Brew Your Own Beer

Great sales support. Guided me thru the process. Looking forward to brewing for the first time.

A great little shop tucked away on Darby Road in Havertown. They have a pretty good selection of brewing supplies/​ingredients, and the store itself is not really cramped, and is brightly lit and pleasant. Service has always been good. I’ve been here a few times, and have always had a pleasant experience here. If you need personalized tips on brewing/​winemaking, they’ve always been helpful. I just wish they were open a bit later in the day!

John is a great guy and has everything you need to get your brew going.
He’ll review your recipe and help you tweek it if need be.
I once wanted to make a Ginger Beer much like Fleur De Lehigh that PBC put out a few years back. John quickly convinced me that Ginger and Beer should be left to the pros because it will not be easy to stomach 5 gallons of the stuff should something go wrong. In other words, he helped me understand that simple beers are usually the better beers.
In any case, that is just one of many examples that I have while visiting BYO. The knowledge is worth it alone, but the prices and grain/​hops/​yeast selection make it worth the time to pop in.
I unfortunately have moved too far away to go as often as I like, but when I feel adventurous, I always plan a day trip to Delco to pick John’s brain.

John is awesome. Very knowledgeable. Very flexible. The store doesn’t look like much on the inside but John’s got everything you need to make your beer, wine, or coffee. If he doesn’t have it in store, he will order it in for you. Often times he will have some beer that a customer brought in for him that he will let you sample. I buy from John exclusively.

John is a great guy with a huge wealth of knowledge. It is easy to talk to him for 20 or so minutes just to soak up some of his insightful thoughts. The store is closed on Sunday and Monday so just be mindful. This may be a small store but let me tell you, this place packs a big punch. Everything is well organized, clean and neat.
Prices are fair, some more fair than others but I am sure that there is a reason why. Grain prices are very reasonable once you take the leap to all grain batches! Super excited to go back and try out some different hops and yeasts!

Was told about this place from a friend and we couldn’t have had a better experience!!! The owner was extremely nice, very knowledgable and helpful. Like another reviewer noted, there were no heavy sales pressure. We will definitely be going back here!

I have been brewing for at least two years. The owner John was the one who helped me get started. John is always available for troubleshooting and I have never witnessed him try to direct a customer to a more expensive item. If you are going to begin brewing your own beer do yourself a favor and purchase your initial equipment and ingredients from John, the guidance you will receive is of great value.

So you want to brew a batch of kumquat-​kiwi lager. You think it will be the next great beer and you will be the next Sam Adams. This is the place to go to get started. You’ll not only find the equipment you’ll need but also the expertise. No heavy sales pressure just excellent brewing knowledge and good equipment.

Hank Hill would be very proud of this business.
Armed with a book on homebrewing, I trekked about a half hour to this little shop in Havertown, ready to make the plunge into the world of homemade beer. The owner, John, was incredibly helpful from start to finish — showed me his starter kit for folks new to the trade, explained the products I’ll be using to make my delicious beverage, and explained exactly how to brew my first batch. He gave me written instructions, trade publications, and encouraged me to call with any questions that are sure to arise.
For all the stuff I need to get started, the costs were reasonable and I didn’t mind shelling out the money for a job well done. The equipment kit is a one-​time cost, and I’ll happily make the drive back here for my next batch of ingredients.
Yep, that’s a good, clean, hard-​working American business right there, I tell you what.

If you want to learn how to brew your own beer or make your own wine, this is the place to go. My son and I went there to make a case of beer and we’re returned 2 more times to brew more.
John, the owner, is terrific. He explains everything in plain and simple terms. You can always call with a question and he’ll take the time to make sure you have the right answer.

Brew Your Own Beer has been on Darby Road ever since I can remember, at least ever since my friends and I were in middle school and asked John, the owner, if we could hang fliers in his window advertising that our awful band was playing an upcoming event. He obliged kindly without question.
This shop has everything a beginner or expert brewer needs, and if you’re looking for a little guidance to come up with ideas or recipes, John has a wealth of information about the art of homebrewing that he’s more than happy to share.
My brewing buddy and I often spend a little extra time chatting with John about some of our upcoming, harebrained concoctions, to which we are either met with a raised eyebrow or a confused cringe, but even if he disagrees, John is happy to lend moral support to some of the more adventurous brewers like us.
I’ve been to other homebrew shops that have the ingredients you need, but haven’t encountered a true shopkeeper anywhere outside this little store. John will give you advice if you ask for it, and give you cold, hard honesty when you have a bad idea and need it. We always make a point to share our final product with him to get his feedback but also because, hey, that’s what homebrewing’s all about. One can only hope that when John decides to retire, an equally passionate homebrewer will carry the torch.

I’m new (well new again) to home brewing. So I looked on Unilocal (and Google) for home brewing supply stores nearby. Unilocal immediately found Brew Your Own Beer in Havertown for me (Google wanted to send me to Outer Mongolia).
John, the owner, is about as nice of a guy that there is. He was patient with my stupid questions and carefully explained what I needed (and more importantly to my wallet — what I didn’t really need) to get started. He also walked me through at-​home winemaking! And he stocks everything (and I do mean everything) you need to brew beer or make wine at home in his tidy shop.
I could have spent the day in there with John picking up tips and talking about malts and hops. He certainly knows his stuff. Alas, others came in in search of his expertise and wares, so it was home to brew some beer.
John’s shop is worth the trip if you are interested in brewing beer or making wine at home. You can walk in with nothing (even no knowledge) and you can leave with everything you’ll need to be a success, at a price that is fair.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to BYOB but honestly, this place rocks. It’s a small shop, catering to those who like to experiment in homebrewing. Some of the clientele are pretty serious brewers, others, like myself, just dabble. Either way, John, the owner, is kick a$$. The guy knows everything there is to homebrewing and is always there to help the most novice to the most experienced customer. If you think you’d like to brew beer, do yourself a favor and check out BYOB. John will make your experience all the better.

I had to write a review for BYOB because it was a great experience. The owner John was there. He was so knowledgeable and encouraging about the entire brewing process. I’m new to home brewing and he helped to explain so much.
There wasn’t a huge amount of stock, but I’m sure John could get you whatever you needed. I’ll be going back in a few weeks for a wort chiller.
If you live locally and are into beer making. Please do yourself a favor and support this wonderful shop.