Buying in Bulk

[csells10]

So I'd like to stray away from kits, but the only concern is that they are so darn cheap and affordable my LHBS has kits for $28 for a 5 gallon kit, so its hard to try to develop a recipe or copy one here and have it be a bit more pricy, how do y'all buy in bulk and still make it affordable? or secondly what do you buy in bulk that you always have on hand? I want to start doing all grain but hate to buy just what i need knowing that i can get it cheaper if i buy a 55 lb bag of 2-row rather then just 6lbs here and 8 lbs there. Tips appreciated

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

That's a tough one, because extract is usually the most expensive part.

I bought a 55 pound sack of base grain for $37. That will last about 5-6 five-gallon brews. The other grains I buy by the pound, or in 10 pound amounts if I use them alot (crystal 60L for example).

I buy Munich malt in bulk, Maris otter, and US two-row. Then I just buy the other specialty grains I use most.

I wash/reuse yeast, so I buy yeast twice a year or so- about 6 packages at a time. They don't sell that at bulk prices, but I only pay shipping once when I do that.

Some places that sell kits will sell AG grains about about 2/3 the price of an extract kit. That could work if you want to do AG batches.

 

[johnpreuss]

You learn to substitute. I've been buying hops and base grains in bulk for the last 4 years. You learn what you typically brew and make your buying decisions that way. If you are like me I can't tell the difference between Maris otter and 2 row its not such a big deal. If your on the uber beer snob side of homebrewing you're going to end up with 10 sacks of grain and a freezer full of hops. My personal inventory looks something like this: sack of Cargill 2 row, a sack of CMC pale ale malt a pound of centennial, Columbus, golding, delta and remnants of pound nags of several other varieties.

The only other advise I have is get in on a bulk buy if you can, saves on shipping and is the cheapest way I've found.