[Brewin' n' Sippin' n' Pickin']

Made the switch a couple of months ago to all grain. Now I am ppurchasing a a grain mill and want to have grains on hand. Here is my question. What grains are commonly recommended for a homebrewer to have on hand. Two Row seems obvious but what about the other grains. I brew many styles but I am also not trying to look like a supply store either.

[gmac]

Crystal, probably 40 or so, maybe a range.
Munich and/or Vienna
Chocolate malt
Black patent or one of the carafa types ("special" if you want hull less and thus less bitter)

I use pale, Munich and some variety of crystal for most of my beers.

[realbeerguy]

60 & 80L crystal, 1-2# roast barley, 1-2# chocolate, 5#+ Munich, 5-6# wheat.

[thebigbaker]

Besides 2-Row, maybe some wheat or MO. 

I keep white wheat on hand since my wife really likes the different wheat beers I brew for her...actually, she's starting to brew with me so I should say all the different wheat beers she likes to brew.

Since I'm starting to brew with it more often, I also keep Maris Otter in stock.  Other than that I usually just get all my specialty grains at my LHBS when I need them.

[davidgzach]

I bought a couple of Vittles Vaults for my base grain so I can buy sacks of that at a time.  I typically buy 3-5# of 10-120L crystal and have 1-2# of the roasted malts around at all times.  5-10# of Munich, Vienna and Wheat depending upon the season.

Dave

[erockrph]

I only brew 3 gallon batches and use all different base grains, so I don't usually buy them I'm bulk. I keep a stockpile if specialty grains and just buy my base malt one or two brews ahead of time.

Since I generally use half a pound or less of most specialty grains in a brew, I always buy a full pound at a time and that leaves me plenty for another batch or 2. I always keep the following on hand:

Carapils
Crystal 20
CaraMunich 3
English Extra Dark Crystal
Special B
Wheat
Victory
Aromatic
Chocolate
Roast Barley
Either Midnight Wheat or Carafa 3 special
Plus whatever else ends up left over from a particular recipe. I also try to keep a few pounds of Munich and 5 pounds of another base malt (Pils, 2-row or MO) for any spontaneous brewday as well.

[tygo]

I buy sacks of NA 2-row, MO, pilsner, and munich and keep them in Vittle Vaults.  Which reminds me, I think it's time to order a new sack of the two-row.

Specialty grains I buy as needed, usually two pounds at a time and replenish when they're gone.  Usually a couple of shades of crystal and some various chocolate and roasted malts are on hand.

[a10t2]

Most of my brewing is either US-style pale/amber ales, Belgian-style ales, or German-style lagers, so bear that in mind.

By the sack:
US 2-row Pale
Ger. Pilsner
Ger. Munich I

Moderate quantities (<5 lb):
US White Wheat Malt
UK Medium Crystal, ~60 SRM
Ger. CaraVienne, ~20 SRM

Small quantities (<1 lb):
Ger. CaraMunich, ~50 SRM
Bel. Special B, ~150 SRM
UK Extra Dark Crystal, ~150 SRM
Ger. Munich II
Pale Chocolate
Chocolate
Black Patent
Roasted Barley

[tschmidlin]

I buy MO, US pale malt, pils malt, and wheat by the sack.  I usually buy anything else I need 5+ lbs at a time even if I just need 0.5 lbs of it.  I've built up some stock over time, but it is all kept in air tight packaging in air tight containers and I've never noticed a problem with any of it.

[morticaixavier]

I buy MO, US pale malt, pils malt, and wheat by the sack.  I usually buy anything else I need 5+ lbs at a time even if I just need 0.5 lbs of it.  I've built up some stock over time, but it is all kept in air tight packaging in air tight containers and I've never noticed a problem with any of it.

This is more or less my M.O. as well. sacks of pils, NA 2-row and Munich. Everything else I get by the pound to match the recipe I am planning + a bit (I usually don't use a whole pound).

[hopfenundmalz]

I use a bag of 6-row every year. CAPs and sometimes to add a little more DP.

Most of my list is like what has been mentioned.

[The Professor]

I always have the following on hand:
--a bag of 2-row (varying brands based on what's available to me...some are better than others but I've never had a bag that utterly disappointed me).
--a bag of imported Munich 20
--some 120L crystal, some 40L crystal, and usually some  CaraAroma
--some Carafa III special

I'll occasionally buy a pound or two of various other specialty malts to play around with or for a favorite recipe that I may not brew regularly; but as long as I have the ones mentioned above, I'm as happy as a clam. 
My hop requirements are similarly simple. I buy my faves by the pound, and experiment with other varieties as needed (rarely, actually) with 1 to 4 oz purchases.

[wactuary]

And keep a big box of rolled oats in the kitchen pantry. One less item in your brewery and a great addition for anything you want a little creamy mouthfeel in.

[tschmidlin]

And keep a big box of rolled oats in the kitchen pantry. One less item in your brewery and a great addition for anything you want a little creamy mouthfeel in.

This is a good point, I actually bought a 35# bag of Bob's Red Mill rolled oats from a restaurant supply place (cash and carry).  I keep most of that out in the brewery, but keep a few pounds in the house for cookies, oatmeal, etc.

[Slowbrew]

Every fall I pick up 2 bags of MO, 1 bag of white wheat and 1 bag of Rahr 2 row.  These typically last until the next fall.

Any other grains I need, I buy based on need before I brew.  As others have said I normally buy 2#s or 2x what I actually need.  It saves a few trips to the LHBS and I always make more than one batch of each recipe.

Having the correct hops on hand is the biggest pain in my brewery.  For some reason I never seem to have exactly what I'm looking for on hand.  That's probably another thread though. 

Paul