Affordable Home Brew Supplies

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Tennessee Brew

Tennessee Brew

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Ive been scouring the internet and figured I would ask here. Where is the best place to get home brew supplies? Not equipment but malts, grains etc. Im not sure if mention of a particular supplier is within the rules so I will leave it here for now. Im a poor boy so saving is critical for me.
 
There are tons of similar threads on here and pretty soon you will start getting a billion opinions from everyone. I've found that cost depends on a couple of factors: quantity you are buying, and distance between you and the supplier. If you have a LHBS they may ultimately be cheaper because you won't have to pay shipping on top of the ingredient price. But if you're like me, you may not and mail order is your best option. I'm in eastern NC and Atlantic brew supply is my go to online shop. They sell all grains by the ounce, their prices are comparable to most of the other online shops, and their customer service is great! Plus they are close, so my orders arrive quickly and I don't have to get overly concerned about yeast health in transit. I've also ordered from home brew supply and keg connection (both owned by the same company) great service, good selection, father away from me (they're both in TX) and grains have to be ordered by the pound or in premade 5 G kits.

Most of the online places will sell full sacks of grain at a discounted price, but then you have to store it and mill it yourself. All 3 of the shops I mentioned above will mill the grain for you (on small orders not full sacks), if desired, and offer single and double milling depending on your preference.

I've seen allot of people on here singing the praises of Midwest supply and Northern Brewer as well as adventures in home brewing, but I've never ordered from them so can't speak to their selection or service. If they are closer to you, it would certainly be worth looking into. Happy hunting.

Cheers!
 
Tennessee Brew said:
Ive been scouring the internet and figured I would ask here. Where is the best place to get home brew supplies? Not equipment but malts, grains etc. Im not sure if mention of a particular supplier is within the rules so I will leave it here for now. Im a poor boy so saving is critical for me.
Click to expand...

Best two options IMO are Morebeer and Atlantic Brew Supply a close 3rd being Rite Brew.

Morebeer offers free shipping on orders 59 bucks and up so you get bulk 40lbs of grain for free shipping.As said above Atlantic Brew Supply offers grain by the oz as does Ritebrew.

The biggest PIA is the shipping cost of course...if you have a local HBS or brewpub/nano/brewery go and talk to the brewer and see if you can throw in for some sacks.

Good luck!
 
I second the smaller bags of base grains... if you can get free shipping on them.

A $52 bag of malt is no bargain if it costs you another $52 to get it shipped to you.
 
My most common places are:
  • Local Shops: I have two shops in my area I visit and I try to support them with at least some percentage of my spending. It has been a little bit of a challenge with COVID (one shop is closer to where I used to commute for work, one used to host homebrew club meetings, browsing was not allowed for many months). I almost always get my liquid yeast and bulk grains locally.
  • MoreBeer: I have been a long time customer of theirs from when I lived on the west coast, so I was happy when they opened the PA location. They have a good selection of items for a good price. I shop a few others (Northern Brewer/Midwest) and there are a few I want to try (like Atlantic Homebrew Supply, Ritebrew, and Love2Brew).
  • Yakama Valley Hops: It is hard to beat quality hops for $12 to $20 per lb, vs $3 per one oz pack at the local homebrew stores. Their 2oz and 8oz packs are also attractive. I have been placing 1 or 2 orders with YVH a year, often timed around cooler weather and a good First Friday sale. I have also gotten good quality hops by the lb from MoreBeer for a good price.
 
If you have a local brew shop they can be a great source of supplies. If not, I really like MoreBeer for most of my stuff.
 
If you are trying to brew on a budget, patience is the thing you need the most. Don't be in a hurry to get all stuff that many tout as the end-all-be-all piece of equipment to have.

You can do quite a bit with just a large enough pot to mash and boil in and something to ferment in. That might even be the same pot you mashed and boiled in. Along with just the tubing for transferring, a cheap hydrometer and a reasonably accurate thermometer.

Buy what you need when you find that you really need it or just simply want it and understand why you need or want it.

Then all you need is a recipe kit and more than anything, patience.
 
MoreBeer
William's Brewing
Homebrew Supply Co
Midwest Supplies
Northern Brewer
Ritebrew
Atlantic Brew Supply
Austin Homebrew Supply

The trouble with trying to find the one best store for price is that each store has good prices and bad for different items. It can be very product-dependent. Malt may be cheapest at one store, hops at another. Then there's shipping.

If you're just going for lowest cost, determine what you need to order. Open browser tabs for several places and put all your items in the shopping carts of each. Add in the shipping, then compare. You might be surprised--a place with low prices may have high shipping rates, and vice-versa.
 
MaxStout said:
The trouble with trying to find the one best store for price is that each store has good prices and bad for different items. It can be very product-dependent. Malt may be cheapest at one store, hops at another. Then there's shipping.
Click to expand...
That’s the biggest problem I have shopping for ingredients. I never can seem to find everything I want on the same site. That being said, I use Atlantic Brew Supply and MoreBeer most often and Adventures in Homebrewing and Northern Brewer occasionally. I have no LHBS either… closest one is a 2+ hour drive (140+ miles) each way on a good day.
 
@bracconiere, your November shipment of grain is being loaded now.

img
 
Hops Direct has great prices on hops, especially if you are willing to use prior year hops. Another cost saver is either using dry yeast, or washing and reusing your yeast. I buy my grains at LHBS, but I used to get cheap sacks of 2 row at a local brewery before they closed.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I have a shop in Knoxville but its a 45 min drive for me and I'm hardly ever going that way.
I actually thought about opening a shop here, I'm not exactly poor as much as I am cheap lol. It seems brewing is a big thing, maybe starting a shop is a good idea lol
 
Also check for group grain buys in your area. Or befriend a local brewery, they may sell you some sacks.

We have a group grain buy in DC, it's a private deal with a brewery/homebrew shop. We used to get 1 to 2 pallets (42 sacks per pallet) worth twice a year, but sadly, things have slowed down quite a bit the past 2-3 years.

It's worth driving 45-60 mins each way. Plus when we're done distributing we share a few homebrews.
 
I've got plenty of cash at the moment but poverty in my past causes me to be a smart shopper.
Costs are going up all over and prices are following that. I've been checking prices lately and have noticed the increase.
Check the Hombrew Deals forum here on HBT.
One of the lowest priced suppliers is FH Steinbart, they have free shipping for orders over $40. Right now basic 2 row is 1.19 a pound. They have many Weyermann malts for $1.50 to $1.70/pound,
https://fhsteinbart.com/product/northwest-pale-ale-malt-50-lb-bag/
Get a small scale and a grain mill and order 10-20 lbs of different malts and you can have what you can brew what you want when you want. Get a sack of base malt now and then when you can find one. If you brew light lagers, you can stretch your budget by using rice. You can get cheap rice at Walmart/Sam's Club. Good malted barley has enough enzymes that you can use 50% rice in a recipe. Unmalted rice, wheat, barley and oats can also be used. Hops can be pricey, look for sales on 1 pound amounts at More Beer, Farmhouse Supply and other retailers Re-using yeast is a big way to save some cash, the best method I've found is to make a healthy starter with DME and then pitch half of it and save the other half. Keep building up the original starter and pitch half for the next brew.
 
balrog said:
I second RiteBrew. Even shipping to MA it is cheaper than local HBS. If you are in TN (per your avatar), Atlantic might have better shipping.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...
My last order was from Ritebrew. They have THE best price on extract that I've been able to find.
 
Sammy86 said:
Best two options IMO are Morebeer and Atlantic Brew Supply a close 3rd being Rite Brew.

Morebeer offers free shipping on orders 59 bucks and up so you get bulk 40lbs of grain for free shipping.As said above Atlantic Brew Supply offers grain by the oz as does Ritebrew.

The biggest PIA is the shipping cost of course...if you have a local HBS or brewpub/nano/brewery go and talk to the brewer and see if you can throw in for some sacks.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Well, MOREBEER Won't ever get any money or another order from me. Placed an order this afternoon for a couple of pounds of on sale hops, 22 pounds of grain, (3 different grains) and some yeast for next brew. $80 odd dollars. Free shipping in the cart. Had the 15% off first order coupon. clicked PayPal and entered coupon. roughly $65 final order.
Got email telling me I didn't have shipping added to the order. It showed free shipping..... Guess I'll go back to Northern Brewing when I can't get locally.
 
Brewdog80 said:
Got email telling me I didn't have shipping added to the order. It showed free shipping.....
Click to expand...
That's odd! Free shipping on $59 orders or over...

Unless there's stuff in there that doesn't qualify for free shipping, although most things are. Did your 15% off coupon put you below it, perhaps, or something is out of stock?

I'd contact them, pronto!
I've heard they're very good with customer service.
 
Brewdog80 said:
Well, MOREBEER Won't ever get any money or another order from me. Placed an order this afternoon for a couple of pounds of on sale hops, 22 pounds of grain, (3 different grains) and some yeast for next brew. $80 odd dollars. Free shipping in the cart. Had the 15% off first order coupon. clicked PayPal and entered coupon. roughly $65 final order.
Got email telling me I didn't have shipping added to the order. It showed free shipping..... Guess I'll go back to Northern Brewing when I can't get locally.
Click to expand...
Call them. They will fix it on the spot. They neglected to send me a sack of grain one time that I didn't catch until about 2 weeks later and they shipped me a new sack free of charge.
 
Brewdog80 said:
Well, MOREBEER Won't ever get any money or another order from me. Placed an order this afternoon for a couple of pounds of on sale hops, 22 pounds of grain, (3 different grains) and some yeast for next brew. $80 odd dollars. Free shipping in the cart. Had the 15% off first order coupon. clicked PayPal and entered coupon. roughly $65 final order.
Got email telling me I didn't have shipping added to the order. It showed free shipping..... Guess I'll go back to Northern Brewing when I can't get locally.
Click to expand...

As @IslandLizard said I'd contact their customer service ASAP...they always work with me to resolve any issues even though I haven't had many in the past.
 
Oh, I've already sent a nasty gram to them. It ain't about the money, it's the way they initially handled it like it was my fault their website either didn't add or keep me from ordering with free shipping. No, well above the $59, almost $70 And this pushed the order to arrive too late to brew this weekend. Yeah, I know plan better.

I've a good local shop, new guy just bought store, but no liquid yeast to speak of yet and I would rather buy hops by the pound rather than by one ounce along with needing specialty grain he didn't have. Just a bit frustrating.
 
Brewdog80 said:
Oh, I've already sent a nasty gram to them. It ain't about the money, [...]
Click to expand...
It's more pleasant to glue with honey...
But I would still try to iron out the wrinkle. Wouldn't you want to know you're right? Or that something got mangled?

OK, you're brewing next weekend, then. Also gives you ample time to make a decent size starter if you're using liquid yeast.

Brewdog80 said:
I've a good local shop,
Click to expand...
Local is always a preferable resource. Maybe he can get you the supplies you want or need, he's just starting it up again. Give him the chance to make it work.
 
The MOST affordable brew shop is listed in here somewhere:

http://scottjanish.com/top-homebrew-shop-websites/
Fact is, most are pretty close in price when all is said and done, but I have found Atlantic Brew Supply to not only be somewhat cheaper than the others (they also have a discount code to boot), but close enough that I get my shipments within two days of ordering.
 
I might have mentioned this in another thread. I often order from MoreBeer and 90%+ of the time orders ship within a day or two. My last order took 10 days or more to leave the warehouse. I believe 2 things hit them at the same time ... 1) California was on fire. 2) Pandemic worker shortages. I don't fault them for that, but a shop in Raleigh like Atlantic may not have had at least the fire struggle.
 
Brewdog80 said:
Well, MOREBEER Won't ever get any money or another order from me. Placed an order this afternoon for a couple of pounds of on sale hops, 22 pounds of grain, (3 different grains) and some yeast for next brew. $80 odd dollars. Free shipping in the cart. Had the 15% off first order coupon. clicked PayPal and entered coupon. roughly $65 final order.
Got email telling me I didn't have shipping added to the order. It showed free shipping..... Guess I'll go back to Northern Brewing when I can't get locally.
Click to expand...
Like many others here, I’ve ordered from them for years; never an issue. If there seemed to be a problem a quick phone call always cleared things up. Not to say it always went my way as sometimes I was not familiar with their specific policy. That’s just my experience.
 
I have been dealing with More Beer since 2009. They offer great deals on equipment and ingredients, but the quality is not always there, especially their grains which I have had some issue with (bugs) . I have been dealing with ABS since they opened to the public in 2013 ( they are very local to me) and they offer good quality equipment and grains. Many of the breweries in the Raleigh area use ABS equipment. BTW-the owners also own Raleigh Brewing which is adjacent to their showroom.
 
I've had good experiences with ABS (and with MoreBeer, for that matter). Equidistant from you (depending where you are in TN) is Great Fermentations, who I'd also recommend. Also, both stores promote a local maltster, Epiphany (ABS) and Sugar Creek (GF).
 
Mail ordered grain? Local or close to it is always better. At least you have a real person to deal with instead of someone at the other end of a phone call or email. I buy grain locally so I know what I'm getting. I have driven out of town to buy grain too, a couple hour drive is a pleasure plus some other stops along the way.
 
I deal almost exclusively with Northern Brewer. As with any mail order business, things sometimes go south. If that does happen, NB is right on top of it and takes care of it right away and without complaint.

YMMV

Lon
 
Yes, Mail ordered grain. Brewed for several decades in central MS where it was still illegal to brew beer. The ONLY way to get any supplies was to mail order or drive hours to pick them up. Heck brought back 55 pound bags of grain whenever we did a road trip. Dallas shop, heck even Minnesota shop once. No, Morebeer never tried to contact me back, but I guess they read my email, they cancelled the paypal charge. Fine by me. I'll work with local guy more, and but from others when I have to. Local still has no Wyeast, guess I'll try some Imperial.
 
I should have clarified, nothing wrong with mail ordered grain or yeast for that matter. Most of those places have a good turnaround so you're not getting old ingredients. I have two good local places here which is nice bit not everyone has that advantage. I've ordered a lot of items before from Northern Brewer even a Kolsch grain I couldn't source locally. As I mentioned before I've driven a few hours away to buy grain - three sacks of different grains sure has a pleasant aroma for the trip home!
 
As many have mentioned, buy in bulk.

Hops - hopsdirect or yakima valley hops hops on sale from previous year in lbs - $8-15/lb

Grains - buy a sack of base locally and brew simple beers with 0-2 specialty malts. $40-$70

Yeast - either save it or buy dry yeast from Ritebrew when you need it, shipping is minimal - $2-3. Pack of S04 is like $3 there.

1 sack of grain and 1 lb of versatile hop, you could make 35-50 gallons of beer for about $60-70 depending on ABV.
 

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