euros, you currently get 50 g of Simcoe free of charge as well!
Braupartner K. Kling: as I mentioned above s: the online shop has quite a lot of products on offer. Not least a huge choice of aromas, yeasts, malts and hops.
Candirect Getränkesysteme: here, hobby brewers will find not “only” beverage systems, but for some time now a very-far-from-negligible choice of yeasts and hops. Brewers from the Duisburg region also have an option after registration of collecting their purchases directly from the warehouse.
As I’ve said: this list is not set in stone! I’m looking forward to your comments introducing some more dealers and the relevant experiences. Till then, have fun shopping and brewing!
