Common Grains?

Hey,

I am thinking about becoming an All Grain brewer and was wondering if there are some common grains that I might be able to buy in bulk that would likely be listed on many difference recipes.

I like Chocolate so I figure I could get some of that but not sure I really need a 50lb. bag of that.

Also, I wonder what the shelf life is of these grains. I have a basement that stays 66 degrees or lower so I was thinking that could be a good storage area as long as it is dry.

Thanks,
Tim

ChefyTim said:

Hey,

I am thinking about becoming an All Grain brewer and was wondering if there are some common grains that I might be able to buy in bulk that would likely be listed on many difference recipes.

I like Chocolate so I figure I could get some of that but not sure I really need a 50lb. bag of that.

Also, I wonder what the shelf life is of these grains. I have a basement that stays 66 degrees or lower so I was thinking that could be a good storage area as long as it is dry.

Thanks,
Tim

Click to expand...

You should totally snatch up that 50 pound bag of Chocolate. And, if they're not sold out - Black Patent.

OK, I'm kidding. Get 50 pounds of 2-Row. You'll never go through 50 pounds of chocolate unless you go pro.

Yup. Just buy your base grains in bulk when you start out. And remember, you need a mill if you're buying in bulk... otherwise, you'll have to have someone crush it for you.

I'd start out with a sack of Maris Otter. Or maybe a Belgian or German 2-row.

Maybe a 50# of Maris Otter, Golden Promise... anything pale like that. Also, a 50# of wheat wouldnt hurt if you are into wheats and heffes... you can go through it pretty fast.

I guess before we advise further, we need to know more of your plans. Do you only buy mail order? Or do you have a local homebrew shop (LHBS)? Do you mill your own grains? How often and how much do you brew? What styles?

Personally, I'm close to a LHBS, so I plan to buy specialty grains from them, about 2 to 5 pounds at a time, and just pick up my main grain in the 55lb sacks...

If you've been brewing a while, you already know what grains you'll be using the most. A workhorse 2-row (I like Marris Otter) and Pilsner (Weyermann, Dingemans my choices) will go a long way toward cutting your grain bill, uh... bill. If you brew a lot of wheats, maybe a sack of wheat malt; if you love the darker lagers, a sack of Munich. No secrets, just buy a lot of what you use a lot of. I love to use Castle Caramunich and Aromatic, Weyermann acid malt, Crisp Roasted Barley and Brown, etc., etc., but I'm not going to buy a sack when I need 4-12oz per recipe.
In short, a pale malt and a pilsner malt should set you up for the year.

If you can get the bulk malt from a local source it pays to buy it in bulk.
If you have to have it delivered, the savings in the price can get eaten up by the shipping charges.
Whole grain should last at least a year if kept in a cool dry place. (65 is cool enough.) Crushed grain doesn't last anything like as long.
I buy pale malt (Maris Otter) in 25kg sacks locally. Speciality malts, I usually buy in 10 lb bags for items I use regularly, and 1 lb for things I only use occasionally.

-a.