Cheapest Place to Buy Bulk Grain

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ascbrew

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Im looking for a cheap place online to order grain from. Im looking to buy some US 2row pale malt. If it makes a difference, I am located in Upstate NY.

thanks in advance.
 
As far as i can tell, shipping costs kill any online retailer deals. Your LHBS will probably be the best option, unless you can get in on a bulk group buy direct from the source.
 
We have a 200 pound 2-row option on our website with $6.99 shipping on the first item and free shipping on the rest of your order.

Here is a link: Bulk 2-row

Forrest
Austin Homebrew Supply
 
ascbrew said:
Im looking for a cheap place online to order grain from. Im looking to buy some US 2row pale malt. If it makes a difference, I am located in Upstate NY.

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You're upstate? Check out North Country Malt. Their shipping isn't too bad. I know I pay less to get a sack delivered to my door than it would cost me if I hoofed it on down to the LHBS.
 
The price is cheaper than Northern Brewer delivered, Midwest delivered, More Beer delivered, and probably Country Malt group delivered.

Can you buy 200 pounds of 2-row for less than $1.149 a pound delivered in Juneau AK?

When comparing prices you need to include shipping.

For example if you order 200 pounds from Northern Brewer and you live in Minneapolis, the grain would cost you $167.96 and the shipping would be $63.24. Divided by 200 pounds you will get $1.156 per pound.

For example if you order 200 pounds from Midwest Supplies and you live in Minneapolis, the grain would cost you $191.80 and the shipping would be $60.68. Divided by 200 pounds you will get $1.2624 per pound.

(I used Minneapolis as the lowest price shipping they will offer for bags of grain. If you live further away than Minneapolis your shipping would be significantly higher.)

Budbo: 100 pounds of grain is not really bulk. 200 pounds is a perfect size for me. You can share with other homebrewers.

Forrest
 
MSUConrad said:
I use the country malt group. They have great prices if you can get a bulk order together.
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How much would 200 pounds of 2-row cost you delivered to your house from Country Malt Goup? Just Curious. I don't want to create an account to find out. Total including shipping.

Forrest
 
Austinhomebrew said:
Can you buy 200 pounds of 2-row for less than $1.149 a pound delivered in Juneau AK?
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I could locally until the LHBS upped the prices in the Summer. It went from $45 a sack to $65.

I still can get it cheaper though BrewBrothers in Portland or Larry's in Seattle area... taking advantage of work shipping discounts though.

When comparing prices you need to include shipping.
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Well, in that case you're more expensive than MoreBeer, Midwest, NorthernBrewer or my LHBS to my location. $229.95 + 524.20 shipping UPS Ground = $3.77/lb, yuck! :D

My comment wasn't really to tear you down, I probably could have worded it better, you just have a different business model. You charge more for malt price, but that's really to make up for the flat price you charge for shipping, except in my case where I pay actual rates. Others advertise a lower cost of malt but you have to pay actual shipping charges.

What maltster do you guys use for 2-Row by the way? Personally I'd add something on the page that says you're cheaper than most on the page with shipping included and that it's available for the flat shipping. I wouldn't be surprised if some people saw the higher prices and went elsewhere or figured it wasn't included in the flat shipping like how sacks of grain is not with other shops.
 
I buy my grain at Friar Tucks, a regional super-liquor store. There is no other LHBS for me. They carry 1lb bags at $1.59 or 10lb at $12. I've tried to talk them into carrying 55lb sacks, but they won't do it.

Someday, when I finish grad school, I'm going to open one of those homebrew stores/brew-it-on-premises places. Who needs a PhD when there is homebrew.
 
chase said:
I buy my grain at Friar Tucks, a regional super-liquor store. There is no other LHBS for me. They carry 1lb bags at $1.59 or 10lb at $12. I've tried to talk them into carrying 55lb sacks, but they won't do it.

Someday, when I finish grad school, I'm going to open one of those homebrew stores/brew-it-on-premises places. Who needs a PhD when there is homebrew.
Click to expand...

You're a couple hours from Chicago area but if you're ever up there Midcountry does pickups... I think they even ship from the location but I don't know what their rates are... I know I heard somewhere for orders 200+ pounds they ship freight for fairly inexpensive prices.
 
SPLASTiK said:
I could locally until the LHBS upped the prices in the Summer. It went from $45 a sack to $65.

I still can get it cheaper though BrewBrothers in Portland or Larry's in Seattle area... taking advantage of work shipping discounts though.


Well, in that case you're more expensive than MoreBeer, Midwest, NorthernBrewer or my LHBS to my location. $229.95 + 524.20 shipping UPS Ground = $3.77/lb, yuck! :D

My comment wasn't really to tear you down, you just have a different business model. You charge more for malt price, but that's really to make up for the flat price you charge for shipping, except in my case where I pay actual rates. Others advertise a lower cost of malt but you have to pay actual shipping charges.
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Actually I break even or sometimes lose money on this deal. I don't "make up" for the flat price shipping. The stores that charge shipping charges make money. I am not complaining, I set the prices.

To ship just one of the 50 pound boxes to Connecticut cost me $3 for the box and $38.64 for the shipping. Of the $229.99, $154.56 is my shipping cost and $12 for boxes (triple wall). So, that leaves $63.43 for 200 pounds which equals 31.7 cents a pound. I pay more than 31.7 cents a pound. I still only charge $6.99 for shipping. All of the majors charge full shipping on this amount of grain. If I were to charge full shipping to CT for example, and your bill still came to $229.99, I would be selling you a 4 50 pound bags of 2row for $18.85 plus shipping per bag.

Of course, there will be lots of people that will chime in and say that they can walk in to a store and get it for a little cheaper. That doesn't help the person that has to order online. I am talking delivered price. I can't be everything to everyone. Most people will find this to be a really good deal. Some won't. I think what people what is a good deal for themselves. If you have a good deal in your town, people that are not in your town will not get that deal.

I am sure you understand.
Forrest

Now that I did the math, why am I doing this?
 
curtis97322 said:
Brew Brothers - Malt by the Bag, 200 lbs would be 132 (can order 50 at a time - 33 a bag - .66/lb). Close enough that I can pick up. Maybe $10 gas money if I'm floored there and back ;-)

My LHBS charges 60/bag of the same...
Click to expand...

How much do they charge for shipping to upstate NY? Just curious.

Not trying to be funny just trying to keep an eye on the competition.

Forrest
 
Austinhomebrew said:
How much do they charge for shipping to upstate NY? Just curious.
Click to expand...

BrewBrothers doesn't ship yet, they're working on it though. They deliver orders in the Portland metro area though if you spend $200, or you pickup.
Edit: I guess they do now... but you have to e-mail for quote. Since they sell a lot of grain that NCM does I wouldn't be surprised if they had it shipped through NCM depending on location... like a third party or something. I was under the impression that NCM was the sole distributor for some of those grains.
Austinhomebrew said:
Now that I did the math, why am I doing this?
Click to expand...

That's probably why everyone else charges actual shipping :D Though I'm sure you've got to be making a profit elsewhere to make up for it or you're swimming in the red...

What maltster do you guys use for 2-Row by the way? Personally I'd add something on the page that says you're cheaper than most on the page with shipping included and that it's available for the flat shipping. I wouldn't be surprised if some people saw the higher prices and went elsewhere or figured it wasn't included in the flat shipping like how sacks of grain is not with other shops.
 
SPLASTiK said:
BrewBrothers doesn't ship yet. They deliver orders in the Portland metro area though if you spend $200, or you pickup.



That's probably why everyone else charges actual shipping :D Though I'm sure you've got to be making a profit elsewhere to make up for it or you're swimming in the red...

What maltster do you guys use for 2-Row by the way? Personally I'd add something on the page that says you're cheaper than most on the page with shipping included and that it's available for the flat shipping. I wouldn't be surprised if some people saw the higher prices and went elsewhere or figured it wasn't included in the flat shipping like how sacks of grain is not with other shops.
Click to expand...

We don't "make it up" somewhere. We just have a much lower margin. Like Walmart has a 3.6% margin and Target has a 4.3% margin. Walmart doesn't make it up. They just make less money per item and make it up in volume.

The 2- row is Rahr.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Let me clarify to everyone: Absolutely everything on austinhomebrew.com qualifies for the flat rate shipping. There will never be an exception. Not even for 200 pound amounts of 2-row.

Forrest
 
I am glad Forrest is doing what he is doing but I still could not afford that price. I drive to North Country and buy my 55# sac's of 2-row for $35 or .63 cents a pound. I think it would be worth a drive if your are near New York or Chicago. No offense Forrset just a cheap ass home Brewer trying to stretch his penny's
 
Brew-boy said:
I am glad Forrest is doing what he is doing but I still could not afford that price. I drive to North Country and buy my 55# sac's of 2-row for $35 or .63 cents a pound. I think it would be worth a drive if your are near New York or Chicago. No offense Forrset just a cheap ass home Brewer trying to stretch his penny's
Click to expand...

I think you are missing the point I stated earlier. Why would I want you to pay more? You should buy the grain where it is the cheapest for you. A lot of people will find this a good deal for them. Most people do not have a wholesaler within driving distance.

I am sure you understand.

Forrest
 
SPLASTiK said:
Uhhh you'd have to be making it up elsewhere... unless you're saying every product you sell has a negative profit margin.
Click to expand...

Most people make the wrong assumption that all homebrew stores have to make the same margin. We don't charge extra on other items to make up for something we don't make money on. Then you would never buy that other item. We just make less margin.

Forrest
 
Austinhomebrew said:
Most people make the wrong assumption that all homebrew stores have to make the same margin. We don't charge extra on other items to make up for something we don't make money on. Then you would never buy that other item. We just make less margin.

Forrest
Click to expand...

I understand that and it's not really what I'm saying at all...
 
I think we are on the same page now. Some people think that all stores make the same margin and we overcharge on some things to make up for the other things.

Forrest
 
Morebeer.com has 5 lb bags for $5.625, which works out to $1.125/lb. I just ordered 5 bags + some other brew ingredients and got free shipping. This seems like the best deal for those of us who do not have a local store from which to buy.
 
morebeer does not have 5 lb bags. they have a 3 lb bag for 11.25.

they're the same price as austin (just about) but I'd rather go austin anyday.
 
Austinhomebrew said:
I think we are on the same page now. Some people think that all stores make the same margin and we overcharge on some things to make up for the other things.

Forrest
Click to expand...
Are you saying you decided on a certain margin and that is what you put on everything? I doubt anyone would begrudge you taking a larger margin on items where the market will bear it. I work in wholesale restaurant supply and there is a large difference in our equipment margins vs our smallwares and it is all based on the average prices people pay for a given item.
 
I've been looking into buying grains in bulk, but found that after shipping it works out to be about the same as my LHBS prices, and they have a nice grain mill for customer use. I couldn't find anything under $1/lb shipped to my location for purchases under 2000 lbs. I'd love to live close enough to a distributor. Maybe I can get a group together and buy a 2000 lb pallet.
 
northernlad said:
Are you saying you decided on a certain margin and that is what you put on everything? I doubt anyone would begrudge you taking a larger margin on items where the market will bear it. I work in wholesale restaurant supply and there is a large difference in our equipment margins vs our smallwares and it is all based on the average prices people pay for a given item.
Click to expand...

I have different margins on different items. But it is far less margin than stores that chrage full shipping. I am not "making it up somewhere".

Forrest
 
Anyone know a place local to the dallas ft worth area that sells bulk grain? HBHQ is ok but the price is not discounted by the sack.
 
Please call the store and they can help you. 1-800-890-2739.

I don't quote prices on a forum. The store sales staff will have the price for you.

Thanks
Forrest
 
Austinhomebrew said:
I have different margins on different items. But it is far less margin than stores that chrage full shipping. I am not "making it up somewhere".

Forrest
Click to expand...
Truth be told, if you decide that you need a certain margin at the bottom line and you lose money or break even on some items you are indeed "making it up somewhere" or you would not be profitable. Balance sheet must balance.
This is not at all a bad thing and when someone accuses you of "making it up somewhere" it is really the only way they know how to tell you they understand that if you are not making money on any given item, you must be making money on another.
Do not take this as an affront. I don't think anyone here means it in a negative way. If it was not clear your prices are where they should be, you would not have the support you do around these parts.
I'll be by "the store" soon.
 

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