I've read several old posts on here about homebrew clubs buying a pallet of grain. My club is interested in doing this, but after some research it seems that only breweries and homebrew supply shops can purchase grain in this amount from maltsters or distributors. Has anyone found a workaround for this? I'm guessing the best option is to get in with a local microbrewery and see if they'll let us piggyback on one of their orders. Has anyone actually had a pallet of grain drop shipped to a residence?
Is it possible to buy a pallet of grain?
- Thread starter zoomzilla
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Stealthcruiser
Well-Known Member
Have a forklift @ where you plan to deliver the grain, or have the brewery store it for ya', so it will be in their way?.......
In said "research", did the grain suppliers turn you down?
You check with more than one?
Where I lived in Georgia, the distributors would sell you whatever you wanted, as long as you had a way to transfer payment, and accept a delivery that wouldn't foul up their operation.
In said "research", did the grain suppliers turn you down?
You check with more than one?
Where I lived in Georgia, the distributors would sell you whatever you wanted, as long as you had a way to transfer payment, and accept a delivery that wouldn't foul up their operation.
zoomzilla
Well-Known Member
I've checked the websites for Briess and Country Malt Group-a large distributor. Both of those require a ttb or business license to deliver. The idea was to deliver to a residence and the club members would come by and take their cut.
Edit: Ah, the forklift. Yeah I didn't think of that. I guess I'll be contacting some local breweries then.
Edit: Ah, the forklift. Yeah I didn't think of that. I guess I'll be contacting some local breweries then.
Stealthcruiser
Well-Known Member
Our brew club option was :
Arrange a payment agreement beforehand, agreeable to both parties.
Don't hold our driver up with a delivery bottleneck.
There was a "mention", of a business license @ one time, but we sent a written request, to the distributor, via snail mail, with our brew club logo printed on a piece of stationery.
Arrange a payment agreement beforehand, agreeable to both parties.
Don't hold our driver up with a delivery bottleneck.
There was a "mention", of a business license @ one time, but we sent a written request, to the distributor, via snail mail, with our brew club logo printed on a piece of stationery.
PapaO
Well-Known Member
Check in Group Buy and see if there is one close to you.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=174
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=174
Most delivery trucks have a lift gate and pallet jack. Just need a smooth surface to roll it onto.
Gurgle "Riverbend Malt Carolina" and check the homebrewer FAQs page.
Anyone in your club have a full-size pickup truck with good tires? See if they'll forklift it into the back of a truck if you take delivery at their warehouse. And it will save you a delivery fee.
We used to do a club buy through a local brewery. It would get delivered there and we'd have to come down and get it. We tried to schedule delivery to coincide with our monthly meeting. The brewery had to buy it and one of our members would pay for it and collect from the members. It got to be a lot of hassle and then one of the LHBS started selling to us at almost the same price so we ended the program. I think the brewery was getting grief about it from the distributor too.
canehdianman
Well-Known Member
My brew club does orders from Gambrinus every few months. They sell us a pallet of grain at a time (40 sacks).
Someone volunteers their truck to go pick it up and we go get it from his house when it arrives.
Never had any issue at all. They are happy to sell to us.
Someone volunteers their truck to go pick it up and we go get it from his house when it arrives.
Never had any issue at all. They are happy to sell to us.
Have you checked with BSG in Atlanta? Their web site implies they do not sell direct to the public, but ask them about will-call orders. You might get lucky.
BTW, is BFE anywhere close to Arab?
(near Guntersville)BTW, is BFE anywhere close to Arab?
Yeah kinda. I live in Anniston. It's about an hour southeast of Arab.
You just missed a group buy that the Chicago Home Brewers Group does. The next one will be in the spring. As long as you can get to Chicago to pick it up, there's no reason you can't a whole pallet.
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I had heard that BSG requires that you have a storefront and your order must be $2000 and picked up. But if your LHBS store gets deliveries, they should be able to negotiate a pallet price. Tough if they are picking up orders in a Mimi van.
Pallet jack, yes. Lift gate, not always. Some shippers will surcharge for a lift gate truck.
Either way if you've got a couple people and an extra empty pallet breaking down anr unloading a full pallet by hand and rebuilding on the ground only takes a couple minutes. It's only 40 bags. If you don't have a forklift and the truck has no liftgate you have no choice anyway.
Now as far as finding a supplier willing to ship a pallet to a home, well that's another story.
Getting a brewery to order for you is a good option if you find someone willing/able (some just may not have the storage space).
TomRep
Well-Known Member
Country Malt Group will do pallet/group buys without any kind of brewery license or anything if, and here is the main catch, you have someone in your group who bought from them before roughly 2003-2004. After a certain year they changed their policy that you needed a license, but anyone who bought before that they grandfathered in. I am one of those people. I used to do group buys for local guys here and we would order 3-4 pallets at a shot. Now, this was back in 2005-2007 and I haven't done one since, so they may have changed their policies.
Tom
Tom
