DME in Vancouver, BC Canada?

I'm looking for inexpensive dry DME for extract/partial mash brewing in Vancouver, BC. I've been using the liquid extract at Dan's Homebrewing, but am starting to wonder if it's unreliable (old/oxidized etc) as I'm getting off-flavours I can't eliminate. I'd like to try using dry DME exclusively for a few batches, but can't find a reasonable source in my area or an economical place to order online (considering shipping costs to or within Canada are very high). Small shops in the area sell the 500 g packs of DME for almost $10 (way too expensive for a full batch)! Anyone know where I can pick up some for a reasonable price?

brewzombie said:

Small shops in the area sell the 500 g packs of DME for almost $10 (way too expensive for a full batch)! ?

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I hear you but can't help you.

I was in the same situation and went to all grain 5 years ago. Can't say I have ever felt the need to go back to extract.
At the time I was paying $7.50 a 500g pack. Way too expensive.

I do not know in BC. In Ontario we have this: http://www.unitedcanadianmalt.ca/ but shipping to BC would be high. Just Googled and found this:

United Canadian Malt
Fax
Address : 2734 5th Avenue West B, Vancouver, BC V6K 1T4
Telephone : 604-222-1160

dont know anything about them so you'll have to drive by or phone


Gambrinus Malting Corp
Address : 1101 Industrial Drive RR 6, Armstrong, BC V0E 1B6
Telephone : 250-546-8911

Isn't that like $10 a lb? Does it come with a scantily clad hooker to help bottle?

You might try picking some up in Bellingham if you get to the states ever. There is a shop there called North Corner @ 1220 Central Ave.

Wine Kitz on West 4th and Blenheim St. have 1lb. bags that I use for starters. It's the only place in town that has it, as far as I can tell; but, they charge a $hitload for it and it's not economical.

Second suggestion - order it from Northern Brewer or Austin or whatever to one of the parcel receiving companies in Point Roberts, WA (just south of Tsawwassen). The duty may not be that much; lately, CBSA hasn't been charging duty on stuff as long as you declare it. But, be prepared to pay.

Third option - go all grain. I brew all-grain in two cheap 5 gal. pots from Gourmet Warehouse on my ceramic top stove in my condo. Personally, and this is in no way a slight to what you're experiencing, but I found that even extract from a fresh barrel at Dan's has that twangy flavour that I hate. Dan gets what he gets from his supplier; who know how long it's been sitting in a warehouse. I know, for a fact, that they go through tons of extract at Dan's, so ...

I went all-grain and never looked back.

Hope that this was some help. Good luck

I just emailed UCM...maybe they'll sell & ship me a bulk quantity of DME that is economical, but they're not a retail shop so I doubt it.

I'd go all-grain, but only have coil stove-top burners and only 1 of the 4 is big enough to get even a 18 L pot to boil. Plus my apartment is small and I'm running out of room with my partial mash setup and fermentation chamber etc...plus a baby on the way so space is decreasing rapidly. & no option to brew outside.

It's interesting to hear that someone else has experienced the extract twang from Dan's liquid extract...it's just a suspicion but I've done my very best to control everything else in my process. The DME test would at least confirm or repudiate the suspicion.

Not to get political, but I don't think that it's Dan's extract. I think that it's extract period.

Simply my opinion. Don't flame me everyone.

Nugent said:

Not to get political, but I don't think that it's Dan's extract. I think that it's extract period.

Simply my opinion. Don't flame me everyone.

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No flaming coming your way. Plus, to be clear - I love Dan. Makes me smile every time I go in there. I'm definitely not suggesting it's his fault in any way.

As I understand it, oxidation from storage of liquid extract is the primary culprit. Any vendor would have a hard time guaranteeing non-oxidized product. I would guess that the extract isn't factory sealed, but bought by the store in bulk and then portioned out for retail, exposing it to air and then stored for an unknown amount of time on the shelf. I'd like to avoid this by buying dried extract, which isn't as prone to oxidation since it has much less water in it. I may have to buy in bulk (50 lbs), ship from the US to Point Roberts and then drive down to pick it up myself.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

This is the place that I pick my stuff at from the Point - http://www.tsbshipping.com/

I agree that it sucks that we can't get DME in Vancouver. Good luck.

UCM sells to the public out of Peterborough.

B

birvine said:

UCM sells to the public out of Peterborough.

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Thanks. UCM finally got back to me. They sell 50 lbs bags, but I have to buy 2 at once because they have a $150 minimum order and each bag costs $115. I also have to pay shipping, which in Canada is usually stupidly expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if shipping was $100 for both.

I've already ordered from the US to Point Roberts (1 x 50 lbs bag) but, I'll consider using UCM next time if it's cheaper.

This is exactly the reason I recently ditched the extract and moved to AG BIAB, you don't need any additional fancy equipment, everything you already have will get you going. DME prices in Canada are just plain redicolous. LHBS sells 1 lbs for $10 (Spraymalt), thats $60-70 per batch just in DME alone . The cheapest I seen is @ http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca/ $13 for 3 lbs and they have a good selection, not too bad but shipping from Ontario to Western Canada will just kill it if you order for couple batches. Hopdawgs.ca is in BC with very reasonable shipping rates but they specialize mostly in AG.
I buy 55 lbs of 2-row from local malting plant for $20 and 55 lbs of Pilsner malt from LHBS for $45 and just order some speciality grains on-line and it will last me half a year if I brew any other week

I order a lot of stuff online and have it shipped to Blaine. Homebrewing ingredients isn't taxable, it is a grocery item, so there should be no cost bringing it over the border.

I use http://mbistore.com/ to receive my orders.

Save-on foods sells 500g bags of DME for 6.99 as well, but that's still a little pricey since it can be had for $3/lb or less in bulk online.

I'm pretty sure the bags Save On sells are from Spagnols in Delta. They might be an option for DME. My brother buys the Brewhouse kits from there, I believe if you buy them in quantity the price goes down considerably. I've switched to all grain, For me it is the only way to brew.