Taking another step, equipment-wise

[Kealia]

Congrats on the new equipment, Dave. I still don;t brew regularly enough to want to do bulk buys or crush my own grain but maybe that will change someday.
I never thought I'd have taps at home and look where that got me.

[FrozenInTime]

Nice lookin rig! I need ta get one, this kitchen aid mill is getting to be a pain to use, one small scoop at a time. Green with envy!

[FedoraDave]

I've always had my grain milled at the LHBS but I was wondering, what is the best way to buy and store grain? The majority of my recipes call for 23 pounds of grain so a 50 pound bag will last me about 4-6 weeks.

My LHBS would order 50 pounds for me, so you probably only need to ask. When you think about it, it's no skin off their nose to order more bulk grains and then sell them to you. As far as storage, since I make my living in the pest control business, I'd recommend plastic bins with lids that seal tightly, to keep rodents and bugs out. Don't be suckered by "exclusive" bins from a homebrew website. You can pick up what you need at a place like Target. Shop around and get the size you'll need, and make sure the lid seals tightly. And that ain't rocket science, so don't pay extra for it.

I've been tempted to buy bulk grains, but I'd still need to go to the LHBS to get the caramels and the flaked oats and rye malt, and whatever else I needed batch-to-batch, plus the hops and yeast, so it really doesn't pay for me.

[bpgreen]

I've always had my grain milled at the LHBS but I was wondering, what is the best way to buy and store grain? The majority of my recipes call for 23 pounds of grain so a 50 pound bag will last me about 4-6 weeks.

My LHBS would order 50 pounds for me, so you probably only need to ask. When you think about it, it's no skin off their nose to order more bulk grains and then sell them to you. As far as storage, since I make my living in the pest control business, I'd recommend plastic bins with lids that seal tightly, to keep rodents and bugs out. Don't be suckered by "exclusive" bins from a homebrew website. You can pick up what you need at a place like Target. Shop around and get the size you'll need, and make sure the lid seals tightly. And that ain't rocket science, so don't pay extra for it.

I've been tempted to buy bulk grains, but I'd still need to go to the LHBS to get the caramels and the flaked oats and rye malt, and whatever else I needed batch-to-batch, plus the hops and yeast, so it really doesn't pay for me.

My LHBS has a deal where they let people buy a whole bag and just get as much add they want when they want it. I think they only do that with base grains.

[Stinkfist]

Here is what my setup looks like, same mill just added a motor, pulley and extended the grain box..

[bpgreen]

Here is what my setup looks like, same mill just added a motor, pulley and extended the grain box..

Nice!

[Beer-lord]

Sweet build!

[ScrewyBrewer]

Damn nice looking grain crusher setup! In fact it looks sturdier than the LHBS in my area have. Figuring out the pulley ratio to use, based on the motor's RPM and the RPM of the crusher, is the key to a good crush too.

[FedoraDave]

Wow, Stinkfist, that's amazing! I don't think I'd attempt something like that. If I get a variable-speed corded drill, it'll speed things up and still give me the hands-on feel I like.

bpgreen, I would think base grains in bulk would benefit everyone. I mean, why would anyone buy 25 pounds of 40L? And it also depends on the LHBS. My guys would gladly order me a 50 pound bag of 2 row, I've no doubt. Other guys, not so much, for whatever reasons they may have.

Having said that, it depends on how well they know their clientele. My LHBS also special-ordered me three hand-crafted six-pack holders with a bottle opener on them for my son-in-law to give to his groomsmen. They knew I would pick it up and pay for it if they got it for me. At the same time, I've seen the owner gripe about how somebody special-ordered some piece of equipment, and then not pick it up after several phone calls and a few months have gone by. They know I'm not that guy, so if I asked them to bulk-order some base grain, I don't think it'd be a problem.