Home Brew supplies in Toronto Area

[thekulman]

Hi guys;

I've had the hardest time trying to find beer making supplies in the T.O. area since Wine Art changed to Wine Kitz and now stocks mininal beer supplies. And what they do stock now are just kits.
The HomeBrew and Soda Centre in Scarborough used to be good but is slightly expensive - I find it cheaper using mail order from the USA and paying the delivery and exchange rate!

I live in Whitby

p.s. - anyone know of the BOZO's club in Oshawa? (homebrewing and zymologist club).

[the 48th regula]

That is interesting to know,

I am just now starting to build up my home brew station, and was hoping to find a Place in Toronto that I could purchase kits. I have all the hardware, would love to find a place to purchase the ingredients.

Any help would be fantastic

cheers

tess

[BrewDog]

Welcome!

[the 48th regula]

cheers,

thanks B-Dawg!!

dileas

tess

[thekulman]

Originally posted by the 48th regula
That is interesting to know,

I am just now starting to build up my home brew station, and was hoping to find a Place in Toronto that I could purchase kits. I have all the hardware, would love to find a place to purchase the ingredients.

OK, I found one. The Wine and Beer Factory in Brampton at 130 Queen St. East (Queen and Centre about 3 km W of the 410 on the N side of Queen).

www.wineandbeerfactory.com

Was there on Thursday, bought a grain mill and ingredients for my Rickard's Red Clone (under Irish Red recipes). Small store but tonnes of stuff - kits galore as well as grains and malt extracts.

Made the Red last night, can't wait to sip it!

Kul

[the 48th regula]

I have found a supplier in the Toronto area, in particualr Scarborough, where I live

Wine Kitz (http://www.winekitz.com/cgi-bin/EN/front/winekitz.cgi?display_home=yes)

I contacted them and this is the response I received for the shop Located at tKingston and Morningside.

n answer to your question: yes, we do carry home-brew beer kits; they retail for $19.99 and, for the most part, come with everything you'll need to brew quality beer at home. The only other things you'd have to purchase, besides the kit, are corn sugar and any equipment you might be lacking, and we sell both here as well.

They were quick in responding, less than 12 hours!

I will investigate and let everyone know, mind you I am very new to the hobby (Literally a virgin, never brewed) so I will let you know of the selection and service, and you can take it from there.

cheers

tess

[thekulman]

Originally posted by the 48th regula
I have found a supplier in the Toronto area, in particualr Scarborough, where I live

Wine Kitz (http://www.winekitz.com/cgi-bin/EN/front/winekitz.cgi?display_home=yes)



Hi again.

Wine Kitz does not have good selection. You're best bet with them is to go to the store attached to their head office on Clegg Ave. in Markham, they do carry some premium Muntons kits up there (2 cans of extract - nothing else to add), which I found pretty decent. The best place in Scarborough is on Kingston Rd. and Overture, just east of the Guild Inn area.

Soda Centre & Home Brewer's Retail
416-284-0007
4180 Kingston Road,
Scarborough, ON M1E 2M4

It's on the side of a plaza, so it's easy to miss - but it's close to the Guildwood GO train stop (next intersection East?)

Kul

[hexalite]

One of the best beer supply stores I've come accross here in Southern Ontario is Brew Time, www.brewtime.ca. They don't have an online store and the website is kinda old but the in-store is amazing. They have all the grain/yeast/malt/hops you could possible want. I've never asked if they do mail-order but it's one of the best places you can go to if you're in the Hamilton Area (their main location is Upper James - http://www.brewtime.ca./contact.html).

http://www.paddockwood.com/index.php is a great online store in Saskatchewan. Shipping is cheap and extreemly fast.

These are two of the best stocked places I've found in Canada.

[the 48th regula]

This is Brilliant, totally brilliant.

Thanks for the help guys,

This site is like heaven to a new brewer.

Again,

Cheers

tess

[the 48th regula]

thekulman,

I owe you the greatest of kudos!

I went to the Soda Centre today, and purchased a beginners kit (Mind you I used eBay and for $65 CND purchased 88 bottles of brand new Grolsch type bottles, and two Glass Carboys, 2 Buckets and 2 airlocks!! all picked up locally!)

The Kit round off some of the items I need

another bucket with spigot
hoses, spoon, bottling tubes, one airlock, and bag of Dextrose..
plus one kit of any beer of my choice!!

All for $54 dollars with tax!!! The staff was brilliant! I am heading there tomorrow to get some more gadgets (funnel, hydrometer, more stoppers for the carboys..)

Again, cheers for the help!!

I will keep everyone posted of my progress,

dileas

tess

[thekulman]

You're welcome Tess;

The guy there with the mustache is very knowledgable. He and his ex-wife run the place. I used to go there quite often.

Glad you're getting into it full throttle.

p.s. - I just bottled my Red beer on Wednesday and it should be ready in 2 weeks, I'm thinking about inviting a couple of local homebrewers over to sample. Check for postings.

My idea is for locals to sample each-others beers for encoragement and knowledge sharing - kind of like starting a club.

[the 48th regula]

Now that is a brilliant Idea.

This would excellent for all the right reasons, new guys, new ideas etc etc.

As I said I am a Scarborough Boy, so we are not that farr off. I will start my brew tommorow, so we can follow up when mine is ready.

Any other takers?

dileas

tess

[thekulman]

Originally posted by the 48th regula
I am a Scarborough Boy,

I spent the first 27 years of my life in Scarberia, Ellesmere and Golfclub.

Kul

[bludrgn]

Now that they (Soda Center) sold their BOP operations and seem to be scaling back on the Homebrew supplies does any one have any other suggestions for Homebrew shops on the East end of Toronto (as far out to Oshawa would be acceptable, as i jst move to Pickering from the Downtown core.) Also has any one been to Grain Enterprises recently? (See the cheap bulk grain in Toronto thread)

[thekulman]

Yes, Grain Processors on Commander in Scarborough. I bought a 25 kg (55 lb) bag of 2-row for $31.50. You have to buy bulk quantities though.

Other than that I sometimes go to the Wine and Beer factory in Brampton or I buy grains and hops from "The Brew Kettle" on Monarch in Ajax. They are a BOP, but will let you buy supplies if you ask nicely.

The guys who runs the Wine and Beer factory was telling me of another place like Grain Processors, but in Guelph, he buys his bulk 2-row there for $18! (25 kg).

Kul

[bludrgn]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by thekulman
Yes, Grain Processors on Commander in Scarborough. I bought a 25 kg (55 lb) bag of 2-row for $31.50. You have to buy bulk quantities though.

Other than that I sometimes go to the Wine and Beer factory in Brampton or I buy grains and hops from "The Brew Kettle" on Monarch in Ajax. They are a BOP, but will let you buy supplies if you ask nicely.

Thanks for the info, I have been to Ajax Brew Kettle, however I find that the one in Richmond hill has more for the home brewer than the Ajax store does.

Bought my 2-row from Grain Processors, and brewed my first batch of beer in more than a decade :) (spent most of the last few years making Mead, Wine , Cider and Perry). Just a thought is any one interested in getting together to purchase some of the specialty grain in bulk and parcelling them out to cut the cost somewhat?

Also has anyone purchased from United Canadian Malt LTD in Peterborough? I know they get some of their grain from Grain Processors however they do have hops and other brewing supplies in bulk.

[thekulman]

How do you order from United Canadian in Peterborough, do you have a URL?

Also there is Scott Labratories on Brock St. in Pickering. They sell all beer and wine making supplies in bulk to retailers, not sure if they'd sell to the public though.

And the guy at the Beer and Wine Factory in Brampton told me he now gets his bulk 2 - row from a place like Grain Processors, but in Guelph.
He paid $18 for a 25 kg (55 lb) bag!!!!

[bludrgn]

Originally posted by thekulman
How do you order from United Canadian in Peterborough, do you have a URL?

Also there is Scott Labratories on Brock St. in Pickering. They sell all beer and wine making supplies in bulk to retailers, not sure if they'd sell to the public though.

And the guy at the Beer and Wine Factory in Brampton told me he now gets his bulk 2 - row from a place like Grain Processors, but in Guelph.
He paid $18 for a 25 kg (55 lb) bag!!!!

No they do not have a website up and running yet, however I do have their phone number and address. I gave them a call and they are sending me their price list. The phone number is (705) 876-9110 and their address is 843 Park St. S. PETERBOROUGH, ON. One of the BOPs I used to buy bottles fom uses them for hops and yeast - (they buy their grain from Grain Processing.)
Scott Labs is here in Pickering? :D I'll be calling them Monday

[thekulman]

Great, let me know what they say at Scott

[bludrgn]

Sorry, haven't had a chance to call Scott Labs yet however I did get the price list from United - not that impressed with theri prices. Got a couple of new malting house leads though, I'll let you know if anything comes of them.

[Canuk]

There is also a "Brew Kettle" BoP in Richmond Hill (not sure if it's associated with the one mentioned above.
http://www.barleyandgrapes.com/

I purchase:
- liquid malt extract (bring your own container); they have pale and dark
- hops. They have various varieties of pellets, refridgerated
- specialty grains, like chocolate malt, crystal malt, etc.

They have a selection of kits, including FestaBrew, Brew House and, at least until recently, Coopers
I believe they have White Labs yeast, too.

Location: immediately north of the GO station.

The owners' name is Geoff Barley (really!) and he is very helpful.
He even reduced the price of his Saaz hops, when I pointed out that suppliers in Hamilton and Montreal were priced significantly less. I like their pale malt (not sure where it comes from, though) and it's at a fair price.

[kraftbrew]

I recently did the big search for homebrew supplies and ingredients around the GTA and this is what I found. Firstly, I want to mention that the people at all of these stores were VERY cool.

http://wineandbeerfactory.com/ (Brampton)

Pros: Has a very good selection of all-grain brewing stuff including malts and a grain mill that they'll let you use on-site. They'll order WYeast liquid yeast for you, and sometimes have it in stock already. They have some obsure hop varieties. They have all of the equipment you would want for homebrewing.

Cons: Their hops are expensive, so I only buy the stuff that noone else carries. Their malt extract wasn't fresh, so I wouln't buy that there either.

http://www.barleyandgrapes.com/ (Richmond Hill)

Pros: Has cheap hop pellets, liquid malt extract, and a few specialty grains (and it's all fresh because they go through a lot of these materials because of their brew-on-premesis (BOP) business. They carry a great brewing thermometer. If I were brewing extract I would probably buy much of my ingredients from here.

Cons: No all-grain base malts and they were lacking some of the of the homebrewing equipment. They don't carry (or order) liquid yeasts.

http://www.fermentations.ca/ (Danforth Ave., Toronto)

Pros: You can get a bottle washer attachement for $2. They sell some inexpensive hops.

Cons: They don't really sell anything else for homebrewers.

http://www.scottlabsltd.com/home.asp (Pickering)

I haven't been here yet, but I spoke with them on the phone and they sell malts, hops, and dry yeasts. If you're an all-grain brewer - and don't mind buying in larger quantities - this might be a good option because their prices are good, their ingredients are good quality (and probably fresh). I'll update this with pros/cons once I've actually been there.

Prost!

[thebirdman]

new site in brampton....homebrew-supplies.ca
good selection and paypal :)

[thebirdman]

Another online toronto area store..also allows pickup pre arranged
canadian homebrew supplies.
www.homebrew-supplies.ca

[HomeBrewGear]

New online canadian store http://www.homebrewgearcanada.com
Base grain from $1/lb, specialty grains $1.75/lb, all grain recipe kits, WYEAST liquid yeasts, fast shipping.

[TorontoBrewing]

New Toronto-Based Homebrew Supplies Store:

http://www.torontobrewing.ca/