Bulk grain questions

[JeffNYC]

I'm thinking of building up a decent inventory, with a bag of Maris Otter for my base and 5-6 other types primarily for ales, Belgians, and a few lagers.

* How much grain do you keep on hand? How many months worth?
* Which varieties? Base vs. color malts?
* How do you store it? Plastic trash cans the right size for a bag?
* How long does it keep?
* Target cost/lb (with shipping)?

 

[Cheesefood]

I'm thinking of building up a decent inventory, with a bag of Maris Otter for my base and 5-6 other types primarily for ales, Belgians, and a few lagers.

* How much grain do you keep on hand? How many months worth?
* Which varieties? Base vs. color malts?
* How do you store it? Plastic trash cans the right size for a bag?
* How long does it keep?
* Target cost/lb (with shipping)?

I would only keep base malt, and several 1 pound bags of specialty.

 

[greg888]

I buy the large zip-lock bags i think they are 2 gal. and put 10lbs of base grain in each bag then i have a large food grade container i put the zip-locks in the stay supper freash and i know real quick how much base malt i have on hand. easy way to get ready for brew day too.

 

[Funkenjaeger]

A while back I bought about 95lb of grain from north country malt, it cost about $104 shipped to Maine. I got a 55lb sack of 2-row pale, and between 2 and 8 pounds each of common grains like munich, vienna, crystal (20, 40, and 60L), chocolate malt, amber malt, roasted barley, and carapils. It's been a pretty good assortment so far, enough to make a lot of things, and usually at worst I have to buy a small amount of specialty grains (flaked barley, rye, wheat, etc) which I can usually get at my LHBS easily enough.

Oh, and i second the idea of the ziplock bags - I use the 1 gallon freezer bags with zipper tops, and they hold just under 5lb apiece.

 

[DrunkTrucker]

Has anyone ever used one of those foodsavers or is it just as easy to use freezer bags?

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

I have 55lb bag of pils, 55lb bag of wheat and 50lb bag of american 2-row. Then around 3-10lbs of most specialty grains. I'm ready for the next 6 months

Also, about 5lbs of hop pellets in the freezer, 4 jars of washed yeast and a package of wyeast hefe on hand

 

[jma99]

Walmart sells a nifty dog food container that seals with a gasket, holds about 55lbs of grain, and is on wheels!

 

[Soulive]

I have 55lb bag of pils, 55lb bag of wheat and 50lb bag of american 2-row. Then around 3-10lbs of most specialty grains. I'm ready for the next 6 months

Also, about 5lbs of hop pellets in the freezer, 4 jars of washed yeast and a package of wyeast hefe on hand

Nice. Sounds like you're ready for any natural or man-made disasters. I need to keep more on hand so I can brew whenever I feel like it...

I usually just keep base malt and yeast on hand. That means usually some Crisp MO, Durst Pils, US-05, and S-04...

 

[TexLaw]

Has anyone ever used one of those foodsavers or is it just as easy to use freezer bags?

I've used a FoodSaver for crushed grains when I suddenly had to wait about 10 days to brew. However, I had the Foodsaver, and I had the bags, and I was feeling particularly anal at the time.


TL

 

[HarvInSTL]

I purchase most of adjunts and specility malts in 5-10lb increments.

I currently have the following:

100lbs of unmalted soft red wheat
90lbs 2row
25lbs Vienna
25lbs Munich
55lbs TF Marris Otter
25lbs German Pilsner
25lbs White Wheat

With another 50lbs of 2row & 50lbs of Pilsner to pickup on Monday.

Then 5-10lbs of:

Crystal 40/80/120l
Special B
Coffee Malt
Peat Malt
Beechwood smoked malt
Carapils
Flaked oats
Flaked Rye
Flaked corn
Roasted barley
Flaked barley
Flaked wheat
Biscuit malt
And another 3 or 4 that I can't remember off the top of my head.

The goal is next month to purchase 12-20 of these to store my adjuncts/speciality grain in.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/variant.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=29164&product%5Fid=26423&variant%5Fid=66425

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/variant.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=29164&product%5Fid=26418&variant%5Fid=66298

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

I purchase most of adjunts and specility malts in 5-10lb increments.

I currently have the following:

100lbs of unmalted soft red wheat
90lbs 2row
25lbs Vienna
25lbs Munich
55lbs TF Marris Otter
25lbs German Pilsner
25lbs White Wheat

With another 50lbs of 2row & 50lbs of Pilsner to pickup on Monday.

Then 5-10lbs of:

Crystal 40/80/120l
Special B
Coffee Malt
Peat Malt
Beechwood smoked malt
Carapils
Flaked oats
Flaked Rye
Flaked corn
Roasted barley
Flaked barley
Flaked wheat
Biscuit malt
And another 3 or 4 that I can't remember off the top of my head.

Good lord man! You are ready for the next couple years!

I like your adjuncts list, mine is a bit different:

Crystal 40 10lbs
120 5lbs
Cara-Red 3lbs
Biscuit 4lbs
Honey 4lbs
Roasted 5lbs
Chocolate 4lbs
Special B 5lbs
Aromatic 4lbs
Carapils 4lbs
Carafa III 4.75lbs
Cara-vienne 3lbs
Cara-munich 3lbs
Vienna 5lbs

 

[HarvInSTL]

Good lord man! You are ready for the next couple years!

I like your adjuncts list, mine is a bit different:

Crystal 40 10lbs
120 5lbs
Cara-Red 3lbs
Biscuit 4lbs
Honey 4lbs
Roasted 5lbs
Chocolate 4lbs
Special B 5lbs
Aromatic 4lbs
Carapils 4lbs
Carafa III 4.75lbs
Cara-vienne 3lbs
Cara-munich 3lbs
Vienna 5lbs

Here are the rest that I can remember.

Rye malt
Honey malt
Aromatic
Caravienne & caramunich
Small amounts of Chocolate & Black Patent.

yeah it is alot of grain, but kinda need it with the 20lbs of hops I just got :rockin: :rockin:

I heard that grain prices were going up 20% (at least from North Country Malt) so I've been stocking up. And I figured that since I stocked up on hops right before the price increase, I might as well do the same with grain. With the winter coming and using decent containers I should be good to go for 9-12 months.

Sorry for the thread jack.

 

[JeffNYC]

I just ordered 55 MO from Northern Country, plus 10 of Vienna and some hops.

How much space will this take up? Equal to a garbage can full? I'm thinking of buying some pils in bulk and then fill it out with Munich, Wheat, Crystal 20, Aromatic, Caravienne, Caramunich, Corn. (Fill it out for me, perhaps not for you...)

I've heard grain is good for a year. Also thought I read it is good indefinitely. Like the second answer better...

 

[DrunkTrucker]

I need to start buying in bulk. My girlfriend said she was gonna get me a scale and some other stuff for christmas so hopefully after the beginning of the year I can get my first 50 lb bag of grain.

 

[boo boo]

I keep several sacks of base malt like pils, MO, 2 row on hand as well a a few Lbs of speciality grains. When I open a sack, I weigh it out into 2 pound bags and vac seal them. I had a thousand or so bags given me a while back, so I'm not out anything on doing it this way.

 

[BierMuncher]

I need to start buying in bulk. My girlfriend said she was gonna get me a scale and some other stuff for christmas so hopefully after the beginning of the year I can get my first 50 lb bag of grain.

Have her get you two scales, one for grains, and one for hops.

I use a 6 pound scale for both and trying to get exact on 1/2 ounce of hops is a PITA.

 

[Cheesefood]

I purchase most of adjunts and specility malts in 5-10lb increments.

I currently have the following:

100lbs of unmalted soft red wheat
90lbs 2row
25lbs Vienna
25lbs Munich
55lbs TF Marris Otter
25lbs German Pilsner
25lbs White Wheat

With another 50lbs of 2row & 50lbs of Pilsner to pickup on Monday.

Then 5-10lbs of:

Crystal 40/80/120l
Special B
Coffee Malt
Peat Malt
Beechwood smoked malt
Carapils
Flaked oats
Flaked Rye
Flaked corn
Roasted barley
Flaked barley
Flaked wheat
Biscuit malt
And another 3 or 4 that I can't remember off the top of my head.

[size=+2]Untitled Session[/size]
[size=+1]0- Untitled Style[/size]

Size: 150 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 246.06 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.074 (1.000 - 1.100)
|===================#============|
Terminal Gravity: 1.018 (1.000 - 1.100)
|==========#=====================|
Color: 17.6 (0.0 - 50.0)
|=============#==================|
Alcohol: 7.27% (0.0% - 10.0%)
|===================#============|
Bitterness: 44.93 (0.0 - 50.0)
|======================#=========|

[size=+1]Ingredients:[/size]
100 lbs Red Wheat
90 lbs 2-Row Brewers Malt
25 lbs American Vienna
25 lbs American Munich
55 lbs Maris Otter
25 lbs Pilsner Malt
25 lbs White Wheat Malt
5 lbs Belgian Special B
5 lbs Crystal Malt 40°L
5 lbs Crystal Malt 80°L
5 lbs Kiln Coffee Malt
5 lbs Peated Malt
5 lbs Smoked Malt
5 lbs Carapils®/Carafoam®
5 lbs Oats Flaked
5 lbs Rye Flaked
5 lbs Corn Flakes
5 lbs Roasted Barley
5 lbs Barley Flaked
5 lbs Wheat Flaked
5 lbs Biscuit Malt (Mout Roost 50)
5 lbs Hallertau (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min

[size=+1]Schedule:[/size]
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 0.0 m


[size=-1]Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.28[/size]

 

[BierMuncher]

...yeah it is alot of grain, but kinda need it with the 20lbs of hops I just got :rockin: :rockin:

I heard that grain prices were going up 20% (at least from North Country Malt) so I've been stocking up. And I figured that since I stocked up on hops right before the price increase, I might as well do the same with grain. With the winter coming and using decent containers I should be good to go for 9-12 months.

Sorry for the thread jack.

Yeah. What's up with you St. Louis guys. Is all you do is brew beer?

 

[JeffNYC]

I buy the large zip-lock bags i think they are 2 gal. and put 10lbs of base grain in each bag then i have a large food grade container i put the zip-locks in the stay supper freash and i know real quick how much base malt i have on hand. easy way to get ready for brew day too.

So 10 lbs fills 2 gallons, so a 10 gallon container would hold 50 pounds?

I don't think I've seen 2 gallon ziplock bags...just one gallon.

 

[drunkatuw]

Does Northern Country have a website where you can order grains? I tried a google search, but I failed.

 

[Glibbidy]

http://www.northcountrymalt.com/index.html

Looks like their website is flaking out right now.

 

[jfliv]

I'm just starting to buy bulk.... mainly to cash in on the savings, but also because I'm comfortable with my own recipe formulation, and want to have grain when I'm ready to brew... One of my problems is that my LHBS is not very local, so If I need something, its a PITA and the trip takes a chunk out of my brew day.

After checking out the specialty malts page, I decided that I wanted to keep grains for no more than 6 mo.

My next step was to try to figure out what grains I'd be using in 6mo. What I found was that the base recipes I'm working from used a wide variety of malts... but after doing some research, it seems that you can roast your own malts from you base pale. This way you don't need to stock munich or vienna, you just make it when you need it.... is anyone doing this? Is it worth it to roast your own?

With crystal, your pretty much out of luck, since they kinda skip the kiln and go straight to the roaster with it (although, I did see some article suggesting you could roast a crystal 20 to get crystal 40 and up... i'm not too sure about it though).


OH;
So Far this is what I'm going to stock:

55# MO
10# CaraVienne
10# Crystal 40
10# Vienna
10# Wheat

That should keep me busy for a bit.