Question about bulk grains

[redllama]

Morebeer for me, too... 50lbs delivered to my door, cheaper than the closests LHBS.... without any attitude.

for the best MB prices, you can't buy the full 50 lb sack... shipping kills the deal... You need to buy 5 10lb bags instead.
More per lb, but eligible for free shipping on $59 order...

So buy 10lb bags of 2 row, munich, vienna, and other base malts... throw in a couple 1 or 5 lb bags of specialty malts, some bottle caps, etc and suddenly free shipping! For me it comes out cheaper than LHBS and comes to my door. I try to hit the LHBS when I can, but their prices and attitude make it not worth it most of the time.

This is what I do as well. 10# sacks are great for my base grain as they store nicely and it keeps a minimal amount of grain open at any given time. I will still use my LHBS for specialty grains if I decide to brew something different between my bulk grain purchases.

 

[bleme]

So would a garage that gets pretty hot in the summer and is not humidity controlled be too risky of place to store grain? I have a spare bedroom that's slowly filling up with brewing equipment that I can use if I need something with better temperature control.

It's not ideal, but as long as you keep them in an air-tight container they will stay fresh for least a year.

 

[jtratcliff]

I will still use my LHBS for specialty grains if I decide to brew something different between my bulk grain purchases.

Yeah, I use the LHBS for small amounts of specialty grains, the occasional hops I don't have on hand from a bulk buy, whirlfloc, Campden tablets, and oddly enough bottle caps... Their grain and hops prices are way out of line but damned if their bottle caps aren't the cheapest around...

 

[mredge73]

So would a garage that gets pretty hot in the summer and is not humidity controlled be too risky of place to store grain? I have a spare bedroom that's slowly filling up with brewing equipment that I can use if I need something with better temperature control.

I live in Houston, it is either hot, wet, or hot and wet here year round.
I keep mine in air tight 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids. My grain is still good 5 years later.
I also use a mylar bucket liner with oxygen scavenger packs, not sure if that made the difference or not.

Water/humidity is your main enemy. Temperature control will help by removing water from the air but if your grain is in air tight containers it shouldn't matter.

 

[LarMoeCur]

The shipping on bulk grains is a price savings killer. MoreBeer sacks come in all sizes. If I need 3# munich for a recipe I always order the 5# sack. I pull my older inventory for the recipe, add a little new if needed, and store the new away for the next brew day. I don't know how, MoreBeer makes any money on the free shipping. I've had 5 boxes 30# boxes show up at my door.

I store all my bulk grains in a dog food Vittles Vault. The lid seals nice and tight. I vacuum seal specialty grains in vacuum bags. Those vacuum bags are expensive but if you cut just below the seal. You can pour out what you need and reseal the same bag. If I empty an entire bag, I save it for reuse when I have more grains to store. I've never tested it but vacuum sealed grains should stay fresh for a very very long time!

 

[toddo97]

I live in Houston, it is either hot, wet, or hot and wet here year round.
I keep mine in air tight 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids. My grain is still good 5 years later.
I also use a mylar bucket liner with oxygen scavenger packs, not sure if that made the difference or not.

Water/humidity is your main enemy. Temperature control will help by removing water from the air but if your grain is in air tight containers it shouldn't matter.

That makes me feel better--plus, it looks like doing the MoreBeer 10# bags is the way to go and I won't have to worry about an open 50# sack sitting around for a while.

 

[day_trippr]

I don't think grain silos are air conditioned, and if you buy grain just before harvest it's probably been sitting in a silo for the better part of a year...

Cheers!

 

[wilserbrewer]

I don't think grain silos are air conditioned, and if you buy grain just before harvest it's probably been sitting in a silo for the better part of a year...

Cheers!

I agree, but grain silos are typically in more arid climates than Houston or your typical basement.

I stored grain in my basement and noticed it was not as dry and crisp as it should be, now I store grain in my laundry room closet in a more humidity controlled environment.

Granted, I’m lazy and just roll the sack shut till my next brew. In the right environment, cool and dry I don’t think you need to go to air tight containers. Jmo

 

[kh54s10]

5 gallon buckets with gamma lids are cheap and have kept my grains in good shape for years. Smaller amounts I keep in lock and lock boxes that have a pretty good seal. Mine were in the basement in RI. Cool and dry in the winter, warmer and humid in the summer. I have never had any go stale that I could tell'

Now in Florida, I will have to see what happens mid summer in the garage. I suspect the good seals will keep my grain safe.

 

[day_trippr]

Ah, Houston. Used to go there on bidness often, a few decades ago. I do recall humidity was its hallmark
Yes, one would be well advised to take prudent countermeasures in similar environments, if mold is to be avoided.
Or, brew quicker

Cheers!

 

[atoughram]

So would a garage that gets pretty hot in the summer and is not humidity controlled be too risky of place to store grain? I have a spare bedroom that's slowly filling up with brewing equipment that I can use if I need something with better temperature control.

I doubt the temperature would hurt the grain but the humidity may not be good for mold growth. An air tight poly drum with and open top and lid, and get a desiccant bag to hang on the inside, I'd think the garage would be fine.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

My HomeBrew Club has an agreement with a local brewpub, just a mile from my house. Members can buy full sacks from him at the wholesale price that he gets them for. I’m sure my club isn’t the only one doing that.

It's not. I got a sack of Briess pale ale and a sack for Briess pilsen for $25 each a couple weeks ago. Our club works with a local brewery. The only downside is that we're limited to Briess.

I want from paying $2.20/lb when buying by the pound from the LHBS to $0.50/lb now. That really dropped the price of a batch of beer. For specialty malts, club members go in on a sack and split it.

I store mine in the sack until it's opened, then it goes into a vittles vault.

 

[TimmyWit]

I generally buy 5 sacks in the fall. Rahr, Weyermann Bo Pils, 2GP, and a wheat. I can never find Barke Pils or Pearl where I buy. If you store it right it will last a long time. I have a bin of bags of specialty. I just bought a bunch of 5 and 10 pound sacks to fill it with fresh. I hate having to go to the LHBS to brew.

If you want Pearl, check out ritebrew.com. They have great prices and reasonable shipping through a company called speedee. You're probably in the same shipping zone as me so it will be a 2-day delivery for you. They are my go-to.

 

[toddo97]

I doubt the temperature would hurt the grain but the humidity may not be good for mold growth. An air tight poly drum with and open top and lid, and get a desiccant bag to hang on the inside, I'd think the garage would be fine.

I like that idea about using a desiccant bag

 

[Jayjay1976]

...I store mine in the sack until it's opened, then it goes into a vittles vault.

Which vittles vault do you use? I bought a couple of the 40lb units to store bulk grains and was disappointed that they don't hold a full 55lb sack. They have a taller 50lb model with the lid on top but that looks like it would be hard to stack. Currently I use one to store base malt and the other to store smaller bags of specialty grains and any base malt that doesn't fit in the other bin.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I like that idea about using a desiccant bag

If you store grain in a basement or garage, take care to insulate between the storage vessel and the cold concrete floor to prevent condensation from forming at the inside bottom of the container. A chunk of insulating foam or even just raising it up to allow air circulation would help.

 

[LarMoeCur]

Which vittles vault do you use? I bought a couple of the 40lb units to store bulk grains and was disappointed that they don't hold a full 55lb sack. They have a taller 50lb model with the lid on top but that looks like it would be hard to stack. Currently I use one to store base malt and the other to store smaller bags of specialty grains and any base malt that doesn't fit in the other bin.

I have both the 40# and 60# ones. The 60# don't have the slotted tops and bottoms but they stack OK. They do slide around a little. What I do with my 40# ones is open a new sack on brew day. Pull the grains I need for the batch and put the rest in vault. If I remember right they are only about 8# short of fitting a full sack.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Which vittles vault do you use? I bought a couple of the 40lb units to store bulk grains and was disappointed that they don't hold a full 55lb sack. They have a taller 50lb model with the lid on top but that looks like it would be hard to stack. Currently I use one to store base malt and the other to store smaller bags of specialty grains and any base malt that doesn't fit in the other bin.

I use the 50 lb ones with the lid on top. They stack fine. You have to unstack to access grains in one that's underneath, but that's no big deal. I haul 'em from the basement to the kitchen to weigh and mill anyway.

 

[z-bob]

I buy the food-safe 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot or Lowe's, and the cheap plastic lids for them. (I tried one Gamma lid but it quickly broke) Two buckets will hold a 50# sack of grain, and will almost hold a 55# sack. Just leave the excess in the bag and roll the top down; sit it on top of the buckets and use it first. Whole grain lasts a *long* time if you keep it dry.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I buy the food-safe 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot or Lowe's, and the cheap plastic lids for them. (I tried one Gamma lid but it quickly broke) Two buckets will hold a 50# sack of grain, and will almost hold a 55# sack. Just leave the excess in the bag and roll the top down; sit it on top of the buckets and use it first. Whole grain lasts a *long* time if you keep it dry.

I but my small food grade buckets from the bakery at WalMart...$1 with lid. A little elbow grease and an Oxi soaking cleans them up. The larger ones hold 17-19 # of grain. I also use them to hold my pre-measured ingredients for future batches, kind of like a DIY home made kit.

For you guys with the humidity issue, you could always re-bag your smaller poundage of grain and use a vacuum sealer to keep it out.

 

[balrog]

I always keep ingredients on hand for at least one brew, just in case I can get a brew in unplanned. Maybe it's just me, but I don't feel the need to be stocked like a LHBS. That's what they are for.

This. Or maybe 2-3 brews ahead for me on hand.

I try to hit the LHBS when I can, but their prices and attitude make it not worth it most of the time.

Unfortunately also this.

If you want Pearl, check out ritebrew.com. They have great prices and reasonable shipping through a company called speedee. You're probably in the same shipping zone as me so it will be a 2-day delivery for you. They are my go-to.

Ritebrew has better delivered prices even to me in New England than my LHBS. My go to, one recipe at a time as they have a nice, per-ounce, grain selection.

 

[kh54s10]

I am the opposite. When I make a recipe, or there is a good sale, I buy at least twice what I need.

In buckets with gamma lids and Lock and Lock containers my grains last for years.

If I get the urge to brew almost any style of beer, I already have the ingredients on hand. No need to run out to the LHBS or to order and wait...

I get most of my hops in 4 ounce packages from Farmhouse Brewing Supply. This gives some for the present recipe and a stock for another one down the road.

I also save a lot of money over making a per ounce order at significantly higher prices.

I haven't bought a full sack in a while. My old LHBS beat anything that I could have shipped. At least until you could get free shipping from one online place if you can still get that. I haven't inquired about sack prices at my new LHBS, yet.

 

[Jayjay1976]

If you want Pearl, check out ritebrew.com. They have great prices and reasonable shipping through a company called speedee. You're probably in the same shipping zone as me so it will be a 2-day delivery for you. They are my go-to.

I ordered a sack of Dingemans Pale Ale malt from Ritebrew, using Speedee I saved $20 vs. buying it from the LHBS down the street from me, and I didn't even have to lug it home. Excellent service and the best bulk prices around, I think shipping was only $15 to Chicago. I was just looking at the website this morning trying to decide which base malt I want to try next.

 

[Jayjay1976]

...I also use them to hold my pre-measured ingredients for future batches, kind of like a DIY home made kit.

Great idea, pre-measured kits all ready for brew day, though I'm imagining a doomsday-prepping home brewer hunkered in a bunker surviving on cans of baked beans and Russian imperial stout.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Great idea, pre-measured kits all ready for brew day, though I'm imagining a doomsday-prepping home brewer hunkered in a bunker surviving on cans of baked beans and Russian imperial stout.

If doomsday hits, I hope I have enough RIS or ingredients to make it to last me through till it's over or I'm over.

 

[Jayjay1976]

If doomsday hits, I hope I have enough RIS or ingredients to make it to last me through till it's over or I'm over.

Or at least enough Insta-Beer to wait until the mothership arrives to pick up survivors...

 

[homebrewer_99]

Great idea, pre-measured kits all ready for brew day, though I'm imagining a doomsday-prepping home brewer hunkered in a bunker surviving on cans of baked beans and Russian imperial stout.

I'm Irish so I don't have to go to Russia...

FWIW, I have all my brew supply inventory on spreadsheets... 1 each for grain, hops and yeast. It makes inventory so easy. I have just over 280# or grain on hand, 18# of hops and 24 yeasts, with their separate quantities (totaled at the end), dates of expiration, etc. Buckets are labeled on tape mounted to the side of the bucket for quick viewing.

 

[balrog]

TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY POUNDS ON HAND???!!!

Holy Crap Ton Warehouse Full, Batman!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm Irish so I don't have to go to Russia...

FWIW, I have all my brew supply inventory on spreadsheets... 1 each for grain, hops and yeast. It makes inventory so easy. I have just over 280# or grain on hand, 18# of hops and 24 yeasts, with their separate quantities (totaled at the end), dates of expiration, etc. Buckets are labeled on tape mounted to the side of the bucket for quick viewing.

You have my attention. Nice work. There's a guy in my homebrew club that buys over 500 lbs twice a year.

 

[homebrewer_99]

You have my attention. Nice work. There's a guy in my homebrew club that buys over 500 lbs twice a year.

Thanks. I know it sounds anal to some, but the little bit of effort it takes to make a spreadsheet saves a lot of time and wasted energy by taking all the guess work out of one's life.

I also have spreadsheets for the food (mostly meat) we have in our full size freezer and the veggies on the shelf that we "can" from the garden. Every time we use something the highest number gets marked off. We know exactly how many we have. The list and pen are attached to the fridge with a magnet.

 

[knotquiteawake]

It's not. I got a sack of Briess pale ale and a sack for Briess pilsen for $25 each a couple weeks ago. Our club works with a local brewery. The only downside is that we're limited to Briess.

I want from paying $2.20/lb when buying by the pound from the LHBS to $0.50/lb now. That really dropped the price of a batch of beer. For specialty malts, club members go in on a sack and split it.

I store mine in the sack until it's opened, then it goes into a vittles vault.

I wish the local club here did that. I haven't joined but from what I see and have asked on their facebook page they just have discounts on food at the local brewpubs and breweries and LHBS. That would seem like a really huge help. How big is that local brewery? It seems like too small and they likely don't have the margins to be buying "extra" and reselling it. Too big and you're a gnat pestering an elephant.

I've thought about asking at a couple of the local brewpubs but I don't know them don't visit often, its not like i'm friends with them. I need to make friends with a commercial brewer who has leeway to resell their bulk grains! Thats my complicated plan to make buying bulk easier!

 

[bleme]

If we had a LHBS it might be different, because then you'd be stepping on someone's toes. Since our nearest LHBS is an hour north, that isn't an issue.

 

[knotquiteawake]

That's probably why they haven't.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Thanks. I know it sounds anal to some, but the little bit of effort it takes to make a spreadsheet saves a lot of time and wasted energy by taking all the guess work out of one's life.

I also have spreadsheets for the food (mostly meat) we have in our full size freezer and the veggies on the shelf that we "can" from the garden. Every time we use something the highest number gets marked off. We know exactly how many we have. The list and pen are attached to the fridge with a magnet.

Would you be willing to share your spreadsheet as a template? I'm horrible at creating forms and would love even just a screenshot of how to lay that out.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Would you be willing to share your spreadsheet as a template? I'm horrible at creating forms and would love even just a screenshot of how to lay that out.

No problem.

Email me: [email protected]

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I wish the local club here did that. I haven't joined but from what I see and have asked on their facebook page they just have discounts on food at the local brewpubs and breweries and LHBS. That would seem like a really huge help. How big is that local brewery? It seems like too small and they likely don't have the margins to be buying "extra" and reselling it. Too big and you're a gnat pestering an elephant.

I've thought about asking at a couple of the local brewpubs but I don't know them don't visit often, its not like i'm friends with them. I need to make friends with a commercial brewer who has leeway to resell their bulk grains! Thats my complicated plan to make buying bulk easier!

I don't know what their volume is but they've been around since at least the 90s. They don't resell per se, they just add our order to theirs. We are on their schedule, but that's no big deal.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Which vittles vault do you use? I bought a couple of the 40lb units to store bulk grains and was disappointed that they don't hold a full 55lb sack. They have a taller 50lb model with the lid on top but that looks like it would be hard to stack. Currently I use one to store base malt and the other to store smaller bags of specialty grains and any base malt that doesn't fit in the other bin.

I hear you on non-stackables, but have you tried putting a couple plies of styrofoam on top of the bottom one to give the upper one a flat surface to set on? The styrofoam (or other similar material) will form fit itself to the lower barrel (or whatever it is).

 

[MaryB]

I buy the food-safe 5 gallon buckets at Home Depot or Lowe's, and the cheap plastic lids for them. (I tried one Gamma lid but it quickly broke) Two buckets will hold a 50# sack of grain, and will almost hold a 55# sack. Just leave the excess in the bag and roll the top down; sit it on top of the buckets and use it first. Whole grain lasts a *long* time if you keep it dry.

I have ~20 gamma seal lids that have been in use for10+ years and have never broke a single one...

What failed on it???

 

[z-bob]

I have ~20 gamma seal lids that have been in use for10+ years and have never broke a single one...

What failed on it???

The ring that snaps on the top of the bucket split after a couple of months. (which is weird because once it's snapped in place you leave it alone)

 

[MaryB]

The ring that snaps on the top of the bucket split after a couple of months. (which is weird because once it's snapped in place you leave it alone)

That is odd, that ring is pretty flexible to fit different bucket tolerances. Mine I had to use a rubber mallet to seat on some buckets. Might have been defective.