Advance Planning & Bulk Grain Purchase

How many of you plan your brews 6-8 brews in advance and buy your grains in bulk? I'm thinking about doing this to save a couple bux on grain, but as I think about it, I also think about my indecision and likelihood that I'll change my mind about what I want to make at any given time.

My local HBS is rather high on grains. The only thing I can buy in bulk from them is 10lb bags of various forms of 2-row @ $16 per 10 lbs. The rest of their grains come in 1lb bags and are generally $2.50 per lb. I will buy some things from my local shop just to support them, but I can't really make myself pay their prices all the time...

I figure I can keep grains for up to a year if I buy them uncrushed. I have a food saver that I can use to vacuum seal my leftovers and I bought a barley crusher I can use before I'm ready to brew...

Get a few ag brews under your belt and you'll soon figure out what your "house beers" are. Get your bulk grains to match these and then when you get an inkling for something crazy, go to your LHBS.

I buy grain in 55# sacks and keep a stock of specialty malts, hops, and yeast that I typically use. I don't go crazy though and I typically use only a few varieties of hops and almost exclusively use Safale S-04 so it is easy to keep stock for a variety of beers. It works out great because you can brew anytime and you save some $. You should definitely buy a mill though if you plan to buy in bulk.

I just considered doing the same thing.

So after asking for advice here, I went home and looked at the recipes I've used for extract batches and what was used and wrote down the most common ones.

I have a barley crusher, so that's not a problem. I think what I might do to start with is just by 50lbs of 2-row to get started. It looks like everything I brew will use this as a majority of the bill and I'll figure out the rest from there...

I wouldn't worry about planning our your brew, just get into some cheap grain. After you get the grain, the recipes will take care of themselves . If you can, try to split bags of specialty malts with fellow brewers. Talk to others in your area and see if you can get several brewers in on the buy. Shipping is usually $100-150 per pallet of grain. A pallet can hold 40 bags of grain I think, and the more you order at once the less hit you'll take on the shipping per bag. Even if you have to wait a couple months to fill that pallet up, it will drastically lower your overall cost of grain. If you don't have someone that can order for you, talk to a local microbrew or brewpub and see if they will let you add a few bags onto their next order. Even the LHBS owner might be up for cutting you a better deal if he knows you will take your business elsewhere if you don't get the right price.

Here's a pic and link to our last bulk grain buy:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f85/norcal-bulk-grain-buy-pics-109048/

I buy base grains in bulk and my 'planning several brews ahead' actually happens on the other end. When I'm getting down to the end of a grain purchase I usually want to move out some of the specialty grains (just for freshness sake)...or maybe I'm low on certain specialty grains and won't have enough, say Dark Munich, to do several brews. So I'll plan ahead such that much of the specialty grains (which I don't buy in bulk) run out just as the bulk base grain does. Then rinse and repeat.

I don't plan in advance, but I do buy in bulk whenever possible...

I would like to start buying in bulk but I currently don't have the space to keep it fresh and i need a grain mill. I would like just buying a 55lb sack of 2-row could save you some green.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

If you don't have someone that can order for you, talk to a local microbrew or brewpub and see if they will let you add a few bags onto their next order.

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That's an excellent idea. The guys who own my local brewery are friends of mine and I might just be able to do this

I concur, just get it bulk and it will work itself out.

I need to step up my game

Jeez... mine is NOT bigger than anyone elses

I guess i really do need to get my first AG brew done and then see what happens.... I have grain, hops, and yeast sitting here for two batches. I'm doing one next weekend and probably another the following weekend.

homebrewer_99 said:

I don't plan in advance, but I do buy in bulk whenever possible...

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This says it all for me. Get a sack or two of base grain and sort it out from there. Some wheat, a touch of crystal. it will fall into place.

No specialty malts available...try a smash. Try toasting some base malt...make a caramel syrup...make a maillard syrup...oh hell how bout spruce tips hah.

I wonder if toasted froot loops are fermentable?