The Complete Joys of (Bulk) Homebrewing

So I decided recently that it would be more cost effective to buy my DME in bulk, and sprung for a 50lb back of golden light DME that I could use as a base. I came in a big brown bag, and today I finally decided to cut it open and use my food saver to break it down into small pieces.

What I failed to account for was the dust. That DME is pretty fine stuff so my basement is one sticky surface right now. It's awesome looking into the corner and seeing assorted bags of various sizes and shapes (there are a couple of funny DME tubes) sitting in the corner waiting to turn into beer, but I'm not so much enjoying how stiff my hair is right now....

Figured if anyone would get a kick out of this it'd be you guys!

I trash my kitchen just working with 2lbs! I can't even imagine the mess I would make with 50!

Haha! That's crazy. The fine size of the particles and the fact that DME is pretty hygroscopic I can imagine 50lbs being quite a mess to deal with! You breathe on that stuff and it turns to glue...

So what kind of price did you get on yours? I've been thinking about bulk dme as well, but couldn't find a source with a good enough price after shipping.

I have 2 50lb bags of DME (pilsen and golden) and i was thinking of splitting it into 1 gal ziplock bags. Then while making my first beer with it the floor, my arms and face got very sticky and hard. I decided yeah that wouldnt work. Now i just keep them in the bags and try and keep the bags away from water.

I couldn't imagine 50#. I tried to put 1/2 cup in my flask with a funnel when there was boiling water in it and it kicked my ass.

SavoryChef said:

I couldn't imagine 50#. I tried to put 1/2 cup in my flask with a funnel when there was boiling water in it and it kicked my ass.

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Bwaaaah! That has happened to me too. I hate DME and haven't bought any for at least a year.

I can imagine. I only use it to make starters and it gets pretty dusty weighing out a measly 150 grams out of the 5# bag I have.

I couldn't imagine trying to work with that much DME. Just working with 200 grams for a starter is hard enough for me... Especially with the humidity around here.

It was fun I'll tell you guys that...I'll get 7-8 batches out of it though so it was worth it.

My LHBS charges 5.99/lb normally and bulk it was 2.99 so big savings for me

mike20793 said:

I can imagine. I only use it to make starters and it gets pretty dusty weighing out a measly 150 grams out of the 5# bag I have.

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Yep, the whole kitchen looks like a disaster when I weight out for a starter. More than that, I can't stand the sticky feel of it all over my hands, so I can't even imagine being in a cloud of the stuff.

passedpawn said:

I hate DME and haven't bought any for at least a year.

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I have a 2lb bag that's been in the pantry for a few months now. I freeze leftover wort for starters these days, so I don't have to mess with DME.

Stauffbier said:

I have a 2lb bag that's been in the pantry for a few months now. I freeze leftover wort for starters these days, so I don't have to mess with DME.

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That is a damn good idea. I need to start doing that.

I've never messed with DME, I always used LME when doing extract batches....It's just as messy though....Thats some of the stickiest stuff I have ever messed with.

knuckleheadbrewing said:

I've never messed with DME, I always used LME when doing extract batches....It's just as messy though....Thats some of the stickiest stuff I have ever messed with.

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You should try the dry stuff some time. It's great how it clumps up and sticks to everything it touches, plus it gets airborne

I take the 50 pound bag and cut the top totally off. Then I roll the top down and put the bag inside two large trash bags, the ones that are for like yard waste. I twist up the tops of each bag separately and secure with a rubber band. Then I put the whole thing inside a sturdy box. I open it all up and use a plastic bowl to take out enough DME for the recipe, weighing it as I go. I work quickly and seal it all up when I am done weighing it out.

Buying it in bulk saves a lot. Up here it is about $4 per 500 grams in bulk and $7 in individual bags.

ktblunden said:

That is a damn good idea. I need to start doing that.

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There's usually always enough sugar left in the grains to sparge out an extra gallon or two for making starters. If the gravity is low you can always boil it down to a good starter gravity. I don't worry about tannins, flavor or anything else since it's just for building starters. Of coarse, this is only useful to all grain brewers....

There's a reason the LHBS charges that much!

Ours is roughly $4.50 or $5.00 a pound (can't remember exactly, we just had a price increase). We used to buy it in bulk and portion it out, but as you discovered, it is a PIA to work with. We now buy three and one-pound bags pre-portioned...we just got tired of having a sticky mess twice a month! You saved yourself some jack tho -- like a true home brewer, well done finding the best deal.

Here's an idea though: Go all grain. You'll more than save your money if you're brewing enough to need 50# of DME! And the grain is easier to store and portion out!

Cheers!

PS. @Stauffbier: You can can leftover wort for starters as an alternative to freezing it if you don't have the cold space.

lindenboy said:

@Stauffbier: You can can leftover wort for starters as an alternative to freezing it if you don't have the cold space.

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Yeah, I intend on doing this someday. I have way too many purchases I still want to make for my brewery that take priority. The pressure canner is at the bottom of my list for now... I have a huge upright freezer, though. So, no worries on needing the space.