DC Area Group Grain Buy #25

[IslandLizard]

Related, 3 Stars is no longer an LD Carlson customer (after closing the LHBS) so there will be fewer products available. Waiting on an updated product and price list which obviously may affect your participation.

From what I remember all Product Codes starting with a number are LD Carlson.

Those starting with letters, being an abbreviation of the maltster, are supplied by BSG.

 

[pdcm]

I feel sort of silly sliding in here and asking for just 1 sack of base malt, but that's about my level - I'd also need to sign up with @mclardass since I'm new, but I figured I'd wait until things are moving along.

 

[BrewSavage]

I feel sort of silly sliding in here and asking for just 1 sack of base malt, but that's about my level - I'd also need to sign up with @mclardass since I'm new, but I figured I'd wait until things are moving along.

There's nothing silly about only needing 1 sack of grain.

 

[Transamguy77]

So any word on if this will happen yet?

 

[mclardass]

Finalizing details with 3 Stars but unsure when we'll start accepting orders. I plan to clear out the existing order, since it's so old and includes splits, and then open for a short period and get the order placed quickly. If I had to guess, I'd say we're looking at November but if 3 Stars gets back soon then we could get an order placed this month for October delivery.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

NOVA, anyone?

 

[bhamdhamDC]

Brand new to the area (moved to Arlington in July) and have an 8 week old so I'm interested in keeping brew day short and using DME. Are 50 pound (or other bulk sizes) bags of DME available as part of this order? If so, I'll PM my name, cell, email to join the ordering site.

 

[mclardass]

Welcome to the area and welcome to parenthood/no sleep. We used to order DME (and many other items) but with 3 Stars closing their homebrew store and dissolving the relationship with LD Carlson it's likely removed from the order list. I'm waiting on a final product sheet but will check and see if DME can be ordered through one of their other providers.

 

[bhamdhamDC]

Appreciate it (on all counts)! I'll keep checking in on this thread for an update if you wouldn't mind posting an update once you get the final product sheet, thanks again!

 

[pdcm]

NOVA, anyone?

Yup, about 10 miles from 3 Stars, in Arlington.

Appreciate it (on all counts)! I'll keep checking in on this thread for an update if you wouldn't mind posting an update once you get the final product sheet, thanks again!

Welcome! In case you don't already know them, you can order supplies and do curbside pickup from The Brew Shop on Clarendon Blvd between Courhouse and Rosslyn. There's also My Local Home Brew Shop over in 7 corners, near the Sears, sort of across from the Dogfish Head.

 

[mclardass]

bhamdhamDC - 3 Stars reported that they can get DME so they'll include that in the product list. Crossing fingers that I should have something ready soon to either post here or on the order site. Thanks everyone for being patient!

 

[bhamdhamDC]

bhamdhamDC - 3 Stars reported that they can get DME so they'll include that in the product list. Crossing fingers that I should have something ready soon to either post here or on the order site. Thanks everyone for being patient!

Great news! I'll PM my info

Edit- I cannot figure out how to PM (forum search shows a few threads that state to click on the user name and/or avatar and there should be a "send private message" or similar button. However, I don't see anything like that and I've logged out/back in to confirm). Would you mind sending me a PM and I'll respond to it? Sorry for the hassle)

 

[mclardass]

Thanks everyone for your continued patience, we're getting close to restarting the group buy albeit in a limited fashion. The new product list is up but you can't yet order until I finalize a few things with 3 Stars. I have purged the original #25 group buy on the website so if you had something in the list you'll need to re-add it. I have a copy if you don't recall but thanks to all the changes I assume you'll want to review the new product list anyway.

So, something that's been discussed for years but (thanks to 2020 being what is) will be implemented this buy: 3 Stars will be adding a $5 service charge to each full sack of grain ordered. Most items are still cheaper with the added charge, some by a couple of dollars and some by $30-40, when compared to the major online retailers and my LHBS. You're going to have to do your own research on pricing and see if the group buy is your best deal.

Note: None of this money goes to Peter or me, we still cover the operational costs (website and development) out-of-pocket, and this does help cover the brewery's cost of ordering, storing, and staging the pickup. They're good people and have always helped us out, but they are a business struggling like so many, and they have to watch expenses. I'm not going to lecture you, you run the numbers and make your own personal decisions.

Next, slightly better news. Although many products are no longer available (due to 3 Stars dissolving their relationship with LD Carlson) the new product list has more LME/DME as well as bulk hops. I've asked for clarification on additional charges, if any, for hops but would assume extract sacks would include a service charge due to their size.

Finally, as many of you know the 3 Stars HBS closed earlier this year and thanks to the pandemic they were unable to have a liquidation sale. They have equipment, books, and a few other things they'd like to clear out. They also have retail hop inventory discounted by 50% as shown below. Please contact Harmony Dale at 3 Stars if you'd like more details or to place an order. This is outside of the Group Buy order so you'll have to arrange payment and pickup with the brewery.

Manufacturer	Description	Qty Available	Original Price	Liquidation Price
Lallemand	Abbaye Belgian Style Yeast	1	$4.25	$2.13
BSG	Azacca	4	$3.00	$1.50
LD	Bravo	2	$2.40	$1.20
YCH	Bravo	2	$2.40	$1.20
YCH	US Brewer's Gold	8	$2.40	$1.20
BSG	Cluster	6	$2.40	$1.20
BSG	Challenger	1	$3.00	$1.50
Artisan Hops	Columbia Whole	1	$3.99	$2.00
YCH	UK Challenger	1	$3.00	$1.50
LD	Denali	4	$2.90	$1.45
YCH	Ekuanot (LupuLN2)	1	$3.60	$1.80
YCH	French Strisselspalt	1	$2.25	$1.13
BSG	Galena	10	$2.50	$1.25
BSG	Galaxy	1	$2.95	$1.48
BSG	Hersbrucker	3	$3.00	$1.50
YCH	German Hersbrucker	1	$2.95	$1.48
BSG	Huell Melon	6	$2.95	$1.48
YCH	Liberty	4	$3.15	$1.58
BSG	Magnum	1	$2.40	$1.20
LD	German Mandarina Bavaria	2	$2.95	$1.48
BSG	Mandarina Bavaria	9	$2.95	$1.48
BSG	Motueka	3	$3.00	$1.50
BSG	Pacific Jade	1	$2.75	$1.38
BSG	NZ Pacific Jade	6	$2.75	$1.38
YCH	Palisade	4	$3.00	$1.50
BSG	Sorachi Ace	25	$4.30	$2.15
LD	Sterling	4	$2.95	$1.48
BSG	Summit	4	$2.50	$1.25
BSG	Traditional	3	$2.50	$1.25
BSG	Wai-iti	4	$2.75	$1.38
BSG	Warrior	4	$2.40	$1.20
BSG	W.G.V.	18	$3.85	$1.93

So that's a lot of changes but we live in interesting times. For the new guys, things usually aren't this chaotic but we're definitely in a transition period with the buy. For the regulars, I know this isn't the way it used to be when Tony ran the show and I certainly hate that things are now so messy. I too miss the simpler times when the only problem was a missing sack or some spilled PBW.

Looking forward to better times but until then: Relax. Don't worry. And have a homebrew.
Slàinte

 

[IslandLizard]

So, something that's been discussed for years but (thanks to 2020 being what is) will be implemented this buy: 3 Stars will be adding a $5 service charge to each full sack of grain ordered.

FWIW, when Tony negotiated terms with 3 Stars, when we started to buy grain from/through them, he mentioned there is a decent markup included in their pricing to us. Not sure how much that was, he never conveyed it.

For peace of mind, when I looked at the new offerings, their pricing seems a little lower than we had before. Around $5 per sack?

I don't believe in coincidences.

 

[mclardass]

*** BUY IS REOPENED ***​

Some prices went up slightly, some down a bit, it's all a wash IMO unless people are counting nickels and dimes (in which case, brewing may not be the right hobby for you). I figure 3 Stars isn't losing money but I doubt they're making payroll based on our (roughly) bi-annual purchases. I've been unable to get better selection or pricing from my local breweries or LHBS so I'm still in, YMMV of course.

Still waiting on answers to a few questions, and finalizing the pickup ground rules, but the sooner we get started the sooner we can get back to brewing. Estimated pickup date is going to be some Saturday from late October to late-November. Too many unknowns at this point to nail down a date but i'd like to wrap this buy up quickly. Once we have a solid date and pickup details I'll immediately post.

For new buyers, please familiarize yourself with the rules and recall that we're in unfamiliar territory this time around. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to PM me or drop an email to the group buy address.
Cheers

 

[Transamguy77]

So just to be clear, the $5 per sack is that already added in or it’s the price and I add another $5 to it?

 

[mclardass]

Sorry, I should have been more clear in the post, it's $5 additional per sack and not reflected in the price on the order site. I just emailed 3 Stars to verify but that's how I read their last email.

Grabbing the first thing in the order form, Briess Pale 2-row, I get web prices ranging from $39.99 to $79.50:

$39.99 @ MoreBeer (free S/H with orders over $59)​

$59.89 @ Label Peelers ($23.21 S/H to my area + #36.68 for the grains)​

$68.99 @ NorthernBrewer (free S/H with orders over $40)​

$70.39 @ AIH (free S/H with orders over $55)​

$79.50 @ Great Fermentations (free S/H)​

My LHBS has $90 on their site but I recall a lower friends price (upper $60's) when I was last in the store.

So for one base malt, MoreBeer (who I really like) is cheaper but they also carry a more limited selection of grains. This is where the service charge, and especially not doing splits, will require each person to make a judgement call.

Sorry for the rambling, just the frustration setting in when I start to run numbers.

 

[Transamguy77]

The $5 is not that big of an issue but it adds up after 8-10 sacks so I jut wanted to make sure.

 

[pdcm]

Grabbing the first thing in the order form, Briess Pale 2-row, I get web prices ranging from $39.99 to $79.50:

$39.99 @ MoreBeer (free S/H with orders over $59)​

​

So for one base malt, MoreBeer (who I really like) is cheaper but they also carry a more limited selection of grains. This is where the service charge, and especially not doing splits, will require each person to make a judgement call.

For what its worth, you can't actually get the free S/H from MoreBeer if you buy a 50lb sack (with $20-30 S/H), but you CAN buy (5) 10lb sacks which will work towards that free shipping.

 

[mclardass]

For what its worth, you can't actually get the free S/H from MoreBeer if you buy a 50lb sack (with $20-30 S/H), but you CAN buy (5) 10lb sacks which will work towards that free shipping.

Thanks for clarifying, I've never actually used them for grains so good information to help brewers make informed decisions.

All: Just heard back from Harmony, she confirmed that we need to add $5 per sack (whole grains or extracts) to the posted price.

 

[Brew Beard]

How do I PM you? I am intrested in a couple of sacks.

 

[mclardass]

Brew Beard, just PM'd you (I think "Start Conversation" was some developer thinking there had to be a different, although not better, way of saying "Private Message". Curse you random web developer!)

 

[Brew Beard]

Someone told me about this in my local homebrew club, glad I found it. I usually go through at least 200lbs of grain a year. This may increase now that I am doing 10 gallon batches every few weeks. This happens when your friend gets a free kegerator and wants you to make beer for him.

 

[mclardass]

3 Stars is targeting Nov 7 as a pick up date so we will close the buy NLT next Friday. I'll get final costs out to each brewer but feel free to PM me if you'd like to wrap up your payment in advance. The old-timers know the routine, rule of the day is to not get my wife upset with me

It's been a long time since we had a pickup, we have several new participants, and this pickup will be drastically different than previous buys.
PLEASE, PLEASE, let me know if you cannot pick up on the 7th or if you have any questions.

Still finalizing plans but this is what 3 Stars and I have agreed to so far:

* Pickup will run from 0900-1200 with each brewer having a scheduled pick up time. Anyone who misses their time will be assigned the next open slot, or the end of pick up if no other times are available, and must wait in their vehicle until their pick up time. Please let me know if you have a preferred pickup time.​

​

* 3 Stars will pre-sort orders (masked and gloved while doing so). Weather permitting, they will be organized for easy pickup outside in the parking lot. If weather is an issue, orders will remain inside and will be brought out on a cart as brewers arrive. The cart will be sanitized between loads.​

​

* Sorry, but no mingling or gathering on premises. Each person must wear a mask and remain a minimum of 6 ft apart while on the property. You must also leave immediately after securing your items as 3 Stars will not be open for business.​

​

* I hope it goes without saying but we know how assumptions can bite us. 3 Stars provides this as a goodwill gesture to the homebrewing community. We need to follow their rules and if you cannot do so then please do not order. Failure to follow the rules will result in you forfeiting your order.​

I'm an extrovert by nature but take the pandemic very seriously and have stayed away from friends and family for months. I'm not in a hurry to meet the great brewer in the sky and neither should you be. Please respect the rules and let's get through this weird time and back to relaxing with a tasty beverage.

Okay, back to enjoying an IPA and watching baseball.

 

[mclardass]

Just sent out payment requests, will send pickup details once 3 Stars and I finalize the schedule. Unsurprisingly, this is a small order so it shouldn't be difficult to start around 1000 and get everyone in and out quickly. Again, if you prefer a particular time just let me know.

Still time to get in the buy or make changes, will probably submit the order the evening of Oct 15th.
Slàinte

 

[ZaireRPCV]

Just sent out payment requests, will send pickup details once 3 Stars and I finalize the schedule. Unsurprisingly, this is a small order so it shouldn't be difficult to start around 1000 and get everyone in and out quickly. Again, if you prefer a particular time just let me know.

Still time to get in the buy or make changes, will probably submit the order the evening of Oct 15th.
Slàinte

Joe, thanks for arranging this. I would prefer an early pick up time but will live with whatever works for all involved. David

 

[mclardass]

Pickup emails sent, buyers please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy to have this one behind us, ready to get off this crazy ride. Will probably hold off on the next buy until some form of normalcy returns or enough of us get low on grains... whichever comes first.

No matter where you go, there you are

 

[pdcm]

Thanks @mclardass for getting this set up. Pickup was ultra smooth.

 

[mclardass]

My pleasure, thanks to everyone who participated and glad it went smoothly. Hopefully, one day, we can get back to the chaotic splits and leisurely sharing of samples afterwards.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Even though I wasn't able to participate, I do thank mclardass for keeping this alive!

 

[mclardass]

Even though I wasn't able to participate, I do thank mclardass for keeping this alive!

Thanks Tobor and to everyone here who keeps this buy going. I'll start up the next one shortly although I assume it will be another long slog and likely not include splits. One day, one day.

Raising a pint to you all, cya on the other side!
Sláinte!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

My homebrew bar is open in Manassas, VA for anyone willing/wishing to visit.

 

[Transamguy77]

I also want to thank @mclardass also, I was disappointed that I ended up missing it, life has just been so busy that the time just flew by and I missed it so I’ll have to get in on the next one.

 

[RampantOctopus]

+1. I turn my head for a second...
Fwiw, label peelers sale going on today has few 55 lb bags around $40... not necessarily what you’re looking for though.

 

[Transamguy77]

+1. I turn my head for a second...

I know right?!! For almost the past 2 months I’ve Spent every weekend installing new floors in my house (which I’ve never done before) and life is just flying by! This is also the same reason I have not been brewing, I wanted to get a ton of grain so when all this is done I can spend every weekend brewing!

 

[BrewSavage]

+1. I turn my head for a second...
Fwiw, label peelers sale going on today has few 55 lb bags around $40... not necessarily what you’re looking for though.

Me too, this seemed to happen in an eye blink

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

@mclardass with 3 Stars charging $10 per bag tariff, is it time to fine another place?

 

[peter78]

@MikeLastort congrats on becoming the DCHB president!

 

[MikeLastort]

@MikeLastort congrats on becoming the DCHB president!

Thanks!!