Stein Fillers

I’ve been a customer for several years and my take is simple. Know what you need, place an order, get it to the register with a smile and you get great service and respect from all the staff. I think in the home brew hobby you need to do some homework on your own and maybe join a brew club to get the much needed experience you need before going shopping and asking a busy clerk 20 questions. That’s what I did and I have no problem with Stein Fillers. Great service and they do help me with legitimate questions. :-)

I usually have a mostly good experience when I visit Stein Fillers. It’s true that sometimes the workers are a bit surly, but they know their stuff and are willing to answer questions and give advice. Most of what I need is in stock and often I would come away with more than I was seeking. I guess their prices are fair, but with so few homebrew supply stores to compare to it’s hard to really have a good opinion on that. They hold brewing demonstrations, taught by one of their homebrewing experts, and even if you think you know everything, you’re bound to learn something new. I’m glad this is my local homebrew store.

This is my favorite spot for brewing supplies. I live in Orange, so it is a bit of a haul to get there. There are a couple of places in Orange County, but SF is a cut above. Lower prices and a better selection than any other place I’ve been to. Great selection of hops. They’ve always had Cascade and Centennial when others were out. They are even open on Sunday’s which is a big plus in my book!

I have to be honest. Contrary to some other reviews. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I started going in about a year ago and at first I did notice the two guys there were a bit on the quiet side. Seems to me they kinda let you do your own thing. They will always ask if you need help. In my case I’m always looking for ideas based on what I see. When I have questions they seem to be open to helping without being mean or sounding snobby. I live in whittier which might very well be between Adisson and Stein Fillers. I will keep going here as long as they keep making good beer kits.
Reasons to go to Stein Fillers?
–Already made Beer Kits
–List of Kits made for you with in minutes
–Beer Kits are good price
*Adisson Home Brew will make a beer kit for you but will cost around $ 40+ (quoted)
Everyone is a noob at some point, just keep brewing!

I like this place. No complaints for me about service. I’ve gone weekdays and weekends, Saturday does get busy. As most specialty stores go, you either do prior research or you ask.
These guys are experts, not salesmen. They all craft brew, they all compete, they’ve all built more than 1 brewing system at home brewed all sorts of style.
I’m sure most rational people know the difference, the car you buy isnt sold to you by the mechanic who assembled it. The food you’re served isnt sold/​served to you by the guy who stood infront of the stove cooking it. Even Emeril didnt cook the food you’re served.
If you’re looking to get into brewing at home, visit Stein, ask about their story in brewing and how they started, what they recommend for a new brewer. Worked for me.
If you’re just looking to review a store and not really get into brewing, meh. you’re reviews will be obvious.

Stein Fillers is fantastic. I’ve only been to a couple places thus far and only recently got into homebrew but they’re the best. Got their basic homebrew system and a Russian imperial kit to go with it.
The instructions with the kit were a bit foggy on the partial mash process but they offer a free introductory class which I took advantage of and was well worth the time (they demo a partial mash for the class).
The staff here is always happy to answer any questions you have if you’re willing to ask. This is going to be my go to store for a long time to come.

I have been here twice. I just started home brewing and went in to look around and ask a few questions. The employee mocked the fact that I was using a 1 gallon kit. He told me I was silly for using one because he was assuming I was using a Mr. Beer kit, which it was not. When I corrected him and explained that I was using real grains he didn’t apologize. He just told me that 1 gallon is harder. If you have the audacity to insult a customer you should at least apologize for your rudeness rather than try to justify it. As read in other reviews there is never a greeting and they always seemed annoyed to be asked a question. I hate to break it to you but your store services an industry where people are gonna have questions, hence the «amateur» home brewing… I’m just saying. The most enjoyable part of each visit is when I leave the store, because I no long feel like I am being looked at like complete idiot.
Examples of questions asked:
What is better to use for home brewing, a strainer or a brew bag?
«It just depends»
«On?»
«stuff»
Dear Stein Fillers,
The beer industry has been a social industry for as long as it has been around. I have talked with many successful microbrewers (Strand, Smog City, Absolution, Dudes…) and the common thread is the friendliness of each one. Many of them told stories of literally going from bar to bar trying to get their name out there. Each of these companies are now being carried in chain stores; however, they still go out of their way to treat every customer like gold. That is the way of the beer world and that is why I wanted to get into it. Thankfully I had these great experiences to rest on prior to visiting your shop otherwise I may have come to think that the brewing world is full of a bunch of arrogant and condescending jerks that really don’t like people.

I have been going here since I started brewing a few years ago. The place is heavily packed with homebrew ingredients and equipment. The people are friendly after a few visits and they get to know you. I mostly come here for brewing ingredients. The store has a good turnaround time for grains and the hops are stored cold. The prices are very good.

My husband is just starting out as a home brewer, so we visited this place for the first time today. It was everything all the other reviewers said it was: fully stocked with absolutely anything a home brewer would need, relatively reasonable prices, and super unfriendly staff. We were prepared for this, however, so went in well educated. One employee approached us, asking if we needed any help, so I decided to venture a question, and received the expected brush off. He did end up giving us advice, after I told him his vague answer to our question was not helpful at all. He was actually pretty friendly after that.
Overall, I would recommend this place for the experienced brewer, or for those who are ready and willing to deal with elitist hipsters to get the products you want.

4 starts for great prices, enormous selection and knowledgeable staff. I will continue to go for the price. But the atmosphere and attitude is bad sometimes, almost unwelcoming. It’s been pointed out in the reviews already. Ageist, elitist and treat you with indifference unless you look like you’ve got a ton of $$$, experience or have some hipster mustache on your face, then they are your best friend. Also, i know it’s flu season but c’mon, don’t cough and pick your nose then handle my stuff while checking out. I wiped all my products down with disinfectant when i got home.

They have everything you need, but the environment feels weird, almost like an unwanted feeling. Regardless, staff is ok.

New to homebrewing? This is the shop to come to. Fresh ingredients, helpful staff. Just make sure you do your homework first. The internet exists for a reason so use it for the very basic questions. Stein fillers is the best shop to come to to get your tough questions answered. They have been around for at least 15 years. They know there stuff.

Gary was super nice and helpful. I didn’t feel rushed (or dumb) as he explained things in an informative way that wasn’t condescending .
Glad to have this beer supply nearby!

I believe that these guys have been in business for quite some time. I’m not sure how…
These guys are strait up pricks…
Yes they have plenty of grain, hops, yeast. Prices are just okay.
As read in other reviews, customer service is atrocious. Seemed like I was inconveniencing them buy spending my hard earned in their store. The owned seemed as if he checked out and stopped giving a crap years ago. The helper, some dude with a 90’s looking goat-​tee, seemed as if he was actually going out of his way to be unpleasant. Sorry that you had to get up out of your chair and weigh some grains for me bro, but that’s you job. Both times I asked for assistance they gave me a general «it’s over there somewhere, find it yourseld» answer.
I will not only NEVER shop here again, I will tell every homebrewer I know to shop at addisons where they are cool and friendly.
If I could give you negative stars I would. I may however, give you the finger next time I drive by on the way to my friends house!
Namaste bitches…

My go-​to for brewing supplies. They literally have everything you need from beginner to expert level for brew day. The best part is their pricing is competitive with online pricing saving you shipping and the wait.
The staff and owners are super knowledgable so if you don’t know, ask. They mill grains for you, they have pellet and whole hops of every variety and for beginners they have great inexpensive packages to get you started. If you are just starting out, just go with the cheapest bucket kit and go ahead and buy a large capacity pot while you’re at it. Trust me you’ll regret it otherwise.
The Long Beach Homebrew Assoc also meets here once a month, so if you become serious about home brewing this will become your second home.
Just keep in mind they are not open Mon-​Tues and close early on Sunday. Plan your brew days around it!

Great place to buy all of your brewing supplies. They have everything you’ll need whether youre a beginner or a pro.
Every time I go here I come away with more knowledge about brewing and more confidence that my brews will come out awesome!
Their equipment prices are on par with internet prices with the added benefit of being able to talk to experts about their products.

First visit to the shop, so take this review with a grain of salt. Walked in and received no greeting. The two working the shop were assisting other customers at that moment, but neither approached me even after they were free. I continued to look around for what I went into the shop for and noticed a third employee. He walked right by me and went to speak to some regular who walked in after me. A few more regulars walked in and the same occurred. Probably stick to buying stuff online for a while.
Kind of a shame. Was looking forward to my first visit to this shop.

Wow! This place has it all! Excellent supply of ingredients and equipment!
Since I’m planning to give away beer for Christmas, I searched
and seen that this Homebrew Supply place had the most reviews. However, the lower one star and two star reviews stated poor Customer Service. I didn’t find that to be the case! But, I have been brewing since 1993 and most newbies would have several questions. I suppose that does rack on one’s nerves. So, if you’re new to home brewing, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! There’s several websites that can help you. Stein Fillers also have several books on the subject. BUY ONE AND DON’T ASK DUMB QUESTIONS!
I give it four stars. Would have been five, however, they have odd hours and are closed Monday and Tuesday. And, they’re not open until 11:00 AM. Best to say that you might want to make a shopping list before you go there just to make sure you don’t forget anything!
Needless to say, I’ll be back!

Normally I’m a patron of Culver City Home Brew but they are currently moving and are closed indefinitely. Stein has a wider selection of grains, malts, and hops. As far as what they carry, it’s strong.
I don’t think a customer should hope for the shop workers to be a good mood to get at least adequate service. I tried opening the conversation, but the person working gave short snappy answers, even being sarcastic and absolutely uninterested in helping me. As an beginner home brewer, i would hope a shop like this would give more information instead of belittling someone that is just asking to learn more.

My BF and I have been a roll growing vegetables, fruit, composting, so why not home brewing our own beer! The store has everything you will need if you’re a first time brewer or experienced. They will give their honest advice without trying to sell you more. They have kits in a box with a description of the beer. Once you buy the basic supplies, the only things you’ll need is another kit and new bottle caps, so the cost of home brewing comes down to $ 30 for 48 12oz bottles.
They also sell cold bottles of cola, root beer, and sarsaparilla for the kiddos or non-​drinkers.