Online homebrew shop?

[Aggie10]

Grain prices not quite as good as hops and extract prices, but:
Premium 2-row, Pilsen, Wheat are $49 CDN/55lb
Maris Otter $67 CDN/55 lb

So, still about 75% of morebeer prices when you factor in exchange rate. This is on US produced product.

FYI - more and more small businesses employ a maximum profit model instead of maximum revenue, for many reasons including capacities, true expansion costs, and lifestyle choices. Busier does not always mean better.

 

[user 253592]

I like Stevesbrewshop.com from the basic brewing podcast good prices on grains and I enjoy the show so I dont mind supporting, plus they offer military and first responder discount they may have AHA as well.

 

[okiedog]

That is incorrect, sorry.

And distance to source wouldn't explain why I pay approx 65% of big online supply prices. Trust me, things in Canada are almost always more expensive than US.

Okay. What are favorite Canadian sources for grain? I apologize in advance if you already posted that.

 

[okiedog]

I know that I can beat some of MoreBeer's prices on grain, but higher shipping costs from other sources usually negate any savings.

 

[ProblemChild]

I'm up im Redding. This is the response.View attachment 614372

That looks like a boiler plate response to putting ownership of the fault back on the customer and in light of the picture you showed, I would be inclined that response was sent by a non-brewing person or one happy to take the easy way out. Saying that crush is acceptable is simply a joke.

 

[okiedog]

Grain prices not quite as good as hops and extract prices, but:
Premium 2-row, Pilsen, Wheat are $49 CDN/55lb
Maris Otter $67 CDN/55 lb

So, still about 75% of morebeer prices when you factor in exchange rate. This is on US produced product.

FYI - more and more small businesses employ a maximum profit model instead of maximum revenue, for many reasons including capacities, true expansion costs, and lifestyle choices. Busier does not always mean better.

Sorry if I'm missing something, but I just don't see the price differences you are talking about. Here are the prices I'm seeing at MoreBeer: Bairds Maris Otter $58.99, Fawcett Maris Otter $62.99; 2-Row ranging from $37.99 - $47.99; Pilsen/Pilsner malt $37.99 - $63.99 (Weyermann); Red wheat malt $38.99, White wheat malt $43.99 - $57.99.

If you have a source for better pricing, I'd love to hear who it is.

 

[Aggie10]

Ok (Big sigh).

Take your first examples, Maris Otter. Morebeer avg of the two prices you provided is US$60.99. I'd pay CDN$67.99, or US$50.99, 83% of Morebeer price. And I've already stated that bulk grain savings are less than on hops and extracts.

Look at it another way, assume my supplier pays same wholesale price in US dollars as Morebeer does (in reality my supplier may pay more per pound of grain due to lower order volumes). Assume my supplier incurs no additional transportation or import costs (they likely pay some additional costs). Assume my supplier and Morebeer both pay US$0.50/lb for a type of grain. So my supplier pays CDN$0.63/lb and sells at CDN$1.24/lb (CDN$67.99/55 lb). Following our example Morebeer pays CDN$0.63/lb and sells at CDN$1.39/lb (CDN$76.24/55 lb), which is more per lb.

In Canada we frequently see Canadian products selling for less in the US even considering exchange rates, perhaps that is why I thought some Americans would find it interesting/alarming/etc. when the opposite occurs, in this case indicating you are paying higher markups.

Do what you will with this info, I'm done.

 

[Dgallo]

@Aggie10 @okiedog

 

[wepeeler]

+1 for morebeer. Awesome customer service, and free 2 day shipping on orders over $60. Obviously some exclusions, but almost everything is 2 day. I also use Northern Brewer if I can't find something at morebeer, but I don't like to put money in Anheuser Busch's pockets if I can help it.

 

[WaltG]

+1 for morebeer. Awesome customer service, and free 2 day shipping on orders over $60. Obviously some exclusions, but almost everything is 2 day. I also use Northern Brewer if I can't find something at morebeer, but I don't like to put money in Anheuser Busch's pockets if I can help it.

Yeah, midwest is part of them but they do free shipping on bulk grain.

 

[wepeeler]

Yeah, midwest is part of them but they do free shipping on bulk grain.

Morebeer will also ship as many 10b bags of grain you order for free vs buying a 50lb bag. So it all evens out.

Edit - Just saw Midwest's grain prices. I like!

 

[WaltG]

Morebeer will also ship as many 10b bags of grain you order for free vs buying a 50lb bag. So it all evens out.

Edit - Just saw Midwest's grain prices. I like!

Actually doing 10lb bags 50# of briess comes to $53.45

 

[wepeeler]

Actually doing 10lb bags 50# of briess comes to $53.45

Yeah, I meant ordering 50# bags vs 10# bags through morebeer. I like Midwest's prices. Thanks!

 

[Beerwildered]

Say what you will about Northern Brewer and Midwest, I tried to stay away from them, but they’re the big boys in my hometown.

Indeed, they are owned by AB InBev and often I see employees working in both locations wearing Northern Brewer shirts, they seem to be owned and managed interchangeably.

Yet, for all of that, they give a 10% veteran discount on most everything. So...

 

[smata67]

If the vendor is not stating crop year, be suspicious, and ask. Morebeer will NOT tell you the crop year. I have asked them repeatedly, the answer is always "we are unable to supply crop year". No thanks.

You can be pretty sure that NB (and others not posting year) is selling 2017 hops right now, they would brag about having 2018 hops otherwise. What you need to do is order your hops exclusively from Yakima Valley Hops if you want 2018.

 

[okiedog]

For those that buy hops online by the pound, do you check with the vendor to see what crop year they have in stock? Some vendors sell them specifically by year, but others just say something like "Centennial - 1 lb". How do you know if it's 2018, 2017, or earlier?

You don't. It would be great if they would tell you when they were harvested. Some do, most don't.

 

[okiedog]

If you are saving money on the products you want, more power to you. I sometimes pay more for a specific malt to get the flavor or character that I want. That is not to say that I pay more for the exact same item than I would have to pay elsewhere. Also, malts from different maltsters can very considerably. Comparing the average price of Baird's and Fawcett Maris Otter to Maris Otter from an unnamed source, is an incomplete comparison. But what do I care? I'm just trying to help. If you like what you buy, and the price you pay, that's great! I still would like to hear your source(s) for grain purchases in Canada.

 

[Blazinlow86]

If you are saving money on the products you want, more power to you. I sometimes pay more for a specific malt to get the flavor or character that I want. That is not to say that I pay more for the exact same item than I would have to pay elsewhere. Also, malts from different maltsters can very considerably. Comparing the average price of Baird's and Fawcett Maris Otter to Maris Otter from an unnamed source, is an incomplete comparison. But what do I care? I'm just trying to help. If you like what you buy, and the price you pay, that's great! I still would like to hear your source(s) for grain purchases in Canada.

I use barley's homebrew in new Westminster as my lhbs and there grain prices are the sameish as the other Canadian mentioned. it's a great shop. However I purchase my hops from Yakima and pick them up at point Roberts Washington for a decent savings and much better selection. Cheers

 

[marchuk96]

I used to be die hard morebeer customer...but like others have stated...my efficiency suddenly started tanking...I decided to try northern brewer and instantly noticed a difference in grain...it not only looked fresher and better...but my efficiency immediately went back to and exceeded my previous results from more beer grain...what I also like is that they also date there bags from when they were crushed...for hops I basically stick with farmhouse...I don't think any one beats there prices and there hops are always fresh and vacuum sealed...I have ordered grain from them as well with no issues

 

[smata67]

I used to be die hard morebeer customer...but like others have stated...my efficiency suddenly started tanking...I decided to try northern brewer and instantly noticed a difference in grain...it not only looked fresher and better...but my efficiency immediately went back to and exceeded my previous results from more beer grain...what I also like is that they also date there bags from when they were crushed...for hops I basically stick with farmhouse...I don't think any one beats there prices and there hops are always fresh and vacuum sealed...I have ordered grain from them as well with no issues

My bags from NothernBrewer don't have the crush date, they have the "packed on" date.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I buy hops from Yakima Valley or Farmhouse.

I buy yeast and specialty grains and other misc (bottle caps, bottles, etc) from Ritebrew

I buy bulk base grains through our homebrew club who works with a local brewery. $25-30/bag for anything Briess

I buy hardware and such from Brewhardware.com or MoreBeer as a general rule though I don't buy much hardware anymore. My rig has been pretty stable for about 18 months now.

 

[okiedog]

Are you buying full 50 or 55 lb. bags of malt or smaller bags? I can't understand why anyone would want crushed grain in that quantity, unless you're brewing a LOT of beer. If you buy full bags, you have to have a grain mill, or it doesn't make sense. Whole grain malt may be okay for up to a year, if properly stored. Crushed grain starts to go down hill soon after it is crushed. Usually it should be used within a month or so; sooner if not stored in an airtight container. I used to buy crushed malt, and I either lived with the efficiency I got (70 - 75%), or I mashed longer. Then I bought a $99 grain mill and could never imagine going back (+/- 82%).

 

[smata67]

Are you buying full 50 or 55 lb. bags of malt or smaller bags? I can't understand why anyone would want crushed grain in that quantity, unless you're brewing a LOT of beer. If you buy full bags, you have to have a grain mill, or it doesn't make sense. Whole grain malt may be okay for up to a year, if properly stored. Crushed grain starts to go down hill soon after it is crushed. Usually it should be used within a month or so; sooner if not stored in an airtight container. I used to buy crushed malt, and I either lived with the efficiency I got (70 - 75%), or I mashed longer. Then I bought a $99 grain mill and could never imagine going back (+/- 82%).

Briess claims a 6 month shelf life for crushed grain if properly stored.

http://blog.brewingwithbriess.com/about/

 

[smata67]

Some price comparisons of NB with Atlantic Brew Supply: the candi syrups at $6.99 vs. $11.99 for NB. Omega yeasts are $7.49 vs $10.00 for NB. DME 3# $10.00 vs. $13.99. Hops I found to be about the same. For grain, NB seems to have a slight edge, but Atlantic sells grain by the ounce and will double crush if asked. The kit prices are very reasonable, about the cost of the ingredients. I checked a few kits on MoreBeer and found they were upcharging the kits I looked at $6-$8 over ingredient prices. I have not ordered from them (Atlantic) yet, but they are almost certainly going to be cheaper for most orders based on a cursory, unscientific survey.

 

[okiedog]

Briess claims a 6 month shelf life for crushed grain if properly stored.

http://blog.brewingwithbriess.com/about/

That is under optimum conditions, but I still think you'd notice the difference. The flavor difference of roasted malts/grains is probably less noticeable than lighter kilned malts. The big plus of having a grain mill is that you have control of your crush, as well as crush grains just before mashing.

 

[kh54s10]

Whole grain malt may be okay for up to a year, if properly stored.

I can personally attest that whole grain, properly stored lasts much longer than a year. In preparation for a move I only brewed a couple of times in a year. When starting again I detected no significant difference using the grains bought before that. In fact I looked at my purchases and discovered that most of my grain is at least 3 years old. In December I brewed an IPA with some of that older grain - one of my best ever, out of now, 106 batches.

I would suspect than most of the grain, by the time it reaches the end user is at least close to a year old already. And that grain has not been stored in the most optimum way. Think silos.......

 

[okiedog]

I've used (whole) grain that I had stored for more than a year. It was mostly specialty malts, and stored in 5 gallon gamma seal buckets. I use up my base grains faster than that though. That's not to say that a brew made with older grain is bad, but perhaps it could be better with fresher grain (or not). Crushed grains seem to lose character much more quickly.

 

[WaltG]

Anyone tried storing grains in vacu-seal bags to store grains?

 

[okiedog]

Haven't tried vacu-seal bags, but that's not a bad idea for smaller quantities. Are those bags oxygen barrier?

 

[WaltG]

Haven't tried vacu-seal bags, but that's not a bad idea for smaller quantities. Are those bags oxygen barrier?

When my LHBS announced they were closing i bought like 3 recipies. I didn't have a mill so I milled them there. This is 10lb