Festa Brew now available at Wine Kitz Halifax

[Jimmy]

For those who are interested - not sure of price/selection.

http://www.winekitzhalifax.ca/festa-brew-now-available/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mr x]

Somebody is going to be pissed.....

[Jimmy]

I'm curious how long they've been selling them

[Stusbrews]

I didnt know it was an issue....Ive seen them in the new minas store for the past year...

[Jimmy]

I didnt know it was an issue....Ive seen them in the new minas store for the past year...

Maybe it's just the Halifax location that didn't have them?

[Stusbrews]

It must be up to the individual owners as to what they stock....but I do remember lookin and considering trying one last year..still havent done it tho..mind you, I havent been back there since NG opened in coldbrook. Also heard that store changed hands right after that, and just before the ubrew crap...

[chalmers]

I wonder if they will have these available for Brew on Premise, I don't think NG wants anything to do with that.

[jeffsmith]

I wonder if they will have these available for Brew on Premise, I don't think NG wants anything to do with that.

It kind of sounds like it:

As always, you can make great beer at Wine Kitz Halifax, just as you can make fabulous wines suitable for all occasions.

[chalmers]

What? Me click a link that could answer my question? Never!

Thanks, Jeff. Good news for people who wanna do that.

[derek]

I wonder if they will have these available for Brew on Premise, I don't think NG wants anything to do with that.

Really? Why? Making beer from a Festa-brew kit is almost identical to making wine from juice, and easier than making it from a kit; why wouldn't they want anything to do with it?

[GAM]

It's around $50 for a wine kit. Thats a lot of markup for a beer kit. I have been talking about doing AG and BOP.

Sandy

[derek]

It's around $50 for a wine kit. Thats a lot of markup for a beer kit.

No, it's not. Festa-brew is competing against pure juice, or at least enhanced wine kits (ie, no more than 50% dehydration and usually with extras like grape skins), and the price is comparable (I've paid more and less for grape juice than for a Festa-brew - about the same for the high-end wine kits).

I wouldn't be at all surprised if NG doesn't want to get into on-site all-grain brewing - it needs more equipment - but Chalmers said they wouldn't want to do BOP with Festa kits and that makes no sense to me. But I was assuming he had an inside line and was wondering what he knew.

[Jimmy]

It's around $50 for a wine kit. Thats a lot of markup for a beer kit.

No, it's not. Festa-brew is competing against pure juice, or at least enhanced wine kits (ie, no more than 50% dehydration and usually with extras like grape skins), and the price is comparable (I've paid more and less for grape juice than for a Festa-brew - about the same for the high-end wine kits).

I wouldn't be at all surprised if NG doesn't want to get into on-site all-grain brewing - it needs more equipment - but Chalmers said they wouldn't want to do BOP with Festa kits and that makes no sense to me. But I was assuming he had an inside line and was wondering what he knew.

I think what Sandy was referring to was the fact that they charged $50 for the service, not the kit - so you're basically paying $100 for 60 beer..not that great of a deal.

[chalmers]

No inside line here, just every time I ask on FB or in the store, I am ignored or told there's no plan for that. Meh, I'll send people on to Wine Kitz for this service.

[mr x]

I don't think BOP works well for beer financially on either side of the transaction.

[chalmers]

Even Festa kits? I don't know how long wine stays on premise for the $50, but I'd imagine the time for beer is the same or shorter, so I could see higher turnaround, make more cash for the same 2x2 footprint.

[mr x]

It's the price. Are people really going to use that service for $50 on beer? It obviously works for wine, but IIRC, the BOP craze in other provinces hasn't been a raving success.

[Jimmy]

Just a quick update...the day I posted this I heard a rumor from a fellow BrewNoser that they no longer had the Festa Brew in stock at Wine Kitz. Becky and I were in yesterday so she could buy a wine kit and do the BOP thing. While there I talked to Ross and they do not have these in stock anymore, though that's not to say he won't in the future.

[chalmers]

I don't disagree that the cost is high to the consumer, but I think the retailer is making out as well or better than with wine. So I was disagreeing with "I don't think BOP works well for beer financially on either side of the transaction."

Jimmy: Had they just sold out, or is something else afoot?

[mr x]

But if the price is so high as to discourage people doing beer, it doesn't make much financial sense to me for the retailer to allocate space for beer. Also there isn't any temperature controlled areas. I don't have any numbers but didn't the BOP craze kinda go under in Ontario?

[chalmers]

Certainly if they were going to be controlling the temperature for each different beer fermenting, then it would not be economically feasible. But I suspect the beer coming out at the "standard temperature" would satisfy most people.

[Jimmy]

Jimmy: Had they just sold out, or is something else afoot?

Both. They had them listed at $39.99 and sold out, however, they haven't been able to get them in since...

[mr x]

Magnotta doesn't sell to any retailer who asks. They wouldn't sell to FishD.

[Jimmy]

Magnotta doesn't sell to any retailer who asks. They wouldn't sell to FishD.

However, they did sell to them...just haven't sold to them since.

[mr x]

Somebody complain?