Does your LHBS sell bulk grain at discount?

[MrBJones]

Lets say bags 50 to 60 pounds. Is it less expensive to buy it that way? Will they mill it for you?

 

[CA_Mouse]

Mine used to allow you to buy it by the sack and then it could be picked up as needed. Stopped doing it about 2 years ago though. I'd rather have it on hand rather then have to go get it the day before.

 

[Upthewazzu]

Try a local brewery. One of them sells 55lb bags of base malt for $35. The LHBS is $50 for the same bag.

 

[imasickboy]

Mine is WAAAAY expensive for grain. I understand the need for his high prices, both per pound and bulk, but I don't have to like it, and certainly don't have to pay it.

It's very much worth it to drive the 75 minutes to someone's else's LHBS, load up the car with a few bags, and drive 75 minutes home. I'd say one bag is about break-even money. Two or more is savings for me.

I will buy yeast, (expensive everywhere), specialty grains, and odds and ends from my local store, however. I like having my LHBS, and I like the owner and staff, but some there's a point where my money becomes more important to me than my relationship with my LHBS. Base malt is that point.

 

[catdaddy66]

I get the 55# bags at my lhbs for about $1 per lb. I haven't asked about any further mark down on bigger purchases. That's ok actually because I can't brew any faster than I am currently.

And my store does mill for me as well.

 

[kh54s10]

My LHBS sells bags at less than per pound prices. I cannot beat the prices when you add shipping. The exception is for group buys. I work irregular schedules so that is not an easy option for me. I cannot be sure I could go for the pickup when the malts arrive at the group buy.

 

[schematix]

Lets say bags 50 to 60 pounds. Is it less expensive to buy it that way? Will they mill it for you?

Standard bag sizes are 50lbs (N america) or 25kg=55lb if of European origin.

Base malts bought wholesale (think truck load of pallets) costs roughly $30-40 for a 50-55lb sack, depending upon type, origin and the bag size.

Retail costs are approx double that. North american 2-row under $50 a bag is a good deal. European base malts under $60 is also a good deal. If you can get involved in a group buy or buy from a LHBS with a lower overhead you'll get a better price. Anything over $80 in your hands is a rip off.

Buy yourself a grain mill. It'll pay for itself after a few sacks. Even the $99 mills do a decent enough job. I'd spend a little extra and get something nicer that'll last longer, but you can't go too far wrong.

 

[Jwin]

Rebel Brewer (my lhbs), sales by the sack as well as a 10% discount on a majority of malts when you get over 10#. $50-60 a sack and good guys.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Some of you are paying way too much for sacks of base malts. I get mine for $36 before my discounts.

 

[mcgimpkins]

My LHBS sells a grain card. You buy a 55 lb sack of 2 row or maris otter or whatever else, they sell it to you at a discount. You then bring the card in when you purchase grain, and they mark off the amount in lbs that you took from them. When your 55 lbs is up you get buy another card.

 

[Jaybird]

My LHBS sells bulk 2 row at $47 a bag. Heck yeah it can be crushed onsite for sure!

Cheers
Jay

 

[Jaybird]

My LHBS sells a grain card. You buy a 55 lb sack of 2 row or maris otter or whatever else, they sell it to you at a discount. You then bring the card in when you purchase grain, and they mark off the amount in lbs that you took from them. When your 55 lbs is up you get buy another card.

We have been talking about doing this as well! I LOVE the idea! I just need to figure out how to make it streamline....

Cheers
Jay

 

[jschein]

We have been talking about doing this as well! I LOVE the idea! I just need to figure out how to make it streamline....



Cheers

Jay

Use your POS to keep track. Run a grain report at each sale

 

[jschein]

Sorry to hijack

 

[Thorsbrew]

One of my LHBS's i forget the exact amounts but it was something like 10% off for 10lbs, 20% off for 25lbs and 30% off for 50lbs+.

My other LHBS just has sacks quite cheap at $40-41 for 2-row, pilsner and wheat.

Given that the first place prices their 2-row around $1.40-1.50/lb its still not that great a price even at 30% off. However they have pretty decent prices on lots of small hardware and have a lot more than the second LHBS so i buy my grains at that second place and everything else from the first.

 

[Pkrd]

30% off for a 25kg sack from my not particularly local regular online shop. I ran the numbers and my new mill should pay for itself in a year.

 

[PADave]

What's the point of buying bulk grains already milled? Unless you are doing some high volume brewing. Sacrifice freshness to save a couple bucks?

 

[madscientist451]

Yes my LHBS sells by the bag, which I haven't done, and sells at a discount but I forget how much. Maybe 30%. More Beer also sells by the bag, but its 90 miles away.
Edit: Just checked, More Beer charges $38-47 for domestic 2 row. Amazon Prime has 2 row for $75 and that includes shipping.

 

[Brew_G]

$49.99 for a 50 lb bag of Briess 2-row at my LHBS. $77.99 per 55 lb bag of Crisp Maris Otter. $69.99 for 55 lbs of Weyermann Pilsner Floor Malt. You can't mill bulk grains there - only smaller amounts.

Decent prices, especially in this area. It's a great store with pretty much everything you could possibly want, whether in-store or on order - as well as a really good bottle shop and growler fill station.

 

[DurtyChemist]

MY shop previously had a program where you paid a set amount monthly and were given 25 lbs of grains. It didn't matter what grains you just agreed to pay something like $1.80 per pound for 25 pounds of grain. They did away with this a few months ago.

The shop will sell you a sack of grain, which is cheaper than buying individual pounds, and allow you to mill it. If I bought a sack of golden promise I would pay $72.50 plus tax for 50 lbs ($1.45) but I'd have to take it all with me. I can bring it back and crush it when I want. If I started buying grain in bulk I'd probably end up storing it at home and buying a grain mill. Golden Promise by the pound is $2.45 at the same shop.

 

[Derp]

My store used to sell 55-pound sacks of Munton's Maris Otter for about $53 and I bought plenty. Now it's $1.99/lb and $93.59 for a full sack. I could actually beat the sack price by ordering online, but I found out that the store will give a 20% discount if you pay for it ahead of time and wait until it arrives. That brings the sack price to about $75.

One of these I'll look into the sack prices in cities surrounding San Antonio and make a road trip for a few sacks if the price makes it worth my while.

 

[superbrew53]

My supplier ( JR's Beer Warehouse) sells 50# Briess 2 row for 46 dollars and 55# Marris Otter for 55 dollars. I grind it as I need it. Keep it fresh! Pretty decent prices. Shipping prices are outrageous everywhere for bulk sacks.

 

[Thorrak]

Yes, but not much of one. Just to quote some good advice:

Try a local brewery. One of them sells 55lb bags of base malt for $35. The LHBS is $50 for the same bag.

One of my local breweries hooked me up for about this price. By contrast, my LHBS sells it for $65 / 50 lb bag.

The cheapest online retailer I've found to where I live (NYC) is MoreBeer at $53 including shipping.