In cash, so that I'm the only one who REALLY knows how much I spend on making beer! 
How do you buy grain?
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30# at a time for each type in 5# sacks of 4 different base malts w at discount at 6 bags. 5-10# bags for others. Free shipping from morebeer. Always try to keep enough for ten 10 gallon recipes in stock.
Not like the supply chain could ever break down....no never.
But if it does I'd like to give myself a few months to adjust from excellent beer made with quality malted grains to whatever I can make from whatever I can get.
Not like the supply chain could ever break down....no never.
But if it does I'd like to give myself a few months to adjust from excellent beer made with quality malted grains to whatever I can make from whatever I can get.
I buy 3-4 sack around now. My brewing is from now until March. Golden Promise, 2row, Pils, and 25# wheat and oats. I’ve been keeping base in Galvanized trash cans. I line the cans with 50g thick bags and tie with a zip tie. Lids are super tight and rodent proof. Specialties are in the big Vitals Vault containers. I don’t want to head to the LHBS everytime I wing a brewday. Get a good mill and save some hassle IMO.
Buy a cat
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
I used to buy grains per recipes - two or three at a time, all pre-milled.
Buying a mill was a game-changer. At first it was just to keep the recipes as fresh as they can be. Still buying two or three recipes at a time, milling them on brew day.
All that quickly changed to a supply of 2 - 5 lbs of popular specialty grains and 50 lb bags of 2-row, pilsen, & vienna or MO or pale.
I love being able to decide what to brew as late as while strike water is heating.
Buying a mill was a game-changer. At first it was just to keep the recipes as fresh as they can be. Still buying two or three recipes at a time, milling them on brew day.
All that quickly changed to a supply of 2 - 5 lbs of popular specialty grains and 50 lb bags of 2-row, pilsen, & vienna or MO or pale.
I love being able to decide what to brew as late as while strike water is heating.
Username checks out.
Get a cat, or get some airtight containers like 5 gallon buckets with Gamma lids.
Or get both. Cats are cool.
Do you order local and pick up, or get it delivered? I've only ever picked up sacks - is there an economical way to receive a couple hundred pounds of grain via shipping?
Yeah, irradiation is to kill all the baddies from the bird and mouse feces. It's worlds better than any of the alternatives (e.g. bleach), but people see "irradiated" and think their toes will turn green.
(edit: irradiation is also sometimes used as a method of inducing mutations. But that's not what the label is for.)
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A local HBT member runs an annual group buy, gathers up everyone's orders and picks them up at the local BSG, then delivers. If you have any home brewing clubs you might check with them to see if they do something similar. And sometimes small brewery operations will sell bags...
Cheers!
Lots of foods are irradiated. It reduces the number of pathogens. The FDA has a huge list of foods approved for irradiation treatment.
You don’t even have to buy a cat. There are shelters full of them looking for homes.
Or in our case our cats adopted us.
Just curious, are those breakfast cereals used for beer ingredients? And if so, how?
[picture of Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch on top of the grains]
Cheerios are all oats, so could work fine as an adjunct, but surely rolled oats are cheaper?
There's oils in Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so maybe not a great choice. Snacks while brewing?
Cheerios are all oats, so could work fine as an adjunct, but surely rolled oats are cheaper?
There's oils in Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so maybe not a great choice. Snacks while brewing?
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
Yes, they are. The Honey Nut Cheerios (Honey Nut Beerios) has been on constant rotation in my house for years, Definitely a crowd favorite. It's a Munich Helles base with honey malt and a box of family size HNC added to the mash.
The Cinnamon Toast Crunch was recent thing based on a buddy's wife's love of the cereal. I've only made it once, but it was a Cinnamon Toast Hazy on nitro. Turned out way better that I had planned.
I was worried about preservatives or oils as @sibelman mentioned, but it had head for days. No bad outcomes.
P.S. I've also used Rice Krispies (generic version) for a Japanese rice lager. Turned out amazing as well.
I'm still at this point and since I only brew once every 3-4 weeks, three recipes worth of grains lasts a couple of months plus. I make the next order as I'm brewing the last batch. Forces me to plan ahead, but I really like studying other recipes for the style I want and then building my own recipe based on my equipment and the grains I can find. There is no LHBS near me so everything is online.
Maybe getting a mill someday, but if I do it'll likely be a Corona since only do 2.75G batches averaging around 6-7 lbs of grain ea.
Full sacks of a couple of base malts, with (most of) the rest being bought to planned recipes to the nearest pound. Milled just before brewing. Though with morebeer.com's current sale of 25% off all recipe kits, I just ordered a couple of them.
I bought 2 row in bulk. I also bought a sack of wheat malt when the LHBS closed as it was only $30.
I had a more beer gift card for Xmas and bought all the specialty grains I'm going to use for the next year or so (I have recipes planned). Also the LHBS that was 10 mins away closed, so that was another reason for the more beer order. Once it all runs out not sure what I'll do. Maybe I'll have another gift card by then.
I had a more beer gift card for Xmas and bought all the specialty grains I'm going to use for the next year or so (I have recipes planned). Also the LHBS that was 10 mins away closed, so that was another reason for the more beer order. Once it all runs out not sure what I'll do. Maybe I'll have another gift card by then.
I started out with kits, and then I moved on to bulk grain with a mill. Now I mostly brew recipes I write and get off of Beersmith. I still will buy an interesting kit I see or hit a great sale. A good and bad thing that happened recently is that the local brewery closed down. The good for me was that they threw out a ton of 2-row. I scored about 2 hundred pounds of grain.
hilljack13
That's what she said!
Mind sharing the recipe? I'd be down for giving this one a go!
redrocker652002
Well-Known Member
I usually plan two to three recipes out and order what I need unmilled. That way I can get free shipping from Morebeer. I have brick and motor Morebeer about 30 to 45 mins away. Since I can get free shipping, I do it that way. I have been toying with the idea of buying bulk for the base malts, but just don't have the room yet. If I ever get a dedicated brew room, then I will buy bulk for my base malts and maybe order a few of the specialty grains I seem to use the most of.
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
I don't mind at all. This is the first iteration of the recipe, so by all means feels free to tweak it as you see fit. Do share back if you do though.Mind sharing the recipe? I'd be down for giving this one a go!
4 lbs Marris Otter
3 lbs malted wheat
1 lb flaked wheat
1 lb flaked barley
1 lb flaked oats
8 oz crystal 60
8 oz biscuit
1 family size box Cinnamon Toast Crunch
1 oz Sterling @60
.5 oz Saaz @15
8 oz lactose @15
Mash at ~155 for 60 minutes
US-05 @ 68* for two weeks
I'm sure you can use 3 lbs of whatever flaked grain you have on hand. I used a variety because I had it and wanted to use some up.
I wanted drinking this to be reminiscent of drinking the last bit of milk in the bowl. I think the nitro totally hit that. I think it would be really good on CO2 too, but I would reduce the lactose to 4-6 oz if I were to do that.
I'm also considering increasing the amount of 'seasoning' in it. I know they sell the "Cinnadust", but I would just add a tsp of cinnamon/nutmeg blend if I felt the need.
Enjoy!
VikeMan
It ain't all burritos and strippers, my friend.
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Golden Promise was originally developed by altering genes via irradiation with gamma. But I suspect the original photons are much less energetic by now.
BrewMan13
Whole Nother Level Brewing
I always keep 2-row and some kind of Munich around in bulk. Local brewery where our brewclub meets is nice enough to let us get in on bulk grain orders. I buy specialty malts a few batches at a time from my LHBS. Always mill them myself a day ahead of brewday.
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So, don't make Golden Promise malt angry?Golden Promise was originally developed by altering genes via irradiation with gamma. But I suspect the original photons are much less energetic by now.
BrewZer Buys a Big Bag o' Breiss Base 2-row and then specialty grains by the pound.
Thank you for the correction, @VikeMan . I did not know that was a GM technique.
Well, this is where I've been for several years...spare bedroom is now a grainery. But I rarely buy grain as I have a hoard of it.
Does anyone add dessicants and O2 absorbers to their 10-year grain hoard? I briefly looked at prepper food storage methods, but resolved to only buy what I can use in a year (for now).
Since grocery-store purchases don't really count on the beer-making expenditures (hush!), I'm intrigued. I do like the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and could see it going nicely in a malty, golden ale, maybe even a stout. How many gravity points did the cereal add? Any idea?
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
I honestly have no idea how many points it added. I recall the OG being somewhere in the high 1.06xx. A lot of that is no doubt in part to the lactose.
If it helps, normally when I have a beer (4.7% - 5.2%) after work, I'm all like 'ah. this feels nice'. After having a Cinnamon Toast Hazy, I was all like 'whoo, this feels niiiice'. So, think there was a bit more alcohol in there than normal.
You've heard of the brix, the specific gravity, and the potential alcohol. Now I just hit you with the elusive fourth scale -- the Floppymeter. Highly scientific and infallible.
moreb33rplz
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I'm thinking of buying some containers like that for my specialty grains too. How much grain fits in those? I'm looking at some 4 liter containers so I figure I can get about 5 ish lbs of grain in each?
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure from memory, but if I had to guess, the top shelf containers do hold 5 lbs of grain. The other containers range from a pound up to about 4 pounds. I look at them later if you want to know exacts.
I put my label maker to use and labeled the bottoms with the tare weight and how much grain they can hold. Makes it easier to top up when running low.
Here are the links to what I have, if interested Small containers - Large containers
Those are very nice containers! I'm going to get some for my smaller amounts of grain.
Thanks for posting the link!
The Gamma seal buckets are nice but you can't see inside as fast.
moreb33rplz
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Yeah I've been using gamma seal buckets for base malt for years, works fine. I've just been having my specialty grains flop around on my shelf in plastic bags but my OCD can't take it anymore - need hard sided containers.
That's about where I'm at too. I keep smalls in little bags in a couple Gamma sealed buckets but I'm always fishing around inside to see what I have for leftovers. Some of those clear plastic containers would be a lot easier to keep track of everything.
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