Grain prices

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Immocles

Immocles

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Ugh, just sayin those two words together makes me feel like my dad and uncles talking about corn and bean prices at the bar.

Anyhoo.

So everyone has been watching prices skyrocket. I'm checking inventory in my new space and noticed I have about 4 brews worth of 2-row on hand. Since I'm within next day shipping from NB, I've generally purchased from them. Plus free shipping (I realize the bag is more expensive itself, but adding in competitors shipping price and they still are lowest by far). But now a sack of grain from them is 80$, which is about 25 bucks higher than when I bought at the start of covid, and about 15 higher than last year. So im shopping around and am curious if anyone out there has an ideas? I have one "local" shop, but they are mostly for wine and beer kits and sorta frown on selling full bags of grain. MoreBeer is my other main source and I generally take advantage of 10# bags still shipping free, but thats for malts that I use only a few times a year (wheat, rye, Munich), and Ill end up paying more to get to 50-55# at the 10# bag price anyway.

Unfortunately, NB seems to be the cheapest that I can find unless someone out there has a better suggestion for me to check out? I feel like I have checked a lot of online stores, so perhaps it is a question asked in vain.
 
Immocles said:
Ugh, just sayin those two words together makes me feel like my dad and uncles talking about corn and bean prices at the bar.

Anyhoo.

So everyone has been watching prices skyrocket. I'm checking inventory in my new space and noticed I have about 4 brews worth of 2-row on hand. Since I'm within next day shipping from NB, I've generally purchased from them. Plus free shipping (I realize the bag is more expensive itself, but adding in competitors shipping price and they still are lowest by far). But now a sack of grain from them is 80$, which is about 25 bucks higher than when I bought at the start of covid, and about 15 higher than last year. So im shopping around and am curious if anyone out there has an ideas? I have one "local" shop, but they are mostly for wine and beer kits and sorta frown on selling full bags of grain. MoreBeer is my other main source and I generally take advantage of 10# bags still shipping free, but thats for malts that I use only a few times a year (wheat, rye, Munich), and Ill end up paying more to get to 50-55# at the 10# bag price anyway.

Unfortunately, NB seems to be the cheapest that I can find unless someone out there has a better suggestion for me to check out? I feel like I have checked a lot of online stores, so perhaps it is a question asked in vain.
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What does "sorta frown on" mean? Email them asking for a price quote on different specific sacks of grain. Base this on what they carry. They can often order in a large variety. Here's and example email I sent to get prices:


I'm looking to get some more bulk grain - can I get pricing on sacks of:

Weyermann Barke Pilsner
Weyermann Barke Vienna
Avangard Pilsner
Avangard Vienna
Breiss Pale Ale

I understand you may have to order them in, there's no rush on my end for them.

Thanks!
Marc


When they get back to me with prices, then I order what I want. If they won't sell customers grain, then they probably don't deserve your business.

You could try ordering grain in 10lb increments from MoreBeer, that gets you a break on the per pound price and still allows for free shipping.
 
Immocles said:
Ugh, just sayin those two words together makes me feel like my dad and uncles talking about corn and bean prices at the bar.

Anyhoo.

Plus free shipping (I realize the bag is more expensive itself, but adding in competitors shipping price and they still are lowest by far). But now a sack of grain from them is 80$, which is about 25 bucks higher than when I bought at the start of covid, and about 15 higher than last year. So im shopping around and am curious if anyone out there has an ideas? I have one "local" shop, but they are mostly for wine and beer kits and sorta frown on selling full bags of grain. MoreBeer is my other main source and I generally take advantage of 10# bags still shipping free, but thats for malts that I use only a few times a year (wheat, rye, Munich), and Ill end up paying more to get to 50-55# at the 10# bag price anyway.

Unfortunately, NB seems to be the cheapest that I can find unless someone out there has a better suggestion for me to check out? I feel like I have checked a lot of online stores, so perhaps it is a question asked in vain.
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I hear ya.
Same problem with the LHBS, they don't offer full sack grain, it is still priced per-pound.
No they still offer CO2 refills and not just exchanges and they are only an hour away so that still makes them important to support. But for stocking-up, even with the recent trouble with my order, I'm still likely to restock bulk grain from NB.
 
If your LHBS "sorta frowns on" selling sacks of malt, ask them anyway. Tell them you can buy online but would rather shop locally. Press them gently for availability and price. See if they become less frowny.

If that doesn't work, or the price doesn't look good, go online. Open a bunch of browser tabs, with a different online vendor on each. Enter your list of ingredients into each, calc the shipping. The vendor with the best overall price wins.
 
I took part in the last local group buy for base malts (Crisp No. 19). For everything else, I go to the closest LHBS to me. I've bought full sacks from them at $70 (also the Crisp No.19). Since the online vendors want too much above that for me to actually buy from them. They also have the other malts I use at reasonable prices (not more than I would pay to get it shipped). Knowing I can simply go and get what I need/want without worrying about IF the order will ship as expected and arrive on time is huge.

BTW, I've never bought from a LHBS that wasn't more than willing to sell me a full (unopened) sack of grain when I wanted it. Provided they HAD a full, unopened sack available. Last time I bought from them, they had gotten two in their last order (earlier in the week), had opened one and someone else bought the other. I didn't have any issue waiting for their next order to arrive (about a week later) to get the sack I wanted. I've been in there enough over the past couple of years to develop a good relationship with the owner, and the other person working there.
 
I think it depends where you buy. Great Fermentations is showing 50lb sacks of Briess 2-Row for the same price I paid in August 2020 according to my order history. I bought a couple bags this fall during their grain sale for I think 15-20% off that because I happened to be in town at the right time but since that wasn't a pre-order it doesn't show in my history. Since my kid goes to college in Indy I can usually either pick up an order when we are in town or have one transported home.

AIH which is far more local even with their current coupon sale is $52 so basically $1 different. They are most local to me but its a 90 mile round trip I probably wouldn't make otherwise.
 
Golddiggie said:
I took part in the last local group buy for base malts (Crisp No. 19). For everything else, I go to the closest LHBS to me. I've bought full sacks from them at $70 (also the Crisp No.19). Since the online vendors want too much above that for me to actually buy from them. They also have the other malts I use at reasonable prices (not more than I would pay to get it shipped). Knowing I can simply go and get what I need/want without worrying about IF the order will ship as expected and arrive on time is huge.

BTW, I've never bought from a LHBS that wasn't more than willing to sell me a full (unopened) sack of grain when I wanted it. Provided they HAD a full, unopened sack available. Last time I bought from them, they had gotten two in their last order (earlier in the week), had opened one and someone else bought the other. I didn't have any issue waiting for their next order to arrive (about a week later) to get the sack I wanted. I've been in there enough over the past couple of years to develop a good relationship with the owner, and the other person working there.
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I suppose it is worth asking if they will give you a bulk price and do a special order.
On the one hand I can understand a small shop not keeping 50# sacks on hand. They have to manage inventory carrying cost and if they only sell in 10-20# lots, or less, to most customers it is probably cost prohibitive for them to stock surplus bags of several grains.
But it also may benefit them to sell sacks as a special order by increasing their order size to their supplier.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I have emailed the store on two occasions about unopened bags. One received no response and the other stated they charged by the pound regardless of quantity. They did sell me a full bag for $50 quite awhile ago, but it was not so subtly mentioned that it would probably be a one time sale. I don't think they do a whole lot of business on the beer side of the store outside of tank exchanges, some starting equipment, and extract kits. I will be there next week sometime to exchange my tank and see if they have any lager yeast on hand and planned on asking again.

MaxStout said:
If that doesn't work, or the price doesn't look good, go online. Open a bunch of browser tabs, with a different online vendor on each. Enter your list of ingredients into each, calc the shipping. The vendor with the best overall price wins.
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Thats exactly what I end up doing. This is just the first time that all the options have been uncomfortably high. The closest I have found to NB 79.99$ is labelpeelers.com but that was still over 80 bucks and for 5 pounds less.

It's not an insanely big deal to pay that much since I seem to average a 55# bag per year, but I guess I just got sticker shock haha.
 
matt_m said:
They are most local to me but its a 90 mile round trip I probably wouldn't make otherwise.
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It is also realistic to factor the mileage cost into your purchase price.
If it's not a special trip and you are going that way anyhow that's one thing but if you are making the trip solely to purchase grain you ought to consider the ~56 cents per-mile that the IRS agrees reflects cost of using your personal car.
Even if that's high, there is still some cost involved.
 
PCABrewing said:
It is also realistic to factor the mileage cost into your purchase price.
If it's not a special trip and you are going that way anyhow that's one thing but if you are making the trip solely to purchase grain you ought to consider the ~56 cents per-mile that the IRS agrees reflects cost of using your personal car.
Even if that's high, there is still some cost involved.
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Luckily Great Fermentations is only 1/2 mile round trip off the most efficient route to my kid's dorm and only about 10 minutes from where we stay if we are spending the weekend there!
 
Immocles said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I have emailed the store on two occasions about unopened bags. One received no response and the other stated they charged by the pound regardless of quantity. They did sell me a full bag for $50 quite awhile ago, but it was not so subtly mentioned that it would probably be a one time sale. I don't think they do a whole lot of business on the beer side of the store outside of tank exchanges, some starting equipment, and extract kits. I will be there next week sometime to exchange my tank and see if they have any lager yeast on hand and planned on asking again.



Thats exactly what I end up doing. This is just the first time that all the options have been uncomfortably high. The closest I have found to NB 79.99$ is labelpeelers.com but that was still over 80 bucks and for 5 pounds less.

It's not an insanely big deal to pay that much since I seem to average a 55# bag per year, but I guess I just got sticker shock haha.
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Yeah, sticker shock hit us, like with everything else these days. :mad:

I noticed you're in MN, but guessing not close to the Twin Cities, otherwise you'd just drive to NB or MW. I don't even know what brew stores remain in other parts of MN. I was in one in Mankato a few years ago, but recall it being very basic.

It's a 30 minute drive each way for me to either NB or MW, so I just pay the $15 or so shipping at MW, rather than tie up an extra hour driving across town. I don't buy base malt in sacks, though, as I don't go through any one kind fast enough.
 
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MaxStout said:
Yeah, sticker shock hit us, like with everything else these days. :mad:

I noticed you're in MN, but guessing not close to the Twin Cities, otherwise you'd just drive to MB or MW. I don't even know what brew stores remain in other parts of MN. I was in one in Mankato a few years ago, but recall it being very basic.

It's a 30 minute drive each way for me to either NB or MW, so I just pay the $15 or so shipping at MW, rather than tie up an extra hour driving across town. I don't buy base malt in sacks, though, as I don't go through any one kind fast enough.
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Yeah, the one in Kato is the one I’m talking about. Nice people but very basic. It’s still a 30-40m drive from here so I really only stop in twice a year for fresh yeast in the months I don’t want to ship liquid or if I happen to be in town for another reason.

There used to be one I liked in St. Cloud but he closed up earlier this year. Two hour drive but it was the next closest and at that time I was hauling my dad to the VA up there monthly anyway. Sucks because it has just moved into a much nicer space but couldn’t make it any longer.
 
I've not needed to ask for something they don't normally get in. They did add more of the no.19 to the order to be sure I got one and they had enough for other people. Either to get a sack as well, or to purchase by the pound. At 55#, the price is less than what they sell it for if you want less than the sack. When I saw the per sack pricing for the online stores, I knew there was no way I was getting it from them. A full sack of No. 19 would end up costing me $126.17 with delivery. Far cry from the $70 I spent from the LHBS, or what I paid per sack from the group buy (even with the add of the guy coming up to where I am).

I was there today getting some replacement peat smoked malt. They normally only order 10# at a time of that, since it doesn't move. I got enough for a couple of batches now.
 
DavidWood2115 said:
RiteBrew (ritebrew.com) has Briess 2-row for $37 per bag. Shipping to MN would be about $20 using SpeeDee (a mis-named regional shipper).
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That is one I have not checked out. I'd completely forgotten about them and didnt realize they were just a state over. Very good find and thanks for posting!

Also, my wife's uncle drives for SpeeDee, Ill have to remember that one haha
 
MaxStout said:
Yeah, sticker shock hit us, like with everything else these days. :mad:

I noticed you're in MN, but guessing not close to the Twin Cities, otherwise you'd just drive to NB or MW. I don't even know what brew stores remain in other parts of MN. I was in one in Mankato a few years ago, but recall it being very basic.

It's a 30 minute drive each way for me to either NB or MW, so I just pay the $15 or so shipping at MW, rather than tie up an extra hour driving across town. I don't buy base malt in sacks, though, as I don't go through any one kind fast enough.
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Well, as an update, I found myself in Kato today for a few other errands and had to run in for a tank exchange anyway. I was surprised to walk in and find they had bulk 55lb bags listed for sale as I walked in. It was a reasonable enough price, cheaper than anything I would get shipped to me, so I snagged a sack along with my other small ticket items. Very glad to have a years worth of base malt stored up in the basement!
 
Glad you were able to pick up a sack of grain local.

My wife has family in Kato, we go there quite a bit, being a short drive. I might have to pop into that store and have a look some time.
 
Immocles said:
Ugh, just sayin those two words together makes me feel like my dad and uncles talking about corn and bean prices at the bar.

Anyhoo.

So everyone has been watching prices skyrocket. I'm checking inventory in my new space and noticed I have about 4 brews worth of 2-row on hand. Since I'm within next day shipping from NB, I've generally purchased from them. Plus free shipping (I realize the bag is more expensive itself, but adding in competitors shipping price and they still are lowest by far). But now a sack of grain from them is 80$, which is about 25 bucks higher than when I bought at the start of covid, and about 15 higher than last year. So im shopping around and am curious if anyone out there has an ideas? I have one "local" shop, but they are mostly for wine and beer kits and sorta frown on selling full bags of grain. MoreBeer is my other main source and I generally take advantage of 10# bags still shipping free, but thats for malts that I use only a few times a year (wheat, rye, Munich), and Ill end up paying more to get to 50-55# at the 10# bag price anyway.

Unfortunately, NB seems to be the cheapest that I can find unless someone out there has a better suggestion for me to check out? I feel like I have checked a lot of online stores, so perhaps it is a question asked in vain.
Click to expand...
I order full sacks from Ritebrew.com all the time, they are up in Wisconsin and I'm in Chicago so I can take advantage of their Spee-Dee shipping option. Just checking now, a sack of Briess 2-row is $38, shipping to my door is just $20.31 vs. $38.14 via FedEx ground. For me, $57.31 total beats the price at my LHBS just down the road. Since you are in Minnesota you might be within Spee-Dee's service area, check them out. IME, always great service from both Ritebrew and from Spee-Dee. Side note; every time I'm expecting a shipment from Spee-Dee Delivery, I secretly hope Mr. McFeely himself will come shuffling up the driveway with my goodies.

Edit: here is a snapshot of Spee-Dee's service map.
1641532436424.png


Edit 2: Here is a snapshot of Mr. McFeely reminding you to always check your kettle valve.
1641532677523.png
 
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Just out of curiosity do any of you guys have the opportunity to go directly to a maltster and pick up a few sacks there instead of from a local or online HBS shop? Or the maltsters only sell bulk in the US?

The closest one to me here in Germany is a 1.5 hour drive so I don't do it but I know several home brewers here who pick it up directly from Avangard malting in Dortmund and works out about $20 a 25kg sack (prices might have changed in the current climate though - bad harvest last year too)

I can order from an online HBS in The Netherlands for about $25 plus $5 shipping unlimited.
I prefer that as I don't have to drive and I can order all my other home brew stuff at the same time.
 
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There is a brew shop on Atlanta that lists Be less 2 row and Rahr 2 row at $57. All other maltsters are $70. If there is a brewery or a distillery near you they might let you piggy back on their order. Can't hurt to ask.
 
Shenanigans said:
Just out of curiosity do any of you guys have the opportunity to go directly to a maltster and pick up a few sacks there instead of from a local or online HBS shop? Or the maltsters only sell bulk in the US?

The closest one to me here in Germany is a 1.5 hour drive so I don't do it but I know several home brewers here who pick it up directly from Avangard malting in Dortmund and works out about $20 a 25kg sack (prices might have changed in the current climate though - bad harvest last year too)

I can order from an online HBS in The Netherlands for about $25 plus $5 shipping unlimited.
I prefer that as I don't have to drive and I can order all my other home brew stuff at the same time.
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I've thought about looking into that since Rahr is a couple hours away in Shakopee. I use their standard 2 row as my main base malt. But being that I only go through a bit over a sack in a year, I haven't bothered to check into it.
 
Immocles said:
Ugh, just sayin those two words together makes me feel like my dad and uncles talking about corn and bean prices at the bar.

Anyhoo.

So everyone has been watching prices skyrocket. I'm checking inventory in my new space and noticed I have about 4 brews worth of 2-row on hand. Since I'm within next day shipping from NB, I've generally purchased from them. Plus free shipping (I realize the bag is more expensive itself, but adding in competitors shipping price and they still are lowest by far). But now a sack of grain from them is 80$, which is about 25 bucks higher than when I bought at the start of covid, and about 15 higher than last year. So im shopping around and am curious if anyone out there has an ideas? I have one "local" shop, but they are mostly for wine and beer kits and sorta frown on selling full bags of grain. MoreBeer is my other main source and I generally take advantage of 10# bags still shipping free, but thats for malts that I use only a few times a year (wheat, rye, Munich), and Ill end up paying more to get to 50-55# at the 10# bag price anyway.

Unfortunately, NB seems to be the cheapest that I can find unless someone out there has a better suggestion for me to check out? I feel like I have checked a lot of online stores, so perhaps it is a question asked in vain.
Click to expand...

MoreBeer isn't bad but shipping on a sack is a deal killer. Buy in 10 lb increments with minimum I think $59 or something like that for free shipping, and it's not too bad. They did have really low prices on Viking 2 row but now not the deal maker it was. Still very competitive on all the Viking products and you might have a look at them. Their pale malts all make good base and I really like their cookie and chocolate malts. Anyway currently it is still pretty reasonable to buy from them if you buy like 50lbs in 10 lb increments. It actually comes in 5lb bags though. Grinding is extra if you want that and I don't, not because it is cheaper, just because whole grain keeps better. I also try to dose my batches with 5lb increments of the Viking pale malts so no opened bags of that laying around. My sous vide bag sealer maintains partial bags of other malts and when I open a 5 lb bag I usually go ahead and split into pounds and seal them in the "daisy". (After the late night infomercial hyped Daisy Seal-a-Meal of several years ago) My typical order is 50lbs of one of the Viking pale malts, and 10lbs of darker malts by Viking, Western, or Briess. That keeps me in beer for about 4 months. I also use quite a bit of oats, which I source at the grocery and are actually cheaper than malt so win/win on the oats. I was using corn grits, too, but I have drifted away from that.

Here are a few current prices as of 07 January 2022 for Viking malts as sold by MoreBeer. Remember this is with free shipping if you go over $59 and $7.99 flat rate under $59. Unfortunately no free shipping on 55lb sacks so buying by the sack actually costs more.

2-Row Xtra Pale $15.99 for 10 lb
Pale Ale same price
Pilsner same price
Caramel 100 (40L) Malt $10.09 for 5lb
CaraBody $9.49 for 5lb
Dextrin Malt $10.69 for 5lb and this one looks interesting, never tried it but I will.
Chocolate Dark same price
Cookie Malt same price

Briess Pale Ale malt is actually slightly cheaper than Viking, presently, at $15.39 for 10 lbs
Briess DME from this seller is pretty competitive, too, though I mostly only use that for making starters.

I don't find those prices to be an impediment to brewing. I do usually avoid buying yeast, though, and since I hop very lightly, my hops bill isn't a dealbreaker. My equipment is pretty basic, too, the only "fancy" gadget I have being my Tilt hydrometer. Plain 14gal brew kettle with spigot and lid, propane crawfish boiler which I need for crawfish anyway, Big Mouth Bubblers for fermenting, used kegs.
 
Briess is a short distance from me but I'm sure they only sell to the big breweries and other retailers. I like to buy from the local homebrew shops since they will be around if I have questions and they sell the other things I need. We all want to save some money and you can do that buying in bulk when possible. You could try ordering with a bunch of friends to save like buy a few bags and splitting it up. I buy mostly from Rite Brew and their prices are a lot cheaper than most places, again, shop around. It's a great hobby and it's going to cost something to have all that enjoyment.
 
My LHBS guys is pretty cool, i went in and met the owner and we talked beer for a while and i asked if he could order me some grains and he was like sure what do you need, told him and he said itll be like 6 week which is perfect. He said Weyermann takes more time but it doesnt bother me cuz ive gotten bags of Maris otter from him cheaper than a lot of online retailers WITHOUT shipping included, makes me a loyal customer.
 
deuc224 said:
My LHBS guys is pretty cool, i went in and met the owner and we talked beer for a while and i asked if he could order me some grains and he was like sure what do you need, told him and he said itll be like 6 week which is perfect. He said Weyermann takes more time but it doesnt bother me cuz ive gotten bags of Maris otter from him cheaper than a lot of online retailers WITHOUT shipping included, makes me a loyal customer.
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It really pays to support our local suppliers. Most of these places are home brewers themselves so they know that folks want to save some money. Bag prices are certainly cheaper, and your supplier knows it's stock he doesn't need to deal with, makes something on it and keeps a customer happy. Everybody is a winner!
 
to rip off an old morebeer ad....

"Rising malt prices got you down? LHBS to far away? sprout some up!"


or something like that?
 
GrowleyMonster said:
Briess 2 row is $69.99 for 50lb sack, free shipping, from Northern Brewer. That works out $1.40/lb, not too shabby. I got one on the way now.
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damn, i just spent 15.99 a 10lb bag from morebeer! (i needed dark crystal, and normal crystal, and figured why not, special b..... the shame i feel! 🤣 :mug:)
 
bracconiere said:
damn, i just spent 15.99 a 10lb bag from morebeer! (i needed dark crystal, and normal crystal, and figured why not, special b..... the shame i feel! 🤣 :mug:)
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I haven't got it yet but I think they actually split the sack up into two packages to avoid the 50lb+ surcharge on the shipping. Anyway I think it's a pretty good deal. My LHBS is okay, but when I buy base malt from them, neither one of us is really doing the other any favors. I had been buying the fivers from MoreBeer, with the free shipping. When they first started carrying the Viking malts their prices were very cheap when you got over the free shipping threshhold. Viking supplies Carlsberg, BTW. They seem to be very well liked in Europe but had no US distributor so I guess MB got a sweet introductory price just to get some on the street and get some brand familiarity going over here. And it's good stuff, but I have no problem with Briess, either. Good products. If it's not full of hallucinogenic mold and weevils and fungus and deadly spiders I'll probably buy another bag or two before the price goes up.

Actually, the hallucinogenic mold thing might be interesting...
 
GrowleyMonster said:
Briess 2 row is $69.99 for 50lb sack, free shipping, from Northern Brewer. That works out $1.40/lb, not too shabby. I got one on the way now.
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I don't feel so bad now. I thought that our prices were higher here, but our LHBS sells 1 kg bags of grain (as well as 25 kg sacks) at the equivalent of $1.27/lb for 2 row and $1.72 for pilsner. And those are 80 cent Canadian Dollar prices!
 
deuc224 said:
My LHBS guys is pretty cool, i went in and met the owner and we talked beer for a while and i asked if he could order me some grains and he was like sure what do you need, told him and he said itll be like 6 week which is perfect. He said Weyermann takes more time but it doesnt bother me cuz ive gotten bags of Maris otter from him cheaper than a lot of online retailers WITHOUT shipping included, makes me a loyal customer.
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When I had my shop it wasn’t anything to do with different maltsters. It all came from one major supplier that I dealt with. They pretty much had everything and it was just a matter of when I was going to place my next order.

Small shops don’t usually order every week, sometimes not even once a month depending on the season. You have to pay a trucking company a pallet rate for delivery so you try to minimize that as a percentage of cost by placing the largest order you can. Many years ago for example the cheapest pallet rate I could get from my supplier was $70 for each pallet. So I would always try to make my order for at least $700 to try to keep shipping to 10% or less of my order and had to be careful not to order stuff that would exceed one pallet.

With everything going on now I’m sure its even more than that these days. And everybody knows all the big internet retail sites with free shipping so competition is fierce. I can’t even imagine how some of these little guys are getting by. So yes, please support your local shop if you’re lucky enough to still have one.
 
Unfortunately Braumarkt in The Netherlands, one of the biggest online shops in western Europe, went bust a few weeks ago :confused:
When I last ordered in December they still had 55lb sacks of base malt from Swaen for about $25 and $5 flatrate shipping to Germany. So I ordered 3 sacks.

Luckily I have enough malt for the next 6 months but I'll probably have to start ordering from Brouwland in Belgium for $30 a sack of Castle base malt plus $10 shipping up to 31kg.
Hopefully there are cheaper options when the time comes but I doubt it. :smh:

I might make a trip there in the Summer and pick up 5 sacks myself.
It's about a 3 hour round trip.
Good excuse to stay over night and have a session on some Belgian beers :p
 
Shenanigans said:
Unfortunately Braumarkt in The Netherlands, one of the biggest online shops in western Europe, went bust a few weeks ago :confused:
When I last ordered in December they still had 55lb sacks of base malt from Swaen for about $25 and $5 flatrate shipping to Germany. So I ordered 3 sacks.

Luckily I have enough malt for the next 6 months but I'll probably have to start ordering from Brouwland in Belgium for $30 a sack of Castle base malt plus $10 shipping up to 31kg.
Hopefully there are cheaper options when the time comes but I doubt it. :smh:

I might make a trip there in the Summer and pick up 5 sacks myself.
It's about a 3 hour round trip.
Good excuse to stay over night and have a session on some Belgian beers :p
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Under a buck a pound, shipped? I am consumed with burning jealousy. I could make a 5% beer for about $.10/pint, at those prices.
 
Shenanigans said:
Well now you all know how I feel when I see some of the prices you pay for US hops compared to what I pay here :(

Here's a snip from my last invoice so you know its not BS, prices including tax :p
The spelt was expensive enough though.

View attachment 758784
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it could be photo shopped....it just cost me $21USD for 50lbs of barley i have to malt myself..... :mug:
 
Shenanigans said:
Well now you all know how I feel when I see some of the prices you pay for US hops compared to what I pay here :(

Here's a snip from my last invoice so you know its not BS, prices including tax :p
The spelt was expensive enough though.

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Oh, I totally believe you. I just figured since you pay almost 4x for gas, you should probably pay almost 4x for malt, too. Actually it is getting outrageous here again. $2.19/gallon today when I filled up. Mrs. Monster works for Shell so you would think we would get a discount but NOOOOOoooooo....
 
I've given in to buying grain sacks of base malt from a local maltster which is a lot more expensive than the bigger maltsters but the product is fantastic and the cost per beer is still so small that the quality is easily worth it. I reuse yeast aggressively and buy hops in bulk so what extra I spend on grain I feel I mostly make up in savings elsewhere.

I've seen shops sell full sacks on an account system where you buy the full volume for less than the per pound price but you can collect volumes as you need it until the "sack" runs out and you buy another sack. That's a good way to balance enticing customers to come in the shop more often but not lose the bulk purchasers as customers. It's a reasonable deal for both customer and store.

It's unfortunate that it's gotten so difficult to buy grain cheaply. Homebrew shops made it extremely difficult to make group buys happen with wholesalers and most breweries do enough business that they don't have the desire to keep up with throwing extra bags on an order for local homebrewers.
 

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