How do you all buy your grains?

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Full_moon
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How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Full_moon »

I have been buying grains as needed per the recipe or getting a kit.
I'm thinking getting 50# bag of the base malt, 2 row, for about 36, 37 bucks or so at the local brew supply and then buy the other additional grains as needed.
This would be a pretty nice savings. So is storage a problem with bugs etc. I think 5 gal. buckets at home depot should be fine.
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npstephe
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by npstephe »

I've bought the big 50lb bag of 6-row at my local brew store multiple times now. To store it I just rolled up the bag tight and put it on the top shelf in my garage and it sat for months with no bug issues. It's a great savings vs buying base malt as you need it. It doesn't come cracked though so you'll need a mill to crack it as necessary.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by pfshine »

I try to buy bulk as much as I can. When I knew I wasn't gonna use it all quickly I stored it a barrel. I ran a tube from my Fermenter to the storage barrel, the co2 from fermentation displaces all of the oxygen then seal the lid. No oxygen means no bugs and you are all set for long term storage. You could also use a chunk of dry ice to do the same thing.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Smokee »

I'm coming in on this thread a little late but found it during a search....

I bought malted rye yesterday at the local home brew store and paid $2/lb. I'm just thinking that at $30-$40 a run that adds up pretty quick. I've never distilled rye and am looking forward to seeing the difference from the sweet feed liquor I've been doing. If I like it I'd like to find something more cost effective. Is $2/lb a decent price or, by buying a 40-50# bad, is it less pricey? I did a quick search here at work and there a lot of different varieties of rye.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by hellbilly007 »

If you can pick up a 50# sack locally it should be cheaper. Shipping is usually the deal breaker for me, to mail order any that is.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Smokee »

hellbilly007 wrote:If you can pick up a 50# sack locally it should be cheaper. Shipping is usually the deal breaker for me, to mail order any that is.
Interestingly, I found out that a local distiller that's primary liquor they sell is unaged rye is made from locally sourced rye flour.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by MDH »

For Vodka and "shooting" (Read: not grain forward) whiskies, I just buy cheap flours from Costco. I've bought rye, oats, wheat, cornmeal and rice this way.

For better (read: Actually for enjoying) whiskies, I actually know some people who grow the barley locally, and know people who work in brewing who have ordered extra grain for me. I usually just buy a lot of good quality Maris Otter or Promise 2-Row, or Rye Malt, then roast / smoke some of it.
Last edited by MDH on Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
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skow69
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by skow69 »

50 lb bags from the local feed and seed. Corn, barley, rye, wheat, oats. Around $15 ea. I don't see any point in paying brew store prices, unless you don't want to malt your own or use enzymes. No problem with bugs, but mice chew through the bags and make a horrible mess. A blue brute trash can keeps 3-4 bags safe. Yes, you have to grind it.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by masonsjax »

I buy bulk grain through group buys in my area. I've been brewing beer for a long time and buying this way is much cheaper than any other alternative for pre-malted grain. Thanks to the group buy, I have more variety stocked in my basement than most homebrew stores carry.

Check for a group within driving distance of you and get involved if you can.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by okie »

I bought a 50 pound bag and had them grind it for me. They put it in 10 pound bags and I was happy as a clam. That was my first mistake. Then a month later as I was opening a bag I saw tons of tiny insects and the inside of the brute trash can lid was wet and covered with gnats. I tossed about 30 pounds.

If you buy in bulk you need a grinder and grind as you use. Now I know :D
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by DAD300 »

50# bags from a local Amish store cost $23-27usd depending on grain. But the stuff is pure and packaged bullet proof.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by bitter »

I get stuff from the feed store.. or local farmers.

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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Smokee »

I'm not having much luck locally and, as hellbilly mentioned, the shipping costs are crazy.

I buy a 40 lb bag of sweetfeed from Walmart.com and shipping is usually around $10, some of the on line stores want $100 for the rye.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Snackson »

Rye is $64 shipped from http://www.honeyville.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow for a 50 pound bag. It's not malted so you'll need enzymes but the price is good. They also have flaked so no need to boil.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by BoomTown »

Smokee wrote:I'm not having much luck locally and, as hellbilly mentioned, the shipping costs are crazy.

I buy a 40 lb bag of sweetfeed from Walmart.com and shipping is usually around $10, some of the on line stores want $100 for the rye.
Is there a Tractor Supply Store near you?
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by BoomTown »

okie wrote:I bought a 50 pound bag and had them grind it for me. They put it in 10 pound bags and I was happy as a clam. That was my first mistake. Then a month later as I was opening a bag I saw tons of tiny insects and the inside of the brute trash can lid was wet and covered with gnats. I tossed about 30 pounds.

If you buy in bulk you need a grinder and grind as you use. Now I know :D
You can still buy ground grains. Simply move the whole load to a garbage can, and pipe the CO2 from one of your ferments over into it. The bugs won't hatch from the eggs,and your grind will remain fresh. The C02 is heavier than air, and the oxygen in the air is what makes the ground grains go stale, as well as allows for the bugs to infest your stock.

We have drilled a ⅜" hole in one lid of our fermenters, and using the clear ⅜" tubing we seal the lid on the ferment and force one end through the hole in the lid, and the other end into the 30gal Trash can and tape it to that lid. It's the cast of CO2 that makes the bubblers jiggle remember? CO2 will pool in the can, killing anything relying on Oxygen to survive. Result: No bugs. Fresh grain.

Grains from Tractor Supply are notorious for importing bugs, and once infested, those little critters are tough to control. Gas um with CO2, and keep on trucking.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Smokee »

Snackson wrote:Rye is $64 shipped from http://www.honeyville.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow for a 50 pound bag. It's not malted so you'll need enzymes but the price is good. They also have flaked so no need to boil.
Thanks for the suggestion! That's a good price compared to what I've been paying. I've never used enzymes, I'll do some reading on it.... I guess I could measure off what I need an germinate it too.
BoomTown wrote:
Smokee wrote:I'm not having much luck locally and, as hellbilly mentioned, the shipping costs are crazy.

I buy a 40 lb bag of sweetfeed from Walmart.com and shipping is usually around $10, some of the on line stores want $100 for the rye.
Is there a Tractor Supply Store near you?
Yes, there's one locally. I checked their website a week or so ago and didn't see rye but I'll check again.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by raketemensch »

There are also frequent group buys over on the homebrewtalk forums. I just ordered my first 50lb bag of 6-row.

I'd be worried about my sanity if i wasn't too busy being excited.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Full_moon »

I got a 50# bag of premium 2 row malted at my local brewshop for $45.00. Its made by Great Western malting Co. in Washington.
I had to mill 15# through my corona mill and noticed a mouse turd. I then carefully, slowly poured it in the mill and picked a few out.
I figure its about 3/4 turd per pound. ugh.
Never paid much attention before and wonder over the years and a lot of grain how much got through.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by rad14701 »

Full_moon wrote:I got a 50# bag of premium 2 row malted at my local brewshop for $45.00. Its made by Great Western malting Co. in Washington.
I had to mill 15# through my corona mill and noticed a mouse turd. I then carefully, slowly poured it in the mill and picked a few out.
I figure its about 3/4 turd per pound. ugh.
Never paid much attention before and wonder over the years and a lot of grain how much got through.
You removed the yeast nutrients...!!! Why bother...??? You could never sort out all of the grain seeds that have come into contact with a turd... Yum...!!! :twisted:
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by osmaltman »

Full_moon wrote:I got a 50# bag of premium 2 row malted at my local brewshop for $45.00. Its made by Great Western malting Co. in Washington.
I had to mill 15# through my corona mill and noticed a mouse turd. I then carefully, slowly poured it in the mill and picked a few out.
I figure its about 3/4 turd per pound. ugh.
Never paid much attention before and wonder over the years and a lot of grain how much got through.

You need to throw that crap out or take it back to your brew shop for a refund. Heck if you were closer to me, I'd say stop by the malt house and I would give you some.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by dodgebrown »

I buy from grain wholesaler, not everyone will have one around...
They carry crashed 2 row, crashed malted wheat and loads of 'regular' grain, rye too, of course.
The only time I had weevils, it was in the flour (for baking).
Few bugs won't heart your product. They used to add meat (dead rats work) to apple cider to provide nitrogen to the yeast.
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by goinbroke2 »

I'm lucky I guess as I picked up a 50lb bag of 4 grain scratch ( corn, barley, oats,wheat) for $10.85 today from the local feed and seed. Yes it is cracked.
I went to pick up a bag of corn ($12.91) and saw all the prices actually went down from last time.
Barley $12.91
Oats $12.91
Wheat. $10.85
3 grain scratch. 10.85

And a whole lot more I wasn't interested in. The feed and seed is approximately 6 minutes or so from my house. Oh, and cracked ( or rolled) or whole is the same price. Gotta love living in a farming community :ebiggrin:

Edit: forgot to mention, I use enzymes majority of the time but do buy a few pounds of malted barley from the local " noble grape" home brew shop once in a while. I see the price of $65.00 for a 50lb bag and shake my head. Unmalted barley....$65.00!!! And maybe 10 minutes up the road from the brew shop is the feed and seed!!! :wtf:
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by old_man_k »

I have a large chest freezer, I put my sacks in there for a day or more when I get them to kill anything that might be in there


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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by frost021 »

what local feed store goin broke2 I may be close also seeing were both in NS
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by goinbroke2 »

Feed and seed in Berwick is good, the one in sackville has had bugs both times I got bags there. The one in Truro is good and there is one in Milford station (near Elmsdale) exit 6, drive straight in off the highway and it's the co-op behind the gas station. Only one bad is in sackville like I said.
Numerous 57L kegs, some propane, one 220v electric with stilldragon controller. Keggle for all-Grain, two pot still tops for whisky, a 3" reflux with deflag for vodka. Coming up, a 4" perf plate column. Life is short, make whisky and drag race!
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by Boda Getta »

Re feed store rye : In my area if ask the feed store if they have rye they will say yes, but upon inspection, what they have is rye grass seed. Not the same thing and even close. What you want is cereal rye or rye berries. None of the feed stores in my carry it even know what I mean. Your area may be different.


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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by jb-texshine »

Anyone in far northeast tx or se oklahoma or texarkana area looking for unmalted grains try valley feed mill. Cheap and carry all sorts of grain. They had cracked indian corn(multicolor) listed on the chalkboard last time i was there!
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Re: How do you all buy your grains?

Post by frost021 »

goinbroke2 wrote:Feed and seed in Berwick is good, the one in sackville has had bugs both times I got bags there. The one in Truro is good and there is one in Milford station (near Elmsdale) exit 6, drive straight in off the highway and it's the co-op behind the gas station. Only one bad is in sackville like I said.
Thanks will have to check out milford as they are just about 10 min from me to see if they have any rye and put my new mill and mash tun to use :D and thanks for the heads up about the Sackville one
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