Buying grain in bulk

Looking for some advice on keeping grain.

1. How long will base malt last if I keep it in a sealed ale pale?

2. If you could only choose say 3 or 4 malts to keep on hand what would you choose?


Thanks

1. When I buy in bulk, it only lasts me a few months, so it's good at least that long. As long as you keep it in a cool dry area and it's sealed up, you should be okay for 6 months or longer.

2. I would pick a pale malt, wheat malt, and a pilsner malt. Then you can buy smaller amounts of specialty grains, or buy another base malt like vienna or munich.

I usually only have pale and wheat on hand.

It's kind of a pain for me to get out to the LHBS, so I'll roast my own specialty malts, using this info:
http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/08/home-roasting-your-malts/

I'll use that to make a dark crystal malt, like a C-120, and I'll roast some dry in a cast iron skillet to make black or chocolate malt. You'd be surprised how evenly you can roast the grains in a heavy pan. The dark malts I've made myself were way more uniform than any I've bought.

For bulk sacks of grain, I have 2 row. I have some Bairds UK 2 Row, Bairds MO and Thomas Faucett Golden Promise on hand (full sacks of 2 row and MO, the GP has been opened)... I had another sack of UK 2 Row, but used it up already.

I would plan to do bulk grain buys (base malt) once a year. I was involved in the one we did in February, and will do it again.

For storage, I have the open sack closed with a zip tie right now. I plan on getting some more food saver bags (gallon sized as well as some large rolls) and bag up the balance. It makes it easier when you can just grab a couple of pre-measured bags of grain and brew.

For specialty grains, I have some different British Crystal malts on hand (all four actually) plus some victory, honey and crystal MO in a plastic bin. Each bag is sealed, so it's all good. The ones that have been opened before get vacuum packed.

If you have the room, it wouldn't be a bad idea to store the grain where it's cooler during the summer months. But, whole grain stores a lot better than crushed grain. From what I've been told, whole grain, decently stored, can last a year or more and still be good. I wouldn't push it beyond about 18 months though.

Vongo said:

Looking for some advice on keeping grain.

1. How long will base malt last if I keep it in a sealed ale pale?

2. If you could only choose say 3 or 4 malts to keep on hand what would you choose?


Thanks

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1.) Until the weevils get out of control. I would definitely suggest against buying large quantities of flaked grain, peated malt or acidulated malt unless you can freeze them or saturate them with Co2, nitrogen or argon - the bugs love those the most. Briess is also pretty bad about weevils. If you don't get weevil problems, they last a year or more uncracked. (A few bugs aren't a big deal, but a really bad infestation is not only nasty and hard to contain, but it'll also change the malt flavor and aroma).

2.) I keep a continental or British Pale malt, Weyermann Pilsner, Weyermann Pale Wheat, and Vienna on hand in bulk, although I may stop stocking the Vienna, since I go through it pretty slowly.

Great idea on the food saver... I can basically male my own "house kits" that will be ready for the malt mill at anytime!

Nateo said:

I usually only have pale and wheat on hand.

It's kind of a pain for me to get out to the LHBS, so I'll roast my own specialty malts, using this info:
http://barleypopmaker.info/2009/12/08/home-roasting-your-malts/

I'll use that to make a dark crystal malt, like a C-120, and I'll roast some dry in a cast iron skillet to make black or chocolate malt. You'd be surprised how evenly you can roast the grains in a heavy pan. The dark malts I've made myself were way more uniform than any I've bought.

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I have 100lbs of Pale on its way and was trying to find out how to make my own specialty grains from it. This is exactly what I was looking. Thanks Nateo!

Bradinator said:

I have 100lbs of Pale on its way and was trying to find out how to make my own specialty grains from it. This is exactly what I was looking. Thanks Nateo!

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make your own caramunich! it's delightful.

i did about two pounds, split between 4 small cookie sheets for the drying/roasting portion and ended up with 2 different levels of toastyness somewhat similar to a caramunich I and II. they taste great.

I use 2 x 5 gal buckets with lid gaskets per bag of grain. Cheap and keeps the grain air tight.

I always have 50 lbs of Montana 2-Row, Plisen, Wheat, each on hand at all times because these are the base malts that I use most frequently. I normally also have Marris Otter, & Munich too. Currently I have Simpson's Golden Promise, & Gamb. Pale Ale. I have thought about getting a bag of Crystal 40L since I use that in my IPA's quite a bit although normally a pound at a time so it probably makes more sense to continue to purchase it as I brew even though it costs 2 x as much as bulk.

FromZwolle said:

make your own caramunich! it's delightful.

i did about two pounds, split between 4 small cookie sheets for the drying/roasting portion and ended up with 2 different levels of toastyness somewhat similar to a caramunich I and II. they taste great.

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Recipe please

Vongo said:

Great idea on the food saver... I can basically male my own "house kits" that will be ready for the malt mill at anytime!

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Picked up two 11" wide roll packages tonight (two rolls per package)... I hope to be able to bag up at least a good amount of the grain I have in sacks with this batch. Otherwise, I'll order up some more bags in a few weeks for the balance.

I'm looking to bag either 5# or 10# bags of grain this way. I might do some 1# and 2# bags too, so that I won't need to split a bag for a while (not using all of what's in it)... My moderate OG brews usually use about 10# of base malt, so the majority will be bagged that way. I'll probably bag up the specialty grains (as I either open them, or get them in larger amounts, in 1/2# and 1# bags.

My brew-buddy's daughter thinks it's neat how hard the grain bag is when I bring it over. Once the air is all sucked out, it's like a brick.

BTW, If you buy hops in bulk, a vacuum packer is a GREAT thing to have on hand. Makes it so that you can either ration out your hops all at once, or seal them back up (without air in them) once opened. Anything you can do to preserve the hop freshness is a good thing in my book.

Bradinator said:

Recipe please

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from the barleypopmaker link above.

•For Crystal/Caramel Malt soak 1-2 lbs of pale 2 row in just enough water to cover plus about an inch (make sure you use distilled, filtered tap, or spring water). Let soak for a few hours, but no less than 2 hours and no more than 24, I soak for 3 hours. Then Put grains into a pan and keep grains about 2″ deep then place into a preheated 180 degree oven (make sure you have a probe thermometer in the oven and not to let the temps inside the stewing grain to go above 160. If they do reduce your ovens temperature) for 1 1/2 hours. Then spread out grain into 2 separate pans and make sure the grains are no more than 1″ deep. Then increase temperature in over to 250 and let bake for 2 hours or until dry. Then if desired remove from oven for light crystal, or use the roasting guide above to create your own darker versions of crystal malt. Personally I like the 350 degrees for 45 minutes for a sweet roasty crystal malt. Experiment with 1lb batches and see what you like. I find that 1.5lbs is perfect, 2lbs seems to take way to long to dry.


i soaked for around 20 hrs. (overnight, then dried after work.) just use munich malt as the starting grains.

When you roast the grains yourself, they seem to get darker on the inside than the husk. It's a good idea to grind up a small amount in a mortar and pestle and steep in hot water as you're roasting to get a feel for how dark they're getting.

Nateo said:

When you roast the grains yourself, they seem to get darker on the inside than the husk. It's a good idea to grind up a small amount in a mortar and pestle and steep in hot water as you're roasting to get a feel for how dark they're getting.

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Do you mill then roast? Or roast then mill?

Bradinator said:

Do you mill then roast? Or roast then mill?

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I roast then mill. I guess you could mill, then roast, but I've never tried it.

With any of the roasted grains, it's good to age them for at least a few weeks. I put them in a paper bag to store them, so they can breathe. Some of the more volatile and unpleasant compounds will disappear that way.

I haven't tried to brew with freshly roasted grains, but it's common practice with coffee roasting too, to let them age a bit before use.