Flat rate shipping is great...

[JimH]

Until you need to buy $4 worth of tubing. I don't know of any place in town that sells food grade tubing, but I just need a few feet to replace mine. $4 for tubing, but $8-15 for shipping? Yikes.

Edit: to top it off, I just got my last order in today, I forgot to add the tubing because I was excited to buy beer stuff. Stupid me.

[Gymrat]

Be careful with the flat rate shipping. Nobody gives you anything for free. I have often found that if I add up the prices at places that offer flat rate shipping, add the flat rate shipping, then compare that to places that don't offer flat rate shipping, add the full shipping charges, the places that don't add the flat rate shipping are cheaper over all. They can offer the flat rate shipping by padding the prices just a little bit on everything they sell. Always build a shopping cart, and check overall price with shipping, at a few places before buying at any one of them.

[JimH]

Good point. I checked all the homebrew sites, and 10 feet of tube is $4, plus shipping. Amazon prime, $10. Go figure.

[Gman20]

i would just buy a couple other things so i wouldnt feel so bad about it....... like just some hops or somethin

[Brewbirds]

Have you asked around at some of the bars or restaurants to see where they get theirs or if they'd sell you a few feet?

What I hate about ordering online is that they pick a shipping service and you get stuck paying to much when your item could fit in an envelope or flat rate box.

[RickBeer]

Two points:

1) Shipping and handling is not supposed to be the cost that USPS/UPS/Fedex charge. Shipping and handling should cover that PLUS the cost of the box, the tape, the labor to pack it and a portion of the overhead in running the fulfillment facility. If a business wants to compete with flat rate shipping, many orders will usually LOSE MONEY just on the shipping cost.

2) I have some tubing I bought at my hardware store (not specified as food grade). It has COLD wort run through it for about 5 minutes when I transfer to my slimline. I'm not worried about anything leeching.

If it was hot liquid, or would hold it longer, I would switch it.

[JimH]

Two points:

1) Shipping and handling is not supposed to be the cost that USPS/UPS/Fedex charge. Shipping and handling should cover that PLUS the cost of the box, the tape, the labor to pack it and a portion of the overhead in running the fulfillment facility. If a business wants to compete with flat rate shipping, many orders will usually LOSE MONEY just on the shipping cost.

2) I have some tubing I bought at my hardware store (not specified as food grade). It has COLD wort run through it for about 5 minutes when I transfer to my slimline. I'm not worried about anything leeching.

If it was hot liquid, or would hold it longer, I would switch it.

1) I definitely agree with you there. It's just hard to justify tripling my order costs for the tubing.

2) Would you recommend against using tubing from the hardware store for bottling and transferring to the bottle bucket?