Basic Brewer's Pantry?

[okstatepike]

I'm just starting out, but I find myself always forgetting something small or not planning ahead for brew day. For example, wanted to make a starter a day ahead of time for my last brew, but i did not have any extra DME on hand for it. I know that will change as the process becomes more ingrained to me, but that's just the way it is.

So here is the question. From an ingredient point of view, what should be in my brewer's pantry? What should I buy and always have on hand?

 

[Reno Homebrewer]

As far as ingredients go, since you are just starting out, I would limit what I keep on hand. Some things you may consider are:

1. Some Light DME, maybe 3 or so pounds.
2. Some dry yeast packets, in case your yeast doesn't do it's job.
3. Corn Sugar. Most recipes call for 5 oz., so I usually have 10 in my Beer drawer.
4. Spring water, maybe 3 gallons.
5. These are not "ingredients" per se, but essential. A bottle of Starsan sanitizer, a container of PBW or regular style Oxiclean, and some Irish Moss. I buy Super Irish Moss, made by 5 Star Chemicals, because it seems to do a better job than the plain Jane type.

 

[devaspawn]

Always have a few packs of reliable dry yeast on hand. I'd say always have some extra hops around.

 

[devaspawn]

Whirlfloc and yeast nutrient

 

[cubbies]

As far as ingredients go, since you are just starting out, I would limit what I keep on hand. Some things you may consider are:

1. Some Light DME, maybe 3 or so pounds.
2. Some dry yeast packets, in case your yeast doesn't do it's job.
3. Corn Sugar. Most recipes call for 5 oz., so I usually have 10 in my Beer drawer.
4. Spring water, maybe 3 gallons.
5. These are not "ingredients" per se, but essential. A bottle of Starsan sanitizer, a container of PBW or regular style Oxiclean, and some Irish Moss. I buy Super Irish Moss, made by 5 Star Chemicals, because it seems to do a better job than the plain Jane type.

+1 Particluarly 1, 2 and 5

 

[Bopper]

I keep an extra airlock and bung around...just incase one happens to break or you accidently push the bung into the carboy.

 

[bsay]

Things I keep on hand in quantities greater than my foreseeable needs:
1. Corn sugar, I just order by the pound.
2. Irish moss
3. Bottle caps - bulk order = cheaper
4. Hops
5. Random grains (munich, vienna, Crystal 20L & 40L right now, some chocolate and black patent shortly)
6. Light DME
7. Cleaner and Sanitizer!

I recommend ordering anything you ever use in bulk, and just stashing the rest. Need 1/2 poud of a certain specialty grain for a recipe? Why not order a pound and store the rest!

 

[devaspawn]

It's not ingredients but...Get a second hydrometer. I purchased two after I broke my first one (at a really bad time) so of course I will never need. Seriously though, it's one of the worst feelings to break your hydro halfway through a batch.

 

[malkore]

Various specialty grains...a pound of everything if you can swing it.
50lb bag of 2-row.
ounces of various hops.


Only necessary if you AG brew, and want to be able to brew 'whenever', without a trip to the LHBS

 

[Hagen]

Start with the basics, as mentioned above. As time goes on expand your inventory. Everytime I place an order to restock something, I also get one or two things I don't have.

 

[HBHoss]

What items are time sensitive and should only be bought fresh?

 

[PUD]

i come short on corn sugar a lot especially when i want to start a batch of apfelwein inbetween batches(like now).keep the big jug of starsan around. i was ordering different hops every time i placed an order last year. now i'm trying to use them up, i ended up with quite a few different varities. i also order something kinda random everytime i place an order. austinhomebrew's brewvint yeast fuel is cool to have around.

extra dry yeast, specialty grains and bulk grain are looking very appealing to me right now. there is nothing within driving range for homebrew out here!

 

[fat x nub]

I got some extra cascades and dry yeast. Lots of irish moss...corn sugar, muslin bags. I should probably go get some light DME though

 

[mmb]

What items are time sensitive and should only be bought fresh?

If you store your grain and DME/LME properly, the only ingredient that would be time sensitive and used fresh would be liquid yeast. And even then you usually have a couple weeks leeway between buying and using your liquid yeast if you store it in the fridge.