Best way to get all grain ingredients

[BYOB504]

I’ve been doing extract brews and soon will be moving into all grain. Designing my diy set up now probably 3 tier gravity but also looking at biab don’t know yet but any way I see the kits on line for AG and I got the recipe kits ingredients and shopped at round at local brew shop and morebeer and seems almost the same. Of course buying ingredients by them self I would buy bulk say 2 or 3 brews worth. But seems almost what and what. Just curious how you guys in the AG world get yalls grain looking for the cheapest way of of course

 

[myndflyte]

I think it depends what you want to do. Do you have the space and brew often enough to keep bulk grains? Do you want a 3 tier system or BIAB?

Me personally, I brew BIAB because I found it to be the most enjoyable between that and a traditional setup. I don't have the space nor brew enough to order bulk grains. So I order per recipe when I need it. I use Ritebrew mostly but other places like Adventures in Homebrewing and sites like that. The only difference is hops where I like to order 1lb packages from Yamina Valley. But they are easier to store where you just need a vacuum sealer and a freezer.

 

[SouthBounds]

I use morebeer mostly. They charge for shipping 50lb bags but don't for 10lb bags. So I just order 5-10lb bags.

I usually order 2-6 batches at a time.

 

[Qhrumphf]

The single best way of getting grain (at the cost of effort) is the group buy. Most major metro areas probably have one in the works most of the time.

Basically you and a bunch of other homebrewers work together with a commercial brewery. Basically the brewery orders for you through their suppliers. You buy ingredients in commercial quantities (like a full pallet, 2200lbs of malt), and at commercial cost which is FAR lower than what you pay at the homebrew shop. You chip in for your personal share and split it up.

Added plus is more particular grains or hops that may not be stocked my most homebrew shops become available- IF you're willing/able to get/split a 55lb (grain) bag or 44lb (hop) box.

 

[BYOB504]

How long do grains store since I can freeze hops

 

[BYOB504]

I think it depends what you want to do. Do you have the space and brew often enough to keep bulk grains? Do you want a 3 tier system or BIAB?

Me personally, I brew BIAB because I found it to be the most enjoyable between that and a traditional setup. I don't have the space nor brew enough to order bulk grains. So I order per recipe when I need it. I use Ritebrew mostly but other places like Adventures in Homebrewing and sites like that. The only difference is hops where I like to order 1lb packages from Yamina Valley. But they are easier to store where you just need a vacuum sealer and a freezer.

When you say per recipe is it better to just order their kit or just put all the ingredients in to your cart per the recipe

 

[Harleybrew32]

i order per my recipes, once in awhile i will order a kit if they have a deal.
just ordered a wheat beer from AIH for 25$
But i love Morebeer and will order from them with out hesitation.

 

[Brassringbrew.com]

Where to start. How far down the rabbit hole do you want to fall. I have most of my grains in Homer buckets with airtight seals on them. It helps that I also own a homebrew shop so all my grains already come in 1000lb increments.

 

[jrgtr42]

As far as the first couple batches, I like the idea of recipe kits - you don't have to worry about if this blend of grain works, or if those hops play well with these ones.
Once you're more settled, and are either making your own recipes or brewing based of other ones, buying either a batch or 2 at a time or in bulk works - Bulk you can usually get better pricing, but shipping may negate those savings. Same with buying from a LHBS (local home brew shop) versus on line. An LHBS is also there for advice and issues, you can usually bring a sample for them to diagnose issues, you can't on line. That to me is worth a little more in cost buying locally versus mail order - as long as you have a good shop nearby.

 

[BYOB504]

i order per my recipes, once in awhile i will order a kit if they have a deal.
just ordered a wheat beer from AIH for 25$
But i love Morebeer and will order from them with out hesitation.

That’s what I’m looking at is the kit from morebeer is 21 with out yeast. So that is why I was wondering what is the norm cause it comes out round about trying to peace it together thanks for the in put

 

[Qhrumphf]

If you're buying a pound of this and a pound of that, you won't save much. Find one or two base malts you like and buy those by the full sack. If you've got certain specialty grains you use a lot of, you may find cheaper options say 10lb at a time. As long as they're uncrushed and stored airtight where insects and rodents can't get to em, grains will last a good long time.

 

[myndflyte]

When you say per recipe is it better to just order their kit or just put all the ingredients in to your cart per the recipe

I'm just ordering per my recipe. If there's a good deal on a kit that sounds good, I may order that but typically I'm just pulling recipes from the internet.

Now if you're asking if you should order a kit or order the same ingredients separately, I think you end up saving a few bucks through the kit route. Depending on your setup, they may include things you don't need like carb tabs and bottle caps if you keg. So then you may save money with separate ingredients.

 

[Transamguy77]

If your goal is to save money then buying in bulk will always be cheaper, my LHBS sells grain prepackaged in 10lb bags that is cheaper than buying by the pound. I always buy 10 lbs of a specialty grain, at some point I’ll use it. And I buy all my base malt by the sack.

Thinking ahead you will need to have a place to store all of the grain and be able to mill it yourself. When I started in AG I did BIAB then moved to a 3 tier system, I prefer the 3 tier better, very little lifting and gravity does most of the work.

 

[BYOB504]

If your goal is to save money then buying in bulk will always be cheaper, my LHBS sells grain prepackaged in 10lb bags that is cheaper than buying by the pound. I always buy 10 lbs of a specialty grain, at some point I’ll use it. And I buy all my base malt by the sack.

Thinking ahead you will need to have a place to store all of the grain and be able to mill it yourself. When I started in AG I did BIAB then moved to a 3 tier system, I prefer the 3 tier better, very little lifting and gravity does most of the work.

Thanks for the response I may do the same start with biab since I have a 10 gal Ktl and brew 5gal then work my way up. Is there any trick to storing besides those traits top bins that I see at lhbs looks like what pet food would go in to but smaller. Lol

 

[Transamguy77]

Thanks for the response I may do the same start with biab since I have a 10 gal Ktl and brew 5gal then work my way up. Is there any trick to storing besides those traits top bins that I see at lhbs looks like what pet food would go in to but smaller. Lol

A 10 gallon kettle will make the jump easy, now I did do a dunk sparge in another pot some guys do no sparge. The orange Homer buckets work well, I also have icing buckets from my local grocery store bakery and they have a nice gasket in the lid so I know they seal well, and sometimes they will have them in different sizes.

 

[BYOB504]

Can the buckets be stored in a garage in the south or do they have to be at room temp. Probably gets 80 in the garage

 

[Transamguy77]

It would be best to keep them cool, when I lived in California I had to keep them in the garage and some days it was 120+ in there. As long as they are not milled they should be fine.

 

[BYOB504]

Thank you

 

[Immocles]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/single-hop-experiment-kits-14-18-at-amazon.662518/
Its an old thread, but I still search "unmilled all grain kit" on amazon and filter by lowest cost. Pre-covid some of these kits were selling in the 13-17 range very regularly, but they've been sitting in the low 20s recently. The kits are from morebeer, and I've bought about 6 of them that way. All the grains are packaged separately, and if you search the kit on morebeer, you can find the ingredients in the kit. A few times I just bought them for ingredients, and a few times I would brew a half batch, and keep the other half of the grain for other brews. I'd gotten some really, really good deals doing this. Some of the kits that would get into that price range would have 10-13lbs of base grains, another pound of total specialty grains, several ounces of hops, 4oz priming sugars and a whirlfloc tablet for 15 bucks. Its worth keeping an eye on, in my opinion.

 

[bleme]

I buy my base malts from the local brewpub as the owner offers them at his cost. I believe a 55lb bag of 2-row and a 50lb bag of wheat malt cost me $64 total last time.

I get my specialty malts from either Morebeer or Williams Brewing in 5-10lb bags.

I store them in air-tight 7-gallon buckets I got from a local food manufacturer for 50 cents each. As far as I can tell, they never go bad.

I crush them with a Cereal Killer.

 

[BYOB504]

Thanks good info

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I use Morebeer for most of my grain and my brewing supplies. Good prices, free shipping, great customer service. I will get hops from them sometimes but I don't really like how they don't list the crop years. I've come to ordering most of my bulk hops from YVH, which is cheaper for hops than Morebeer anyways. Their shipping isn't bad but it isn't free like Morebeer so I'll order a lot at once to make it worth.

 

[BYOB504]

I use Morebeer for most of my grain and my brewing supplies. Good prices, free shipping, great customer service. I will get hops from them sometimes but I don't really like how they don't list the crop years. I've come to ordering most of my bulk hops from YVH, which is cheaper for hops than Morebeer anyways. Their shipping isn't bad but it isn't free like Morebeer so I'll order a lot at once to make it worth.

Thanks what is YVH. very new here lol

 

[Immocles]

https://www.yakimavalleyhops.com/

 

[Conehead]

Bulk buy is the only way to go. I usually buy at least 4 bags at a time. I have to travel 2 hours to get them, but where I live there is no where to get them. Well, there is one HB store that charges $110 per 55 lb. sack, never, ever.

 

[apache_brew]

Make friends with a local brewery and see if you can buy base malt at cost (maybe even hops too). WilliamsBrewing has sales on 55lb grain sacks every so often. I'm lucky because I'm local and can pick them up via will call, but shipping costs aren't too bad either. I do sacks of malt and store in 6 gallon white hdpe buckets with spin top lids to keep sealed in my pantry.