The Homebrewer

Knowledgable, friendly staff — that pleasant ‘no question is stupid’ attitude. Great tasting room inside as well, further proof that the staff have brewing chops. I can’t think of anything more idyllic than going into a brew shop with a recipe in mind only to end up refining it after doing a taste test a few feet away. I have gone to Ballast Point home-​brew mart a few times, but I’ll be going to The Homebrewer exclusively from now on.

Great place to get you’re home brewing supplies. Today I was in a pinch they had just what I needed and The guys there were super helpful. This is the only place ill by homebrew stuff from in San Diego.

My favorite place for buying beer making supplies. Everyone that works here is always friendly and they’ve helped me with my stuff, given me advice, and also collaborated on some recipes. Great selection of grains, hops, yeast, adjuncts, as well as most anything else you might need.

Going to be brewing our first beer in 4 – 5 years. The staff here was very helpful and awesome for someone that’s been out of brewing for a few years. Their selection is really great as is the equipment they have as well.

I visited The Homebrewer today for the first time. I was running low on grains and was impressed with the layout and selection available. The helpful associate showed me how to weigh and bag my roasted grains. Good prices, great customer service. I will be back.

very knowledgeable people. never a time when they can’t help me out with my questions. very happy to have met them and gotten into this hobby!

Just left The Homebrewer and so stoked on my purchase. No one can argue George’s knowledge of the industry. Check the wall of certificates if you need a reminder. Not only that, his entire staff treat you like friends and will talk you through everything from what you want to drink to what you need to make it. Can’t wait for my gear to show up!!!

I am a commercial winemaker in San Diego at Gianni Buonomo Vintners in OB. I was desperate for fermentation bungs for a few 275 gallon totes early on a Saturday morning. The Homebrewer had plenty of bungs, the prices were great and I was surprised that they gave me a 10% industry discount. I never asked for it. But best of all was the kind and courteous service WITHOUT THE ATTITUDE!!! I would drive miles out of my way to patronize them again. Keep up the great work.
As luck would have it, as soon as I hung a U Turn on El Cajon a parking space opened up right in front of the place. Very lucky, I know…

Keep in mind, this is the first homebrew store I’ve been to so I have nothing to compare it to. With that said, it was better than I thought it would be. The store itself is pretty small, but not a inch of space is wasted as they place is well-​stocked with everything a beginner would need. Once I get more advanced in brewing maybe my opinion will change (hope not).
I think what I appreciated the most was the staff. I’d ask the simplest questions and I’d get back an answer and then some (without it being useless information). It’s like they know what your next question will be. At the end I was given a business card and encouraged to call in if I have any other questions to ensure a successful first brew. I ended up taking a Saison kit with some additional adjuncts.
The only thing I wish was better was the parking. I ended up parking at a Ralphs nearby and prayed I wouldn’t get towed.

When I first started brewing I had been to a few homebrew shops. Most shops I had visited provided decent service but it was hard to find things. Once I found this location I haven’t been anywhere else. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Very easy to strike up a conversation with everyone who works there. Its one of those places you visit and they remember you when you go back. In addition, everything is very well organized and easy to find.

Checked out this place after a somewhat negative experience at the home brew mart. The store is cool and has everything you need for brewing beer and some wine. The staff was super attentive, friendly and helpful. Being newbs to home brewing, we really appreciated the personalized help we recieved. We had originally gone I’m just for bottles but ended up with much much more because of the fair prices and knowledgeable staff. Will be back for all our brewing needs.

Fantastic homebrew shop! I’ve visited the store a good handful of times now to either stock up on supplies or buy ingredients for my brew day and the service and eagerness to help has always been great!
Like most have stated, the parking sucks, but that’s kind of the deal in North Park.
The new tasting room is an awesome addition! Lot of unique beers on tap to get you excited about brewing your own batch!
I recommend this place to all my friends and I’ll definitely keep going back!

Great tasting room, awesome selection of everything you could need to complete your home brew. Nothing not to like.

The best homebrew shop in SD, hands down. There is always someone there to help you get your ingredients or answer any questions. They have more grains, hops, yeast, and adjuncts than any other shop — this is critical! I don’t care about an extra dollar here or there and I have seen higher prices at other shops. Now that they have the tasting bar open, you can hang out, drink delicious beer and they will give you the recipe on the spot for it!
There is one other homebrew shop I go to because of location convenience but there are two that I will never go to again because I’ve been to the best, and it’s The Homebrewer!

Very friendly, except the part where they check your ID at the beer tasting room. Dawn held our IDs up to the light to make sure they were not forged. lol… Im 45 and my friend Victor is gray haired and 53. okay, took it as a compliment until other people started to arrive and Miss dawn didn’t even ask them to take their IDs out if their wallets. I would be interested to know why she found my friend and I so suspicious.
Dawn is def a chemist (studied organic chemistry) and is a brewer herself… but I couldn’t shake the feeling that shes a cop.
When your here don’t order past the legal limit, you may just end up with a DUI if your driving…:)
will I go back, absolutely…

I’m new to the homebrew scene and have just bottled my 2^nd batch. Came in here to get ingredients kinda half knowing what I was looking for — just knew I wanted to make a citrusy IPA. The staff was super helpful! They were eager to help out however they could and were totally enthusiastic about my newfound interest in beer-​making. They put things in layman’s terms for me when necessary and walked me through everything step-​by-​step. They shared their own personal stories too of home brewing and what they’re currently working on themselves. The guy behind the counter was showing me the different hops and which would probably do the trick for the taste I’m looking for — and from the taste of my flat IPA thus far it seems he was right! Can’t wait until it’s carbonated.
Street parking can be a pain, but if you’re just running in and out then parking in a local lot is fine. This place is top-​notch and I recommend it to anyone who plans on entering the world of homebrewing.

We came in to buy some supplies as new home brewers, and as when you’re starting out it can be intimidating and didn’t know what to expect.
The guys working there went above and beyond in helping us select the ingredients, from making photocopies of different small batch recipes, to explaining jargon, to telling about the different ingredients and how to achieve some of our beer goals.
Also the new tasting room is a fun addition and they’ve already got some great beers going on.
And they’re dog-​friendly.

This place is dope! They have everything you can imagine to start brewing. I came in to get everything I needed to start my first batch of beer. Staff was super knowledgable and friendly. They also have Sunday classes for beginners for only $ 15. This is my go to place for now on.

Cool peoples.
I’ve been home brewing beer for about 3 years now. I’ve been to home brew stores all over the country and there are a few things that ultimately contribute to a store’s success (at least in my eyes).
Here they are:
1. Helpful employees — some homebrew stores have the worst employees. They are in a sour mood or just don’t want to help you. Not here. These guys want to chat with you and care about what you’re doing. They tend to walk around while customers are in the store, checking to see if they need anything. This is huge.
2. Supplies — there are a handful of homebrew stores that aren’t great at managing their inventory. I can’t count the number of times where I had to sacrifice my recipe by having to swap ingredients. I like to be certain that I’m using the right ingredients, and making on-​the-​spot decisions isn’t my thing. So I like to call and confirm that they have all of my recipe ingredients. They don’t mind at all, and I’ve found them to be in ample supply of whatever I’ve needed so far. Also selection is great, they have quite a bit of handy stuff on hand.
3. Uncrushed grain and grain mill — these guys have a huge selection of base malt, specialty malt and let you use their grain mill for free. I’ve been to several places that charge you to use their mill. I like buying freshly milled grain. Who knows how old that pre-​crushed grain in those sealed bags is.
With these things crossed off, there is a lot to love about this store. They are adding a production brewery and will be doing some small batch nerdery soon.
Parking sucks though.

These guys are always so nice and helpful whenever my husband and I come in. They are always willing to give advice and talk out any issues you might be having with your homebrew. This is also an excellent place to get flyers and information on what types of homebrew and craft beer events are happening around San Diego.
Just a tip, though: Double-​check the prices on some of their big items (i.e. cappers) because the prices listed on the wall are not what they ring up for at the register.