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Author Topic: Buying in bulk  (Read 4548 times)

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2017, 08:58:06 am »
Hops by the pound can be so affordable, particularly when on sale, that even if you wind up tossing a few ounces you're still ahead on cost.

I've been surprised how quickly I've gone through a bag of two-row.  Bought my first full bag earlier this year.

Bulk is the way to go, but not for specialty grains.
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Offline blatz

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #16 on: May 16, 2017, 09:12:04 am »
Um yeah I buy in bulk: 



I too have a bit of a hop buying problem, have about 10-15# on hand at the moment, maybe a bit more.  but I am working to remedy that and will not buy any more of anything until i get down to less than 1 # of my usual suspects.

Part of my overbuying in the past 2 years has been caused the vast amount of new hops that have come out that I've wanted to try and the sales that get me.  That and the always rumored hop shortages.


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Offline Andy Farke

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2017, 09:16:50 am »
Um yeah I buy in bulk: 

I too have a bit of a hop buying problem, have about 10-15# on hand at the moment, maybe a bit more.  but I am working to remedy that and will not buy any more of anything until i get down to less than 1 # of my usual suspects.

Part of my overbuying in the past 2 years has been caused the vast amount of new hops that have come out that I've wanted to try and the sales that get me.  That and the always rumored hop shortages.

I see in your picture that you went with the 50 lb. PBW bucket...totally worth it! And wow, that's an impressive stack of grain sacks. I "only" have 3 big bins of bulk malt...feeling totally inadequate now.
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Offline blatz

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2017, 09:21:12 am »
I see in your picture that you went with the 50 lb. PBW bucket...totally worth it! And wow, that's an impressive stack of grain sacks. I "only" have 3 big bins of bulk malt...feeling totally inadequate now.

agreed - MUCH cheaper.

the closest place to me is 4 hours away in Tampa for grain, so for my base malt I usually grab a couple sacks when over there for work. all the specialties I buy in <5# bags usually from Morebeer.

however, some local guys got together for a bulk order and I got arm twisted into loading up in order to get us to the full pallet.  no worries though as i'll use all that in under a year or so.
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

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Offline zwiller

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #19 on: May 16, 2017, 09:28:36 am »
Um yeah I buy in bulk: 



I too have a bit of a hop buying problem, have about 10-15# on hand at the moment, maybe a bit more.  but I am working to remedy that and will not buy any more of anything until i get down to less than 1 # of my usual suspects.

Part of my overbuying in the past 2 years has been caused the vast amount of new hops that have come out that I've wanted to try and the sales that get me.  That and the always rumored hop shortages.


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That top shelf rated for 400 lbs?!  ;D 
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Offline 69franx

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #20 on: May 16, 2017, 10:04:45 am »
Um yeah I buy in bulk: 



I too have a bit of a hop buying problem, have about 10-15# on hand at the moment, maybe a bit more.  but I am working to remedy that and will not buy any more of anything until i get down to less than 1 # of my usual suspects.

Part of my overbuying in the past 2 years has been caused the vast amount of new hops that have come out that I've wanted to try and the sales that get me.  That and the always rumored hop shortages.


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That top shelf rated for 400 lbs?!  ;D

Top shelf is bowed quite a bit for stainless, get brewing
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Offline coolman26

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #21 on: May 16, 2017, 01:09:23 pm »
Um yeah I buy in bulk: 



I too have a bit of a hop buying problem, have about 10-15# on hand at the moment, maybe a bit more.  but I am working to remedy that and will not buy any more of anything until i get down to less than 1 # of my usual suspects.

Part of my overbuying in the past 2 years has been caused the vast amount of new hops that have come out that I've wanted to try and the sales that get me.  That and the always rumored hop shortages.


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Paul how do you like the Cargill?  I've wanted to try it and it is 5 hrs to get some. I hear they have several varieties that are good. IIRC Sean said their Euro Pils is good. I wish I were near St. Louis now and then. My LHBS just went to Briess, guess I'll be doing mail order.   


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Offline denny

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #22 on: May 16, 2017, 01:31:02 pm »
I've got about 700 lb. of malt on hand, including unopened bags back to 2013.  That's the downside of buying in bulk if you overestimate your usage or your brewing schedule changes.  And I have a tendency to buy full bags of malts I only use a bit of at a time, like rye.  I dumped maybe 40-50 lb. of various malts last week because they had gone slack.  Tend to do the same with hops, too.  I need to learn to asses my needs better.
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Offline blatz

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #23 on: May 16, 2017, 01:41:08 pm »
Paul how do you like the Cargill?  I've wanted to try it and it is 5 hrs to get some. I hear they have several varieties that are good. IIRC Sean said their Euro Pils is good. I wish I were near St. Louis now and then. My LHBS just went to Briess, guess I'll be doing mail order.   
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its good - I wouldn't go out of my way to get it, though.  I got the 2 row and the German Pils.  I prefer my usual Rahr by a little bit, but then again I've only used it in IPA and APA so far, so the changes in malt profile are pretty hidden.  As for the Euro Pils, its pretty on par with Weyermann or Best, I'd buy it again as part of this group buy if we do so next year, but i would rank them Best, Weyermann, CGP if they were all easy to get for me - i pretty much can only get Weyermann these days.

I also got a bag of Warminster MO in that buy, which i have not used in maybe 8 years - interested to see how that tastes over Crisp or Fawcett.

RE: weight - yeah supposedly the shelves are rated to 600#, but as you can see that is incorrect.  I'm already 2 bags off that load, so hopefully they hold up.
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Offline blatz

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #24 on: May 16, 2017, 01:49:25 pm »
I've got about 700 lb. of malt on hand, including unopened bags back to 2013.  That's the downside of buying in bulk if you overestimate your usage or your brewing schedule changes.  And I have a tendency to buy full bags of malts I only use a bit of at a time, like rye.  I dumped maybe 40-50 lb. of various malts last week because they had gone slack.  Tend to do the same with hops, too.  I need to learn to asses my needs better.

one thing that I've learned to do is look back on my average brewing over the past few years and realistically assess and tally my usage.  also, take inventory once or twice a year.   granted, tastes change, new hops or malts come out that you want to test out, and you won't brew exactly the same things even without those variables, but for me it keeps me a bit more pragmatic (see what i did there) about ordering.

as far as the rye comment - i think we've all done that at one point.  2 years ago, i wanted to make a dunkel using predominantly Munich II so i bought a bag, and subsequently realized in other beer styles like Fest, a little goes a long way at least for my tastes.  i still have almost half that bag left.  sometimes those 10# bags from morebeer make more sense even if they are more expensive. 

 
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

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Offline denny

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #25 on: May 16, 2017, 02:45:05 pm »
one thing that I've learned to do is look back on my average brewing over the past few years and realistically assess and tally my usage.  also, take inventory once or twice a year.   granted, tastes change, new hops or malts come out that you want to test out, and you won't brew exactly the same things even without those variables, but for me it keeps me a bit more pragmatic (see what i did there) about ordering.

as far as the rye comment - i think we've all done that at one point.  2 years ago, i wanted to make a dunkel using predominantly Munich II so i bought a bag, and subsequently realized in other beer styles like Fest, a little goes a long way at least for my tastes.  i still have almost half that bag left.  sometimes those 10# bags from morebeer make more sense even if they are more expensive.

I wish I could do that, but my life is in constant flux these days with books, travel and podcast.  I plan brewdays all the time only to see them slip away.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Phil_M

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #26 on: May 16, 2017, 03:00:12 pm »
Denny I thought you were retired? That sounds a lot like how I plan/lose my brewdays, and I'm working full time/going to school.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #27 on: May 16, 2017, 03:17:29 pm »
I brew mostly small batches which makes it inefficient to buy hops by the pound, which is why I like places that will do quarter or half pound increments. It's not quite as cheap as buying by the pound but cheaper than buying by the ounce.
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Offline denny

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #28 on: May 16, 2017, 03:18:13 pm »
Denny I thought you were retired? That sounds a lot like how I plan/lose my brewdays, and I'm working full time/going to school.

I'm retired but I have 3 jobs/businesses.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Phil_M

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Re: Buying in bulk
« Reply #29 on: May 16, 2017, 03:19:45 pm »
Denny I thought you were retired? That sounds a lot like how I plan/lose my brewdays, and I'm working full time/going to school.

I'm retired but I have 3 jobs/businesses.

I know, I'm just messing with you. We need one of those poking someone with a stick smileys...
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.