Bulk base grain suggestion

[mgr_stl]

I recently did my first all grain brew (BIAB) and was trying to figure out what base grain(s) I should buy so I don't get bent over by my LHBS buying by the pound/ounce in the future.

What would you recommend buying in bulk as a versatile base grain?

Also, how long can one store unmilled grains?

 

[mgr_stl]

Oh, and every second brew of mine tends to be an IPA if that affects your recommendation.

 

[stpug]

Pilsner
US 2row
Maris Otter

...but it really depends on the styles of beer you prefer to drink. Unmilled grains will store for a year or better in good conditions (out of light, dry, cool conditions).

Edit: With IPA in mind, probably the US 2row and MO, but any of the three are useful for IPA brewing. Pilsner may cause you to boil longer (90 minutes) instead of the usual 60 with US2row and MO.

 

[rhys333]

I second the domestic 2-Row. It's perfect for IPAs and a good middle of the road grain that lets you brew a lot of different styles. You can sometimes substitute 2-Row into a recipe calling for Pilsner. Likewise, you can sub it into a recipe calling for Maris Otter with maybe a dash of specialty malt to approximate the extra flavor. By contrast, you'd have a harder time using Maris Otter in a Pils recipe or vise versa.

 

[mgr_stl]

Thanks guys! Will definitely add some two row to my next order.

 

[mgr_stl]

Oh, and what size container should I get to hold fifty pounds of grain?

 

[1977Brewer]

Oh, and what size container should I get to hold fifty pounds of grain?

(2) 5 gallon buckets hold about 24 lbs. start there. I keep mine on a high shelf in a postal tote with the bag twisted shut. Not ideal.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

For me it's 2row, marris, pilsner 50lb sacks with 10lb of brown malt, Vienna, munich, and a chocolate malt.

I brew mostly dark stuff, porters, browns, stouts, and dark English milds and Belgian stuff, trippel, saison, dubbels, etc.

Bulk prices are slightly less than a buck a lb, grain at my lhbs is $3/lb. So it's something like 3.666x cheaper to buy bulk grain, so if I expect to use more than 13 lbs a year I buy a bag.

 

[atom]

(2) 5 gallon buckets hold about 24 lbs. start there. I keep mine on a high shelf in a postal tote with the bag twisted shut. Not ideal.

you mean a single 5 gallon bucket will hold 24-25lbs.

 

[1977Brewer]

you mean a single 5 gallon bucket will hold 24-25lbs.

Yes. That.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, and what size container should I get to hold fifty pounds of grain?

I go through it pretty fast, since I do 10 gallon batches, about 23 pounds of grain per batch. I use those bins at Family Dollar, which are (mostly) airtight. I keep the grain in the bag, and roll down the top, and place that in the bin and put the lid on it. You want it to stay cool and dry, and it will last for at least 6 months that way.

There are some cheaper brands of US two-row that work fine for IPAs. Briess is probably most expensive, while Rahr and Great Western tend to be cheaper. Sometimes you can find Rahr for under $30 per sack, depending on where you shop.

 

[WI_Wino]

I go through it pretty fast, since I do 10 gallon batches, about 23 pounds of grain per batch. I use those bins at Family Dollar, which are (mostly) airtight. I keep the grain in the bag, and roll down the top, and place that in the bin and put the lid on it. You want it to stay cool and dry, and it will last for at least 6 months that way.

There are some cheaper brands of US two-row that work fine for IPAs. Briess is probably most expensive, while Rahr and Great Western tend to be cheaper. Sometimes you can find Rahr for under $30 per sack, depending on where you shop.

Curious, where have you seen a sack for under $30? Lowest I have seen (in my admittedly limited searching) is $35 at Northern Brewer.

 

[m00ps]

I buy grains sacks at basically wholesale prices from local breweries that recently opened near me. Much cheaper when you provide your own "shipping". I bring them homebrew to try so they are more than happy to share extra grains sacks with me. I just use massive binder clips to close mine in the bag, not airtight at all, but mine last for a long time. I keep them in my a/c controlled apartment and a single sack has lasted more than a year without any noticeable degradation

 

[Hoppity]

I like to use the Homer buckets with the gamma 'spin' lids. Just opened a 55# sack on Sunday, used 9 in a batch and the rest fit nicely in two buckets. The gammas cost about $8 (they're in the paint dept.) and create an air-tight seal on the $4 bucket.

 

[Cider123]

I go through it pretty fast, since I do 10 gallon batches, about 23 pounds of grain per batch. I use those bins at Family Dollar, which are (mostly) airtight. I keep the grain in the bag, and roll down the top, and place that in the bin and put the lid on it. You want it to stay cool and dry, and it will last for at least 6 months that way.

+1, works fine for me. Although I don't go through it as fast as Yooper. I am a curmudgeon and don't invite people over very often.

I always have MO and really like having the pilsner around in the spring and summertime. Although I think I want the 2 row also Ah heck, just get all three. I know I will.

 

[rhys333]

I just keep mine in the sack with the top either zip tied or just twisted and tucked under the sack. They're down in the basement which is quite cool and dry.

 

[eric19312]

Thats a good point on the price of the 2-row. I think it is location dependent. We just don't see Rahr in my area (NY-Long Island). Would love to be able to buy 2-row for $30 but in three years of searching I have not seen it yet. I have great LHBS and I've never seen an online price that was all that attractive once you added shipping.

Best store in my area is Karp's. He sells about 10 varieties by the sack...I frequently buy
Briess US Pale
Muntons Marris Otter
Wyermann German Wheat
Dingemans Belgian Pilsner

I buy all of those in the 50/55 lb sacks (European malts are 25kg = 55 lb sacks) and pay about $54 for the domestic and about $68 for the imports.

 

[Hoppity]

Group grain buys help save money too. I usually will buy 3 or more sacks at a time to justify the gas expense for pick-up.

 

[Brew_G]

I've got both MO and 2-Row (50-lb and 55-lb sacks, respectively) and I store them in food-grade buckets with gamma lids in my basement. I thought I could get away with just rolling up the bags and storing them in the basement that way, but mice somehow found them (and I'd never seen mice in my house before!), so I did some research and went with the buckets.

I've used both MO and 2-Row for various beers, and since I like to brew seasonally, it's been nice to have both for whatever I may come up with next. That said, if I had just one option, even though I prefer MO in many beers I'd probably go with 2-Row due to versatility.

 

[ba-brewer]

If your looking to save a couple bucks the great western pale ale malt is a good compromise. A little more character then straight 2 row and quite a bit cheaper then MO.

 

[Owly055]

I buy 2 row in 50 lb sacks for about $22 from a local micro brewer. A sack from the LHBS is about $60+

2 row can sub for MO or Pilsner if you keep things like Victory on hand, and aren't ashamed to sub in a bit of sugar to lighten it up for the Pilsners. Pilsner malt has more DMS problems than 2 row....... I don't use Pilsner malt at all anymore. My beers tend to be VERY hop forward (not bitter, but strong hop presence), so the subtleties of the grain bill tend to be lost....... For my purposes Pilsner malt is just a waste of money.

Maybe next year or the year after that, I'll delve into lightly hopped beers where the subtleties of the grains come through..........but not now. I'm having too much fun with hops.... about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on ;-)


H.W.

 

[rhys333]

That's a steal. I thought I was doing well at $48 for a 55lb sack of Canada Malting 2-Row (from LHBS).

 

[Cider123]

After two row, pilsner and MO, I find munich malt and various types of wheat malt are my second largest storage of grains.

Also, this whole thread so far and not one mention of Golden Promise.

 

[aprichman]

Cheapest I have seen locally (Portland) is $35 a bag. Beats the pants off paying $55 a bag at my LHBS ($67.50 if bought by the lb) but I don't have a grain mill so I still buy from my LHBS.

 

[Owly055]

Every time I buy 50 pounds of Harrington from my local micro brewer, I wonder if it will be the last time! $22 was his cost this year.........including shipping. I do whatever I can to cultivate the relationship....... If he has a situation in the back when I'm there, I help him deal with it, I bring him kombucha periodically, and samples of my homebrew........ He's 50 miles away. I've even scaled recipes he liked up to 15 barrel batches. For example, is Mosaic brew where he tossed in some Simco because he didn't have as much Mosaic was a failure. I scaled up my Mosaic Delight (Mosaic and Willamette, hop bursted)......... I don't know if he'll do it....... Not a cheap recipe!! I have made vinegar from some of his beer, and they serve it in the brew pub....... he makes his own now. I had a friend distill 10 gallons of beer that was not a good seller............ Which of course he couldn't sell, but could enjoy.

One hand washes the other...............

I plan to begin home malting this fall..... it's simple so why not?? Someday I hope to make a beer entirely with grain and hops from within 10 miles from here.

Interestingly the only malting barley I can by at the local elevator is seed, at $22.50 CWT





H.W.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I recently did my first all grain brew (BIAB) and was trying to figure out what base grain(s) I should buy so I don't get bent over by my LHBS buying by the pound/ounce in the future.

What would you recommend buying in bulk as a versatile base grain?

Also, how long can one store unmilled grains?

I use 2-row for about 90% of my beers as a base.

Unmilled grains can be stored for a year or two if they're put in a cool dry place inside of a sealed container.

 

[JKaranka]

The cheapest good quality 2-row from a reputable maltster will do. Here that is often regular pale or MO from someone like Crisp or Warminster.

 

[mgr_stl]

My LHBS sells fifty pounds of two row for $60 plus tax. But I do get 10% off that for being an AHA member. I'll probably go that route this time since I don't yet have a mill and they charge $0.50 per pound to crush grain if it is not purchased at their store.

Also, I've looked online quite a bit and haven't really found any better deals once shipping is included.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

My LHBS sells fifty pounds of two row for $60 plus tax. But I do get 10% off that for being an AHA member. I'll probably go that route this time since I don't yet have a mill and they charge $0.50 per pound to crush grain if it is not purchased at their store.

Also, I've looked online quite a bit and haven't really found any better deals once shipping is included.

0.50 per lb to crush is pretty excessive. 20 gallons and you're basically looking at a free corona mill. I guess the logic is to get people to buy their grain, but really just sounds like a deterrent of me wanting to go back. I've never been to an lhbs that charges to crush, and the moment I find myself going to one will be the moment I buy a cheap mill.

 

[GuitsBoy]

I tend to buy grains in ten pound bags online to avoid ridiculous shipping costs, even if you buy 5 at a time. You can choose pre crushed or not. I tend to go pre-crushed on base malts, but whole on the specialty grains.

Oh, and a large pet food container holds 50 lbs of grain for me. I have a couple in my basement. They have an air tight seal, but they are translucent, so keep them out of direct sunlight.