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I am a new homebrewer, I have brewed about 5 extract kits, one from austinhomebrew.com and the rest from Northernbrewer.com

I will eventually order items to do my own extract recipes, but until then I will continue to brew from the kits to get more experience under my belt.

I tend to favor IPAs and Pale Ales, with that said, where is the cheapest site I can buy those types of 5 gallon kits at? I like Northernbrewer but I feel like there are stores online that provide the same quality but at a better price.

Example: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits/dead-ringer-ipa-extract-kit.html

All recommendations are appreciated, thanks!

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All of these retailers are in competition with each other, which keeps margins and prices pretty low. The only way you might be able to squeeze out a better deal is finding an online retailer that is physically closer to you (to reduce shipping costs). And/or wait for clearance sales. Breaking out of pre-packaged kits will let you bulk order ingredients to get a minor cost advantage.

I'll also plug purchasing from your Local Homebrew Shop (LHBS). They, too, are probably going to be at par in terms of cost, but supporting local businesses is good, too. Plus, they can amortize some of that shipping cost across your entire community, but that's going to save fractions of a penny.

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Just for an alternative perspective on brew shops in your locality.

Establishing a relationship with a good proprietor / staff will allow you to trade ideas / recipes / advice often at a similar price to online retailers; in fact, the kits I purchase tend to be cheaper if shipping is taken into account.

Also good brew shops will often point you in the direction of a local brew community / group where advice, etc. can be an interesting diversion if that's your kind of thing.

Caveat 1: I'm in the UK so there's about 3 shops within 20 miles or so - although rumour has it that the US is slightly larger so literally YMMV ;-)

Caveat 2: I don't own a brew shop

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I also highly recommend a local homebrew shop. I find that the kits are cheaper when you factor in shipping. Another big plus is that the yeast comes straight from their fridge and into your fridge... no sitting out in the heat during shipping.

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I really like MoreBeer. But I am lucky because they are also my local store

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  • I'm within 2 miles of one of the MoreBeer locations. I prefer to brew on Saturdays in the morning. It is very convenient, because sometimes you realize that you're missing something, but you already started the brewing... So, it gives me enough time just to make a quick run to the store while I'm mashing or boiling.
    – Trigger
    Mar 26, 2015 at 17:06
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Most of the US shops have an account on Amazon, thus you can dig for a better deal through Amazon.

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Honestly, after 1 or 2 extract kits you know everything you need to know to start looking around on HBT or the internet in general for your own recipes. In which case you can plan a few brewdays ahead and start buying ingredients in bulk.

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