Bulk Grains

[sandyeggoxj]

If you lose a lot of wort in the fermenter that means you have to brew bigger batches to get to the same finished volume (I'm assuming 2-3 kegs in his case). Since you're brewing bigger batches, you use more grain, and your brewhouse efficiency is down.

Correct. That was my point. I'll have 3 5-gal kegs of finished beer so my brew house efficiency isn't high like some people shoot for. But grain is cheap so it's only a few extra bucks for that. I gain a lot with my conical because of my glycol setup and the unitank design that I don't mind the loss. I keg carbonated beer.

Hoppy beers are bad for efficiency as well. Lots of wort gets sopped up with hops.

Buying in bulk negates these issues because it's much cheaper. And learning what you like to use means it is on hand for the beers you want to brew. I stock up on specialty malts in 5-10# quantities for all my staple beers and then just buy small quantities for the one offs.

 

[Gravity]

I add a few pounds of rye to stouts,rye pale,rye IPA, but I also do roggenbiers with 40% rye, 60% pilsner that are very popular. I bitter with Perle, and add Strisselspalt in several late additions for aroma and flavor. I prefer White Labs Hefe yeast, but others work.

Cool, I think the Rye will be easier to get rid of than the Abbey. I can sneak it into most beers. I've never made a roggenbier, however I've made a nice Alt bier with Perle and Strisselspat, they make a good combo

I figure I can sneak in some abbey in beers that's call or pale ale, wheat or pils

 

[Gravity]

I can see this.. You have to have an idea how much you will use and make an educated purchase. Basic base malts is all that I buy in sack amounts.

I use rye a lot but it would take a couple of years to use a sack.

I have never used bisquit malt. From a 2013 thread: "biscuit is a specialty malt. it's not really meant to be a main ingredient so much as something you fine tune with".

I have also never used Abbey malt. Maybe make a LOT of Belgian ales....

I normally take really good inventory. They were on sale and was like , eh, why not - big mistake

I'm more worried about the abbey than the rye

I use a lot of biscuit , so also not worried there

 

[StewMakesBrew]

If you frequently make a wheat beer, I'd roll with wheat, German Pils and two row. I brew two or three different summer ales during the summer months (one is an Oberon-like beer, another that's fairly close to Scrimshaw, and another that's like Kolsch meets Spotted Cow) and all use Pils.

Of course most of my winter beers use MO, so ... hmm ...

 

[brick_haus]

American pale, MO, Pils and Golden Promise is what I keep on hand.